This Day in Pop Culture for August 31

2001: The Final Episode of Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood
The Rev. Fred Rogers had his start on TV beginning in 1953 as a puppeteer for the show, The Children’s Corner which aired on the Pittsburgh public station, WQED. It is there that he learned that wearing sneakers on the set was much quieter than his regular dress shoes. In 1963, Rogers moved to Toronto, Ontario to work on the CBC show, Misterogers, where he appeared in front of the camera and he acquired familiar set pieces such as a trolley and a castle. In 1966, Rogers moved back to WQED to create the regional show, Mister Rogers Neighborhood. The show was a hit, but was cancelled in 1967 due to a lack of funds. However, The Sears Roebuck Foundation came through with funding that allowed the program to be seen nationwide. The show continued until 1976. Then the crew started up the show once again to run from 1979 to this day in 2001. (Image: Wikimedia)
Birthdays
- 1924: Buddy Hackett (actor)
- 1928: James Coburn (actor)
- 1949: Richard Gere (actress)
- 1970: Debbie Gibson (singer)
- 1971: Chris Tucker (comedian)
- 1984: Ted Ligety (Olympic skier)
Return to August Page >>>
Categories
Jeffrey Totey View All
I write about pop culture, arts and entertainment in the greater Seattle area.