Episode 1603
Topic: Fun & Games
Air Date: February 22, 1989
Previous Episode: 1602 - Fun & Games
Next Episode: 1604 - Fun & Games
Purchase/Stream: Amazon
Mister Rogers arrives with a basket he has borrowed from a Native American friend. He explains that his friend keeps the basket near his door as a message for friends to "put [their] burdens down here and come inside." Mister Rogers sings You Are Special before Mr. McFeely delivers a collection of baskets. Inside one basket is an announcement detailing a Special Olympics event. Mister Rogers takes a closer look at the various baskets.
Heading out to visit a local gymnasium, Mister Rogers meets Rick Agretto -- a coach for Special Olympics participants. Together they visit with Alycia Romano who is training for the wheel chair race. After trying out the balance beam for himself, Mister Rogers watches as Alycia wins her race.
In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, several people are playing outside the castle but King Friday declares that there are more important things to be done. When Miss Paulificate is called away to answer the castle phone, Bob Dog invites King Friday to take her place in their game. The King is a bit hesitant to step out of his comfort zone. Enjoying the "pleasant moment," King Friday shares that he has never been invited to participate in such games before.
Randy S. Caribou arrives and tells everyone about the boy-girl-reindeer-tiger team before Bob Dog shares that, like King Friday, he was rarely asked to take part in games when he was younger. Randy invites Bob Dog to join the team in addition to Lady Aberlin and King Friday. Together they will all form a king-woman-dog-boy-girl-reindeer-tiger team.
Back at the house, Mister Rogers remembers a time when no one wanted him to be a part of their basketball teams. He recalls how someone finally took a chance and asked him to be on their team leading to him making a basket. Talking about the newly formed soccer team in Make-Believe, Mister Roges encourages viewers to be creative as they have fun.
Notes
Unlike other characters who appear in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Randy S. Caribou is actually listed in the credits for this episode with Chuck Aber's name in parentheses.
Appearing In This Episode
- Bob Dog
- Handyman Negri
- King Friday XIII
- Lady Aberlin
- Miss Paulificate
- Mister Rogers
- Mr. McFeely
- Queen Sara Saturday
- Randy S. Caribou
Guests
- Alycia Romano
- Rick Agretto
Songs
Images
Episode Credits
With Fred Rogers
Neighbors: Betty Aberlin, Rick Agretto, Randy S. Caribou (Chuck Aber), Joe Negri, David Newell, Alycia Romano, Audrey Roth, Bob Trow
Special thanks to Four Winds Gallery, Paxinosa School, Pennsylvania Special Olympics (Northampton County)
Executive Producer: Fred Rogers
Producer: Margaret Whitmer
Director: Paul Lally
Associate Producer: Adrienne Wehr
Music Director: John Costa
Produced in association with WQED/Pittsburgh
A production of Family Communications
©1989 Family Communications, Inc.