CBC: The original neighbourhood
(CBC Still Photo Collection/Robert Ragsdale)
Though Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood is often thought of as an American program - it actually all started on CBC.
Fred Rogers came to Canada in 1963 to develop the children's series
Misterogers. It aired on CBC for three seasons as a 15-minute program. Many of his famous set pieces - including the trolley and castle - were created by CBC designers.
Rogers, however, returned to the U.S. in 1966 and developed
Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood for the Eastern Education Network. He went on to become an icon of children's entertainment and education, with his series airing from 1968-2001.
Thankfully, Rogers left another icon in Canada - Ernie Coombs, who became Mr. Dressup. Coombs had originally traveled to Canada with Rogers to help develop the
Misterogers series. He decided to stay in the country and with CBC even after Rogers moved on.
Rogers died in 2003 at the age of 74.
Posted on Jul 6, 2011 6:00:00 AM
