Episode 1130
Air Date: May 1, 1970
Previous Episode: 1129
Next Episode: 1131
Mister Rogers arrives with two musical instruments -- a clarinet and a psalter. After demonstrating both instruments, Mister Rogers plays a game with viewers which he calls "close your eyes and listen." The game consists of viewers closing their eyes and recognizing which instrument Mister Rogers is playing.
The game continues with Mister Rogers going to the kitchen and turning on the faucet to see if viewers can recognize that sound. Finally, Mister Rogers brings out the Trolley to see if its sound can be recognized as well.
Chef Brockett stops by and Mister Rogers has him play the game with the instruments before Chef Brockett introduces a game of his own -- "close your eyes and feel." In this game, Chef Brockett places an orange in Mister Rogers' hand for him to identify. They play the game again with a drinking glass and a juicer in place of the orange. Moving to the kitchen, Chef Brockett uses the items he brought to demonstrate the juicer. As always, Chef Brockett insists on silence in the kitchen. As he prepares the juice, he and Mister Rogers communicate though hand motions.
In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Mr. McFeely is helping Lady Elaine Fairchilde play a joke on X the Owl by hanging artificial oranges from his tree. Mr. McFeely charges her a five for his assistance.
Chef Brockett arrives to give X the Owl a glass of fresh orange juice but, seeing the oranges in the tree, assumes he does not need it. Following his initial excitment, X is disappointed to learn that the oranges are not real and that he has been the butt of Lady Elaine's joke. To cheer him up, Chef Brockett presents X with the glass of fresh orange juice.
Back at the house, Mister Rogers cleans up the kitchen and sings I Need You.
Notes
One of the instruments Mister Rogers arrives with, the psalter, is typically called a "psaltery." Looking for more information on this instrument, I found nothing (other than this episode) referring to it as a "psalter." According to dictionary.com, a psaltery is "an ancient musical instrument consisting of a flat sounding box with numerous strings which are plucked with the fingers or with a plectrum" while a psalter is another name for "the Biblical book of Psalms."
In case anyone was wondering why Lady Elaine Fairchilde was hanging out alone at Henrietta's house in the tree, Lady Elaine explains that Henrietta "is in westwood for the weekend."
Always making the most of everything and never one to waste, Mister Rogers mentions that once the juice has been extracted from an orange, the pulp can still be eaten. Following the time in Make-Believe, Mister Rogers takes the remains of the oranges used by Chef Brockett and places them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator to save for later: "I never throw anything away that I can eat later."
This is the final episode with the "MisteRogers" title.
Appearing In This Episode
Songs
Images
Episode Credits
Produced by WQED Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in association with Small World Enterpriese, Inc. for N.E.T.
Producer-Writer: Fred Rogers
Associate Producer-Director: David Fu-Ying Chen
Music Director: Johnny Costa
Neighbors: Don Brockett, David Newell
Psychological Consultants: Margaret B. McFarland Ph.D., Albert V. Corrado M.D.
Assistant Producer: Diana Dean
Lighting Director: Art H. Siegel
Art Director: Jack Guest
Production Assistant: David Newell
Technical Supervisors: Tom Knight, Ken Anderson
Video Tape Editor: Chet Bednar
Cameramen: Bob Vaughn, Dick Reschoff
Video: Don Williamson
Audio: Chuck Sradomski
Production funds for this television visit were provided by a grant from the Sears Roebuck Foundation and a children's program fund established by N.E.T. affiliated stations.
© 1970 National Educational Television and Radio Center