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Won't You Be My Neighbor? | Independent Lens

Courtesy of Jim Judkis
/
Independent Lens
Fred Rogers meets with Jeffrey Clay Erlanger in the film WON'T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?, a Focus Features release.

Sat., Feb. 9,  8pm on WKAR-HD 23.1 | Take an intimate look at America's favorite neighbor, Fred Rogers, in one of the most celebrated theatrical releases of 2018. 

The documentary tells the story of a soft-spoken minister, puppeteer, writer and producer whose show was beamed daily into homes across America for more than 30 years. In his beloved television program, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," Rogers and his cast of puppets and friends spoke directly to young children about some of life's weightiest issues in a simple, direct fashion. There hadn't been anything like Mister Rogers on television before, and there hasn't been since.

Fred Rogers’ career represented a sustained attempt to present a coherent, beneficent view of how television could be used as a positive force in society. Won’t You Be My Neighbor? explores his legacy, focusing on his radically kind ideas. While the nation changed around him, Rogers stood firm in his belief about the importance of protecting childhood. This intimate portrait goes beyond zip-up cardigans and the land of make-believe and into the heart of a creative genius who inspired generations of children with compassion and limitless imagination.

About Independent Lens
Independent Lens is an Emmy® Award-winning weekly series airing on PBS Monday nights at 10:00 PM. The acclaimed series, with Lois Vossen as executive producer, features documentaries united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement, and unflinching visions of independent filmmakers. Presented by ITVS, the series is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, with additional funding from PBS, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

 

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