‘Mister Rogers’ Cozy Halloween Playlist Includes George A. Romero-Directed Segment

The official Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood YouTube channel is getting into the Halloween spirit with a special “Halloween Comfort” playlist, offering a cozy and gentle take on the holiday for young children (and the young at heart).

Rolling out throughout October, the YouTube collection features classic Mister Rogers episodes and clips from the vault, featuring the beloved Fred Rogers as he gently guides his friends and fans towards all things Halloween, offering everything from Wicked Witches and spooky spiders to creative costumes.

Highlights of the channel include “Playing Pretend with Margaret Hamilton,” featuring the actress who terrified generations as the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. In the episode, Hamilton opens up about the challenges of playing the Wicked Witch of the West, from dealing with green makeup to realizing how much her character frightened children. She and Mister Rogers then play dress-up to show young viewers that the scary witch is just a character, as they teach kids how not to be afraid through coping mechanisms that allow children to understand their feelings.

There’s also “Mister Rogers Gets His Tonsils Taken Out,” a reassuring look at surgery and hospital stays, directed by filmmaking legend and Master of Horror George A. Romero, best known for his work on Night of the Living Dead. Romero would later joke that his early work on Mister Rogers was the “scariest film I ever made.”

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Other treats on the channel include a compilation of scenes of Mister Rogers dressing up in various costumes, and a clip from the very first season of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood where he dons a suit of armor. There is also a live stream of “Nighttime Week” and videos from classic episodes about spiders, clowns, what to do if you see scary things on TV, shadow puppets, and much more.

Halloween doesn’t always have to be about scares. Sometimes, it’s about embracing the fun of the holiday and revisiting the comforting, cozy moments of childhood, when Mister Rogers reminded us that even the scariest things are often just make-believe.

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood “Halloween Comfort” playlist, YouTube