It’s a beautiful day in to make new friends! For the first time ever, Daniel Tiger and Donkey Hodie meet in Someplace Else in a brand-new, special crossover event. To celebrate these iconic shows coming together, we’ve put together a special selection of classic Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood episodes this month, featuring Daniel Striped Tiger (now Dad Tiger) and Donkey Hodie (now Grampy Hodie).
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It is nightime in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe and Lady Aberlin is helping Daniel and Gradpere make a star for Donkey Hodie. At the castle, King Friday recites his kingly version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Exhausted after working hard on the star, Daniel falls asleep at the Eiffel Tower.
In the morning, Daniel is awakened by the trolley and is surprised to find that he has spent the night away from his clock. He joins Lady Aberlin and Grandpere as they go to Someplace Else to deliver the star. As they arrive, Donkey Hodie and Harriett Elizabeth Cow show their potato washer-dryer-sorter-dumper. Naturally, Donkey Hodie is flattered when he is presented with the star.
Back at the house, Mister Rogers takes viewers to Brockett’s Bakery where he joins Mrs. McFeely and Chrissy Thompson as they’re enjoying a soda. After talking with them about their plans for dinner, some minor adjustments are made to Chrissy’s leg braces before she and Mrs. McFeely depart. Over a glass of pineapple juice, Mister Rogers talks with Chef Brockett about how people can sometimes be stars by brightening up the world.
In this episode, the puppet character Donkie Hodie appears for the first time. Mister Rogers arrives at his house with some lumber scraps and uses nails to hammer some of the pieces together to make a boat. In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, artist Virgil Cantini visits and shows King Friday some of his nail scuptures. Lady Aberlin knits a sweater for Henrietta Pussycat. X the Owl wants a gift too, so Lady Aberlin promises to knit him a scarf.
A donkey is visiting and Mister Rogers feeds her an apple. Back in the house, he, Lady Aberlin, and Mr. McFeely play a game of “Pin the Tail on the Donkey.” In the Neighborhood of Make Believe, Donkey Hodie has just arrived and is looking for a place to live. He tells Lady Aberlin and Henrietta Pussycat that he no longer bites. He has learned to use his teeth only for talking and eating.
A brand-new season of the hit PBS KIDS show, Donkey Hodie, premieres this August 14. To celebrate, we have curated a special batch of episodes that feature the characters on the show who originally appeared in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Watch Grampy Hodie, Bob Dog, and more!
Mister Rogers brings a cape, top hat, and opera glasses because it is opera day, the show’s first opera – “The Babysitter Opera.” Betty Aberlin visits disguised in a feather boa. Together, they practice a song that Lady Aberlin will perform in her role as the mother. In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Sara Saturday sends the King a photograph with her regrets that she can’t attend. In the opera, Donkey Hodie has a pivotal role as the son. The opera opens with the mother going out and leaving her son with a babysitter, played by Henrietta Pussycat, and grandfather, played by Reardon. King Friday is quite touched by the opera’s message of missing someone as he sits next to his picture of Sara Saturday. He and the cast retire to the castle’s Compliments Room where he will give them all his royal compliments.
Mister Rogers makes a pretend television set out of a box and some bottle caps. He also makes some simple puppets out of other materials and makes up a show with the puppets singing a song to introduce themselves. Mr. McFeely stops by with a goat whose name is William, and gives Mister Rogers a trolley made from a shoe box. In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Lady Aberlin talks with Queen Sara about the king’s upcoming television appearance. Mr Aber and Lady Aberlin go to the Someplace Else dump and talk to the goats, Donkey, and Harriett about the garbage problem. The Goats think they can help and want to fax their friends in Northwood, so they go the castle F room to find a fax machnine. Queen Sara instructs Lady Aberlin on how to use the fax machine. On “The Universe Today” Patrice interviews Lady Elaine about the garbage problem, and talks to King Friday who has brought his bass violin. Sue Goat calls in to the show to tell the King that the neighbors in Northwood can help. Meanwhile, Lady Aberlin gets a “yes” fax from Northwood, and the TV caller says the goats will help by separating the garbage. Hilda Dingleborder shows her invention, a recycling machine that converts waste into useful objects. Mister Rogers say help is often very close by, and sometimes it is just as important to ask for help as it is to offer help to others. He plays with his homemade puppets and sings “I’m Proud of You.”
Mister Rogers talks about absent grandparents. Today is the day of the opera, “A Grandad for Daniel.” It is Grandparents’ Day, and Daniel is searching for a grandfather. Mr. Mefford, a former straw salesman, arrives. He and Daniel ride the Trolley that Daniel’s mother drives. Their first stop is the aquarium where Mr. Mefford meets a Star Fish. The Star Fish joins Mr. Mefford, Daniel, and his mother for a trolley ride to the police station where Officer Clemmons hums and blows bubbles through a straw. Daniel cries as he wonders if his grandfather is thinking about him. They continue on the trolley to the jungle where Daniel’s father is polishing. Mr. Mefford and the Star Fish plan to wed. Daniel’s father discovers that Mr. Mefford is his father, so Daniel has a grandfather. Mr. Mefford takes everyone on a trolley ride around the world, except for Officer Clemmons who has work to do.
Watch full-length Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood programs. The first Monday of every month will feature programs from the early years 1968-1975. The third Monday of every month will feature programs from the “Theme Weeks” library 1979-2001.
Looking for more Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood episodes? Find them here:
