He warmed the hearts of millions with his friendly signature opening, “Won’t you be my neighbor?” on the long-running PBS children’s show ‘Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.’ Now, Mr. Rogers’ legacy continues on, as the same company that produced his show is working on developing another children’s series.
While still very early in development, and without a timetable for production at the moment, Kevin Morrison, chief operating officer of Family Communications Inc, is currently in talks with several children’s show producers, according to CNN via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Says Morrison, : "We're talking about classic 'Mister Rogers' topics having to do with social, emotional and developmental issues."
Initially, Morrison reveals that there had been some ideas about creating a ‘Mr. Rogers’ update, or a ‘New Generation’ type spin-off, but those ideas had been discarded early. The new program may incorporate animation, live action as well as puppetry. But however it will appear in the end, the new program will use some of the classic themes ‘Mr. Rogers’ espoused on his long running series, such as cooperating and sharing with others.
Says Morrison, : "We're taking our time. We want to get it right."
‘Mr. Rogers Neighborhood’ debuted nationwide on PBS on February 19, 1968, according to the FCI website. Fred Rogers passed away in 2003 from cancer, but his show continues to air today in reruns on most PBS stations around the country.
