Episode 1388 [1974]

Original Air Date: May 15, 1974

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

GUESTS: Chrissy Thompson, Terri Thompson

SONGS:

• Won't You Be My Neighbor?
• What Do You Do?
• It's You I Like
• It's Such a Good Feeling
• The Weekend Song

Mister Rogers arrives with a collection of puppets from around the world. He spends some time talking about how people have used puppets for a long time -- sometimes to help them say things that they find difficult to express. He then sings What Do You Do?.

 

Paying a visit to Elsie Neal's shop, Mister Rogers is very impressed with the progress that Chrissy and Terri Thompson have made in preparing for their upcoming puppet show.

 

In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Mr. McFeely delivers a new remote camera to Lady Elaine for her MGR-TV studio. Left with an empty box, Mr. McFeely is happy to give it to a very excited Bob Dog.

 

Wearing the box around his waist, Bob Dog pretends to be a witch. X the Owl adds to the costume by loaning Bob Dog a witch's hat. Although X and Bob Dog are having a lot of fun, Henrietta Pussycat is frightened when she opens her door and sees a "witch."

 

Lady Aberlin, who happens to be out using the new MGR-TV camera, tries to coerce Henrietta back out of her house but Henrietta is too scared. Lady Aberlin and Bob Dog decide it might be fun to use the costume for an MGR-TV program with Lady Aberlin as a witch. After a moment of fun, Henrietta comes out of her house only to be frightened by another "witch."

 

At the castle, Lady Aberlin and Bob Dog film a short interview with King Friday about witches. In a matter-of-fact way, King Friday clearly states that witches are not real and anyone afraid of witches should not be.

 

Back at the house, despite the directive of King Friday, Mister Rogers validates the feelings of Henrietta Pussycat: "What's scary to one person may not be scary at all to another person. But it doesn't help anybody for someone to say 'Don't be afraid.' Does it? no. What's much more helpful is to say 'You have your feelings.'" Mister Rogers then concludes for the day by singing It's You I Like.

COMMENTARY

Chrissy and Terri are the television grandchildren of Mr. and Mrs. McFeely. Chrissy wears braces on her legs as a result of a spina bifida condition. CLICK HERE to view a mid-1970's promotional picture of Mister Rogers with Chrissy Thompson.

CREDITS

With Fred Rogers
Neighbors: Betty Aberlin, Elsie Neal, David Newell, Chrissy Thompson, Terri Thompson, Bob Trow
Puppets from the collection of The Lovelace Marionette Theatre
Directed by Bill Moates
Music Director: John Costa

Produced with a grant from The Sears Roebuck Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Produced by Family Communications, Inc. in association with WQED, Pittsburgh
The people who gave the money to make this television visit are the people of The Sears Roebuck Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

© 1974, 1975 Family Communications, Inc.