Episode 1589

Topic: Nighttime
Air Date: March 10, 1988
Previous Episode: 1588 - Nighttime
Next Episode: 1590 - Nighttime
Purchase/Stream: Amazon

Mister Rogers arrives with a bendable sculpture which can be twisted into different shapes. He bends it around a bit before showing a picture of Tatiana Vedeneeva who he recently visited in Moscow. He reads a message saying that she is coming to visit the Neighborhood and will be arriving today. Mister Rogers has been working on a new song as a gift for Tatiana -- We Would Like to Welcome You.

In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, Miss Paulificate shows Handyman Negri a gift she received from Queen Sara -- a bendable sculpture (the one Mister Rogers demonstrated earlier in the episode). Much to the surprise of everyone in the Neighborhood, a visitor from the stars flying on what appears to be a variation of the bendable sculpture lands at the Museum-Go-Round. The visitor speaks only two words -- "me" and "thee." The visitor is taken to the castle where he is welcomed by King Friday and Queen Sara.

Back at the house, talks about baby talk and how people learn new languages. He explains that a translator will help he and Tatiana communicate when she arrives. Mr. McFeely arrives with Tatiana and her translator, Masha Nordbye. After being presented with a Russian matryoshka doll, Mister Rogers shows them around his television house. Tatiana takes out a puppet from her program -- Stepashka, a very brave rabbit. Together, they all watch a film about how people make matryoshka dolls. In the kitchen, everyone enjoys some juice as they talk before moving to the piano where Mister Rogers sings We Would Like to Welcome You.

Notes

In the original broadcast of this episode, Mister Rogers uses the term "Soviet Union" when telling viewers of Tatiana Vedeneeva's upcoming visit. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, new audio of Mister Rogers saying "Russia" was dubbed in.

Although not mentioned in this episode, we learn in the next episode that the visitor from the stars has a name -- Yo Yo LaBelle.

Appearing In This Episode

• Handyman Negri
• King Friday XIII
• Lady Aberlin
• Lady Elaine Fairchilde
• Miss Paulificate
• Mister Rogers
• Mr. McFeely
• Queen Sara Saturday
• Yo Yo LaBelle

Songs

• It's Such a Good Feeling
• We Would Like to Welcome You
• The Weekend Song
• Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Images

Episode Credits

With Fred Rogers
Neighbors: Betty Aberlin, Michael Horton, Joe Negri, David Newell, Masha Nordby, Audrey Roth, Tatiana Vedeneeva
Special Thanks to Belka International Inc. (New York & Moscow)
Executive Producer: Fred Rogers
Producer: Margaret Whitmer
Directors: Paul Lally, Victor Spiridonov
Associate Producer: Susi Simons
Music Director: John Costa

Produced in association with WQED/Pittsburgh
A production of Family Communications
© 1988 Family Communications, Inc.