>> He would walk into a room
and the electricity,
the molecules changed
in the air.
You felt that you were in
the presence of this figure.
>> He assumed that everyone
watching him had inside
themselves this wonderful
person that was just
dying to get out.
>> He understood
the power of television.
The medium is wonderful,
it's just that we
misuse it so often.
>> He was a unique human being
taking advantage
of every moment to tell people
that it is important
that we respect one another
and love one another.
What a lasting legacy.
>> It seems to me that
there are just a few
crucial moments
that define our lives.
For me so far,
they're as follows...
I was born September 4, 1971
in Iowa City, Iowa
to a graduate student
and a nurse.
Three weeks later, we moved.
As a kid, I loved two things
more than anything else:
singing and writing.
When my parents divorced
in October of 1981,
I escaped into my
headphones and the pages
of Rolling Stone magazine.
A few months later,
my mother, brother Christofer
and I moved for the fifth
time in ten years
to suburban Philadelphia,
while my father remained
behind in the Midwest initiating
years of heartbreaking
back and fourth cross-country
plane trips.
In 1993, I graduated
from Syracuse University
with dual degrees
in creative writing
and journalism.
After graduation,
Chris and I moved
to New York City,
where timing, luck and a little
bit of experience conspired
to afford me my dream job
at the preeminent
music video network.
Yeah, that music video network.
Perhaps the defining moment
of my life so far occurred
in September 2001
on a tiny island 30 miles
off the coast of Massachusetts.
We were on Nantucket,
a sleepy little whaling town
turned upscale resort
destination.
I'd only stepped off the ferry
a few hours ago.
It was Labor Day 2001,
the weekend of my
30th birthday.
My cell phone was still
vibrating as I stood
on the back porch watching
the last rays of light
spill over the horizon.
The buzz of New York City
was slipping away
as I settled into a quiet
island night.
When suddenly,
a familiar voice from the edge
of the dune asked,
"Is the birthday boy here?"
I turned to see America's
favorite neighbor reaching out
to shake my hand.
See, Mr. Rogers summered
in a modest grey shake shingled
house on the edge
of Nantucket Island.
My mother rented
a tiny cottage next door.
So Mister Rogers
really was my neighbor.
Fred McFeely Rogers was born
to James and Nancy Rogers
on March 20, 1928
in Latrobe, Pennsylvania,
a thriving industrial town
40 miles southeast
of Pittsburgh.
He was an only child
until the age of 11
when his parents adopted
a baby girl, Elaine.
A lonely and shy little boy,
Freddie Rogers entertained
himself with his piano
and his puppets.
His grandfather, Fred McFeely,
encouraged him to be
all that he could,
often telling him,
"You've made this
a special day, Freddie,
by just your being yourself.
There's only one person
in the world like you."
Fred graduated
Latrobe High School in 1946.
He attended Dartmouth for a year
before enrolling
at Rollins College
in Winter Park, Florida.
He graduated magna cum laude
with a bachelors degree
in music composition in 1951
and married classmate
Sarah Joanne Byrd
shortly thereafter.
Though he planned
to enter seminary,
he chose instead to go
into broadcasting.
His television career began
in earnest at the National
Broadcasting Company
in New York City
where he worked
as an assistant producer
and floor director
for such programs as:
Your Lucky Strike Hit Parade
and The Kate Smith Hour.
>> I got into television
because I saw people throwing
pies at each other's faces,
and that to me was such
demeaning behavior.
And if there's anything
that bothers me, it's one person
demeaning another.
That really makes me mad.
>> The day after I met
Mr. Rogers,
I joined he and his wife
at their so-called
crooked house.
I was nervous like a little kid
as I trudged through the sand
towards his home, my guitar
slung over my shoulder.
We sat in the living room,
there in the back,
overlooking the bay.
It was wood paneled
and strewn with photos
and artwork.
We talked a while
about New York,
where he'd once worked himself
and still had an apartment
just one block from mine.
He asked about my plans,
my hopes and my dreams.
I sang for him,
and when I finished
he clapped and we drank
another glass of lemonade,
and I smiled and smiled
and smiled because Mr. Rogers
really was my neighbor.
And frankly, that could
have been enough.
The story could've ended there,
but Mr. Rogers asked me
if I'd like a tour of the house
and, of course, I did.
And so he led me around
his magical, intimate
little home, and while there
was evidence of dozens
of summers spent there,
it was a sparse,
almost ascetic place.
But the most magical part
of my tour occurred
in his study out back
behind the garage.
There was a desk, a computer
and a small piano,
plus a breathtaking view
of the pale green,
grassy dunes and the bright
blue sea beyond.
Sitting there in the waning
afternoon light, he asked me
something no one ever does:
"Tell me about your
parent's divorce."
And so I told him
about the fights and the move,
and how confusing it all was
as a ten year old.
I felt so comfortable
with him, so safe
that I nearly started crying
right there on the spot.
Mr. Rogers said simply,
"That must have been
very difficult for you
And then he rolled his chair
over to his piano
and began playing.
First the theme
from Mister Roger's Neighborhood
and then Happy Birthday.
Even now, years later,
it seems like a dream.
Later, Mr. Rogers and I
stood on the back porch
of the crooked house
staring out to sea.
He asked me about my job,
and frankly, I was
a little embarrassed.
I mean, here he was.
America's most beloved
neighbor, creator and steward
of one of television's
most substantive,
long-running shows.
Me?
As one-time editor
of the high school newspaper,
and sometimes singer/songwriter,
my day job made a lot of sense,
but I had my moments
of ambivalence, too.
A PBS mind and a jump cut
sound bit MTV world trying
to figure out just what
I could do to make it
a better place.
Mr. Rogers didn't render
any judgment, but said simply,
"I feel so strongly
that deep and simple
is far more essential
than shallow and complex."
Deep and simple is far more
essential than shallow
and complex.
When I returned to Nantucket
the following September,
I told him how often I'd thought
about our deep and simple
conversation, and how often
I'd told others the story.
"Spread the message,"
he told me.
Spread the message.
*
I remember thinking,
"Me?
What can I do?
You're the beloved
television icon."
>> The death overnight
of Fred Rogers is sad news
for his neighbors
in Pittsburgh and for his
many fans young and old
across the country.
>> It was only through
the passage of time,
and Mr. Rogers' death
on February 27, 2003,
that I decided just what
I could do to try and make
good on his challenge
to spread the message.
Chris and I decided
to seek out some of Mr. Rogers'
other friends and neighbors.
Journalists, authors,
artists and experts
who were equally inspired
by his life's work
to learn more about him
and what he meant
by "deep and simple."
So we made some calls,
grabbed a camera
and hit the road.
Our first order of business,
naturally, was to meet
the man who wrote the book.
Literally.
Bo and Cita Lozoff's
Human Kindness Foundation
is a non-profit organization
in Durham, North Carolina.
The couple's 70-acre ashram
is home to a full range
of good works.
Bo's primary effort
is his 35 year old
prison ashram project,
which inspires and encourages
prisoners to use their
incarceration to commune
with their spiritual depths
and create community
with their peers.
Bo spends months on the road,
speaking at prisons, hospitals,
churches, universities
and spiritual centers
across the country.
>> The best things
in life are free.
>> As it ends up, Mr. Rogers
generously supported
Human Kindness Foundation
and purchased hundreds
of copies of Bo's books,
including one called
Deep and Simple.
>> There's something
that I wrote in a newsletter
long, long ago
that Fred said he quoted
in just about all
his public talks, and that is,
"The cause of all our
personal problems
and nearly all the problems
of the planet can be summed up
in a single sentence:
Human life is very deep
and our dominant modern
lifestyle is not."
And Fred loved that.
>> The Rogers' moved back
to Pennsylvania in 1953
where Fred helped to establish
the Pittsburgh Public
Television Station, WQED.
In 1954, he and co-host
Josie Carey premiered
The Children's Corner
for National Educational
Television, introducing
for the first time
beloved puppet friends
Daniel Striped Tiger
and King Friday XIII.
He also began part-time efforts
towards a Masters of Divinity
degree, which he eventually
earned in 1962,
and was subsequently ordained
as a Presbyterian minister.
In 1968,
bolstered by funding from
the Sears Roebuck Foundation,
Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
was broadcast across the country
for the first time.
>> Alright, Rogers,
you got the floor.
>> In 1969, Mr. Rogers
testified before Congress
on behalf of the then Mason
Corporation for Public
Broadcasting when a $20 million
grant proposed by Lyndon Johnson
was in jeopardy.
>> We made a hundred programs
for the Eastern
Educational Network,
and then when the money
ran out, people in Boston
and Pittsburgh and Chicago
all came to the floor
and said, "We've got to have
more of this neighborhood
expression of care."
And this is what--
This is what I give.
I give an expression of care
every day to each child.
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.
>> I think it's wonderful.
Looks like you just earned
the $20 million.
>> Nearly 900 episodes
of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
aired on public television
from 1968 until just a few days
before we met in 2001.
The show's pace, tone
and routine afforded generations
of children a safe,
comfortable and familiar
environment.
>> I was sitting with my wife
in Fred Rogers' office
talking with the staff
of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
about children and violence
on a Tuesday that was the moment
that Columbine--the shootings
at Columbine were happening
with Eric and Dylan
shooting their classmates.
And it's exactly what
we were talking about,
that children seem to be
losing a hope.
And what I had said was
there's three simple words
or ideas that you could apply
to a rich life.
And say that there's something
beautiful, something noble,
something sacred.
And, I mean, just brief
examples of what I mean
by that.
The sunset.
If we alw it to touch us,
you know, do you and I
take time in our daily lives--
and I'm talking about seconds--
to consciously be moved
or touched by something
we consider beautiful.
If eitr of those two kids
thought there was a single thing
in the world, a word, an idea,
a song, a rock group, a movie,
a bird, a person, a religion,
if there was a single thing
in the world that either
of those kids thought
was beautiful, noble or sacred,
they never could have done
what they did.
And then I just realized
with a shutter, is it possible
that tens of millions
of Americans don't feel
they have any time
for beautiful, noble or sacred
in the vicious, crushing pace
of this life about wanting
stuff and getting stuff
and buying stuff,and using stuff
and then, of course,
replacing stuff,
repairing stuff,
protecting stuff,
defending stuff, you know,
that it's so vicious,
it's anti-life.
>> Television's a powerful
medium, to say nothing
of the internet, video games
and all of the other screens
and devices competing
for our attention.
Bo gave us a pretty good sense
of what was at stake,
so we headed up to Boston
to meet Dr. Susan Linn,
co-founder of Campaign for
a Commercial Free Childhood,
author of Consuming Kids,
and sometimes special guest
on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.
>> Advertising
and marketing to children
is a factor in so many
of the problems facing
children today.
The unprecedented convergence
of commercialism
with ubiquitous, miniaturized
and increasingly sophisticated
screen media is just
a disaster for children.
It's honed by child
psychologists, it's brought
to us by billions and billions
of dollars and this incredibly
sophisticated technology.
To put it in perspective,
in 1983, companies were
spending $100 million annually
marketing to kids.
Now they're spending
over $17 billion annually,
and this is just
in the United States.
>> In fact, $17 billion
is just the tip
of the iceberg.
Dig a little deeper
and the data becomes
pretty alarming pretty quickly.
Every day, the average child
spends seven hours
staring at screens.
By the time they're 18 years old
they've witnessed 200,000
acts of televised violence
and one million ads.
Ninety eight percent
of food ads targeted
at children arfor products
high in sugar, sodium and fat.
It's not terribly surprising
then that obesity rates
amongst children six to 11
have quadrupled since 1980.
Less surprising still,
87% of Americans
say that current consumer
culture makes it harder
to instill values
in their children.
>> Good morning.
>> Nineteen percent
of babies under the age of one
have a television
in their bedroom
in the United States.
Forty percent
of three month old babies
are regular viewers
of television.
The more that babies
engage with screen media,
the less time they spend
in the two activities
that we know are educational
for them:
interacting with their parents
and in creative play.
>> If we take time,
we can often go much deeper,
as far as our spiritual life
is concerned, than we can
if there's constant distraction.
>> We have to ask ourselves,
do we want to raise a generation
of children who are either
bored or anxious unless
they're in front of a screen?
We know that screen viewing
is habituating.
Now, here, I'm somebody--
I'm not anti-television.
I worked in television.
I came of age at a time
when there was huge potential
for educational television.
But it's all out of whack now.
There are too many screens
in the lives of too many
children selling them
too much stuff.
>> Often television gives
such constant distraction,
noise and fast-paced things,
which doesn't allow us
to take time to explore
the deeper levels of who we are
and who we can become.
>> We're raising children
who can't bear--
They can't bear a silence.
And, you know, all creativity
comes out of silence.
If we're constantly
bombarding kids with noises
and images, we--
I mean, they're never
gonna have a chance to know
who they really are.
>> If the world could know
that we don't have to put
people in concentration camps
and annihilate people just
because we're angry with them,
and the anger probably goes
back for centuries.
If we could just know that.
>> Author Amy Hollingsworth
was a writer at CBN when,
in 1994, she landed what
would be the first on-camera
interview in which Mr. Rogers
addressed his faith.
>> I keep thinking that evil
would like nothing better
than to have us feel awful
about who we are.
>> Their friendship endured
until Mr. Rogers' death,
and is recounted in Amy's book,
The Simple Faith of Mr. Rogers.
>> He told me a story
about when he was eight
and he was afraid
to go to school because
he was bullied.
And he was afraid
to go to school because he said,
and these are his words,
"I was shy and overweight."
That's the first letter
I ever got from him,
December 5th, '94.
So, here's eight year old
Fred Rogers,
and he's walking home.
He senses there's somebody
behind him and so he looks
over his shoulder and there's,
you know, some of the bullies
are behind him.
And so he walks a little faster
and they walk a little faster.
And then he runs and they run.
And they scream out to him,
"We're gonna get you.
We're gonna get you,
Fat Freddy."
This is from my first sit.
That's a very traumatic thing
to happen to a child,
but what happened next,
according to him, was worse.
And that is that the grown-ups
in his life, the ones that were
supposed to take care of him
and everything, said "Just act
like it doesn't bother you.
Just let on that you don't care
and they'll leave you alone."
And he said, you know,
even as an eight year old,
I knew that wasn't right.
I went through all
his letters last night,
and it was really hard.
I really didn't want to do it,
but I made myself.
It's just, you know,
I wanted to be able to share.
He wanted someone to give him
permission to be angry.
And he said, "I was angry.
I was angry and resentful
at those kids for not
seeing past my fatness
and my shyness."
And he said, "I used to cry
to myself when I was alone,
and I would cry through
my fingers as I made up
songs on the piano."
"Dear Amy,
your beautiful note found me
in Nantucket.
Joanne and I have come
for almost two weeks to get
the crooked house ready
for the children
and grandchildren."
It didn't resolve
for him then, you know?
He said it took years
of sadness before he decided
that what he would do
is that he would always
look for what's essential
in another person.
He would always look
for what's not apparent
to the eye.
And he would always, you know,
lift up his neighbor.
He would never demean
another person.
And that's significant
because he got into television,
as you know, because he said,
"I saw people throwing pies
in other peoples faces,"
and he said, "That's such
demeaning behavior,
and if there's anything
that makes me mad,
it's one person
demeaning another."
Well, where do you think
that experience came from?
From when he was
eight years old.
I say Mr. Rogers
was born that day.
"The sun is making its way
to the sea as I write to you.
I wish you and Jeff
and Jonathan and Emily--
were right beside us
this very instant."
Love your neighbor as yourself.
If you can see what's good
about yourself, you'll be able
to see what's good
about your neighbor.
If you only see what's
awful about yourself,
then, in turn, you only
see what's awful
about your neighbor, you know?
That was the daily choice.
He said you can either be
an accuser or an advocate.
I mean, if you really
grasp that concept,
it would change your life.
"How good that you can show
your children early
in their lives the importance
silence has for you.
That will serve them
all their days.
May your heart and mind
continue to be settled
in God's tender care.
Fred."
Sorry, that one caught
in my throat.
>> Hi, I'm James Steinbach.
I'm a volunteer here at
Wisconsin Public Television,
and thank you for taking some
time out of your day,
your evening to watch this
really wonderful show about such
a remarkable man.
I remember my sister-- my first
time with Mr. Rogers on
television was when my sister's
kids were young,
and I was-- I guess I was in my
early 20s.
And,
she had it on every afternoon.
I think it was on at 5:30 at the
station she was at,
because she-- and she said this,
she needed time for the kids to
calm down from their day and get
ready for the evening.
And she could do that,
but she was making dinner,
you know?
I mean, she had things to do.
And she knew,
she absolutely knew,
that Mr. Rogers knew her kids.
I mean,
of course he didn't know her
kids, but he knew all of us.
And,
it's just a striking thing to
think about what this man
brought to children and parents,
of course,
across the country for so long
and with such heart and such
meaning and such importance.
That's television worth making
and television worth watching
and television worth preserving,
and I hope you agree.
And if you do,
call us at 1-800-236-3636,
because that is a simple way to
let us know.
1-800-236-3636.
>>Thanks, James.
I'm Chris Kammer,
Wisconsin Public Television
volunteer.
I think to watch this segment
and this show about Fred Rogers,
you really-- it feels like
you're looking into the heart
and soul of an angel,
of somebody other-worldly that
is bringing such a powerful gift
to humanity.
And I now, at this age,
appreciate him like I never have
before,
like I never did when I was a
kid.
I was probably a little too old
to be watching it back in the
day, but what an amazing man!
And if it's-- you know,
I wouldn't be surprised if he
became a saint someday.
That portion where he was
talking about in front of Senate
and testifying in front of
Senate,
one of the most powerful pieces
of television you'll ever see.
I thank Wisconsin Public
Television for allowing us to
see that.
With your support tonight for
this program and for the
programming of Wisconsin Public
Television,
you get a "Mister Rogers & Me"
DVD here, which is the program.
And,
this is a one-man story about
knowing, you know,
Fred Rogers as an actual
neighbor.
For $8 a month you can get the
book,
and this book is incredible.
I will read you a couple things
out of this book next break,
but it's called "Life's Journeys
According to Mister Rogers."
This is precious.
This is-- this is amazing.
And for a support of $12 a
month,
you get the book and the DVD for
this amazing man-- which I'm
sure you're touched by this
program.
I can hardly wait to watch the
rest of it.
So stick with us this evening
and consider supporting
Wisconsin Public Television.
Let's go to Josh.
>> Watching this program with
you has been a very happy
experience for me,
because unlike James and Chris,
like they just said,
I'm not too old to have
watched Mister Rogers when I was
growing up.
In fact,
I watched Mister Rogers
almost every day when I was a
kid,
and I still remember what a
wonderful,
kind and gentle person I thought
him to be even when I was young.
And now as an adult,
it's a real pleasure
to remember it.
And so,
I'm really happy that I get to
talk with you tonight about
honoring the legacy of this
incredible person,
and really happy that I get to
be with my friends James and
Chris to ask you to join us in
supporting it.
And hopefully,
you'll choose to become a
Sustainer.
Each and every month a monthly
affordable payment,
directly from you to us here at
the station-- not only will you
know that you're always current
in your support of Wisconsin
Public Television,
but you're supporting
programming like Mister Rogers
Neighborhood that truly changes
kids' lives like it changed
mine.
Thanks so much!
1-800-236-3636.
>> And one of the great things
about, about Fred Rogers,
about Mister Rogers-- I mean we
all call him "Mister Rogers"
'cause of course,
even if you met him,
you don't call him "Fred."
You call him "Mister Rogers,"
because that's who he is!
He had a great sense of humor,
and it wasn't raucous or loud,
it was just a wonderful smile.
And one of the things I really
loved-- 'cause I was fortunate
enough to meet him sometimes--
is when he looked at you--
And you know,
you know people that this is
true.
When he looked at you,
you knew that he was really
seeing you.
He wasn't thinking about
something else.
He wasn't thinking about where
he was going next.
He wasn't thinking about what he
was going to have for lunch or
what was happening.
He was listening to you,
and looking at you.
And that simple thing,
I thought was pretty wonderful.
Because, I don't know about you,
but there's lots of times when,
you know,
I've got stuff going on in my
head,
and I'm not really in the room.
Fred Rogers was always in the
room.
He was there with you.
I think that's a pretty
wonderful thing.
So, again,
we have to keep asking this,
because this is how television
is made for you.
Call us at 1-800-236-3636.
>>Thank you, James.
Fred Rogers wasn't the
embodiment of care, of comfort,
of peace, of calm.
I mean,
he was just one of the most
amazing people on the planet,
and I so appreciate this show
tonight.
And you may want to share this
show with your friends,
'cause maybe they're not
watching, but, you know,
the things that we've so gotten
away from in this world,
like the things that matter:
like our relationships and
caring about peoples' feelings.
And getting away from the
constant consumption of stuff!
Fred brings it,
and it's a pow-- it's a timeless
message.
And so,
if you want to share this with
your friends, please,
by all means,
consider supporting Wisconsin
Public Television for a gift of
just $6 a month,
and we can give you the DVD of
this program,
"Mister Rogers and Me."
Share it with your friends.
Send one to your kids in
college,
whatever you want to do!
But,
this is a timeless message that
needs to get out there.
I think it's awesome.
And for a gift of $8 a month,
you get the book.
And this is the book,
"Life's Journeys According to
Mister Rogers" with just
timeless information in here,
which I'll get to maybe at the
next break.
And for a gift of $12 a month,
you get the book and the DVD.
Bring Mister Rogers into your
home and to your family and to
your friends.
It's the gift that will keep on
giving.
And once again,
it's a timeless message.
And thank you for listening to
this tonight,
and I also thank you for your
support of Wisconsin Public
Television.
1-800-236-3636.
Josh?
>>Public Television remains a
trusted place for children's
programming just as it was
during Mister Rogers time.
Not only is there this spiritual
successor to "Mister Rogers
Neighborhood,"
"Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood,"
with all of the very best
characters from those times--
besides Mister Rogers himself,
of course-- Daniel Tiger and
King Friday all in the
neighborhood of make-believe.
And, but,
there are still so many programs
that are wonderful, educational,
peaceful and,
nurturing for kids on Public
Broadcasting's air right now.
Just this year,
we've had the launch of our
24-hour PBS-Kids channel.
There are so many of you that I
don't have to tell that kids
aren't always only needing of
some peace and quiet between the
hours of 9:00 and 12:00,
and that 24-hour channel is a
great resource for parents and
caretakers all around the state.
(phone ringing)
So please support us in this
important work and give us a
call right here in the studio,
1-800-236-3636.
>> You know,
one of the great things about
"Mister Rogers Neighborhood" is
that it was consistently Mister
Rogers neighborhood.
You absolutely knew, over time,
that it was going to be Fred
Rogers,
and he was going to do nothing
but pay attention to the
feelings that kids had.
In a world where there is so
much happening and so much
coming at kids,
I'm so sorry that Mister Rogers
isn't here with us now.
Because it isn't just a matter
of making a quiet show,
it's a matter of making a show
with the kid of heart that you
really need that person doing
it.
There's wonderful programs on
Public Television,
don't get me wrong;
they are terrific.
And they're designed to-- and I
think make a big difference in
helping kids get a great start
in life-- but there's no
replacements simply for Mister
Rogers.
There is no other Mister Rogers.
And that's why remembering this
and valuing it, I think,
is really important.
So, do you part.
Call us at 1-800-236-3636.
>> Mr. Rogers received
honorary degrees from over
40 colleges and universities.
His luminous career
and exemplary life
earned him over 200 awards,
including two Peabodys,
two Emmys, the Presidential
Medal of Freedom
and induction into
the Television Hall of Fame.
In 1997, Mr. Rogers received
a lifetime achievement award
from the National Academy
of Television Arts and Sciences.
There, in an auditorium
full or soap stars
and talk show hosts,
he did what he'd done
so effectively
for over 30 years.
He encouraged us to slow down,
to think a minute
and to be grateful.
>> So many people have helped me
to come to this night.
Some of you are here,
some are far away,
some are even in heaven.
All of us have special ones
who have loved us into being.
Would you just take,
along with me, ten seconds
to think of the people
who have helped you
become who you are.
Those who have cared
about you and wanted
what was best for you in life,
ten seconds of silence.
I'll watch the time.
>> Mr. Roger's iconic
red cardigan sweater
hangs in a dusty display
on the third floor
of the National Museum
of American History.
His mother knitted
each one by hand.
>> I remember before I'd go
to school in the morning,
I would sit down and I'd watch
Mr. Rogers.
I remember the sweater thing.
He'd take off his sweater,
tell a story or whatever.
Yeah, I remember that
really well.
>> He's iconic.
>> I grew up
watching Mr. Rogers.
>> You think back
to your childhood and you just
remember Mr. Rogers.
>> The cardigan
that he used to wear.
>> Yeah, the sweater.
That's what I remember.
>> And the tennis shoes.
>> For nearly 30 years,
that cardigan, like his
trademark blue sneakers,
provided something simple,
consistent and familiar.
>> What was important to you
about them being familiar
with his work and show?
>> Just the quality
of the learning and the...
The morals that he taught
in his show.
>> Even with complex subjects
for kids, he managed
to come up with a very
gentle, simple solution.
>> A lot of the other stuff,
I guess, is like animated
cartoons and everything,
but I always liked
an actual person talking
and everything.
>> I think he stood
for loving each other
the best way you can,
and to accept people
as they are.
>> Treating others with respect
and dignity in the way
you want to be treated.
>> I think he was trying
to make kids happy.
>> Theoretically, so is Mattel
and 7-11 with slurpies.
>> Yh, but they were
trying to make money.
>> He wasn't trying
to sell anything.
He didn't come out
and it's not like there's
a bunch of dolls of Mr. Rogers
running around that people--
Or lunchboxes with Mr. Rogers
running around or...
There was noing
to sell from it.
>> It seemed everything
was all good after
I'd watched that show.
>> What I really liked
about him was when hwould
come in and say,
"It's a beautiful day
in the neighborhood."
And you just--
You just felt uplifted.
And he said--
And what he would say
to people.
He said, "I like you
just the way you are."
And we don't hear that enough
in today's society.
>> That the late Tim Russert
is counted amongst
Mr. Rogers' neighbors
shouldn't be a surprise.
Like Mr. Rogers,
Russert is a child
of the industrial Northeast,
and as Mr. Rogers presided
over one of the longest running
programs on public television,
so too did Russert
on network television
with his 17 years at the helm
of Meet the Press.
>> Okay.
How we doing here?
>> Here he is.
Benjamin Wagner.
>> Nice to see you.
How are you?
>> Thanks for having us.
>> Christofer Wagner.
>> Alright.
Brothers.
Mr. President, welcome back
to Meet the Press.
>> Thank you, Tim.
>> When I took over
Meet the Press 15 years ago,
I talked to my dad
the night before,
and the words he gave me
were "keep it simple."
Just talk like you're talking
to me across the table.
Don't get caught up in all that
fancy Washington vocabulary.
>> Meet the Press,
the nation's longest running
network television program.
Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood,
public television's
longest running program.
>> Well, they're both
national treasures.
And I happen to be
a temporary custodian,
and I think Fred would see
himself as a temporary
custodian in allowing
more and more people
to see it as it's replayed
and replayed and replayed,
even after his death.
And the essence
of those programs was,
let's get people
of good intentions
and open hearts
to sit down and talk.
Talk with one another,
and learn from one another.
>> Like Mister Rogers & Me,
Tim, his wife Maureen
and son Luke first met
Mister Rogers on Nantucket.
>> Our son was born in '85
and we rented a place
at Washing Pond Road
and then Madaket.
And there we were invited
to a party and lo
and behold who was there
but Mister Rogers.
My son, who watched him
all the time just said,
"Rogers," which is
what he called him.
He never called him Mister,
he always called him Rogers.
"Can I watch Rogers?"
And Mister Rogers got
a big kick out of that.
And everybody was getting
their paper plates and piling
them with food and I kept
looking in the corner,
and Mister Rogers had taken
a paper plate and had
written the numbers on it,
and put a little fastener hook
in the middle and made
the big hand little hand.
He made a clock and he was
teaching Luke how to tell time.
And it made such an impression
on me, he found the one child
in the room and decided
that he was not going
to waste any time in educating,
nurturing this child.
He was going to teach him
how to tell time.
Then we took some pictures
and I sent them to Mister Rogers
and he signed them, but he wrote
on the back "To Luke who has
this photo through
the kindness of his father."
And again, lesson two, teaching
Luke the importance of respect
and honor of a parent,
and an appreciation of a parent.
It just confirmed to me
what I always thought
in observing Mister Rogers
in a television box;
that he was a unique
human being.
Forever giving,
forever teaching,
forever nurturing,
forever taking advantage
of every moment to tell people
that it is important
that we respect one another
and love another.
What a lasting legacy.
I don't know if we'll ever see
his kind again.
Ten days ago I said something,
it's not up to me.
In 2000 when I had
the famous board "Florida!
Florida! Florida!"
when all the computers blew up
it was for me reminiscent
of a tablet my dad has
on his dresser.
And he takes one page at a time,
walks to the kitchen table
and works out his budget.
These are the people who are
going to decide whether
this thing ends tomorrow,
ends Friday,
ends a month from now.
It's basic, and yet it is
the basics that--
as Mister Rogers would say--
are so deep and they're
so important to us.
You don't have to be loud
for people to pay attention
to you and I think
that's something
that Mister Rogers taught, too.
You can walk into a room
and be respectful and be civil
and have very strong views,
but learn how
to disagree agreeably.
And the thing that baffles
me about Washington,
as we sit here
and talk is, that we all learn
these same lessons,
but somehow people come here
and forget them.
And I think the world would be
a lot better off, and I know
the relations between Congress
and the White House would be
a lot better off,
if they remembered and listened
to Big Russ and Mister Rogers.
>> I'm just a neighbor
who comes and visits children.
Happen to be on television,
but I've always been myself.
I never took a course in acting.
I just figured
that the best thing
that you can offer anybody
is your honest self
and that's what I've done
for lots of years.
>> From the NBC News
in Washington Bureau, we drove
to National Public Radio
to meet former correspondent
Susan Stamberg.
In her tenure helming
NPR's All Things Considered,
Miss Stamberg developed
a special relationship
with Mister Rogers;
one that left her
inextricably changed.
>> We here at National Public
Radio deal with life's realities
and the hideous
and horrible events of the day.
Fred did too in a way.
He wouldn't push that aside,
and I would repeatedly call
him when there was
a terrible tragedy;
the crash of the Challenger,
for instance,
or the attempted assassinating
of President Ronald Reagan,
and put him on the air
and say, "What should we tell
our children about this?"
When Mister Rogers spoke,
children listened.
>> Welcome neighbor.
>> He was always aware
of the world around us,
and did everything he could
to help children connect
with it and understand it.
For decades, Fred Rogers told
children and the rest of us
that he liked us just
the way we are.
He was the best friend
America's families ever had.
He went to seminary.
His goal was to become
a minister, but the idea was
that he'd never simply have
a congregation
in a single Church.
The television would be
his Church, and what his goal
was, was to reach out
to that audience to spread
his word, the messages that were
important to him,
which were messages
of genuine feeling,
genuine emotion,
sentiment sometime,
that was fine with him.
Addressing children's fears,
addressing what he understood
deep inside himself
about what childhood was.
There was something saintly
about Fred, you know,
and he would walk into a room,
an atmosphere where there were
children but not only children,
because adults reacted
this way to him as well.
And the electricity,
the molecules changed
in the air.
You felt that you were
in the presence of this figure.
Not at all self-important,
not at all because of anything
"look at me" that he did.
He never did that,
but just his very presence
changed the behavior
of people around him.
They got softer and they got
far less self-protective,
self-defensive.
They just became
their inner selves,
but their inner selves
got on the outside.
>> I think one
of the toughest things
for children is
for their parents not
to be getting along.
>> We did these two specials
for adults.
Really the most touching one was
how you talk with children
about divorce.
>> Divorce feels like
it's ripping a piece
of cloth apart.
>> It was just so painful
and so many of the people
in the audience had gone
through divorce.
And then a wonderful thing
happened, people started
standing up in the audience
and this woman would tell
her difficulty and another man
on the other side said to her,
"Well that happened to me
and here's what I did
when that happened."
And so you've got this community
of helpers all of a sudden,
people talking to each other
about the toughest experiences
of their lives and creating
a community right there
on live TV.
It was extraordinary
and of course Fred was
the facilitator.
We need him
almost with each passing
day more and more.
That set of values
that he offered.
That idea that he liked us
just the way we are.
I mean, who ever tells us
that in this world?
They'll tell you "We like you
as you are, but you ought to cut
your hair" or "We love you,
but lose ten pounds"
or "You're terrific,
but get an A on the exam."
But there was only Fred Rogers
who would say "just the way
you are, that's just fine."
>> Chris and I learned
pretty quickly that there are
no coincidences
in Mister Rogers' neighborhood.
Still we were a little surprised
to learn that back home
in New York City,
author Tim Madigan,
who recounts his friendship
with Mister Rogers
so beautifully
in I'm Proud of You , would be
speaking at the bookstore
at the end of our street.
>> Please welcome Tim Madigan.
>> Tim was a heavily decorated
newspaper reporter
for the Fort Worth Star Telegram
when in the fall of 1995,
he called Mister Rogers
for an article he was writing
on television violence
and its effect on children.
That phone call was
the beginning of an eight year
life-altering friendship.
>> The first time we talked
on the telephone, it was late,
and an hour long conversation,
heaid to me, "Tim, do you know
what the most important thing
in the world is
to me right now?"
And I said, "No,
what's that Mister Rogers?"
And he said,
"Talking to Tim Madigan
on the telephone."
And I thought to myself,
yeah right.
But when I got to know him
I realized that is
how he lived his life.
Whoever was in front of him
at the time, he was
wholly present to.
The television part of it wasn't
central to my experience
because I wasn't
a Mister Rogers' kid.
What was central was
this humanity that was kind
of revealing itself moment
by moment in everything he did.
In the passages I'm about
to read, I think you will get
a sense both of Fred
and how he was
in human relationship,
and what the imperative was
for me to write this book.
He had the phrase
from Saint-Exupéry hanging
on the wall of his office
"That which is most essential
is invisible to the eye."
According to his own writing
in his own books he talked
about as a child,
being wounded by other kids
and suffering by other kids.
And so he said he spent
the rest of his li looking,
trying to find the essential
invisible in other people.
"'Is this Mrs. Madigan?'
the voice said.
'Why yes it is.'
'This is Fred Rogers calling
from Pittsburgh.'
'Oh my goodness,'
my mother stuttered."
It was about six months or so
after we met that I wrote him
a letter saying,
"I think it's great
that we're friends,
but if we're going to be friends
you really need to know
the state of my insides,
which are not very good
at the moment."
And that's when I wrote him
a letter basically saying
I had always felt like I never
could get my dad to be proud
of me and so I said,
"Fred I have a question for you"
in this letter I wrote.
I said, "Would you be
proud of me?"
And it seems...
I don't know why
I put a stamp on it
and sent it, but I did.
And within a few days I had
the reply, you know, in capital
letters with exclamation points
"YES, YES I am proud of you!
I have been proud of you
since first we met!"
He was looking
for the essential invisible,
and one of his favorite phrases
was "anything mentionable
is manageable."
And so he would write
in that letter and subsequently,
how honored he was that someone
could share that kind of thing
with him.
>> Over time, Tim
and Mister Rogers exchanged
dozens of letters and emails,
developing a deep,
intimate friendship.
Later when marital strain
and his brother's cancer
diagnosis had plunged him
into a deep depression,
Tim reached out again.
>> My brother by this time
was paralyzed and had only
a few weeks to live.
And he and I grew up
a year apart.
You can probably appreciate
what that must have been like.
And I wrote him a letter saying,
"Fred if this is
where a good life leads,
why do we bother to be good?"
He wrote me back saying,
"You know, I can understand
how you'd feel that way."
It wasn't "Oh, no no Tim!
Don't--Don't feel--"
It was like "You know, Tim,
I can understand
how you'd feel that way."
And it wasn't that he had
any great bromide
that he'd summoned down
from the mountaintop
as my brother was dying
or my marriage was
falling apart.
Here's what he would say,
"I will never forsake you.
I love you, I'm proud of you."
And ultimately,
and one of the things
I've learned is,
that's all we need.
"Mom passed the wireless
receiver upstairs and handed
it to Steve in his bed.
"It's Mister Rogers,"
she whispered."
It was almost eerie
how he could very gently probe
into what was the truth
of your insides and the truth
of your essential invisibles,
as it were, in a way
that you knew that the person
sitting in the other chair
was wholly safe
and wholly genuine.
So, and I read that letter
and tremble and weep,
and then eventually realize
that, as you did, that there is
something almost supernatural
going on with him.
Well, time for the hug.
Good luck, stay in touch.
When you've been with him
in a real way for any length
of time, the world looks
a little different.
It just does.
>> When author and illustrator
Marc Brown was approached
to turn his beloved,
award winning children's books
featuring Arthur the Aardvark,
into a television series,
he balked.
With Fred Rogers as his mentor
though, Brown was persuaded
to use the medium for good.
When Chris and I found out
that he lived in Tribeca
we jumped at the chance
to meet him.
>> My first encounter with Fred
was as a parent in my studio
while I was working,
and I remember Tolon being
two or three years old
at the time, and I had
a deadline and I needed
some help.
And I turned on
the television set,
and there was Fred
with his warm,
comforting, welcoming voice.
He understood the power
of television, because it's
an incredibly powerful medium.
It's easy to dismiss it
as something bad,
but it's not bad.
The medium is wonderful,
it's just that we misuse
it so often,
and especially for children.
He looked for subject matter
that would help a child,
something that a child might
be struggling with
and that was my role model.
That was my guide with Arthur.
He led the way for, I think,
a lot of people who want to do
something for kids,
not just use television
as some way to sell products.
Fred and I talked about that
a lot because it's a way
to get into the house
and it's a way to get
into a child's mind.
It's very, very powerful.
And to use that in a way
that's trying to sell
a product seems terribly wrong.
He was a great teacher.
That's what his gift was to me.
I think it was teaching
by doing, and he did it
in such a simple, disarming way.
You know, you didn't realize
that you were being instructed.
>> Hi, I'm James Steinbach.
I'm a volunteer here at
Wisconsin Public Television and
enjoying this show.
You know,
Fred Rogers was a teacher,
but he was also-- more than
that, he was an advocate.
He was a champion.
He was a remarkable man,
and that's why this program is
worth watching.
And one of the things that I
love about Public Television is
that the programs we have on
don't want you to waste your
time.
We know that your time is the
most important thing that you
have.
And we want to give you programs
that are valuable.
We want to give you programs
that respect you.
We want to give you programs
that you can take something away
from beyond just the moment that
you're watching it,
and taking something away and
have something to talk about.
And that's what Fred Rogers did
so well.
I mean, really so beautifully.
There's so much tension now,
and he was so kind.
That's one of the things that
strike me is the kindness he was
able to project.
And I think, "Boy,
I could use that now!"
It's wonderful to watch this and
remember what that man was like
and what he brought to us.
So call us now during this
challenge break.
This is a terrific time to call.
I also got to say that.
This is the challenge break!
Members have set aside money to
match your contribution
dollar-for-dollar.
Call us now.
We're trying to get to 25 calls.
We're at zero,
so we've got to do better than
that.
1-800-236-3636.
>> Please give us a call.
Support Wisconsin Public
Television.
We-- I am in awe of Fred Rogers.
I think as we-- when we take our
break, you know,
and we all sit down.
We're watching this program.
What an amazing man!
And you know,
people always ask you, like,
-- And thank you
for that call!
This is, once again,
our member challenge.
So your call will, your pledge,
your support will be double.
I often get asked-- people ask
you, "You know,
if you had a chance to meet
anybody in your life,
who would you pick or give me
the top three?"
And I would say, like,
"Maybe Dick Clark,
Jesus and possibly Martin Luther
King."
But, I would love to meet Fred
Rogers.
I mean,
this is one of the most amazing
men ever.
So, all right,
so let's tell you how you can
support Wisconsin Public
Television.
You can support
us for $6 a month and you will
get this program.
You can share this with your
family, your friends.
You'll get this DVD,
and it's only going to cost you
$6 a month.
So, support us,
Wisconsin Public Television.
If you want the book,
"Life's Journeys According to
Mister Rogers." That's an $8 a
month pledge to get the book.
And if you want them both,
just $12 will give you the book
and the DVD altogether.
The magic, the warmth, the love,
the caring spirit of Fred
Rogers, Mister Rogers,
you can bring into your home.
Give us a call.
1-800-236-3636.
Your support counts double.
I love it when those phones
ring.
Please, make 'em ring.
Josh?
>> Chris was telling us about
that book just now.
And,
I was reading through it and
found a passage that I really
liked,
a quote from Mister Rogers
himself.
He says,
"There are three ways to
ultimate success.
The first way is to be kind.
The second way is to be kind.
The third way is to be kind."
And I think one of the things
that, you know,
I've learned from watching this
program tonight and I remember
from thinking back to what my
experience watching Mister
Rogers was as a kid was just the
incredible,
almost super-human kindness that
this person exuded each and
every day.
And it's something that,
that you can be a part of with
your support of support now.
Just as it did then,
Public Television brings
programs of kindness and
nurturing and peace to children
all across the state and all
across the country.
And with your pledge of support
here tonight during our member
challenge break,
be the 10th person to support us
here during this break.
You can be a part of that
incredible mission.
All you have to do is give us a
call 1-800-236-3636.
>> You know, as,
as parents or
neighbors or grandparents or
friends,
when things happen in the world
that are really in the world
that are really tough,
you want to know how to talk to
your kids about it.
You want to know how to help
them understand that.
And that's one of the really
important things that Mister
Rogers did for me
as a parent was to help
me sort through how to talk to
kids-- and how not to duck it,
not to duck the truth,
not to duck what was happening,
but how to them about what was
what mattered.
You know,
he tells a story about how when
he was young and bad things
would happen, and they did,
his mother would always say to
him,
"Look for the helpers."
And I thought,
what a wonderfully simple thing
that is!
It doesn't mean-- it can mean
people who are in uniform,
but it doesn't only mean that.
It means,
if you don't know what to do,
look for people who can help you
and reach out for that person or
those people and bring them in
to your life so you can make
sense of what's happening.
I think that's a great lesson
for kid-- it's a great lesson
for all of us!
Some of us learned it later in
life than others,
but it's a great lesson!
So call us now during
this challenge break.
We're at 15.
We're at 15 on our way to 25.
1-800-236-3636.
>> We were talking in the back
about during the challenge
break,
which show would do better?
Would it be the "Beatles Fab
Four" show or "Fred Rogers"?
We're off to an amazing start!
We're up to 15 already.
We're looking for 25.
Keep those calls coming in,
because the pledges,
the support means double.
And the way we're going to thank
you-- here's how we'll thank
you.
If you support us for $6 a
month,
becoming a Sustaining pledge
member and support us,
we've got the DVD,
which of course,
"Mister Rogers" and this is what
you're watching tonight.
Thank you for
keeping those phones ringing.
For $8 a month,
we've got this book that Josh
just read a little bit about of,
"Life's Journeys According to
Mister Rogers."
Man, everybody should have this
book and this DVD!
Okay,
so you can have 'em both for $12
a month.
And that $12 a
month will be doubled because
we'll get support.
So,
we're going to say "Thank you"
with this fabulous program,
the DVD,
"Mister Rogers & Me" and of
course,
the "Life's Journeys According
to Mister Rogers."
It's just Wisconsin Public
Television's way of saying
"Thank you" to the man that we
can't thank enough, Fred Rogers.
If you feel that,
if you're moved by this person's
life, give us a call.
Support Wisconsin Public
Television.
1-800-236-3636.
>> You know when I left
after our previous break,
I went back and texted my mom
and I told her that I was here
in the studio tonight doing a
pledge break on a show about
Mister Rogers and I was almost
close to tears 'cause I was
thinking back to when we used to
sit down in our living room and
watch him together.
And every morning before
kindergarten and school.
And I know that that experience
of emotional connection to
Mister Rogers and his work is so
similar for so many of you.
Perhaps when you were a kid or
perhaps memories of doing it
with your children or your
grandchildren.
And so much of that sort of
work, educational television,
peaceful and enriching and
fulfilling television is made
possible by members and viewers
like you here at Wisconsin
Public Television.
Thank you for all that you do.
And thank you for calling in
during this special member
challenge break.
Double your impact on programs
that carry on the spiritual
legacy of "Mister Rogers
Neighborhood" with your pledge
of support today.
If you can become a Sustainer
with affordable monthly payments
from your bank or a card each
and every month here to the
station,
we would so appreciate that
monthly support.
Just give us a quick ring.
1-800-236-3636.
>> You know earlier in the show,
we heard Mark Brown say that
television can be an incredibly
powerful medium.
Well, yeah; that's true.
And it can be used to make a
difference in people's lives.
Well, that's true, too!
But,
the kind of difference that you
make is what really matters.
I have been connected to Public
Television for a long time
working here and working at
other places,
and I have to say that I'm so
proud of the fact that we have
been able to stay on track with
programs that make a difference.
Now,
Mister Rogers is sort of the
defining program for that,
of course.
But, across the board,
the programs that we have,
the intent is always to do
something that really makes a
difference.
And, this is great!
We're at 27, 27 calls.
Thank you so much!
The goal was 25.
Why did we doubt you?
We're at 27;
keep on calling.
1-800-236-3636.
Make your pledge of support.
>> Thank you,
supporters of Wisconsin Public
Television!
That warms our heart,
because this man warms our
heart.
When we talk about just about
coming to tears, Josh,
and you know, watching this.
Or,
having the remembrance of times
you watched-- or even speaking
to your mom, or whatever!
I mean,
just an incredible experience!
So let's-- here's how we're
going to thank you for your
support of Wisconsin Public
Television.
If you just want to thank
Wisconsin Public Television for
making Fred Rogers possible,
amen; let's do it!
Okay, for $6 a month,
you can have this evening's
program on the DVD, $6 a month.
For $8 a month,
we're gonna get this book
"Life's Journeys According to
Fred Rogers," Mister Rogers.
Things to
remember along the way,
and everything in here is a gem.
And for $12 a month,
you'll get the book and the DVD.
Bring Fred Rogers,
Mister Rogers, into your home,
and let his light continue to
shine.
Bless this man!
My goodness!
So, give us a call.
And you guys are
blowing it up!
Thank you: 31 we're up to!
Just keep those calls coming in.
We so appreciate it.
You're making it happen.
You're supporting Wisconsin
Public Television,
and you're honoring the memory,
the legacy, of Mister Rogers.
Josh?
>> The legacy of Mister Rogers
is such a
touchstone in the lives of so
many people in our culture,
and so much of what he spoke
about was a holistic approach to
how we respect and approach
other people.
One thing else that I read in
the book that Chris was talking
about just now that I wanted to
share with you all , he says,
"We speak with more than our
mouths,
and we listen with more than our
ears."
It's not just about what we say
to folks,
and it's not just about the
words that we hear people say to
us.
It's how we receive them,
and how we express them and the
holistic expressions of caring
and respect that
we can give to people around us.
And there are so many children
and adults all around the
country and Wisconsin,
including myself,
who were so fed by that message
each and every morning and
afternoon for so many years on
"Mister Rogers Neighborhood" on
their local public broadcasting
station.
Please,
join us in supporting that work
and so much else.
The ongoing successors to Mister
Rogers legacy on PBS Kids,
documentary work, journalism,
all of the great public
television that you know and
love.
Become a part of it here
tonight.
1-800-236-3636.
>> So one of the ways that you
know you're a success in
American culture is if people
start making fun of you on late
night television and comics.
And there was a lot of stuff,
a lot of jokes made about Mister
Rogers' sweater, you know,
and taking off his shoes and "I
like you just the way you are,"
you know?
But, he's lasted!
Those jokes,
they're probably still around,
but people aren't paying
attention to that.
They've moved on to other
things.
But,
Mister Rogers is still here.
He's here in our memories,
and he's in programs like this.
And in the legacy that happens
with ongoing children's
television programming,
which owes a great debt to Fred
Rogers and to his understanding
that -- Oh,
and Tim Russert said it really
well.
He said,
"You don't have to be loud for
people to pay attention to you."
What a novel idea!
That you can walk into a room
and be respectful and have a
conversation and exchange an
idea or simply tell a kid,
"I like you just the way you
are."
And,
you can call and
pledge at 1-800-236-3636.
I keep on forgetting.
>> All right.
1-800-236-3636.
Thank you for that, James,
and thank you for supporting
Mister Rogers, Fred Rogers,
on Wisconsin Public Television.
Once again,
what's been exciting about this
evening and what's coming from
our heart.
We all feel it,
and we feel your love out there
in Wisconsin supporting this
legend of Wisconsin Public
Television.
Look at this!
We're up to 40.
We were hoping to break 25,
and we're up to 40.
You are making it happen.
So let's remember,
we're going to thank you when
you do that.
Remember,
your support counts double.
For $6 a month,
you can have the DVD of
tonight's program.
I am absolutely going to get
this and support,
because I have to have this.
At the $8 level,
we're going to give you the
book, okay?
So,
we're going to thank you with
this book,
"Life's Journeys According to
Mister Rogers."
And for $12 a month,
we're going to give you both.
Listen,
we're going to get back to the
program right now,
but I want you to call.
Remember, call now,
because your support counts
double.
1-800-236-3636.
Thank you so much, Wisconsin!
>> In the 1980s, Journalist
Linda Ellerbee's NBC News
Overnight was dubbed
the best written
and most intelligent
news report ever.
>> This is: Nick News
with Linda Ellerbee
>> Inspired in no small part
by Fred Rogers she launched
Nick News for children
and teenagers in 1991.
The show has received
all sorts of awards since
including three Peabodys
for its frank discussion
of difficult subjects
like HIV/Aids,
same sex marriage
and global warming.
>> I came to know Mister Rogers'
work because my kids watched
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
That's the way many of us
came to it.
It was wonderful because it was
one of the few things
on television that y could
plop your kid down in front
of the TV and not feel guilty.
Now, all these years later,
I've been producing Nick News,
and when we're talking to kids,
sometimes I ask them,
"What's your first memory
of television?
What's the first thing
you ever watched on TV?"
I would say 90% of them
say "Mister Rogers."
This show is about getting
to know people.
It's about diversity,
respect and tolerance.
When we were inventing
Nick News I thought to myself,
I want to incorporate
some of the things
that I learned
from Mister Rogers.
The first being,
respect your audience.
It doesn't matter what age
they are, they deserve
your respect.
And the second was,
assume they're just as bright
as you are,
they're merely younger
and shorter.
>> When Ellerbee finally met
Mister Rogers in person,
backstage in an industry awards
show, she found that he was
a fan of her as well.
>> I was so impressed
with meeting him and I wanted
to make a great impression
and say something very clever
and I stuck my hand out
and said, "Uhguh ga guh ga ga."
I just, I was so blown away
by the fact that I was
meeting Mister Rogers.
And that he was this real person
standing in front of me
and he, of course, did
what he does to everyone.
He made me feel
instantly relaxed and important.
And that's what he's done
for kids for years.
He's made them feel
relaxed and important.
Today we've talked
about living in
and coping with e real world.
The what is, not the what you
or I or somebody else might
wish it were.
There's a big difference.
He wrote me a letter
in which he talked
about our show Nick News,
and then he gave me what was
probably the best compliment
I've ever gotten.
He said, "The thing
about your show is not only
is it wonderful for kids,
but it ought to be
required viewing
for all the grownups
because in explaining
the news to kids you do
a better job of explaining
it to grownups than any
of the grownup newscasts."
Now, to have Fred Rogers say
something like that to you,
it's certainly better
than any award I've ever won.
He assumed that everyone
watching him had
inside themselves
this wonderful person
that was just dying to get out.
And he was going to open
the door for you.
And then help you open
the door for others.
That's pretty simple
and that's pretty deep.
>> Photographer Beverly Hall
arrived on Nantucket
by accident when she boarded
the wrong ferry in 1964.
She's lived on island
ever since.
Her photography is everywhere
there, including an iconic
portrait of Mister Rogers
and local legend
Madaket Millie Jewett.
So, Chris and I made
a special trip to ask
Bev what is was like
to be Mister Rogers
real life neighbor.
Bev lives just up ther Creek
from the crooked house
in a home she built
with her husband Sascha.
She first met Mister Rogers
in 1965 when the burgeoning
television icon came
to pick up one of his two sons
at Bev's, then fledgling,
art school.
>> Everybody was very wide-eyed
and very excited and bubbly.
Ooh it's Fred Rogers,
Fred Rogers.
People knew who he was,
but Nantucket gives people
a lot of space,
and he's just quietly the star.
But the kids immediately,
obviously, recognized him.
One day there was a knock
on my door.
Little, little gentle knock,
and I look out there
and there's Fred standing there.
And it was like wow!
You know, Fred's at my door.
And I was
completely unexpecting.
He's not the kind of person
that would call and say,
"I'm coming to visit you."
He's a neighbor and just
stopping by, which is something
I loved about Madaket.
That was the old days.
People would stop by.
>> Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
visited Nantucket in 1974
for a series entitled
"Old Friends, New Friends"
in which he spent an afternoon
with Madaket Millie.
Bev Hall was there
with her camera.
>> When I look at these
photographs all I can remember
is how hard it was raining,
and you'd never know it
except for the umbrellas,
because the two of them were
just such good friends and had
so many stories to share.
That's the time when I got
this rather fortunate iconic
photograph of the two of them
together.
And you can see
Fred's little microphone.
And aside from that,
they just looked like
two neighbors who'd just
stopped by to say hello
to each other.
There was a great deal
of respect between the two
of them, and I know that Fred
used to watch out for Millie
and Millie watched out for Fred.
>> On our way back
to the airport, Bev drove us
to Saint Paul's Episcopal Church
where she'd worshipped
alongside Misters Rogers
for decades to show us
a recent addition.
>> --our beloved Fred Rogers
who used to sit in this pew.
Between here and here.
And there he is right
with his sweater.
The weekend after Fred passed
away, we put the sweater here
on the back of the pew
and we just put
one white balloon.
And people didn't say a word
but everybody recognized it,
and some knew
and some didn't know.
So, he was such a friend
of Saint Paul's and he was
as faithful as he could be
when he was here.
Always wore his little light
brown jacket, yeah, I saw him
in a suit a couple of times
but...very informal
with his sneakers just
like that.
Anyway, that's it.
I think that's pretty special.
>> I do, too.
From Mister Rogers summer
home in Nantucket,
Chris and I next pointed
ourselves towards his adopted
home of Pittsburgh to meet up
with This American Life
contributor and Found Magazine
creator, Davy Rothbart.
Like me, Davy met Mister Rogers
in Madaket.
Unlike me, he was just
four years old.
>> Today on our show,
Mr. Rothbart's neighborhood
in which an average Chicagoan
decides to appeal the disputes
and problems in his neighborhood
to a higher authority,
Mister Rogers.
Yes, that Mister Rogers.
>> I had met Mister Rogers
when I was a kid
a couple of times.
We were doing a show
for This American Life
about neighbors and I thought,
well, I've got to talk
to THE neighbor, you know?
The neighbor we all grew up
with, Mister Rogers.
>> Hi Mister Rogers.
Hi, good to see you.
>> Welcome.
I'm glad to see you
after all these years.
>> It's been a while.
>> Welcome to this neighborhood.
Oh, is this it?
>> This is me visiting you
on Nantucket.
I remembered that I liked
his show as a kid, you know,
and I had those memorable
meetings with him,
but I didn't know if he would
be able to deal with, like,
real world problems,
adult problems in a real way.
[train whistle]
Our first stop, Julie,
who doesn't like the loud music
from the apartment below.
[thumping noise]
Okay, the truth is,
her loud downstairs neighbor,
it's me.
[whistling]
>> Good for you, Julie.
I hate loud music.
We started with silence
and I will always uphold
a person's right to silence.
>> He got really into the idea,
you know?
>> I have a feeling that you're
getting to know Julie, though.
And once you do know her,
then either your music isn't
going to bother her so much
or you're going to care so much
about her that you'll
probably turn it down
a couple of notcheanyway.
>> Mister Rogers was fearless
about just speaking so softly,
gathering thoughts,
pausing for like ten seconds.
Even on TV, you never would
see that these days.
>> Perhaps we think that,
oh there maybe are people
in this world who I can't
ever communicate with.
And so, I'll just give up
before I try.
And how sad it is to think
that we would give up
on any other creature
who's just like us.
>> What I feel like I learned
from Mister Rogers was
really more the way
that he carried himself,
the way he could focus
so much on one thing
and one person.
The way he cared so deeply
about other people's stories.
That's kind of informed, like,
all the work that I do.
Found Magazine, the magazine
that I make, it's all notes
and letters that people found
on the ground,
found on the street.
It could be a love letter,
a to-do list,
maybe someone's journal entry.
People find this stuff,
you know, blowing down
the alleyways, in prison yards
It's just about collecting
other people's stories
and having this, like, deep
and sincere interest
in what other people's
experience of being
human is like.
And that's what it seemed
like Mister Rogers, to me,
was always doing.
Anyway, Javier bought
me a fish--
It's easy in your life to feel
isolated, you know?
Feel like you're dealing
with some problem in your life
and you're the only one
that can--you know, nobody else
understands what I'm feeling
right now.
But you pick up some note
off the ground,
from a total stranger,
and it turns out that they are
experiencing the same difficult
problem that you're going
through and it's a powerful
thing because all of a sudden,
you feel like, you know,
I'm not alone here, you know?
Somebody else is dealing
with the same thing.
I think I'm busy
because I'm living in a van
and reading garbage
to people in coffee houses.
This guy had a daily television
show, and yet he still had
the ability to be that calm
and that focused and that open.
It's unbelievable.
>> * Love is here to stay
* No matter what people say
>> Mister Rogers care
for children of all ages
manifested in everything he did
and everyone he met.
I know I felt it when I was
with him.
He was completely present,
absolutely authentic and made
even the most difficult subjects
seem safe and manageable.
I've wondered more than once
over the course of our journey
whether Mister Rogers ever had
any intention of setting us
on this path, opening
all these doors,
meeting all these people,
even healing a little bit.
I think he did.
>> * So love is the only way
>> Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
was far larger
than his WQED studio.
It was a world full
of connections, serendipity
and synchronicity.
Little wonder then that just
as this journey was ending
another had just begun.
In September 2007, Bo Lozoff
presided at my wedding,
and any day now Abby and I are
expecting our first child.
It's as if he knew it all,
all along.
>> I'm just so proud
of all of you
who have grown up with us.
And I know how tough it is
some days to look with hope
and confidence on the months
and years ahead,
but I would like to tell you
what I often told you
when you were much younger.
I like you just the way you are.
>> In so many concerted ways,
Mister Rogers helped all of us
become who we are.
He cared about us.
He wanted what's best
for us in life.
He loved us into being.
>> I'm so grateful to you
for helping the children
in your life to know
that you'll do everything
you can to keep them safe
and to help them
express their feelings
in ways that will bring healing
in many different neighborhoods.
It's such a good feeling
to know that we're
lifelong friends.
>> In the end, it dawned on me
that maybe life isn't defined
by just a few crucial moments
after all.
It's an aggregate of all
the smaller ones;
sunsets, silence and song.
Every tiny gesture,
every warm word
and every shared smile matters.
Every second is an opportunity
to make a choice.
So what will you choose?
How will you contribute
depth and simplicity
to a shallow and complex world?
How will you honor
those who loved you into being?
Take ten seconds.
I'll watch the time.
(splashing waves)
>> (laughing) One
of the things that I love about
this program is-- Oh!
My name is James Steinbach, by
the way.
I keep forgetting these things,
like the phone number and who I
am.
And, this program is-- People
are really smiling when they
watch this show.
And I was thinking, now it's not
because it's a happy show.
It's not exactly a happy show,
but it's a show that, like
Mr. Rogers, it kind of reveals
something worth knowing, you
know?
And you kind of reflect back on
your own life and what you've
done and what you're doing and
what you're going to be doing,
not in a way that's like, "Gee,
I didn't do this!"
But, more just thinking it over.
And I think that's one of the
great-- I just love the fact
that Mister Rogers brought
quiet, and he talks about that.
The importance of quiet.
It's hard to find quiet, you
know?
(phone ringing) Whup!
There's the phone!
Speaking of quiet, call us at
1-800-236-3636.
Quiet is great, but right now we
don't want you to be quiet.
Right now, we want you to call
us and make a pledge of support
to Wisconsin Public Television.
>> Thank you, James.
It's like, like James said like
when he forgot his name-- or, he
forgot to say his names, that's
right.
But we're all kind of losing
ourself in this program.
It's-- you can't take your eyes
off it, and it brings-- (phone
ringing) It really feeds a
wonderful place in our heart and
soul.
And, this book I want to tell
you about that is a "thank you."
It's a way of Wisconsin Public
Television thanking you, can be
had for $8 a sustaining pledge.
Eight dollars a month
this book can be yours.
And it's a great coffee table
book, "Life's Journeys According
to Mister Rogers, Things to
Remember Along the Way."
And I just want to read this one
little part here that he wrote,
"What's been important in my
understanding of myself and
others is the fact that each one
of us is so much more than any
one thing.
A sick child is much more than
his or her sickness.
A person with a disability is
much more than a handicap.
A pediatrician is so much more
than a medical doctor.
You're much more than your job
description or your age or your
income or your output."
It's so true; but, how often do
we think about it?
Gems like this in this book can
be yours for $8 a month for
Wisconsin-- supporting Wisconsin
Public Television.
But you can also get the DVD of
this program, which has bonus
material on it.
You're not seeing it all.
You're seeing a lot of it
tonight, but there's extra.
There's a Q & A on here and a
lot of other great things.
(phones ringing) So, please
check this out and support
Wisconsin Public Television.
Twelve dollars a month will get
you both.
So let me show 'em properly
here.
And, it is our way of saying
"thank you." So thank you for
watching this program.
I thank Wisconsin Public
Television for having us here so
we can re-experience this
program.
I'm going to turn it over to
Josh.
He's my buddy, and he's got more
to tell you.
>> Hi.
I'm Josh Woolfolk.
There's just one more thing
I want to read
from the book myself that really
struck a nerve for me.
"Anyone who has ever been able
"to sustain good work has at
"least one person, and often
"many, who have believed in him
"or her.
"We just don't get to be
competent human beings without
a lot of different investments
from others."
I think one of the most
important lessons that Mister
Rogers taught me is that a good
life is a gift that you get from
other people.
And, that's so easy to forget in
a culture that so often
emphasizes the individual.
Mister Rogers so often reminded
us of the value
of the neighborhood and the
community.
And, that's the sentiment that
we're talking to you about
tonight, especially as proud
supporters of public television.
public television is a community
endeavor.
Coming together
as a neighborhood to educate
ourselves and show respect for
each other.
Won't you join us?
1-800-236-3636.
>> I really like the way Josh
puts it, "Won't you join us?"
I mean, that's really-- For me,
there's almost a discomfort, you
know, saying, "Make this phone
call and pledge this money
watching the show." Because,
Mister Rogers is all about
listening and talking, and of
course we're not really doing
this because you can see me but
I can't see you.
And, I'm not going to get into
all that stuff about
communication.
But the point is, the support
for what we all want, which is
to have the opportunity to have
opportunities in our life and
the chance to get to know our
neighbors and to have values
that we can share and pass on...
Public television is a piece of
that.
Maybe we're not a big piece, but
we're a piece of that.
And, a piece worth supporting.
That's why I think it's okay for
us to say Fred Rogers made a
difference.
These programs make a
difference.
We need your support to keep on
making that difference.
I guess it's as simple as that.
We need your support in order to
keep making a difference.
So, call us at 1-800-236-3636.
>> Fred Rogers taught us that
the things that really matter in
this world are feelings,
are caring.
What a kind, kind, gentle spirit
and soul this man was, and it
lives on through the efforts of
Wisconsin Public Television.
And I want to make sure that you
have a chance to
get this to share this with your
friends and family.
Wow!
It will change lives.
It just takes you to such a
special place inside.
And, share the magic of and the
warmth and the kindness of Fred
Rogers with your home.
You can do that.
The DVD for support of $6 a
month, you'll get this DVD.
Once again, I said it has bonus
material in it.
So, it's more than the program
you're seeing tonight.
If you're totally into this
program tonight, then you'll
want to see more of it.
I know it.
1-800-236-3636.
And of course, we're going to
get the book to you for $8 a
month.
And for $12, you're going to get
both.
So consider that.
Continue to support Wisconsin
Public Television.
Keep those phones ringing.
We love to hear that.
And now to Josh.
>> You know one of the reasons
I'm most proud to volunteer at
Wisconsin Public Television
is because of
the great value of PBS Kids
programming.
I was given so
much by PBS as a kid through
programs like "Mister Rogers
Neighborhood" and "Sesame
Street" and "Arthur" and all of
the great things we all
remember, but that legacy lives
on through programs like "Peg +
Cat" and "Dinosaur Train" and
"Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood,"
the spiritual successor to
Mister Rogers Neighborhood.
So many of my friends with young
kids have the same sorts of
experiences with their children
at home that I had with my
parents at home in "Mister
Rogers Neighborhood"-- life
lessons: teaching us to be kind
and gentle and loving and
respectful of one another.
And that sort of gentle and
educational programming is
available 24-hours a day now
through Wisconsin Public
Television's new 24-hour PBS
Kids channel.
Any time of day, kids and their
families here in Wisconsin have
access to the very best
children's programming in the
world.
All you have to do to be a part
of that incredible mission is
give us a call.
1-800-236-3636.
>> So the filmmaker for this
film we just watched, it was one
simple sentence that propelled
him to make this film.
And it was when Fred Rogers
said, "I feel strongly that deep
and simple is far more essential
than shallow and complex."
And, I hope that
that's something which you see
reflected in Public Television,
not because we don't do stories
about complicated and important
things.
But, because we're really trying
to focus on what's important.
That's what really matters.
Fred Rogers understood that.
I hope we understand that.
And I hope that you're finding
that worth supporting.
And if you do, call us at
1-800-236-3636.
>> One more from "Life's
Journeys":
According to Mister Rogers,
"Shyness isn't something that
just children feel.
Anybody can feel shy.
And one reason we feel that way
is that we're not sure people
will like us just the way we
are."
Fred Rogers likes us just
the way we are: a timeless
message, you know, which is so
far away from getting the latest
fashion or haircut or clothes or
a car or whatever!
It's acceptance is a miracle.
So, this is an amazing book that
you can have with our thanks for
$8 a month.
For $12 a month, you can get the
"Mister Rogers & Me" DVD, the
program you're seeing tonight
with the bonus material.
Twelve dollars a month and you
can sustain your support with
Wisconsin Public Television, and
we thank you with these gifts.
But it's the gift that'll keep
on giving, because you can share
this with family and friends.
I'll turn it over to Josh.
>> Early on in the program we
got to see a clip of Mister
Rogers testifying before
Congress about the importance of
public television and public
broadcasting when it was still
in its nascency.
It was a relatively untested and
unfamiliar part of American
life.
Of course, that's no longer the
case.
Public broadcasting and PBS is
one of the central pillars of
our life as Americans.
And, PBS continues to touch
lives of millions and millions
of people in this country each
and every day.
And that legacy is thanks to
people like Fred Rogers who, in
its early days, not only
produced the very best of its
work, but spoke out in support
of its continued investment.
Won't you please join Mister
Rogers in voicing your support
for this vital American
institution, a place where we
can come together and produce
the very best of what we're
capable of to encourage children
and adults alike to care for,
respect and love one another.
Thank you for all the support
you've given us tonight.
1-800-236-3636.
Thank you.