Mister Rogers on Tonight Show (1983)

is it started celebrating its 30th anniversary that's a long time in children's television is that wonderful and here's a book that's been doing very well course mr. Rogers talks with parents isn't the camera okay it's registered all that whatever miss Rogers talks with parents i watch my daughter grow up with him I sang it's a pleasure to be nipa Oh will you please help me welcome mr. Rogers now enough with being charming do you get hate mail 30 years isn't that wonderful 30 how'd you get into that as you get into children's television I went to NBC right after college and I was with the programs like the hit parade and Kate Smith hour and the NBC Opera Theatre and I really learn the business from the other side of the camera and what happened it's so funny talking to me I just feel like saint years older - and how did you get into children's television well it was because the public television station was beginning in Pittsburgh and I thought that I wanted to help do children's programming and I went there and you've never left 30 years I wonder how many people here grew up with the neighborhood ah we all did that's Melissa my child was very lucky because she grew up with Sesame Street she was the Sesame Street generation and you started mr. Rogers neighborhood right the same time wasn't about little before little before net and she got it all she was so lucky what wasn't in New York before was it yeah well I wasn't watching thing cuz I was in my late 20s no offense but why do you always take off your jacket and put on your sweater oh did you do that at home well I did yeah and you know my mother made all these sweaters aren't they wonderful your mother makes a view all the time well she died a couple years ago but every year she gave 12 of us a sweater at Christmastime that's wonderful in a way yeah anyway it's very boring cuz you knew what you were getting but no yeah it's Rundle it's always working on what didn't go what's in heat but they're beautiful I'll give it back yet I thought it was too good for the prop Department so do you at home now your children then grew up with you yep you're married yes we have two boys one is 22 and the other will be 24 how did they feel first watching you as mr. Rogers and then getting older and realizing that Mister Rogers can also be daddy and be strict well at first you know they used to say other daddy when they watch the television in fact it's very strange for young people to see me in the flesh in fact I wonder if maybe that's why some people are laughing like when they see because they're so used to seeing me about this big it's just I get that like for me I'm so it's like talking to a teacher you know I mean I can't say you know have you ever fooled around I minister this commercials right back talking with Fred Rogers and Mister Rogers now I know you have a degree in theology and a degree in child psychology well I've worked in the field of child development and we're very serious about the work that we do and that's why I feel that Mister Rogers talks with parents that new book of ours is going to be helpful in that they'll the people who read it will know that we're not just babysitters but you're not just the babies at you there's always a whole philosophy behind what you do isn't there on your show much more than just like comics and yeah well there are a lot of people who think that all you have to do is to get a whole lot of cartoons and string them together and that's your children's program well that is not children's program children are to be respected and I respect them deeply they've taught me an awful lot a little boy today a little boy today said is there watermelon ice cream and he said all I heard was strawberry ice cream I wondered if there was any other kind of fruit ice creams and I just thought that was wonderful I learned so much how old was the boy only four it's wonderful eighteen you think picking fresh oh yeah oh please I was King Friday the 13th game yes how do you do miss River pleasure how do you do everyone very pleased to see do you know that little ditty of rowing your boat down the stream you know that I know that very well so what you sing it for me please all of you would you please will you say it gently down the stream merrily merrily merrily life is but a dream very good now the way we learned that at the kingly school was propelled propel propel your craft gently down liquid solution ecstatically ecstatically ecstatically ecstatically existence is but an illusion thank you everything I write the songs and John cost is our musical director lightly seasoned so well do this song um the one that Melissa likes I like you oh I'm gonna be there when she's promising that to you know down your else you make me die I like it's not the things you wear it's not the way you do your hair but it's you I like the way you are right now the way down deep inside you not the things that hide you not your jokes they're just beside you but it's you I like every part of you your skin your eyes your feelings whether old or new I hope that you'll remember even when you're feeling blue that it's you I like it's you yourself it's you it's you why else ever tried to record their some of your so that would be a great song for some like a Sinatra does anyone's ever try to record your songs they're welcome to do yeah except when they'd be a good song for Samia it's not the joke saying well yeah I mean it yep charm but you know that's what and we need the rest and we need nobody nice cuz I could be like a pop song what do you plan to do you've written one book now give him a ten lectures something talk seriously about you were saying that children are frightened of things that adults don't realize they're frightened of such as things like haircuts possibility of going down the bathtub drain oh yes do you remember that with Melissa yeah I still am but Pat isn't that finally all fighting the same things but there's so much more to each one of us than meets anybody's eyes oh it's so glad you came up thank you so much we'll be right back

Channel: fwbh

Views: 1,358,397

Rating: 4.9117775 out of 5

Keywords: Mister, Rogers

Id: p-Kp5YeqrlE

Length: 8min 33sec (513 seconds)

Published: Thu May 24 2012

Reddit Comments

[u/brianlouis]

If ever there was a video that so perfectly portrayed what we’re missing (and what we have to put up with) in our media, this is it.

Her voice. Her demeanor. Her words.

His voice. His demeanor. His words.

Night and day. Goddamit I miss that. My boys are 2 and 4 and it gets so hard trying to keep them away from trash.

[u/FYF69]

This video so well illustrates what was wrong with my life as a child... and what was so right.

Mr. Rogers saved my life. My "mother's" favorite epithet for me was "stupidass"... Mr. Rogers said "I like you, for who you are." He saved my life.

[u/Kayge]

The backstory here is the best part of this.

Joan rivers occasionally stood in for Johnny Carson when he took time off. This was at the peak of his fame, we really don't have an equivalent in this day, someone with his draw, popularity and clout. Suffice it to say things went as Johnny wanted them to.

So Rivers is booked as a sub for Carson. As they're going though the guest list, Rogers name comes up. Rivers has made her name as a loud, balzy chick, and her schtick isn't going to work with Mr Rogers, we gotta switch him out.

Carson responds with "Rogers is booked that week and I'm not bumping him, if you don't want to interview him, we'll find someone else". Rivers acquiesce and the show goes on.

If you watch the clip,you can see she doesn't know what to do with him. The way she banters doesn't work, but as he starts to sing, her walls come down, and she melts at the gentle nature of this wonderful man.

[u/Th3KangolKid]

Everything about him says that there is so much good in the world right in front of us.

[u/ristoril]

Thank you for sharing this, neighbor.

[u/jugglefire]

I love this man so much. This video made me cry. He's the only celebrity who's passing brought tears to my eyes that was in 2003 and I still grieve for him. I truly think he was not just one-in-a-million or on in-a-generation, indeed he was the type of person who comes around every thousand years or so and my life is richer and inspired thanks to the example set by Fred Rogers.

[u/aguynamedryan]

That was awesome, neighbor. Thanks for sharing!