Daniel Tiger lives in a clock, a timeless clock without hands. His gentle vulnerability makes him a favorite of many. He is shy, yet he is able to talk openly about his feelings and concerns when his caring friends give him loving support and help him feel more confident.
Daniel shares a special relationship with Lady Aberlin, and they often greet each other by rubbing noses and saying “ugga mugga.” He is also a kind friend to his schoolmates, Ana Platypus and Prince Tuesday. They learn with each other and from each other.
Daniel shared a special relationship with Mister Rogers as well. Through Daniel, Fred was able to show his own inner feelings and use them as teaching moments. As Joanne Rogers said, “He did all the voices. But Daniel was the real Fred.”
Fred’s puppeteering made Daniel almost human. Alone at his clock or together with his friends, Daniel was able to express his concerns about being loving and lovable.
In his tender voice he confided, “Sometimes I wonder if I’m a mistake…maybe I’m too tame. I’m not like anyone else I know.“ In those conversations we hear Fred Rogers’ message “Whatever is mentionable can be more manageable.” If we can talk about our feelings and concerns with a caring listener, we can find ways to make those difficult situations more manageable – an important message for all of us, young and old alike.
On April 5, 1954, Daniel Tiger appeared for the first time on the first episode of “The Children’s Corner.” Originally, a bird was supposed to come out of the cuckoo clock that was drawn on the set wall. At the program’s launch party the night before, WQED Station Manager Dorothy Daniel presented Fred Rogers with a tiger puppet as a gift. He decided to use the tiger puppet instead of the bird, and named the puppet Daniel after the person who gave him the gift. And so it was a tiger who emerged out of a cuckoo clock!
I don’t growl anymore. I’m tame…
I know right. I know wrong.
I say thank you and please.
I remember to cover my mouth when I sneeze.
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is an animated program based on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood that debuted on PBS in 2012. The star of the series is 4-year-old Daniel Tiger, son of the original program’s beloved puppet Daniel Striped Tiger. He invites young viewers into his world, giving them a child’s eye view of his life. The program also features other familiar Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood characters and places. Daniel talks directly to viewers, warmly drawing them in and making them feel like one of his neighbors. As they closely follow and share Daniel’s everyday adventures, preschoolers and their families learn fun and practical strategies and skills for growing and learning.