Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, also spelled Daniel Tiger's Neighbourhood in Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland and Hong Kong is an animated musical television series aimed at preschool children aged 2–5. It was created by Angela C. Santomero (who also created Blue's Clues and Super Why!) and produced by Fred Rogers Productions, 9 Story Media Group, and 9 Story USA (formerly Out of the Blue Enterprises). The series debuted on September 3, 2012 on PBS Kids, eleven years after Mister Rogers' Neighborhood ended and nine years after Fred Rogers' death.[4]
It is based on the Neighborhood of Make-Believe from Mister Rogers, the family-oriented television series created and hosted by Rogers that aired from 1968 to 2001. In 2019, the series was renewed for a fifth season, which premiered on August 17, 2020 with Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: Won't You Sing Along with Me?, a musical special that dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic.[5][6] On August 20, 2021, the series was renewed for a sixth season, which premiered on September 5, 2022.[7] A one-hour television movie, Daniel Visits a New Neighborhood, aired on June 20, 2022.[8]
The series centers around Daniel Tiger (son of Mom Tiger and Dad Tiger). It also features other children of the characters from the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, such as Katerina Kittycat (daughter of Henrietta Pussycat), Miss Elaina (daughter of Lady Elaine Fairchilde and Music Man Stan), O the Owl (nephew of X the Owl) and Prince Wednesday (King Friday and Queen Sara Saturday's youngest son and Prince Tuesday's little brother). Two 11-minute segments are linked by a common socio-emotional theme, such as disappointment and sadness or anger and thankfulness. The theme also uses a musical motif phrase, which the show calls "strategy songs", to reinforce the theme and help children remember the life lessons. Many of the "strategy songs" are available in albums or as singles under the artist name "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood".[9] The program is targeted at preschool-aged children; it teaches emotional intelligence, kindness, and human respect. Its content follows a curriculum based on Fred Rogers' teaching and new research into child development.[10]
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood characters include Daniel, his little sister Margaret and their parents Mr. and Mrs. Tiger. Teacher Harriet is his kindergarten teacher and his classmates are Miss Elaina, Jodi Platypus, O the Owl, Katerina, and Prince Wednesday. They ride Trolley, a semi-sentient trolley like the one seen in the original Mister Rogers.
The series is produced by Pittsburgh-based Fred Rogers Productions (formerly The Fred Rogers Company and Family Communications),[3] New York City-based Out of the Blue Enterprises (now 9 Story USA) and Toronto-based 9 Story Media Group, and animated with Adobe Animate (formerly Adobe Flash Professional) with music created at Voodoo Highway Music & Post.[21][22]
In 2006, three years after Fred Rogers' death and after the end of production of Blue's Clues, The Fred Rogers Company contacted Angela Santomero to ask what type of show she would create to promote Rogers' legacy. That conversation led to the creation of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood.[23] PBS initially ordered 40 episodes, which were broadcast between September 3, 2012 and February 21, 2014.[24] PBS Kids renewed the series for a second season of 20 episodes, which premiered on August 18, 2014.[18] On July 7, 2015, the series was renewed for a third season of 25 episodes, which premiered on September 5, 2016.[25] On October 11, 2017, the series was renewed for a fourth season of 20 episodes and a one-hour special Won't You Be Our Neighbor, which premiered on July 11, 2018. Cartoon Network UK's sister pre-school channel Cartoonito premiered Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood on March 1, 2016.[26] The series had previously been available for streaming on Netflix before July 1, 2016, when a multi-year agreement for the catalog of many of PBS' children's series with Amazon Prime Video went into effect.[27] A smaller selection of current episodes is also available through the PBS Kids app on several digital media player and tablet/smartphone platforms. It also now airs on international CBeebies channels around the world. Indonesian kids TV Cable Channel's Next Hungama premiered the show on April 1, 2023.[citation needed]
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood has won and been nominated for several awards in children's broadcasting. It won Silver Parents' Choice Awards in 2013 and 2014, was nominated for the Television Critics' Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming in 2013 and 2014 and was a 2014 Prix Jeunesse International Selection.[18][28][29][30] In 2019, it won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Pre-School Children's Animated Program.[31]
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