Episode 1096
Air Date: March 16, 1970
Previous Episode: 1095
Next Episode: 1097
Mister Rogers arrives with small metal hoop which he compares to other round objects. Mr. McFeely stops by with a delivery of various balls. Mister Rogers finds that some only one basketball will fit in the hoop but several tennis balls and marbles will fit. Happy to have discovered something new, he sings Just for Once.
In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Henrietta Pussycat and X the Owl are disappointed to find that Mr. McFeely does not have a delivery for either of them. Instead, he has two letters for Lady Elaine Fairchilde. Before receiving her letters, Lady Elaine uses her new device to share a Funny Fast Film of Mr. McFeely making a delivery. When Chef Brockett arrives, he is also presented with a Funny Fast Film of himself making a cake.
When Lady Elaine finally opens her letters, she find that they are from the National Boomerang Commission inviting her to the first annual boomerang contest to be held at Someplace Else. Lady Elaine is confident that she will win the competition but the second letter informs her that she will have to bring a partner. When Chef Brockett offers to go with her, Lady Elaine teaches him to throw a boomerang.
Back at the house, Mister Rogers pretends to throw a boomerang before cleaning up the kitchen.
Notes
The National Boomerang Commission is subtly referred to by Lady Elaine as the NBC. In a possible coincidence, one of Fred Rogers' earliest jobs in television was as a page for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC).
The letter informing Lady Elaine of the boomerang contest is signed by Barbara Boomerang, National Secretary.
The letter informing Lady Elaine that she must bring a partner to the contest is signed by B. Mazziotti. Barbara Mazziotti was the maiden name of Barbara Russell, who made several apperances on the Neighborhood and was Don Brockett's partner in comedy for many years. When Chef Brockett reads this name off the letter, Lady Elaine responds, " Oh, that old witch!"
A similar funny fast film of Chef Brockett appears in Episode 1049 and Episode 1439.
Appearing In This Episode
Songs
Images
Episode Credits
Produced by WQED, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in association with Small World Enterprises, Inc. for N.E.T.
Producer-Writer: Fred Rogers
Associate Producer-Director: David Fu-Ying Chen
Music Director: Johnny Costa
Neighbors: Don Brockett, David Newell
Film: Diana Dean, George Boyle
Executive Producer: Paul K. Taff
Production funds for this television visit were provided by a grant from the Sears Roebuck Foundation and a children's program fund established by N.E.T. affiliated stations.
© 1970 National Educational Television and Radio Center