Mr. Rogers' Strict Behind-The-Scenes Rules

Every detail of 'Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood' was intentional.
Mr. Rogers' Strict Behind-The-Scenes Rules

For 895 episodes over 31 seasons, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood entertained generations of children. Who can forget Mr. Rogers' ritual of changing shoes or traveling to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe?

But what was it like to work on the show? Two writers gave us a sneak peek by listing the nine rules of writing for the show.

Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood was a gentle, understated television show that aired from 1968 to 2001. The show was celebrated for
Fred Rogers The host and creator Fred Rogers insisted that every word used on the show be intentional. He did not want to mislead or confuse his presc
For example, when a nurse was taking his blood pressure and said, I'm going to blow this up, Rogers insisted they redub the line to say, I'm going
Speaking Freddish Two writers on the show called the show's required precise language Freddish and went on to create a parody pamphlet detailing t
The 9 Rules of Freddish State the idea you wish to 1. express as clearly as possible, and in terms preschoolers can understand. It is dangerous to pla
Rephrase the idea, bearing in mind that preschoolers 3. cannot yet make subtle distinctions and need to be redirected to authorities they trust. Ask y
5. Rephrase any element that suggests certainty. Your parents can tell you where it is safe to play. Rephrase your idea to 6. eliminate any element th
8. Rephrase your new statement, repeating the first step. Your favorite grown-ups can tell you where it is safe to play. It is important to try to lis

Mr. Rogers

Mr. Roger's Details Rogers' level of detail wasn't superfluous. He studied child development and worked closely with many academic researchers, includ
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