It鈥檚 been 50 years since Fred Rogers first appeared on TV screens, a gentle and avuncular man who warbled 鈥淲on鈥檛 You Be My Neighbour?鈥� as he changed into a cardigan and sneakers.
The low-key, low-tech 鈥淢ister Rogers鈥� Neighborhood鈥� presented Rogers as one adult in a busy world who always had time to listen to children. That legacy burns for many in these turbulent times.
鈥淪ometimes I think I wish we had a bat signal for Mister Rogers right now,鈥� said comedian Sarah Silverman, who has hung a portrait of Rogers on the set of her Hulu series 鈥淚 Love You, America鈥� for inspiration.
The golden anniversary of America鈥檚 favouriteneighbour鈥檚 appearance is being celebrated with a PBS special next month, a new postage stamp, a feature-length documentary coming out this summer and plans for a Tom Hanks-led biopic.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a wonderful, thrilling time for me,鈥� said his widow, Joanne Rogers. 鈥淚鈥檓 just sorry that Fred鈥檚 not here to share it. But I think he would be just as amazed as I am.鈥�
An ordained Presbyterian minister, Rogers produced the pioneering show at Pittsburgh public television station WQED beginning in 1966, going national two years later. He composed his own songs for the show.
It offered a soft haven for kids, in sharp contrast to the louder, more animated competition. The final episode of what his widow calls 鈥渁 comfortable lap鈥� aired August 2001. Rogers died in 2003.
鈥淣o one has come along like him. Everything is based on high stimulation. He really was exactly the opposite,鈥� said actor John Lithgow. 鈥淗e had such a sense of children鈥檚鈥� developmental needs. And I think that鈥檚 under assault these days.鈥�
Lithgow, whose kids were enchanted by Rogers growing up, is joining Silverman and celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg, Yo-Yo Ma, Esperanza Spalding, Judd Apatow and hosted by Michael Keaton for the public television pledge special 鈥淚t鈥檚 You I Like鈥� set for March 6.
鈥淚鈥檝e thought about him more and more over the years because there鈥檚 no one like him,鈥� said Lithgow, who met Rogers while touring with his own concert series. 鈥淭here is no one who so completely talked on the level of children 鈥� not talking down to them, not talking up to them 鈥� just talking right to them.鈥�
One of those kids was Angela Santomero, who would go on to focus on child development and create 鈥淒aniel Tiger鈥檚 Neighborhood鈥� and co-create 鈥淏lue鈥檚 Clues.鈥� If Rogers鈥� baton has been picked up by anyone, it鈥檚 Santomero.
鈥淚 was his No. 1 fan. Like I literally could not sit any closer to the TV set when he was on,鈥� she says, laughing. 鈥淲hen someone looks you in the eye 鈥� I don鈥檛 care if it鈥檚 through the TV screen 鈥� and tells you that 鈥業 like you just the way you are,鈥� it鈥檚 very powerful.鈥�
Homage to Rogers is baked into 鈥淒aniel Tiger鈥檚 Neighborhood,鈥� which features children of characters from 鈥淢ister Rogers鈥� Neighborhood,鈥� including Prince Wednesday, the child of King Friday XIII, and Katerina Kittycat, the daughter of Henrietta Pussycat.
Rogers鈥� effect on popular culture was profound: Eddie Murphy parodied him on 鈥淪aturday Night Live鈥� in the 1980s and one of Rogers鈥� trademark zip-up sweaters hangs in the Smithsonian鈥檚 National Museum of American History. He鈥檚 had a category dedicated to him on 鈥淛eopardy.鈥�
PBS stations around the country still air 鈥淢ister Rogers鈥� Neighborhood鈥� and some can be found on the PBS Kids video app. There are DVD collections on Amazon and episodes are streamable on Amazon Prime.
Rogers has remained relevant in this high-tech and ironic age despite a lack of new episodes. Generations of kids 鈥� and those who became parents themselves 鈥� have found in Rogers鈥� heartfelt, simple lessons a comfort blanket in times of stress. At a time when media icons have been tarnished or pulled down, Rogers endures.
鈥淗e鈥檚 essential right now. His teachings and his beauty and love and patience and care and empathy and compassion are our only salvation right now,鈥� said Silverman.
Last year, amid proposed slashes to PBS funding, Rogers鈥� 1969 Senate testimony defending public TV from budget cuts went viral. And when a shaken Jimmy Kimmel addressed his viewers following the Las Vegas mass shooting, he quoted Rogers鈥� dictum to 鈥渓ook for the helpers.鈥�
鈥淚 can鈥檛 think of a time when we鈥檝e needed him so much,鈥� says Joanne Rogers, 89, an accomplished pianist who still lives in Pittsburgh. 鈥淚 think his work is just as timely now as it was when it came out, frankly.鈥�
The celebration of Rogers also includes a new feature-length Rogers鈥� documentary called 鈥淲on鈥檛 You Be My Neighbour?鈥� to be released by Focus Features on June 8. It includes behind-the-scenes footage of the TV show and never-before-seen clips.
And the U.S. Postal Service will unveil a new stamp featuring Rogers on March 23 in the same Pittsburgh TV station where 鈥淢ister Rogers鈥� Neighborhood鈥� was produced. The Forever stamp features an image of Rogers and the royal puppet King Friday XIII.
Bill Gicker, creative director of stamp development, said the decision to honour Rogers was a 鈥渘o brainer.鈥� Gicker was born the year the show went national and grew up watching 鈥淢ister Rogers鈥� Neighborhood.鈥�
鈥淭here are certain people that come up that you just know it鈥檚 not going to be a conversation. It鈥檚 just going to be, 鈥榊ep!鈥欌�� said Gicker. 鈥淗is calm demeanour really made him stand out, especially at time when a lot of television wasn鈥檛 for kids at all.鈥�
The 50th anniversary celebrations are somewhat bittersweet for Joanne Rogers. While fans cheer Rogers鈥� pacifism and kindness, she joins them, of course, but she also misses her husband.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how he would have liked growing older,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think he would have just tackled it the way he tackled everything else. But he wasn鈥檛 given that opportunity and I regret that.鈥�
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Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
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