Get ready to make your entrance into the Neighborhood of Make-Believe as Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood is back for a seventh season which premieres on Aug. 12 on PBS KIDS!
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood was created by Angela C. Santomero (Super Why!, Blue's Clues). The series is co-produced by Fred Rogers Productions and 9 Story Media Group and animated by 9 Story’s award-winning animation studio, Brown Bag Films. The series' first season premiered in Sep. 2012 to positive acclaim. For those of you who don't already know, the character Daniel Tiger is the son of Daniel Striped Tiger, Fred Rogers’ beloved puppet from Rogers’ Neighborhood, and elements of Daniel Tiger's home are based on the set of the classic show There's definitely a warm and cozy vibe that both kids and adults will appreciate.
In addition to Daniel, his little sister Margaret, and their parents, Mom and Dad Tiger, other characters seen include Jodi Platypus, O the Owl, Katerina Kittycat, and Prince Wednesday.. They ride Trolley, just like in the original Mister Rogers. The series features two 11-minute segments that are linked by a common theme and utilizes "strategy songs" that parents and caregivers can use with their own kids.
We spoke with Chris Loggins, a senior producer at Fred Rogers Productions, who gave insight into this season's featured potty strategy, a game that viewers can play, and if he relates to the main character, Daniel. Read on to find out more!
I’d like to talk to you about your involvement in Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. When did you start, and how has your role evolved over the course of now seven seasons?
CL: I am the supervising producer on the show currently. I’ve been with the show for 12 years. I joined before it premiered in 2012, which is hard to believe. We create the show for kids ages two to four. So, if you think about it, kids who were four when the show premiered are now teenagers. I started as a production manager at the time. This was the first show produced by Fred Rogers Productions since Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. I got to know some people in the organization who were working on this new program, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. I was fortunate enough to be brought on board to help with the day-to-day production for the company. Now, I work with a team of animators, musicians, writers, and actors to make the show, and it is definitely a team effort.
One of the themes in the new season, specifically in the premiere episode, is learning something new about someone. Can you walk me through the development of that episode?
CL: It ties in with our new approach for the season, where we spend more time with some of the other neighbors in the neighborhood, like Katerina Kittycat, Prince Wednesday, O the Owl, and Jodi Platypus. They all get their own stories. As we were developing this new approach, where Daniel remains the main character and star of the show—he’ll still have an A episode featuring him, as he has been the lead in all the stories—we started to think it would be nice to spend some time with our other friends. We know that children like all the characters, and as creators of the show, we wanted to explore more about them and their personal stories. We thought viewers would appreciate this, too. We wanted to be intentional about introducing this new storytelling approach, so we discussed leading off the season with a special where we learn something new about Trolley. This serves as a way to introduce the concept of learning something new about friends and neighbors, communication, and appreciating the skills of those in your neighborhood.
At the same time, this special allows other characters to step out and talk to the camera in a more prominent way. We also introduced the concept of imagination moments for all the characters, similar to how Daniel always has an imagination moment related to the story. In this special episode, we introduce this idea with O the Owl, who has an imagination moment unique to him, Jodi has her own, and so forth throughout the episode. I hope viewers will like it.
Yes, I’m sure they will. I also know there’s another episode focusing on a potty training strategy intended for parents and caregivers to use with their young ones. I’m really interested to learn more about that, especially with the new songs. Could you share more about how that episode came together?
CL: We know that the Potty Stories are some of the most popular episodes of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. One of my favorite parts of this job is hearing from viewers about how they use the show in their families and households. We’ve heard a lot over the years from viewers saying that the series has helped them potty train their children, which can be quite challenging. If we can assist with that, it’s a great thing. We decided to do another episode about potty training, but this one specifically addresses using the bathroom when you’re away from a familiar potty, like the one in your home. We’ve heard that families and children can struggle with understanding that there are bathrooms outside the home and that it’s okay to use them, including public bathrooms. The strategy in this episode involves using a different bathroom when you need to go in a new place. In the story, Jodi is at a neighborhood concert and uses a porta-potty, which can be different and intimidating if you’re not used to it.
CL: We thought this would be an opportunity to address that unique situation.
That’s definitely important. It’s great that the show addresses this. Growing up, I didn’t see many shows that talked about using the bathroom, especially now. It’s crucial for the upcoming generation.
CL: I’d like to add that we also have a game related to this episode featuring the porta-potty and different bathrooms. In another episode, Daniel uses the bathroom at a train station while waiting for his friend Juan Carlos. This will give parents, caregivers, and children a chance to play together and discuss using the bathroom outside of the home. One of the guiding quotes from Fred Rogers that we consider is, ‘I like to be told.’ In Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, we interpret this as, ‘When we do something new, let’s talk about what we will do.’ We hope that this game and the potty stories will help parents, caregivers, and children talk about and understand the differences and similarities in public bathrooms, like hand dryers, which might not be present at home.
I love hearing about that companion piece to the show, and kids definitely enjoy games. It’s great to hear about it. Since you’ve been with the show for a long time, essentially from the beginning, do you find that you relate to any of the characters? Do you see yourself as Daniel, or do any of the other characters interest you?
CL: That’s a really good question, especially with the new approach this season. I love all the characters dearly. Daniel holds a special place in my heart because he represents the four-year-old viewers and is based on Daniel Tiger from the original series, a puppet that was very special to Fred Rogers. While I love Daniel, I also have a fondness for all the characters. If I had to choose, I’d say I relate to O the Owl. He’s very analytical, loves to read, takes his time, and thinks things through—traits I feel I share with him.
Yes, that’s great. I love hearing that. Another aspect of the show is the music. Could you describe your involvement in the process of getting the music into the series and how it fits into your role?
CL: I work with the writers at the beginning to decide on what we call the strategy song. This is the catchy, repeatable song featured throughout the episode. You’d be surprised at the time and effort that goes into perfecting each one, including details like punctuation. We want to ensure that it delivers on the show’s goals, is easily understandable by children, and is effective and usable. After writing the song, we work with a talented team of musicians at an organization called Voodoo Highway, who turn it into a song with that catchy, memorable quality. Their work is crucial in making the song effective. Each episode also includes an imagination song, where Daniel and others pretend, and a longer strategy song at the end that recaps the day’s strategy. Voodoo Highway takes our cues and turns them into actual songs.