"Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" was an American children's television series that originally aired from February 19, 1968 to August 31, 2001. This half hour show was created and hosted by Fred Rogers . During its run, 905 episodes were aired in 31 seasons. While the show was primarily aimed for children of ages 2 to 5, it was considered appropriate for all ages. Every kid that watched the show wanted to be Mister Rogers' neighbor. But do you know everything about him and his show? Here are some of the remarkable facts about "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood".
Remarkable Facts About Mister Rogers' Neighborhood!
#1 There Is A Reason Why He Talked About Stuff In Detail
One must remember that Mister Rogers had a habit of talking in detail about things. There is actually a heart melting reason behind it. Once, a young blind girl wrote him a letter asking him to explain things for her. Since then he made it his habit.
#2 His Sweaters Were Close To His Heart!
Mister Rogers wore so many different sweaters. Those sweaters weren't of some fancy brand but actually were hand knitted by his mother. She gave him and his sister these sweaters as Christmas gifts.
#3 He Couldn't Fully Appreciate Those Sweaters
Mister Rogers could never fully appreciate the sweaters that were hand knitted by his mother as he was red/green colorblind. Every time he wore a new sweater for filming, it was his way of showing his gratitude.
#4 His Original Bachelor's Degree Was In Fine Arts
Mister Rogers' got his first bachelor's degree from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. This Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in music composition was his original degree. During his lifetime, he was awarded with 40 honorary degrees.
#5 He Named Characters Based On Real People
Mister Rogers named characters on his shows based on the people close to him in real life. The Lady Elaine Fairchild was named after his adopted sister, Elaine Crozier. He named the mailman Mr. McFeely as it was his grandfather's name and also his middle name. Queen Sara was named after his wife, Sara Byrd.
#6 He Wanted To Reveal The Man Behind Big Bird
Mister Rogers always wanted to reveal the man behind the Big Bird. He had asked Caroll Spinney a couple of times to come on the show and show children that he is the one behind the Big Bird. However, Caroll always declined this offer as he did not want to ruin the legacy of the Big Bird.
#7 There Were Many Rumors Spread About Him On The Internet
A sweater worn by Rogers, on display in the
Smithsonian Institution
's Museum of American History.
Rudi Riet
-
Flickr
In 1994, there were many rumors on the internet that suggested that Mister Rogers was a sniper in the military. The rumors also concluded that the reason he wore sweaters was because he had tattoos all over his body, one for each person he killed. Like the most rumors about famous personalities, these were also baseless and had no truth in them.
#8 He Did Not Just Host The Show
The Fred Rogers Memorial Statue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Wikipedia
Mister Rogers did not only just host the show but he also created it and composed most of the music on the show. He also did the voices on the show for many characters including King Friday XIII, Queen Sara Saturday, Henrietta Pussycat, Daniel Striped Tiger, Lady Elaine Fairchild and Larry Horse, among others.
Bonus: Michael Keaton Talks on Fred Rogers
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