TV's Gentle Giant
Mister Rogers, We Liked You Just The Way You Were

Perhaps no story speaks more about the depths of Mister Rogers' appeal, about his pervasive grace, than one he recounted in an Esquire magazine profile a few years ago. It seems that Fred Rogers wanted to meet Koko, the gorilla who was taught to communicate using American Sign Language. Koko had watched Mister Rogers on television. When they first encountered each other, the 280-pound gorilla instantly enfolded Fred Rogers, all 143 pounds of him, in a massive embrace.

And then? And then Koko took off Mister Rogers's shoes.
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  thanks to dublog

A Friend in the Neighborhood

When I was 3 years old and my older brother was 6, he wrote a letter to Mr. Rogers. Thrillingly, Mr. Rogers wrote back. They began a little correspondence, and the next summer, when my brother told Mr. Rogers that our family was headed to Massachusetts for a week's vacation, Mr. Rogers invited all of us to chill with him for a day at his summer home on Nantucket.
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  thanks to Zoe

This American Life
Neighbors
May 11, 2001
Episode 184

Mr. Rothbart's Neighborhood. When he was just a kid, Davy Rothbart and his family visited the most famous neighbor in America -- Mr. Rogers -- at his summer cottage on Nantucket. Two decades later, as an adult, Davy went back for another visit with Mr. Rogers. This time he brought stories from his own neighborhood, stories of neighborly conflict and distrust -- to see what kind of advice Mr. Rogers could give him. (20 minutes)
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  thanks to Zoe

Fred Rogers' 1928-2003
They're mourning in the neighborhood

Today, people will say that the Neighborhood is a much lonelier place now that Mister Rogers has passed away. But they're wrong. And Fred Rogers, who died Thursday at age 74 of stomach cancer, would have told everyone the same thing.
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  thanks to Dumbmonkey

How Mr. Rogers Saved the VCR

In ruling that home time-shift recording of television programming for private use was not copyright infringement, the Supreme Court relied on testimony from television producers who did not object to such home recording. One of the most prominent witnesses on this issue was Fred Rogers.
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