Mister Rogers & Wagner Bros LLC: It's Official

It's been well over a year since our lawyer (also our cousin), Bill, established Wagner Bros. LLC as an official, federally-sanctioned business. Heck, we have out own EIN (Employer Identification Number)!

Still, it took that long (plus some recent, business-oriented motivation) to make it truly official. On Saturday, I opened a Wagner Bros LLC checking account at Chase Manhattan Bank.

No single event has prompted more comments on my Facebook feed, which I consider a good thing.

I opened the account (finally) as Chris and I owe our annual LLC fee to the State of Delaware. Also, we owe a few bucks to a terrific documentary editor to-be-named-later.

Of course, "Mister Rogers & Me" has never been about making money. In fact, Chris and I have happily sunken thousands of dollars into the film over the course of the last four years. We view the project as vital, and now more than ever as PBS diminished "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" airings. So next week, we're going to announce some very big news.

Because we're going to finish this thing yet; I owe it to Mister Rogers.

Mister Rogers Foiled Again

The news in "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" has turned from bad to worse.

Last year, PBS told member stations that the program would not be included in daily syndication, but available for a la cart airings. Last week, PBS told member stations that "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" will only be available to air once weekly beginning in the fall.

"PBS is operating under very tight budget constraints and it already has a full program lineup to support Monday through Friday," said Kevin Morrison, chief operating officer for Rogers' Oakland-based Family Communications Inc. "If it was offering ‘Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' on a daily basis it would only be as an option to the existing full lineup of programs, and that option is an expensive option for them and the financial situation prevents them from making that an option."

Morrison said PBS remains supportive of the "Neighborhood," launching a revamped Web site for the show this week at the PBS Kids site.

"It's a demonstration of [PBS'] continuing commitment to keep 'Mister Rogers' on the Web," Morrison said this week. "They put a lot of time and effort into keeping that fresh and alive and it certainly looks good."

While the built out website is promising, it seems inevitable, then, that Mister Rogers will soon disappear from the broadcast landscape altogether. In this DVD and on-demand era, surely FCI has a plan in place to enable children of all ages to grow and learn under Fred's thoughtful tutelage.

Either way, Fred's disappearance from television leads me to believe that our little documentary is needed now more than ever. Luckily, we're making very slow but truly steady progress.

Stay tuned...

'Mister Rogers & Me' Update

Wondering where "Mister Rogers & Me" has gone in the last three four months?

Alas, my brief experiment with editing the film myself fizzled quickly. Christofer has since completed a paper cut of the film (that is, editing the video tape to match my script) which clocks in well over two hours. Currently, a friend and noted documentary editor (who asked not to be identified until we see his edit) is retooling the film to a more manageable length (goal: eighty minutes), and cinematic narrative structure. More on the in the next few weeks.

Menawhile, Iowa Public Television pal Wayne Bruns sent me the following tale of Michael Kinsell a young, apparently-admiring San Diego-based fan of Mister Rogers who endeavored to put on some sort of show touting himself as Fred's heir apparent.

PBS is accusing a San Diego teenager of “falsely claiming association” with the network and Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. He [was] selling tickets for a May 31 gala event where, according to a news release by his publicist, he [would] present himself as successor to the late Fred Rogers.

Michael Kinsell, who told Current he is 18, said he has produced six episodes of a new show, Michael’s Enchanted Neighborhood.

Kinsell described the benefit event, to be held at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, as a tribute to Rogers that will raise funds for “children’s public television” and, he hopes, for his own new show.

He said he invited members of Rogers’ family to receive a Children’s Hero Award in Rogers’ honor and said he will give $10,000 in mid-June to Family Communications Inc., Rogers’ production company in Pittsburgh.

In a complaint this month to the California Attorney General’s office obtained by Current, PBS says that Kinsell, with event publicity falsely associating himself with PBS and Rogers, could divert funds to his nonprofit from the network and Rogers’ company.

As I wrote to Wayne, the story (odd, right?) reminded me of author Tim Madigan's Barnes & Noble reading of "I'm Proud Of You." A young man was sobbing and speaking out in an almost-Tourette's manner through Tim's entire reading. He tried to address the young man kindly and patiently, but it still feltawkward and distracting.

"I worry that these sorts of oddities besmirch Fred," I wrote to Wayne. "And Chris and my well-intentioned little effort. But then I remember how well Fred handled every situation so naturally and know it'll turn out fine."

It will.

Mister Rogers' Newest Neighbors

Mister Rogers has inspired all kinds of wonderful people to do all kinds of wonderful thing.

You already know Brian Linder, whose "Save Mister Rogers" campaign gained national media attention and over six thousand members on Facebook. Brian and I continue to exchange emails, and plot bigger things for our collective affection for Mister Rogers and his values.

In the coming weeks and months, I'll endeavor to introduce you to a few other Neighborhood friends you may not have met, but who've reached through the Internets to say hello.

Tim Lybarger's "Neighborhood Archive" is an ever-growing, DIY resource for other Mister Rogers fans.

"I continued to hold a dear appreciation for Mister Rogers, the values he taught, and the legacy he has left," he explains. "I have a fairly respectable collection of Mister Rogers memorabilia, have recorded episodes from television broadcasts (I'm only missing five or six from 1980 and beyond), and I enjoy a hot cup of coffee every morning from my Mister Rogers' Neighborhood coffee mug."

I asked Tim if he had met Mister Rogers. He replied thusly:

Unfortunately, I don't have a picture of me and Mister Rogers to pass along. The closest I ever came to that was a letter to him at the time of the completion of my undergraduate degree thanking him for his positive contribution to my life. In reply, I received a very humbling letter from him thanking me for my contact and wishing me the best as I enter the world of education. One of my most prized possessions to say the least.

Responding to Tim's letter -- one of hundreds that week, no doubt -- is the essence of Mister Rogers. All of those small gestures aggregate into something larger: a legacy.

Mister Rogers, Avid & Me

Well, that didn't take long. Or did it?

Two weeks ago, my brother handed off a hard drive loaded with "Mister Rogers & Me" footage, and taught me Avid Editing 101.

After a fifteen-day period that included ten of travel (and one marathon), I sat down in front of the computer to get started.

You'll recall that I first met Mister Rogers in September, 2001. Principle photography for our little, DIY documentary began in June, 2006. We've been steadily chipping away ever since, including weekend shoots in Washington, DC, Durham, NC, Fredericksburgh, VA, Pittsburgh, PA, and Nantucket, MA.

We've interviewed Tim Russert, Susan Stamberg, Bo Lozoff, Amy Hollingsworth, Tim Madigan, Marc Brown, and Linda Ellerbee.

Last summer, we applied to Independent Film Week, but didn't make the cut. Chris found out he was going to be a father for the third time. I found out I was going to run MTV News.

So here we are, eight years later. I spent most of last night poking around Avid. It's like the most-complicated, 3D puzzle you can imagine. Worse, with my level of competence, it's like assembling that puzzle with my nose. At this rate, it'll be another eight years before anyone sees this sweet, little story..

So I just sent two emails: one to Save Mister Rogers founder Brian Linder, and Nerdcore Rising director Negin Farsad. Because I'm inches away from a) launching a fundraiser and b) hiring a professional to finishing this thing.

Stay tuned...

"Mister Rogers & Me" And, Um, Me!

As predicted, "Mister Rogers & Me" is now in my hands.

First, it was Christofer and me.

Then, we were hoping "Golden Days" director/editor, Chris Suchorsky, was going to bring "Mister Rogers & Me" home.

It fell apart right around Thanksgiving.

Since then, I've installed Avid software onto my (actually, Abbi's) laptop. And tonight Chris came over for Avid 101.

Given my schedule in the coming weeks (inauguration this weekend, Miami Marathon next weekend, Grammys and Oscars in February), the odds of hitting the Nantucket Film Festival deadline (March) is a way, ways, WAY long shot.

If I could learn ProTools and self-produce "The Invention of Everything Else," though, well...

Well, we'll see.

And by the way: In the photo of Chris and me at my living room table here, you'l lnotice a photo o fMister Rogers just over my head. You might say he's looking out for me or something.

Mrs. Rogers Calls For Secretary Of The Arts

Mrs. Rogers doesn't email me too often, When she does, I take notice.

The first time was in response to my inquiries about making "Mister Rogers & Me."

The second was a few summers ago in response to my inquiries as to whether she'd be in Nantucket over Labor Day.

The third was yesterday morning.

The email was a simple, forwarded email (the kind one gets from one's parents with all of the recipient's email addresses visible, and all of the forwarding information in the body) that read thusly:

If you are interested to join us, it takes only a few moments to add your signature to this petition to the President-Elect.

Hope springs eternal!

Joanne

* * *

What did Marni Nixon, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Jan Opalach, Marin Alsop, John Corigliano, David Amram, Branford Marsalis, James Moody, Harolyn Blackwell, Phil Woods, Tracey Moore, Jane Alexander and 10,000+ others sign?

The SECRETARY OF THE ARTS PETITION inspired by Quincy Jones.

This petition is the fastest way to demonstrate to Obama and Congress that the Arts in America matter, and they need to be supported during this financial crisis!

Apparently, Quincy suggested the new gig (beats "Arts Czar") on a November 15 interview on WNYC's "Soundcheck."

"My passion in life now, and one of the first conversations I'll have with President Obama," Jones said, "Is to beg for a Secretary of the Arts."

The Rogers passion is certainly the arts. In addition to being a television icon, Fred was a songwriter and pianist. Joanne is an accomplished concert pianist as well.

And it stands to reason, right? We have secretaries of agriculture, defense, labor, veteran's affairs. Heck, we have people looking after the "Office of National Drug Control Policy" and "Homeland Security." As a nation who's primary export is increasingly creative, intellectual property (Hollywood, Broadway, Silicon Valley), why not address the arts holistically?

The petition currently has 27664 signees. 27665 with my signature.

Hope does spring eternal. It must.

Blame The Bailout On Mister Rogers? Really?

Odd as it was for Christofer and I to find ourselves defending Mister Rogers legacy as we traveled around the Northeast shooting "Mister Rogers & Me" a few years ago, it's odder still how his values continue to be twisted and held accountable for all sorts of modern woes.

Some found his gentle spirit "creepy," and associated him with all sorts of unfounded, unsubstantiated malfeasance. Other had fallen prey to the rumors that he was a former Navy SEAL or Army sniper ("That's why he always wore long sleeves," more than one reasoned with us. "To hide his tattoos.").

A few months ago, you'll recall, the Wall Street Journal scapegoated Mister Rogers for a generation of "entitled" kids.

Well, Fox News is at it again, blaming Mister Rogers for the economic bailout.

My pal, Save Mister Rogers founder Brian Linder, has already crafted an articulate reply to the "Fair & Balanced" assertion:

The rampant greed and narcissism of the Me Generation may indeed be responsible for the current economic crisis, but to blame any part of it on Fred Rogers, even if it’s somewhat in jest, shows a gross misunderstanding of the expressions of care that this special man attempted to touch children’s lives with through his television work.

This piece seems to be a riff on a similarly misguided statement that an LSU finance professor made in a July 2007 Wall Street Journal piece, and I said the same thing then.

The idea of "Me first, I get what’s mine first" runs completely counter to every sentiment ever expressed on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

Rogers’ belief that every child and grownup should have a proper sense of self-worth, the awareness that every individual is unique and special, and the love of one’s neighbor, are the very antidote to the cultural problems of entitlement, elitism, and conceit that have brought us to this unfortunate place.

I hope you’ll find the following quote from Fred Rogers to show that if we had all listened more carefully to him, then we’d surely be better off today:

“When I say, ‘It’s you I like,' I’m talking about that part of you that knows that life is far more than anything you can ever see or hear or touch… and that deep part of you that allows you to stand for those things without which humankind cannot survive: love that conquers hate, peace that rises triumphant over war, and justice that proves more powerful than greed.” - Fred Rogers

Thanks, Brian. I couldn't have said better myself.

What's Going On With "Mister Rogers & Me"?

What's going on with Wagner Bros. Pictures, LLC's still-forthcoming documentary, "Mister Rogers & Me?"

I'm glad you asked. Or, I'm glad my pen pal Magnus did.

"When I inquired about the documentary a few months ago [you said] it was on hold," he writes. "I don't know what the progress is, or what's holding it up, but I just wanted to encourage you to keep at it. I know you are extremely busy with all your other endeavors, but this project is as important now as it ever was. Keep at it! You were chosen to remind people of the deep and simple."

Thanks, Magnus.

Yes, I am busy. My day job at MTV News continues to expand. And I'm releasing two records in the next three weeks: my own "Live At Rockwood Music Hall" tomorrow, and our second holiday benefit CD, "A Holiday Benefit, Vol. II," December 1.

So here's the deal.

It took us an inordinate amount of time to get the first thirty minutes together for our Independent Film Week application. We worked every night until three o'clock in the morning for about a month. Then we didn't get in, which knocked the wind out of our sails. Then summer swallowed me up: Movie Awards, Video Music Awards, etc.

After a period of deep discussion and soul searching, it became abundantly apparent to my brother, Christofer, and I that he didn't have the bandwidth to finish the edit. His day job requires him 10-18 hours of non-linear editing as is. Plus, he's a father of two with a third on the way.

So, "Golden Days" director Chris Suchorsky currently has a drive with all of our footage, and has agreed to edit the Tim Russert segment on spec. If that works out (which we should know by Thanksgiving at the latest), Wagner Bros. Pictures, LLC, will hire Chris to finish the film with us.

If not, I'm going to take over. I've learned enough ProTools to self-produce my own albums (see: "The Invention Of Everything Else"). I figure I can do this too. I just won't do anything else after work and on weekends until it's done. If I were a bettin' man, I'd say that's where we're headed. Which is fine with me, as no one is more committed to finishing "Mister Rogers & Me" than me.

Mister Rogers is everywhere in my life. Here in my office, there are three photos of him within eyeshot of my computer monitor, and one more on the shelf above my head. At home, he's on the fridge, and in the living room. Rare, then, is the day pass in which I don't pause, look at him, and smile.

So, Magnus, thanks for asking.

We will finish the film.

I promise.

The Fred Rogers Center, Brian Linder & Me

Just shy of a year ago, Chris and I drove through Latrobe, Pennsylvania, looking for a sign of Mister Rogers in his hometown. We couldn't find a statue or school, didn't know his childhood adress, and didn't think visiting his grave was in keeping with the film.

We drove to the highest spot we could find, looked out over the valley, spotted Saint Vincent College shining in the distance. There, just below the twin-steepled, red-brick basilica, we could scarcely discern a muddy patch of construction where the Fred Rogers Center For Early Learning & Children's Media sat half-built.

Truth is, we'd done little more than a drive-by less than an hour prior. At the time, while we had Mrs. Rogers' blessing, we still weren't sure whether we had his Family Comminications'. We didn't want to jeopardize it by setting up a tripod and camera outside the center, so we slowed down, shot out the window, and kept going.

Fast-forward a year, and the Fred Rogers Center has officially opened its doors.

The center's mission is to advance the state of early learning and children's media by acting as a catalyst for communication, collaboration and creative change across both fields.

Moreover, the center has a new director who appears to understand just how radically the media landscape has shifted in the five years since Mister Rogers passing.

"The distinction between a child being a user and consumer [of media] has been obliterated," said Maxwell King, who became director of the center last month. "We want to provide guidance and standards" for children, parents and educators.

In a stroke of synchronicity, "Save Mister Rogers" advocate Brian Linder called yesterday.

Seems Brian -- who's frustration with PBS' decision to cease daily delivery of the show to its affiliates inspired his movement -- is finding himself drawn to the storytelling around The Neighborhood too. Specifically, he's connecting with former cast members like Neighbor Aber (Chuck Aber), Lady Aberlin (Betty Aberlin), and Handy Man Negri (Joe Negri), all of whom have terrific stories to tell.

I told him that if I had unlimited resources and time, I'd quit The MTV today, and we'd go interview all of 'em together. Brian (who works for IGN, is married and the father of twin daughters) laughed and agreed; unfortunately, resources and time are limited.

Instead, we hatched a plan to meet at the Center -- with or without cameras -- sometime soon.

"It's written into the films' epilogue anyway," I told him. "I'll send you the script."

I hope we can pull it off.