I was so little when I started watching Mister Rogers' Neighborhood that for years I called him "Mr. Wahtoo." My mother tells me that when the theme song to his show came on, I would run to the TV from whatever corner of the house I was in and sit in front of the set completely transfixed by him.
It wasn't until I became an adult that I learned about him as a man and an educator, and discovered what a remarkable human being he was. Few people know that in addition to a life-long academic study of child development, he was also a Presbyterian minister who used television as his ministry. "I went into television because I hated it so," he explains, "and I thought there's some way of using this fabulous instrument to nurture those who would watch and listen."
During his life, he searched for someone who could succeed him and take over Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, but was unable to find the right person. As a result, an entire generation of children has grown up without his message. The Fred Rogers Company recently announced that instead of trying to find a replacement for Fred, they have decided to create one instead.
You simply can't animate this feeling:
