Catch a sneak peek of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood here!
Interview with
Executive Producers
Kevin Morrison and
Angela C. Santomero
This fall, Daniel
Tiger’s Neighborhood,
an engaging new animated series for preschoolers, will pounce onto PBS KIDS
(check local listings). The first television show from The Fred Rogers
Company since Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and inspired by the enduring legacy
of children’s television innovator Fred Rogers, the vibrantly colorful new program invites viewers
to explore the imaginative Neighborhood of Make-Believe with 4-year-old Daniel
Tiger and his best friends as they learn important skills and strategies
necessary for growing up. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood also
features an activity-rich website with free, interactive games for
preschoolers, online resources for parents and teachers and other valuable and
fun cross-platform content. Below is a conversation with the series’
Executive Producers, Kevin Morrison, Chief Operating Officer of The Fred Rogers
Company, and Angela C. Santomero, Co-Founder of Out of the Blue Enterprises.
Q. After so
long, why return to Mister Rogers’ beloved neighborhood now?
K.M. A few years ago, The
Fred Rogers Company set out to produce a new series for a new generation of
children. We developed a number of different program ideas, but Daniel
Tiger’s Neighborhood, based on characters familiar to generations of
children, was always everybody’s favorite. Although the series uses the
latest production techniques and looks beautiful, its essence is based on Fred
Rogers’ timeless techniques.
Q.
What made Fred Rogers a pioneer in children’s entertainment? How is his
trademark approach evident in Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood?
A.S. Fred Rogers
has been both an inspiration and a major career influence for me. In
effect, he created a blueprint for children’s television that works. And,
with this new show, we embraced the great level of respect that Fred had for
children, the way he communicated with them, his gentler pace and his
“interactive” inclusion of his young “neighbors” at home.
K.M. Fred was a pioneer in
the way he used the camera. In the 50s and 60s, children’s presenters
were addressing an audience. When Fred spoke, there was no doubt that he
was talking just to you. At that time, this was revolutionary.
Q.
Are there elements of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood in Daniel Tiger’s
Neighborhood? How is the new series fresh and different?
A.S. There are nostalgic
nods of “love” to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood throughout each episode of
the new show. The characters are the children of the beloved puppets from
Fred’s Neighborhood of Make-Believe and our series star, Daniel Tiger, is the
son of Daniel Striped Tiger, Fred’s first puppet. Like Fred, Daniel wears
a red sweater and sneakers and speaks directly to preschoolers to include them
in his day. Fred’s music can be heard, in some cases as cover songs, and
in others as inspiration for new musical strategies.
K.M. That being said, this
is a brand-new series with a very different look and feel. It’s animated
instead of live-action and focuses on the adventures of a 4-year-old and his
friends in an exciting and very different Neighborhood of Make-Believe.
Q.
How have Fred Rogers’ groundbreaking concepts been updated to appeal to a whole
new generation of young viewers and their parents?
A.S. Fred’s
curriculum is timeless. But our approach to his curriculum was planned
with today’s preschoolers in mind because we wanted to make sure that we were
reaching them most effectively in terms of appeal and learning.
Q. Why choose
animation instead of live action?
A
.S.
We wanted to animate the Neighborhood of Make-Believe to put a unique spin on
the “neighborhood” with this new series. Plus, animation allows us to
make our stories visual – for example, we can let viewers peek inside Daniel’s
colorful imagination.
K.M. We considered live
action, but animation gives us powerful tools for storytelling. Our
research-based curriculum is wrapped inside engaging stories for the very
youngest children.
Q. How did
you develop the characters for the show?
A.S. Although
the characters were initially based on the puppets in Mister Rogers’
Neighborhood, our goal was to give them a multi-dimensional feel so they’re
true to the personalities of preschoolers.
K.M. We want children to
feel that they’re friends with the characters – and hopefully aspire to be like
them so they are engaged and learning the strategies right alongside Daniel and
his cohorts.
Q.
What role does music play in Daniel
Tiger’s Neighborhood and why do you think using song-based strategies is so
effective?
A.S. Music is an
integral tool for learning in Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.
Our musical strategies are unique and catchy. Parents and children will
be singing them all day long! For preschool viewers, music propels the
curriculum forward, ensuring that they truly understand why a particular strategy
was needed and how it helped our characters.
K.M. And couching a key
strategy in an easy-to-remember song makes it very simple for parents to help
their children incorporate that new skill into their daily lives.
Q.
Recent research shows that early development of solid social and emotional
skills leads to success later in life. How did this help inform the
creation of the show?
A.S. Pro-social
values have been shown by numerous studies to be imperative to later social and
academic success for children. Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood
helps hone the skills that prepare young viewers to be optimal learners in
kindergarten and beyond. Encouraging children’s self-confidence, combined
with the ability to regulate their impulses and appreciate adult guidance,
gives them the solid foundation they need going forward.
Q.
How can Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood be a useful tool for parents and
preschoolers beyond the television screen?
A.S.
Moms and dads who
have previewed the show have called it “A user’s guide for today’s
parent!” We’re finding that parents and caregivers are writing down our
strategies and using them when they need to encourage their kids to be patient,
when they’re nervous about a new experience or when they’re disappointed.
We hope to have a useful strategy for every situation a parent could find
themselves in!
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