PropertyValue
?:author
?:datePublished
  • 2019-07-23 (xsd:date)
?:headline
  • Does a Video Show Mr. Rogers Addressing the Nation After 9/11? (en)
?:inLanguage
?:itemReviewed
?:mentions
?:reviewBody
  • On July 22, 2019, shortly after the release of a trailer for the upcoming movie A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood about PBS TV host Fred Rogers, we started receiving queries about an old clip that purportedly showed the popular children's entertainer addressing the nation after the terrorist attacks in the U.S. on Sept. 11, 2001: Rogers dealt with a number of tough topics on his program Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. He helped children (and adults) deal with divorce, adoption, death, race, and even addressed tragic news stories such as the assassinations of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. Rogers, however, was shaken by the terrorist attacks on 9/11 and was reluctant to add his voice to the national conversation. Fred Rogers filmed his final episode of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood in December 2000, with the final episode airing in August 2001. By the time the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center came down weeks later, Rogers' time in the neighborhood had already come to an end. While Rogers was enjoying retirement from being an entertainer, he was still involved with the Fred Rogers Production Company. Producers urged him to film a series of promos to address the terrorist attacks, but Rogers had doubts about the idea: According to Fred Rogers Productions, the above-displayed video shows the last message Rogers recorded at WQED studios: This short video aired on PBS five months before Fred Rogers died. It turned out to be the last time he would record at WQED studios, where, for decades, he had created and filmed 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.' An official copy of this video available via Fred Rogers Production's Vimeo page is entitled Fred Rogers' Message to those who grew up with the Neighborhood. The Vimeo page notes that this clip aired on PBS to mark the one-year anniversary of 9/11. The full clip is available via PBS Kids: This wasn't the only video Rogers filmed during this session. The Associated Press reported in 2002 that Rogers filmed four promos for the first anniversary of the 9/11 attacks: Fred Rogers 9/11 Fri, Sep 6, 2002 – 6 · The Sentinel (Carlisle, Pennsylvania) · Newspapers.com In another clip entitled Helping Children Deal with Tragic Events in the News, Rogers gave his thoughts on how adults can best communicate with their children about traumatic news stories. That video also is viewable on the Fred Rogers Productions' Vimeo page. We've transcribed Rogers' message below: Biography.com points to one other clip from these post-9/11 promos. We have not been able to find a copy of this video, but Biography provided the following description: While we're not entirely certain about its timing, the following video from PBS Kids appears to show one last clip from this session. In it, Rogers repeats one of his most beloved pieces of advice: Look for the helpers. (en)
?:reviewRating
rdf:type
?:url