Mister Rogers’ well-lived life in the neighbourhood
Growing up in the 1970s, I was fortunate enough to have been exposed to some exceptional children’s television programs. My memories of Sesame Street, The Electric Company, Captain Kangaroo, Mr. Dressup and Vegetable Soup are as vivid now as they were then.
But there will always be a special place for Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.
Fred Rogers, a Presbyterian minister turned unlikely TV star, created a groundbreaking educational program between 1968 and 2001 that championed the growth and development of children.
He used language, music and puppets to communicate directly with his young, curious audience and made them feel special. He emphasized their unique personalities and intriguing differences, including them as members of a community that included a real neighbourhood and one purely of make-believe.