Life in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

Life in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood

Matt Malone, S.J. February 22, 2018

I am writing this column on the 50th anniversary—to the day—of the U.S. debut of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” the PBS program hosted by the cardigan-clad godfather of children’s television after whom the program is named. The late Fred Rogers is currently enjoying something of a post-mortal renaissance: More than a decade after his death, his program continues to air in reruns on PBS stations across the country; the U.S. Postal Service has issued a stamp with his picture on it; one of his famous sweaters now hangs in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History; and there’s even an upcoming, big studio biopic starring everybody’s favorite good guy, Tom Hanks. I didn’t know Fred Rogers, but I suspect he’d be embarrassed by all this attention.

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