Mister Rogers’ neighborhood is expanding.
In rare welcome news of sprawl, PBS Kids is releasing a new puppet-led series called “Donkey Hodie,” inspired from characters in the original Fred Rogers TV show.
“Every part of it seems to be infused with joy and heart and humor,” says Adam Rudman, who co-created and co-produced the show with his brother, David. “And I think that’s something that Fred Rogers would appreciate.”
The whimsical series for children ages 3-5 starts airing Monday and centers on the adventures of Donkey Hodie, an enthusiastic yellow donkey with a bright magenta mane. She’s the granddaughter of the donkey puppet Rogers created back when TV shows were in black and white.
NEW YORK (AP) Mister Rogers’ neighborhood is expanding.
In rare welcome news of sprawl, PBS Kids is releasing a new puppet-led series called “Donkey Hodie,” inspired from characters in the original Fred Rogers TV show.
“Every part of it seems to be infused with joy and heart and humor,” says Adam Rudman, who co-created and co-produced the show with his brother, David. “And I think that’s something that Fred Rogers would appreciate.”
The whimsical series for children ages 3-5 starts airing Monday and centers on the adventures of Donkey Hodie, an enthusiastic yellow donkey with a bright magenta mane. She’s the granddaughter of the donkey puppet Rogers created back when TV shows were in black and white.
Puppeteering during a pandemic takes practice â and patience.
Just ask the folks behind âDonkey Hodie,â a new PBS series based on a Fred Rogers character.
âThe challenge is the audio,â says David Rudman, one of the showâs producers and the man behind Bob Dog. âSome masks work for me and I donât sound too muffled.â Others might not click for other puppeteers. âWe have been doing a lot of looping on the show because some of the audio is unusable.â
Rudman tried a heavier mask â often called a âsingerâs maskâ â and he almost lost consciousness. âBob Dog is very energetic,â he explains. âHe pants a lot and thereâs a lot of running around. I had to run out of the studio, take the mask off and get some air into my system. That mask didnât work for me.â
CHICAGO – On the soundstage of WTTW is a portal to Someplace Else, which is home to a number of characters the older generation may remember, but the younger generation