If one thing I think Mr Rogers faltered is that he never passed the torch of the show onto someone else, so to speak. Why is this? Certainly through the years he met and worked with some very capable people out there who could've filled his shoes. Yet, he did not do this and let the show die along with him. Why?
This isn't The Price is Right with Bob Barker or anything where you can just bring in a new guy. It is MisteRogers Neighborhood. With Mister Rogers! He is what made the show what it was, and without him it wouldn't just be different in the way it's different to see Drew Carry hosting TPiR, it would be absolutely stupid. In addition there is an enormous number of children's programs out there, and they likely didn't think they needed to ruin a timeless program like that.
shareThat's why you PASS THE TORCH! not take it to the grave because Mr Rogers is there.
share"Why didn't he pass the torch?" It is a wonderful question, and I've thought about it myself.
If I was Family Communications, I would revisit this question from time to time. Earlier in this decade might not have been the time for a followup program. (Government priorities, government budgets.)
What I fear is that they could not decide on it, so decided to see how it would go by airing daily reruns "for now, to see how it goes". The response was not so overwhelming that they couldn't switch to the once-a-week rerun we are getting now.
But there is such a need -- children still need to get answers to different things: Why a little child has to be extra careful on the internet. What it means when someone you know is going to a "war". Should you be scared of pigs, now that there is a "swine flu"? The world changes, and MRN provided answers as well as structure.
You know what I would like? "The Aberlin House". Betty and her husband are real people, in what looks like a real house. (Instead of recreating a carbon copy of the original MisterRogers.) But they have the trolley that takes them off to the puppet land, all the while giving kids what Fred Rogers used to give.
Besides, I'd like to see Betty Aberlin in more things.
Tomtac, you hit the center of the bullseye with your assessment. There are a lot of followers of Fred's show who grew up and have a desire to promote a show similar in theme, but dealing with modern issues. It is unfortunately a very difficult process to get a show rolling from scratch. Fred had so many contacts, so much experience, and so much influence in his time with respect to TV-land in general that he would've served as an incredible mentor for someone who could've "took over" for him one day. I admire the man on the production/business side of things at how he was able to get the show running successfully for so long. No easy feat at all.
As to some of the comments -- certainly a new host would've had things changed to fit their style -- no question about that, and it would be silly not to. My emphasis was just to question why the process never materialized. And yea, FCI is still rolling along. I even saw a youtube video of Mr McFeely explaining how to use new touchscreen electronic voting machines -- probably some kind of contract they were given by the g'vment. So maybe all is not lost and something can be kicked up in the near future.
I can't thank you enough! Kevin Smith is one of the few people who hired me, post-Neighborhood. So I've done a few of his films - Dogma, Jersey Girl, Zack & Miri (outtake #14) & Red State.
ugga-mugga!
from Betty Aberlin
Thank you for replying to that post. It is wonderful to have you here. I loved your appearances in Dogma and Jersey Girl. (We haven't seen the other two yet.)
And they are part of the reasoning for my suggestion. Animated tigers are cute and can hold a kid's attention, but as long as they are fantasy, then the Teletubbies or Elmo can do the same thing.
But reality would be real, normal grownups in real, normal houses. So I'll keep hoping. And I'll really hope it is someone like you.
(the clip of your duet with Daniel
singing "You're No Mistake" is wonderful.)
u-mugga back.
I guess he felt the show couldn't work with someone else.
shareWhy would anyone think somebody should of taken over his show?
Some people just don't think.
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he just couldn't bring himself to share, or to believe that the show could go on without him. Chuck (Neighbor) Aber would have been a wonderful successor, and there were people who could easily have done the puppet voices, and writers who could have continued in Fred's style, with depth - but ultimately he couldn't do it. Like only child syndrome. The neighborhood regulars could have aged on camera, and young talent brought in and into Make-Believe, and the tremendous archive of music could have gone on, and there was even a pianist who had apprenticed with Johnny Costa, but Fred chose someone else to be the musical director when Costa died. Very few have asked this question. I think the show would still have been on the air if he had been willing to let go his iron-fisted control of every aspect of the show. Thanks for your post. I know from personal experience that this was truly a selfish mistake on his part. It will likely be proved once the new cartoon Daniel's Neighborhood airs next September. Talk about jumping the shark!
Did Mr. Rogers SAY it was a mistake? I trust his judgment and if he didn't pass it on, I'm sure there was a good reason.
shareWow, hi Betty! Not sure if you're still checking here, but I'll post this anyway. I do think it's sad that the show couldn't continue, esp seeing how much my 2.5 year old loves the ones available on Amazon. PBS could certainly continue to run them if they want but maybe they don't have the rights(?). I wonder if, more so than control, Fred was concerned about what the show would become. I read about his reaction to the Burger King incident. He may have been worried that his name would be attached to something that was no longer done how he would have wanted. What if whoever took over decided to start adding sponsors, animation, extra segments that keep the show jumping all around, etc. You knew him very well obviously, I just wanted to throw that out there as food for thought.
That all being said, I don't know how he would've felt about the new show (Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood), but my son loves that too. Aside from the fact that it's animated, I think it generally stays true to the things he promoted. Simple stories that teach kids great lessons, songs to help remember the lessons, and a very mellow tone. Have they asked you to participate at all or voice anything? I know David Newell reads the production credits, but according to IMDB he was doing work for Family Communications so that may be why. I hope Fred would have liked what they've done with the character. Modernized just enough, but keeping true to his principles. Have you watched it? What do you think?
Chuck (Neighbor) Aber would have been a wonderful successor
I remember that episode. I felt so much like a little kid, in a little panic the way kids feel when a babysitter is taking over. ('Hey, don't talk like that, that's how Mr. Rogers talks. Hey, don't try to sing to me! What! You think YOU are the one to go "have make-believe" and control the trolley?!?') I remember Fred came back just in time.
I think it is possible that having Chuck take over for a minute was part of the setup for the next section of the show, maybe something about insecurity, but I have no real recollection of that at all.
Yes, some younger talent could have become a vice-host or guest-nice-grownup or something.
My wife made basically the same point that Chuck was probably ask tale over briefly to help teach children to be comfortable when they are left with babysitters and suck. Chuck spent half his time re-assuring the audience that Mr. Rogers would be back, and when he did get back Mr. Rogers talked about how it was OK because he trusted Chuck and wouldn't leave the audience with just anyone.
shareThank you, Betty, for sharing so honestly about the almost "God-like" Fred Rogers. It is somewhat refreshing to learn that he had a human side to him--human meaning imperfect. His devotion seemed to be 100% focused on the children of his audience, but there had to be many moments when a feeling of uncompromising pride took over. If he were perfect, he would have considered how much the children of today would benefit from the show's continuation and worked to make it happen. Instead, he exercised his authority to thwart it.
I'm just curious, Betty, if there were regular "business meetings" held for the show at which Fred became cantankerous and demanding. I can't for the life of me picture it, but based on your post, it seems likely.
He who conquers himself is mightier than he who conquers a city.
I don't think it was really possible to do so. There are really two big things you need to have a Mister Rogers. The first is a person with his television talents and individual type of charisma. His ability to write the music and play the puppets himself was huge. On top of that, though, how many people could both be so engaging on so many issues while being so calm about it. In a television world where bigger is usually viewed as better, Mr. Roger's quite corner of the neighborhood was a welcome reprieve, but not one many can pull off.
The second thing you need is someone who can walk the walk in the real world the way Fred Rogers did. This is a man who never had a sexual, or really any behavioral, indiscretion of any kind. He never smoked. He never drank. He never did drugs. He didn't even eat meat as an adult.
On top of that, while I'm not religious at all, I think Fred Rogers's religious beliefs were very much necessary to him being the sort of television personality he was. And how many people are that with that level of belief who get on television not to say the sort of things that Pat Robertson says, but instead to say "you make each day a special day, just by being you."
In other words, I view the question as to why the torch wasn't passed similarly to the question "why has there been no next Abraham Lincoln?" They were both truly special individuals, and there just may not be anyone who could do what they did.
Well said. I never knew much about Fred Rogers until my son started watching it last year. The more I read about him, the more I admire and respect him. Truly a one-of-a-kind man.
shareI'm not sure I see your point.
The man wrote and scripted almost everything for 60 years. Anyone he "passed a torch" to would be better off just starting their own show, rather than living in his shadow whilst doing all of the work.
What would be kept in a "torch pass" scenario?
You'd need new writers, who'd all have to be trained and indoctrinated, you'd need new composers, new researchers, new actors, a new host... a lot of work to make a show try and be the vision of a deadman. Any failure or deviation would be seen poorly. Just trying to live up to what was done would be daunting.
It's not like it was the only children's show ever, and all children's edutainment died with him. There were tons of things on the air at that time, and tons more have been made since.
So, what would be kept once he's dead? The sets and the puppets? The sweaters?
I don't really follow the logic you're working with at all.
You'd need new writers, who'd all have to be trained and indoctrinated, you'd need new composers, new researchers, new actors, a new host... a lot of work
You're absolutely right. Back in our day, we were entertained by real human beings interacting with puppets. Today, it all seems to be cartoons. Poorly animated cartoons at that. Not enough realism. The Fred Rogers Company wants to convey Fred's messages through their new Daniel Tiger show, which is fine, except it won't really have the same impact as the words are coming from a cartoon tiger and not a real person.
Who could take that torch? I mean he wasn't some character like Captain Kangaroo, he was a real person what he brought to the show all came from him. If someone wanted to take this roll it would have to be something they were willing to take on as themselves... they couldn't be him because Mr. Rogers was all about being real, dealing with real problems and concerns of kids, they would have to make a series their own, be themselves
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