Mister Rogers ' Neighborhood (sometimes shortened to Misterogers or simply Mister Rogers) is an American half - hour children 's television series that was created and hosted by namesake Fred Rogers. The series originated in 1963 as Mister Rogers on CBC Television, and was later re-branded in 1966 as Mister Rogers ' Neighborhood on the regional Eastern Educational Network (EEN, a forerunner of today 's American Public Television), followed by its U.S. network debut on February 19, 1968, and it aired on NET and its successor, PBS, until August 31, 2001. The series is aimed primarily at preschool ages 2 to 5, but has been stated by PBS as "appropriate for all ages ''. Mister Rogers ' Neighborhood was produced by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, public broadcaster WQED and Rogers ' non-profit production company Family Communications, Inc.; previously known as Small World Enterprises prior to 1971, the company was renamed The Fred Rogers Company after Rogers 's death. In May 1997, the series surpassed Captain Kangaroo as the longest - running children 's television series, a record the series held until July 2002, when Sesame Street beat Mister Rogers ' record.
when did mr. rogers go off the air
August 31, 2001