By Jeff Murphy,
January 24, 2019

Photo courtesy of The Fred Rogers Company
WARRENSBURG, MO 鈥 Mark your calendar for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9, when the University
of Central Missouri鈥檚 public television station, presents one of the most celebrated theatrical releases of 2018, an intimate look
at the life of America鈥檚 favorite neighbor: Fred Rogers.
鈥淲on't You Be My Neighbor?鈥, a film by Morgan Neville, 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, 鈥淢ister Rogers鈥
Neighborhood, 鈥淩ogers and his cast of puppets and friends spoke directly to young
children about some of life鈥檚 weightiest issues in a simple, direct fashion. There
hadn鈥檛 been anything like Mr. Rogers on television before, and there hasn鈥檛 been since.
Fred Rogers鈥 career represented a sustained attempt to present a coherent, beneficent
view of how television could be used as a positive force in society. 鈥淲on鈥檛 You Be
My Neighbor?鈥 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.
Morgan Neville notes, 鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to have such a great partner in HBO to help spread
Fred鈥檚 message back into the world. And we鈥檙e especially excited that HBO has forged
a unique collaboration with PBS to ensure that the film reaches the broadest possible
audience in February.鈥
Since its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2018, the film has
become the top-grossing biographical documentary of all time, earning more than $22
million at the domestic box office. It received three Documentary Critic鈥檚 Choice
Awards, including Best Documentary, Best Director and Best Editing, as well as the
Audience Award at the IFP Gotham Awards. Neville鈥檚 film is also nominated for the
IDA Documentary Award for Best Documentary, five Cinema Eye Honors, including Best
Documentary, the Producers Guild of America award for Best Documentary Motion Picture
and the Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary.
鈥淲on鈥檛 You Be My Neighbor?鈥 is a Focus Features presentation, in association with
Impact Partners and PBS/Independent Lens, a Tremolo Production; executive producers,
David J. and Linda A. Cornfield, David Stone and David Boies III, Rick Rosenthal and
Nancy Stephens, John Boccardo and Derek Esplin, Andrea Van Beuren, Jenifer Westphal,
Dan Cogan, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Regina K. Scully; cinematography by Graham Willoughby;
edited by Jeff Malmberg and Aaron Wickenden; produced by Morgan Neville, Caryn Capotosto
and Nicholas Ma; directed by Morgan Neville.
KMOS regularly airs 鈥淢ister Rogers鈥 Neighborhood鈥 each Saturday and Sunday at 5 a.m.,
but will present memorable episodes of his series during the week of Feb. 4 at 10:30
a.m. (Feb. 4 Eric Carle and Fortune Cookie Factory, Feb. 5 Pediatrician and Families
and Adoption, Feb 6 Visit an Art Museum, Feb. 7 Electric Cars and Electric Wheelchair,
and Feb. 8 Drawing Contest / Making Crayons).
Mister Rogers lives on in the form of 鈥淒aniel Tiger's Neighborhood,鈥 which airs on
KMOS 6.1 weekdays at 8:30 a.m., and on channel 6.4 daily at 1:30 p.m.