It’s A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood: A Look Back At Mr. Rogers

Interesting Stories About Mr. Rogers’ Puppets

Some of the most famous parts of Mr. Rogers’ show are all of the puppets who all had very interesting names. For instance, Prince Tuesday got his name because he was born in episode #1117, which aired on a Tuesday. One of the characters named Lady Elaine Fairchilde, was found in The Land of Make Believe, and many children found her to be scary while others found her inspiring. Although some critics say her voice and appearance are disturbing, others tout her as an early feminist role model. Lady Fairchilde was both independent and confident.

Another interesting fact is that a mother/daughter duo worked on the show. Audrey Ross and her daughter Adair both played many different characters between the two of them including Swan Mother, Monkey’s Aunt, Audrey Cleans Everything, Miss Paulifficate, Mother Elephant, Angelfish and Prince Tuesday. The actors who played the characters Mr. and Mrs. McFeely also spoke of how much it meant to be on the show. David Newell portrayed character Mr. McFeely who was the deliveryman in the neighborhood. He said he was a lifelong friend of Mr. Rogers. He said that, “Working with Fred Rogers was like receiving a master’s degree in child development. Fred taught by example, and he was subtle – but suddenly you’d realize that, after working side by side with him, your knowledge base had expanded almost beyond description,” he said. His character’s wife on the show was also played by one of the writers named Betty Seamans.

Field Trips and Favorite Episodes

Mr. Rogers regularly took his audience along on different educational field trips. Some of the places he visited were the zoo, the museum, a factory, and a theater. He even got on a school bus and visited the dentist! Surely, another favorite kids show, The Magic School Bus, was inspired by his educational field trips.

One of the episodes that is almost always listed as a fan favorite is when he and some children are able to visit a crayon factory and take a tour. They were even able to see real crayons being made. The field trip took place in the episode “Competition,” which also showcased a drawing contest held in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe.