Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, an American children’s television institution, was first broadcast on PBS on 21 September 1967.
Celebrated in the latest Google Doodle, Fred Rogers’ syndicated show addressed its young audience directly, gently encouraging kids to be “good neighbours” and to acknowledge and express their true feelings while behaving compassionately and fairly towards others.
The programme ran from 1968 to 2001, meaning generations grew up with its softly-spoken host, teaching them to draw, play with animals and accept one anothers’ differences, welcoming viewers to his picture-perfect house every day.
Fred Rogers never shied away from difficult subject matter, always trusting in the ability of children to process hard truths about the adult world. Divorce, the death of a pet goldfish, even mass shootings, nothing was off limits.
In one groundbreaking moment, he invited African-American actor Francois Clemmons, who appeared on the show for 25 years as a friendly local cop, to share his paddling pool, the two men sat side by side bathing their feet to give children a clear and potent illustration of racial equality.
In another, he sang with wheelchair-bound 10-year-old Jeff Erlanger to address disability, interviewing the boy about his condition. As an adult, Erlanger appeared on stage to induct his old friend into the Television Hall of Fame in 1999.
“What children probably need to hear most from us adults, is that they can talk with us about anything and that we will do all we can to keep them safe,” he once said.
A huge source of nostalgia for many, Mr Rogers – always twinkly-eyed in trademark cardigan and tie – offered a gentle, wholesome and above all kind vision of America it was impossible not to fall for.
And the host’s belief in his message was entirely sincere.
In a superb David-and-Goliath moment worthy of Mr Smith Goes to Washington (1939), he appeared before the Senate Committee on Commerce’s Subcommittee on Communications on 1 May 1969 to speak up for the federal funding of public television, then at risk of having its $20m budget slashed in half by the Richard Nixon administration.
Explaining the purpose of his show as taking seriously “the inner drama of childhood”, Mr Rogers spoke from the heart about the value of broadcasting that addressed the emotional needs of young people, never once mentioning money.
“This is what I give. I give an expression of care every day to each child, to help him realise that he is unique.
“I end the programme by saying, ‘You’ve made this day a special day, by just your being you. There’s no person in the whole world like you, and I like you, just the way you are.’
“And I feel that if we in public television can only make it clear that feelings are mentionable and manageable, we will have done a great service for mental health.
“I think that it’s much more dramatic that two men could be working out their feelings of anger – much more dramatic than showing something of gunfire.”
Visibly moved by Fred Rogers’ forthright conviction and profound decency, waggish Democratic Senator John Pastore commented: “Well I’m supposed to be a pretty tough guy and this is the first time I’ve had goosebumps for the last two days...”
The presenter then recited the lyrics to a song entitled “What Do You Do With The Mad That You Feel?” to demonstrate his argument:
“What do you do with the mad that you feel? When you feel so mad you could bite. When the whole wide world seems oh so wrong, and nothing you do seems very right. What do you do? Do you punch a bag? Do you pound some clay or some dough? Do you round up friends for a game of tag or see how fast you go? It’s great to be able to stop when you’ve planned the thing that’s wrong. And be able to do something else instead – and think this song...”
“I can stop when I want to. Can stop when I wish. Can stop, stop, stop anytime... And what a good feeling to feel like this! And know that the feeling is really mine. Know that there’s something deep inside that helps us become what we can. For a girl can be someday a lady, and a boy can be someday a man.”
“I think it’s wonderful. I think it’s wonderful... Looks like you just earned the $20m,” Senator Pastore said.
Frank Capra couldn’t have scripted it better.
