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Today's Special was a Canadian children's television show produced by Clive VanderBurgh at TVOntario from 1981 to 1987. It also ran on Nickelodeon and the Faith and Values Channel/Odyssey as well as many PBS stations throughout the United States. It was set in a department store, based on the flagship location of the now defunct Simpson's in Toronto. Many sequences for it were shot at the Queen Street West and Yonge Street store after hours.
Clive VanderBurgh
TVOntario
121
30 min
In a department store at night, display designer Jodie is working on a display of Hats for the sale the next day. Jeff, a mannequin that comes to life at night - and is learning about the world, is learning about hats, along with Muffy, a mouse that lives in a hole in the wall in the store, and talks in rhyme. Also, Sam Crenshaw, the night watchman is doing his duty rounds with the help of his talking computer TXL and reveals a secret wish about wanting to be a cowboy. The rest of this episode focuses mostly on hats as the ""Today's Special"" gang gets together for the first time.
Sep 14, 1982
As Jodie is working on her display of snow, Jeff learns about snow as we all wait for the first snowfall that is due that night.
Sep 16, 1982
Jodie sets up her flower display and is glad to have a nose to smell the flowers. Sam, However, is allergic to some of them and keeps clear. Muffy has a cold and is in bed in this episode. And Jeff mysteriously puts a cup on his nose and Jodie and Sam try to figure out why but Jeff won't tell them. They thought it was because he hurt it, or he doesn't like it, But Jodie discovers that Jeff thought his nose was going to fall off when his toy soldier's nose did.
Sep 21, 1982
Jodie couldn't go to her family picnic at her Aunt Millie's because she had to work. She was a little sad, and Sam cheered her up by taking her to the hospital to see all the newborn babies during meal break. But Jodie is later in for a surprise when her Aunt Millie shows up at the store to see her instead. Meanwhile, Jeff is feeling a little sad because he doesn't have a family. But Aunt Millie shows him that his special family are the ones who care about him: Jodie, Sam and Muffy.
Sep 23, 1982
Jodie needs help setting up her camping display and Sam and Muffy have a lot of experience, but they both want to be in charge, so Jodie flips a coin for it and Sam win the toss. After everything is set up, they have a little camp-out in the store, since Jeff can never go outside. During their cam-out, they discover a skunk, which turns out to be a fake. Sam teaches Jeff to fish in a wading pool and ends up catching a toy fish, and they end up hearing sounds of a mountain lion. It turns out to be Muffy playing tricks on them after feeling left out.
Sep 30, 1982
Jodie brought her dog, Chipper into the store for the pet show the next day, and Jeff learns about what pets are. He is so impressed that he wants to get a pet of his own. But after wanting to pet a goldfish, take a perakee for a walk, and give a mouse a bone, he concludes that he can't get a pet if he can't take care of it. Finally, he finds a pet he can take care of - a plant named Rachel.
Sep 30, 1982
Jeff is too tired to do his exercises because he hasn't been sleeping. He didn't know that he was supposed to sleep, since he's a mannequin most of the time. So Jodie sets up a bed for him to sleep in until the store opens. But it isn't that easy. He can't sleep, and tries everything to get to sleep including hanging upside down like a possum, Jodie tries singing him a lullaby, but that doesn't work. Finally they decide to just leave him alone. Meanwhile, Sam and Jodie show us the time they visited a radio station.
Oct 5, 1982
The store is celebrating its own birthday and there are balloons everywhere. But Jodie's special balloons, that her nephew Davy gave her, fly out the window and get stuck on an antenna. When Sam and TXL find them, they decide to get them down and surprise Jodie.
Oct 7, 1982
Jodie has a cold and is home in bed. So Jeff and Muffy set up her display of soup, while Sam tends Jodie at her apartment.
Oct 12, 1982
With costumes everywhere, the gang decides to try on all sorts of costumes, and they tell a witch story.
Oct 14, 1982
Jeff wants to learn ""everything"" since he can never go to school and Muffy claims to know everything even though she never went to school. Meanwhile, Sam is chasing the Canadian Brass around the store.
Oct 19, 1982
Today's Special is games the next day, and Jodie setting up her display for the sale has everyone on the subject of games.
Oct 21, 1982
Muffy doesn't feel important and want to leave the store by train. So the other think of a plan to convince her to stay.
Oct 26, 1982
Jodie sets up her display of water supplies, which puts water on the subject.
Oct 28, 1982
With book displays, everyone is reading something. Muffy is reading a picture book, Sam is reading a book about Cam the Detective and gets tips on solving mysteries; Jeff is reading a book of knowledge and thinks that he should look different when he's smarter; Jodie however, has a hard time getting work done because she can't set up a book display without reading fairytales.
Nov 2, 1982
The display of fruit has everyone on the topic of fruit.
Nov 3, 1982
Jodie sets up her garden display, which has everyone on the topic of flowers and gardens.
Nov 9, 1982
Sam's shoes are worn out and he must have new shoes. But he's very sensitive about that. Meanwhile, Jeff is having fun with his new running shoes.
Nov 11, 1982
Today's Special is hair and Jeff helping her with the display has him learning about hair and puts hair on the day's subject.
Nov 16, 1982
Jodie hurt her hand roller-skating and it is in a bandage. So the others help her out with the display, which puts the topic of this episode on hands.
Nov 18, 1982
Since the big sale the day before, the store is a mess. Jeff and Jodie must clean up the children's department as Jeff learns about brushes, Sam cleans up the computer room, and Muffy cleans up her place. Sam and Muffy finish their jobs first and decide to surprise Jeff and Jodie and finishes cleaning the children's department for them.
Nov 23, 1982
With everyone on the topic night, displays and everything, They discover paw prints meaning that a raccoon may be loose in the store - and it's Sam's responsibility to find it.
Nov 25, 1982
Jeff the Mannequin
Muffy Mouse
Jodie
The Mime Lady
Sam Crenshaw
Waldo the Magnificent