Lady Elaine is surprised when Tony Bennett visits the MGR-TV studio with a sketch pad. As he draws a picture, Mr. Bennett hums and whistles the tune of It’s You I Like. Lady Elaine is flattered when she finds that the picture being drawn by Mr. Bennett is a portrait of her. After finishing the drawing, Mr. Bennett sings It’s You I Like and Sometimes Isn’t Always.
Mister Rogers is visited by Rita Moreno and her family. Ms. Moreno sings It’s You I Like.
World-renown trumpeter Wynton Marsalis visits Negri’s Music Shop, and talks with Mister Rogers about his music. The Neighborhood trio and Joe Negri join him in playing some jazz. In Make-Believe it’s nighttime and the neighbors are using a telescope to look for King Friday’s comet. Henrietta is sad because she thinks her friends have forgotten her birthday. Daniel is afraid of the dark, but learns that what he thought was a monster was only Purple Panda.
Mister Rogers thought of himself first and foremost as a musician, and he was delighted to share his love of music. In this episode, world -renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma visits and viewers enjoy his extraordinary musical talent and get to know him. Performing a variety of musical pieces, he shows how he uses music to express all kinds of feelings. In Make-Believe, the neighbors are preparing for a bass violin festival. And a factory tour takes viewers to see how people make bass violins.
Mister Rogers talks about his friend, Eric Kloss, a musician who is blind. He plays a cassette of Eric’s work and talks about visiting him later. He says we learn many things by being curious and wondering, then sings “Did You Know?” He explains what a field trip is. Mister Rogers visits Eric Kloss, who explains how a reading machine works. Eric demonstrates how the machine reads a letter and poem and that it can speak in nine different voices. The poem is about being the best at whatever you are. John Costa and Eric show Mister Rogers their jazz workshop and perform an instrumental of “Let’s Think of Something to Do.” Mister Rogers says he is grateful for the people he knows and that we are all teachers and learners. In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Edgar Cooke asks Prince Tuesday to show the students how to make good foods on their field trip. The prince explains to the king that the purpose of the field trip is to visit people in the neighborhood in order to learn what they do. Mayor Maggie asks Cornflake to show his manufacturing business. Maggie and Chuck Aber visit Lady Elaine. Mr. Jones has invented a learning machine which Lady Elaine feels would be more efficient than field trips and teachers. Mayor Maggie suggests including the children in the decision making, then goes to ask the students what they would prefer to do.
Mister Rogers enters carrying a plastic keyboard that plays musical notes. Mister Rogers talks about how teachers help you learn. Mr. McFeely shows up with a video on how vacuum cleaners are made. Later, Mister Rogers goes to Negri’s Music Shop to see Jabali Afrika, a group of singers. The group performs using traditional African instruments and dances. Back at his place, Mister Rogers talks about the world being one big family. In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Lady Elaine Fairchilde is having a dream about vacuum cleaners. In her dream she is dancing with a vacuum cleaner and yelling at it. Handyman Negri wakes her up and she tells him she is going to get rid of all the vacuum cleaners. Neighbor Aber shows up and Lady Elaine uses her boomerang magic to make his vacuum cleaner disappear. Handyman Negri asks King Friday if he can talk with him about something.
Upon his arrival, Mister Rogers does not put on his sneakers. He has what appears to be a pillow but is actually a soft carrier holding a soft book. Mister Rogers folds out the hide-a-bed feature in his couch and reads the book — Daniel Striped Tiger Gets Ready for Bed. After reading the book, Mister Rogers talks about being a young boy and wondering what his parents were doing after he went to bed. In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, it is nighttime and Hula Mouse has left in search of Little Panda and Prince Tuesday while everyone else seems to be having trouble sleeping. Finally, Hula Mouse returns with Little Panda and Prince Tuesday safe and sound. Back at the house, Mister Rogers visits Negri’s Music Shop where violinist Hilary Hahn is playing. She and Mr. Negri play Tree Tree Tree while Mister Rogers sings along.
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.