Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood

My 2 year old love watching Daniel Tiger neighborhood...it's excellent for toddlers

When I first saw the title character of "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood", my initial reaction was "Aw, what a cute little tiger.", but then I saw that it was going to be shown on PBS Kids, and that's when I started fearing for the worst. I feared that PBS (and its stations) would just make a total mess of it, just like they had done with Super WHY!, Between the Lions, Barney & Friends, and FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman. But I'm delighted to tell you, that they haven't messed it up at all. It's just simply sweet.

"Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" is the story about the little titular tiger cub who goes to preschool (with a cat, an owl, a prince, and a little girl) and plays at his house (usually with his baby sister). Throughout the show, life lessons are taught about sharing, cooperation, telling the truth, trying new foods, potty training, and respect for others - with the use of simple ditties. During each episode Daniel makes believe different things (swimming, superheroes, dancing cakes) and at the end live-action segments featuring real kids doing an activity related to the show's theme (similar to most modern PBS Kids shows).

All of this I've just written is one of the things that makes "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" so special for a PBS Kids show, namely the fact that it teaches useful social skills lessons in each episode. Yes, you heard right, social skills. And that's one of the many things I like about this show. One other thing I like about this show, is the fact that the show has no perpetual smiley characters. There aren't any high fast-paced jolts. The show doesn't use cheesy CGI, and that's terrific. And Daniel wears a pretty red sweater and shoes, but those superficial trinkets are not what this story is about. It's about the fact that people of any age that it's OK to be who they are, and that's a wonderful message.

The characters are by far the best part of this show. Daniel is cute and adorable, but he's not a Barney or Dora type of character. He's not stupid and happy all the time, he's not annoying, but most of all, he's not singsongy syrupy-voiced when he speaks. Mom Tiger is the most lovely mother I've seen in a PBS show for quite some time, next after Jane Read in "Arthur". Dad Tiger is a great father for Daniel. He's also gotten a baby sister, Margaret, in the 2014 season. Margaret (who shares her name with my Mom) is fun loving but is always crying. She and Daniel get along very well, and they stand up to each other, like brother and sister. Then there is Teacher Harriet, who can seem strict at times, since her job is being a teacher of-course, but she's also a good friend when you need one. Oh, and this show is inspired by the classic PBS show "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" (which I actually hate). It has the same trolley, same theme song, and same social-emotional curriculum.

The music in this show is truly wonderful, with songs that really feels like they come from the good old days of PBS when it was just the aforementioned MRN, Captain Kangaroo, the Electric Company, Sesame Street, and of course ZOOM 1972, just like it should be. The animation is okay, it's not that revolutionary, in terms of the technology. But hey, since when has feature film quality animation been necessary in order to tell a great story?

In conclusion, what "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" is, is an extraordinary wonderful and triumphant return to the PBS children's shows of the 70s. And that's something I feared we would never get the chance to see again. At least not for the days of NET (National Educational Television) or so. While this show isn't exactly contributing anything to the technological development of the art of animation, it does what no other modern PBS show has succeeded in doing for many years, namely truly return PBS to its origins in children's TV. Lovable characters, a great plot, and wonderful music are the main reason why I feel that PBS should use this show as their main template for how to produce their animated TV series. And if they don't do it, then I will sue them. That's how good this show is. With more shows like this, PBS' future would be safe.

Without a doubt it's a great program it's what sesame street used to be with lots of music and memorable jingles to help kids learn. From potty training, to dealing with anger, to dealing with feelings arising with a newborn on the way, Daniel Tiger tackles a lot of things other newer shows don't reach. There's even a show about voting and what it is for. This show is worth watching especially if your child likes music. My youngest loves the music and jingles she often dances to the music.

I urge any parent with an upcoming doctor's appointment to watch the episode where Daniel Tiger has to get a shot. It might ease anxiety for your child when going to the doctor and for parents too.

If your potty training your child I urge you to watch the episodes about going potty and repeating jingles about using the bathroom. It worked for my oldest daughter maybe it can work for your child too.

The tantrums episode wasn't a good show, but it should not discourage you from watching the other almost 60 episodes available to watch. Netflix dropped it recently, why I have no idea, but you can view all episodes via YouTube, PBS kids and Amazon. Daniel Tiger Is Great Program!

I'm just an old fan of Mr. Rogers, so I wanted to see how his legacy was being cared for, and I think the show does a very nice job. Far better then other kids' shows. Nothing could ever equal Fred Rogers, but at least the lessons and empathy he taught us are still being taught here.

The characters are adorable; they all have their own stories and personality quirks. Every kid can find at least one character to identify with. The show is also extremely inclusive. Race, disability, adversity, different guardians/home life, and other topics are handled delicately and instructively. Santomero has done a wonderful job coordinating with experts to send the right messages in a way kids can understand.

The Daniel imagination sequences are fun to watch. (I wish I'd had this when I was a kid!). Some of the songs are so good they should be award-winning, but a few are kind of bad. It's difficult to create rhyming lyrics for the vocabulary of a four-year-old, so they tend to recycle a lot of lyrics across episodes that don't make much sense in context. But to be fair, so does every other musical kids' show, and I doubt the kids really notice. But the best part is that every lesson has a memorable tune, which a lot of parents sing to their children to remind them; ex: "Grown-ups come back". That's a great thing. And when they get it right, some of the harmonies are just beautiful.

Some people don't like that the show occasionally shows the kids getting mad. But I think that's a good thing. They are allowed to feel their feelings, and then learn how to redirect that anger into something better..

Annoyances? Not many. One thing that bugs me is when they have Tigey sing. He has this tinny/creepy electronic voice that just sounds terrible. PBS also tends to show episodes back to back with a different Prince Wednesday actor who sounds very different, which might be confusing. Also, some of the adults also occasionally come off as a bit 1950s sanctimonious, but I guess that's necessary for the format.

All in all, a wonderful show.

This is our son's favorite show, and the only one that will hold his attention for more than 12 seconds! He got a Daniel Tiger for his 1st Birthday and I was so glad to have found it, Daniel is his "best friend!". I love the little songs that have more meaning than rhyme and the lessons in the show along with the story lines. I loved Mr. Rogers neighborhood as a kid, and although this is a very different, more modern show, I am pleased to see the good moral underlining and joy that this show brings to him while still keeping true to the same themes. PLEASE KEEP MAKING SEASONS!!! Nothing else holds a candle to this in our baby's eyes and I can feel good as a mom about what he's watching and learning. I really love seeing something of quality in children's T.V. and this certainly fits the bill.