No Mr. Rogers

What if Fred Rogers never became a television personality? Would public television still exist today? Would Sesame Street have gained the popularity it did following Mr Rogers Neighborhood? How would this fundamentally change our society?

That's hard to say. I would think that Sesame Street would lose a good amount of the attention it had in OTL as a result though, as would a lot of PBS.

This is the first I've heard of him so I doubt he would have much effect not existing.

I think without him both public television and Sesame Street would be in a much more difficult situation than they are now as he brought many viewers to those stations he was on. You could also see some smaller effects on people's personalities as he had a large influence on many children's attitudes over the course of i believe 30+ years.

Hmmm...how could we get rid of Mr. Rogers? I think he was an ordained Presbyterian minister...perhaps he becomes a clergyman full-time.

We could have him reappear in some kind of Presbyterian dispute if we wanted to do a TL where public TV isn't as big (assuming Mr. Rogers's TV show means smaller PBS).

Ok so there is no Mr. Rogers.

Pennsylvania Presbyterian Church Member Fred Rogers was about to go on tv and begin his Mr. Rogers's Neighborhood TV Show. As he got closer to the date Fred had a change of heart and chose to go away from tv and full on into the Presbyterian Church and became Ordained Reverend Fred Rogers.

PBS eventually picked up Sesame Street from NBC but had a hard time selling it to children since one of the stars who played Gordon was a former Blaxploitation Film Actor who played a Pimp.

How could they sell this kid and family friendly show with an actor who could easily be recognized as a former Big Screen Movie Pimp ? One of the young urban professional interns at PBS said at a executive board meeting "I personally believe that Sesame Street can mix both Public School Style Education with Pure Intelligent Gritty Street Smarts so that everyone can learn to be both very smart and extremely safe in life."

Sesame Street quickly becomes a monster of an institution on TV among Young Children, Teens and Adults equally and the ratings are beyond staggeringly high as PBS is the now most watched channel world wide.

PBS signs Sesame Street to a life contract which means Sesame Street will remain on the air indefinitely. When The Electric Company came on the air it was like Sesame Street for a more Hip Teen and Adult Crowd. And following in the same formula as Sesame Street with Public Education meets Gritty Street Smarts The Electric Company would go on to equally rival Sesame Street and both shows ruled the roost for Daytime Public TV.

Electric Company would go on to make megastars of both Rita Moreno and Morgan Freeman. Freeman's baritone voice is considered like a warm glass of Cocoa.

Well you've just butterflied away Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood - one of Eddie Murphy's funnier skits on Saturday Night Live.

This may have a huge impact on being able to record television shows legally. Read the Betamax case. Without Mr. Roger's going into television, I doubt he'll have given his testimony in defense of being able to record television programs. The Supreme Court did take his words into account on some extent in OTL. The practice of VCR might be dramatically altered. Or....nothing much changes and that historical footnote is removed.