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It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood for Mr. Rogers fans.
In an effort to raise funds for public broadcasting and support PBS, all 886 episodes of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood are being streamed on Twitch over the next 18 days.
The live stream started on May 15 at 3 p.m. EDT and will conclude June 3.
To check out a live stream of the marathon, watch the video below:
Watch live video from MisterRogers on www.twitch.tv
The show debuted on in the United States on February 19, 1968 and it aired on PBS until August 31, 2001. The series was aimed at educating children from ages 2 to 5, but PBS has called the show “appropriate for all ages.”
The show was hosted by Fred Rogers, who created the show because he wasn’t pleased with the way other TV programs addressed children’s education. Therefore, he tried to make an effort to change things by writing and performing for Pittsburgh-area TV shows gauged at youth.
Rogers received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2003 and won a Peabody Award. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame and he was ranked No. 35 on TV Guide‘s Fifty Greatest TV Stars of All Time.
Twitch Creative Director Bill Moorier said that he thought it was appropriate to stream all episodes of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood because of the positivity it promotes.
“We were drawn to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood because Fred Rogers was a positive voice in fostering inclusivity and diversity, and, like our streamers, he talked to the viewers as if they were in the room with him. While his show was geared toward children, his messages have universal appeal.
Shortly after his retirement, Rogers was diagnosed with stomach cancer. He underwent surgery January 6, 2003, but it was unsuccessful. He died at his home on February 27, 2003 at the age of 74. His funeral was held in Pittsburgh at Heinz Hall, and there were more than 2,700 people that attended the service.
