Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood

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.

HAVING WATCHED OUR own children (Jenn & Michelle) growing up with the fine influence of Fred Rogers with his MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD, we were really happy to see that the show and Mr. Rodgers himself have left us an heir to his program. It is a tangible example of his legacy.

THE CHARACTERS PORTRAYED are taken right from the old "Neighborhood of Make Believe". That includes the starring title character, Daniel Tiger. In the previous incarnation, the characters were either live performing actors or some hand puppets. Included are messenger man Mr. McFeely, Lady Elaine, Chef Brockett, King Friday XIII (now with some sons) and some others.

INSTEAD OF THE previously employed medium of the puppet/live actor combo, the entire show is rendered in the modern, computer generated animation. The colors are bright, the lighting bright, the ambiance most cheerful and the artwork (both in backgrounds and character design) outstanding.

AS WITH ALL worthwhile series, there is plenty of socially redeeming content. The mixture of characters paves the way for the acceptance of others in the minds of the impressionable young.

ONE PARTICULAR ASPECT of the series that we must mention is the way that the outstanding talents of Fred Rogers as a communicator are not forgotten. In many scenes, a close-up of Daniel is employed when he is either imparting some very important info or when asking a question of the very youthful viewer. This latter is finely done, rendering this series to be an interactive program.

THIS LAST ELEMENT is the greatest legacy of MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD; as well as that of the entire Public Broadcasting System, itself.

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.

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

My 2-year old grandson LOVES this show! He is rarely still but will sit through entire episodes of Daniel Tiger, responding to questions, singing along, and giving me "Ugga- mugga" kisses. He even has a "Tigey" he sleeps with. This morning we watched the crayon factory episode and when the characters received their yellow crayons from Lady Elaine, he jumped up to get his. My daughter didn't understand why there are such short random songs thrown in, so I had her watch Mr. Rogers on YouTube to show her that he did the same thing. The brevity and repetition of two-line songs of encouragement or learning are wonderful mechanisms by which children can remember. They aren't always very tuneful, but they are perfect for our 2-yr. old. And after all, he is the target audience, not those of us who watched and loved Mr. Rogers on his original show. I find this pseudo- reincarnation delightful and filled with learning opportunities for young children.