Summary

NAME: US PARADE 20051125E TAPE: EF05/1044 IN_TIME: 10:28:25:07 DURATION: 00:01:54:02 SOURCES: AP TELEVISION DATELINE: New York - 24 Nov 2005 RESTRICTIONS: SHOTLIST 1. Giant inflatable balloon of US cartoon character Scooby Doo in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2. Crowds waving 3. Giant Turkey on float being towed by car 4. Big yellow bird lifting weight 5. People dressed in yellow walking under big yellow bird, tilt up to inflatable balloon 6. Various of people in clown costumes with paints 7. Pull out of giant inflatable fish balloon in parade 8. Person wearing costume of Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse, pull out to wide shot of float dressed as steam boat 9. People dressed as various Disney cartoon characters dancing on float 10. Giant inflatable balloon of US cartoon character Sponge Bob Squarepants 11. SOUNDBITE (English) Vox Pop, young girl: "Barney, because he is awesome and I am really excited." 12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Vox Pop, young boy: "Sponge Bob is my favourite because he is really cool. Because he is a sponge." 13. People in blue and white outfits riding on unicycles NEW YORK CELEBRATES THANKSGIVING Americans across the US were celebrating Thanksgiving on Thursday with parades, football, and turkey. New York City hosted the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Highlights included giant inflatable balloons of famous cartoon characters including Scooby Doo and Sponge Bob Squarepants. The Macy's parade started in 1924 and has been an annual tradition, cancelled only in the World War II years of 1942 to 1944. The balloons, including Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer, the parade's first Latina balloon character, shared top billing with 10 marching bands, 27 floats and performers such as LeAnn Rimes, Aaron Neville and Kristin Chenoweth.