THE NEIGHBORHOOD ARCHIVE - All Things Mister Rogers

Episode 1698

Topic: Transformations
Air Date: February 21, 1996
Previous Episode: 1697 - Transformations
Next Episode: 1699 - Transformations
Purchase/Stream: Amazon

Mister Rogers arrives wearing sunglasses and talks about how it can be concerning to a child when an adult changes their appearance. He puts on a wig as well and shows that he is still Mister Rogers regardless of what he is wearing. He then sings I'm Still Myself Inside.

Marilyn Barnett stops by for some indoor stretching exercises. Moving outside, she and Mister Rogers do similar exercises as they each hold a ball. As they are finishing, Bob Trow arrives with a completed portrait of Marilyn Barnett.

In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Lady Aberlin is wearing sunglasses as she waters Daniel's African violet. King Friday is not convinced that she is truly Lady Aberlin and quizzes her with various questions about the Neighborhood.

Robert Troll quickly recognizes Lady Aberlin as he is looking for the package for Purple Panda. He has a collection of drawings that show what the package may look like.

At the clock, Daniel Striped Tiger is somewhat frightened by the sight of Lady Aberlin's disguise. After she proves her identity, Lady Aberlin sings I Like Someone Who Looks Like You. Daniel shares a sign with her that shows the numbers "1-4-3" -- a numerical symbol for "I Love You." As Lady Aberlin leaves the clocks, Robert Troll suggests that Purple Panda's package may be in the castle's P Room.

Back at the house, Mister Rogers uses construction paper and a marker to make his own "1-4-3" sign as he sings Many Ways To Say I Love You. He explains that the Minot's Ledge Lighthouse near Boston Harbor flashes its light in a "1-4-3" pattern.

Mr. McFeely stops by with a time-lapse video he made which shows the television house being constructed in the WQED studio. After watching the film, Mister Rogers gives his "1-4-3" sign to Mr. McFeely.

Notes

Over twenty years earlier, in Episode 1409, Mister Rogers entered wearing sunglasses and talking about a similar topic.

At various points in Make-Believe, the background music includes I Like Someone Who Looks Like You and Troll Talk.

Visit the LightHouse.cc for more information and a history of the Minot's Ledge Lighthouse. According to this website:

In 1894, Capt. F. A. Mahan, an engineer with the Lighthouse Board, suggested a new system for lighthouse characteristics. Under the new plan, every lighthouse in the nation would be given a unique numerical flash. As a trial of the new system, on May 1, 1894, Minot’s Ledge Light was given a new 12-panel rotating second-order Fresnel lens and a distinctive characteristic 1-4-3 flash—a single flash followed by an interval of three seconds, then four flashes separated by one second, then another interval of three seconds of darkness followed by three flashes again separated by one second. Someone decided that 1-4-3 stood for “I love you,” and Minot’s Ledge Light was soon popularly referred to as the “I Love You Light,” an appellation that has inspired numerous songs and poems.

Appearing In This Episode

Songs

Images

Episode Credits

With Fred Rogers
Neighbors: Betty Aberlin, Marilyn Barnett, David Newell, Bob Trow
Executive Producer: Fred Rogers
Producer: Margaret Whitmer
Director: Bob Walsh
Associate Producer: Adrienne Wehr
Music Director: John Costa

This site is best viewed using the most current version of Google Chrome.
Content copyright © The Fred Rogers Company. Used with permission.
Corner image by Spencer Fruhling. Used with permission.
Do not duplicate or distribute any material from this site without the consent of The Fred Rogers Company.