Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood

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.

A beautiful serie about friendship and about family, good habits and wise reactions front to reality events. Nice animation, charming drawings , useful stories.

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

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.