The Making of a Legend
u King Friday XIII, a puppet that appeared regularly with Fred Rogers, brought big words, pomposity, and underlying goodness, as well as gentle humor to the show.
During the years that he first worked for WQED, Rogers continued to study for the ministry by attending classes at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary during his lunch breaks. In 1963 he graduated from the seminary and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister. Rogers also earned a master’s degree in child development from the University of Pitts- burgh. That same year, he got the opportunity to combine his television experience with his theological training and studies in child psychology by appearing on his own televi- sion show—he received an offer from the Canadian Broad- casting Corporation to host a fifteen-minute children’s show called Misterogers (the original spelling of the show’s name). Rogers was excited by the opportunity to put his practical and academic experience to work, but he was nervous because he had never been on camera before. To help overcome his nerves, he recalled some advice given to him by Gabby Hayes years earlier at NBC. “One time I said: ‘Mr. Hayes, what do you do when you look at the camera and you know there are so many people watching you?’ He said: ‘Fred, I just think of one little buckaroo.’ I thought that was superb advice.” When Misterogers debuted on Canadian television
in Toronto, Puppets, Presenters, and Muppets
ISTER ROGERS’ NEIGH- BORHOOD is a much- loved television program driven by the unique personality of its host, Fred Rogers. But the show’s aims of educating and entertaining children make Mister Rogers’ Neigh- borhood part of a long line of be- loved programs that stretches back to the beginning of television broad- casting in the United States in the late nineteen-forties.
M One of the most famous shows
was Howdy Doody, which aired on NBC from 1947 until 1960. The star was a freckle-faced marionette whose voice was provided by his avuncular companion, “Buffalo” Bob Smith. The show’s mixture of songs, patter, and a cast of animal puppets created a pattern that was used by many children’s television programs in the nineteen fifties.
u Howdy Doody, star of a children’s television program bearing his name, was a marionette depicting a freckle-faced boy in western clothing. ©BETTMANN/CORBIS
One of Howdy Doody’s frequent guests was called Clarabell the Clown. The first actor to play Clarabell, Bob Keeshan, went on to star in his own long-running children’s television program, Captain Kangaroo. The show featured cartoons, appearances by famous guests, and a cast of singing and dancing puppets. There were also features with a direct educational component, such
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as the “Captain’s Reading Stories” and “The Magic Drawing Board.” Captain Kangaroo ran on CBS from 1955 until 1984.
Perhaps the show that most
closely rivals Mister Rogers’ Neigh- borhood in its combination of play and learning is Sesame Street. Sesame Street features a cast of hand-operated puppets, known as Muppets, who take part in stories designed to hold children’s atten- tion and develop their reading skills. Sesame Street was first aired in 1969 on PBS, and it was the first children’s television show in which the content was shaped by a cur- riculum and educational goals de- signed by teams of television professionals and educators. The show has made changes to its for- mat since its inception, but Sesame Street is still going strong and re-
mains committed to developing children’s competence and self-esteem.
Howdy Doody, Captain Kangaroo, and Sesame Street
are just a few examples of children’s television programs that illustrate something Fred Rogers once said: “It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives.” —PH
M A Y 2 0 1 2 that’s the advice that Rogers
PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
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