Mister Rogers' Neighborhood  - The magical neighborhood of Fred Rogers, a slender, gentle-looking Presbyterian minister from Pittsburgh hosted the popular Public Television children series MISTER ROGERS' NEIGHBORHOOD that debuted on WQED in Toronto, Canada in 1963 as a 15-minute daily program called MISTEROGERS. Dwelling at 4802 Fifth Avenue in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, the gateway to the Neighborhood of Make Believe, Mr. Rogers (Fred McFeely Rogers) entered his TV home singing "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood..." and followed-up with the invitation "won't you be my neighbor?" After changing from his street clothes into more casual sweater and slippers, the soft-spoken Mister Rogers explored the wonders of the world interacting with such lovable characters as Lady Aberlin, Handyman Negri, Chef Brockett, Mr. McFeely "the Speedy Delivery Man," Robert Troll, and Police Officer Clemmons. Puppet characters in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe included King Friday the XIII, Queen Sara Saturday, Prince Tuesday, Lady Elaine Fairchilde (who ran the Museum-Go-Round), Henriette Pussycat, the shy Daniel S. Stripped Tiger (who lived in a clock), X the Owl, Donky Hodie, Cornflake "Corny" S. Pecially (who owned a rocking chair factory), Henri de Tigre (Grandpere), William Duckbill Bagpipe Platypus the IV, Dr. Tadpole Frog, Harriet Elizabeth Cow and a ventriloquist dummy, Hischer Booptrunk (Rogers' childhood toy). Mr. Rogers' philosophy towards his children viewers was comforting. He constantly reminded them "There is only one person in the whole world exactly like you, and people can like you just the way you are." Mr. Rogers' friendly demeanor inspired NBC's SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE to create two parodies "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Rogers" and "Mr. Robinson." Comedian Eddie Murphy appeared in the Mr. Robinson skits playing a soft spoken black man who lived in a tenement slum apartment who sang his own version of the Mr. Rogers theme song that goes: "It's a hell of day in the neighborhood...I hope I get to move into your neighborhood. But the problem is, when I move in, you all move away!"  The PBS network honored Fred Rogers in March 1990 with a prime-time retrospective called "Our Neighbor, Fred Rogers."  See also CHILDREN'S SHOW HOSTS - "Mr. Rogers"