If you grew up in the ’80s you’re a fan of Mr. Rogers. It’s just a given. Yes, Mr. Rogers from PBS… no first name needed.
Of course when a new book comes out about the man I’m going to read it, and Maxwell King’s recent addition to this collection (The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers) does Mr. Rogers’s life and work justice. In the past year we’ve seen and heard much about Mr. Rogers and a celebration of his life and work, as 2018 marked 50 years since Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood came to public television.
You know what’s even better than all these books and documentaries (and forthcoming movie with none other than Tom Hanks as Mr. Rogers)? Actually watching old episodes of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, available on Amazon and at least quasi-legally on youtube. (It’s public television, after all.)
Somehow old episodes of Mr. Rogers still go over in 2019. Even in an age of Tweets and explosions and 10-second soundbites, the show works.
I’ve got a second-generation Rogers fan at home to prove it.