The Best of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

The first episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, at that time spelled as one word, Misterogers, includes many of the same elements millions of people came to know and love about Fred Rogers and some that are different.

This playful black and white episode, part of the first week of nationally distributed Neighborhood programs, features a young Betty Aberlin. She visits Mister Rogers' house and he dispatches her to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.

In this early black and white episode, part of the first week of Neighborhood programs, we see some familiar faces: Chef Brockett, King Friday, Mr. McFeely the speedy - very speedy- Delivery man, and Lady Aberlin.

Like much of early black and white television, in this early episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood there's lots of freewheeling fun and a fascinating look at the early days of a very creative, playful and imaginative Fred Rogers.

In these early episodes we see that as producer, writer, lyricist and host, Fred Rogers envisioned his Neighborhood programs as a half an hour when he would come to visit with and play with his viewers - becoming their television friend.

Mister Rogers writes in fancy italic script. Grandpere gets a picture from his granddaughter Collette. She's coming to visit. Henrietta is feeling jealous about all the excitement and dresses up in her fanciest clothes.

Mister Rogers gets angry when he makes a mistake. Ventriloquist Susan Linn uses puppets to talk about jealousy. In Make-Believe, Henrietta knocks over a picture of "fancy" Collette by mistake and fears everyone will be angry with her.

Mister Rogers shows how locks and keys work. In Make-Believe, King Friday plans to welcome Collette by giving her a "Key to the Kingdom." But Henrietta, who is jealous of Collette, is afraid the key will unlock the door to her house.

In Make-Believe, Chef Brockett brings a surprise cake to welcome Grandpere's granddaughter, Collette. A jealous Henrietta wishes the fancy cake will fall off its pedestal. When it does, Henrietta fears her mad wishes came true.

Mister Rogers needs helps from his son to make a paper hat. In Make-Believe, Grandpere is making a party. But a jealous Henrietta doesn't want to be part of the celebration. Grandpere helps her know that no one can take another's place.

Visiting storyteller Jay O'Callahan tells the story of "Bubble Trouble." In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Metropolitan Opera baritone John Reardon offers to write a new opera.

There are so many different ways to make a sweater. Mister Rogers shows some of many the sweaters his mother hand knit for him, there's a factory tour of how people make sweaters, and there's a knitting machine in Trow's Workshop.

Mister Rogers helps children see some of the ways that creating together is different the playing alone as the neighbors plan for the upcoming opera, recalling past Neighborhood operas and imagining what they want to be in the new opera.

Mister Rogers explores the wind. Even though we can't see it, we can see what it does. Different fans make wind, and at the weather station a large weather balloon flies on the wind. Even a hummingbird's wings make wind.

It's opera day in Make-Believe! This fanciful fun-filled story told in song, is about a place called Bubbleland where there is never any trouble until a windstorm threatens to destroy all the bubbles.