Yet both shows shared a surprisingly similar mission: to make moral lessons accessible and appealing to young audiences.
Peter Engel took a very different path.
Then one day he saw a vision of Jesus on the beach.
Peter Engel and Mister RogersGetty Images
Born Jewish, he became a born-again Christian following his beach epiphany.
Despite their different journeys, both men ultimately dedicated themselves to creating television that would positively influence young viewers.
High,about American teens studying abroad.
I had been writing features for Disney, Universal, Orion and Columbia after my first screenplaySt.
Elmos Firehad been a surprise hit.
He was not the first to doubtBells longevity.
But after the first seven, Disney pulled out, believing the show already had explored all possible storylines.
The show and its various spinoffs ended up with almost 900 episodes.
Peter made everyone feel like they were part of theBellfamily.
All of this had its critics.
Do You Know What Your Kids Are Watching?
High School Morality Tales with Bare Midriff.
At Peters insistence, I called George, who shockingly did not reject the idea out of hand.
Worried about incurring Peters wrath if Clinton canceled, I said a taped message would be fine.
A few days later, Peter and I were collaborating on what Bill Clintons message would be.
It took until after his 2003 passing for the impact of Fred Rogers to be fully appreciated.
