BACK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Children’s series ‘Donkey Hodie’ revisits world created by Fred Rogers
In 2018, David and Adam Rudman began work on their latest project, “Donkey Hodie.” Truth is, Fred Rogers came up with the original idea decades prior.
After three years of hard work — with plenty of starts and stops due to the pandemic — the PBS Kids series will premiere at 11:30 a.m. Monday, May 3, on New Mexico PBS. It will rebroadcast more than a dozen times through June 26.
The series is from Fred Rogers Productions, home of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” and Spiffy Pictures.
It is inspired by the funny, quirky side of beloved children’s TV pioneer Rogers, the imaginative puppet series for preschoolers follows the adventures of Donkey Hodie, a “can-do” little yellow donkey with a bright magenta mane — and the granddaughter of the original Donkey Hodie character from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”
The series will premiere with a one-hour special featuring four adorable stories — “Flying Flapjacks,” “Pickle Penguin Problem,” “A Big Favor for Grampy” and “A Fair Way to Bounce.”
The series is set in the colorful world of Someplace Else (which fans may also recognize from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” along with other such “Easter eggs” from the original show), where Donkey Hodie and her best pals, Purple Panda, Bob Dog, and Duck Duck, help empower young viewers to dream big and overcome obstacles, work hard and persevere, be resourceful and discover they can solve problems on their own — and laugh themselves silly all along the way. Each episode features catchy original tunes as well as re-imagined versions of Fred Rogers’ songs that reinforce the stories’ positive messages and fun adventures.
“We’re still evolving and keep discovering new things,” Adam Rudman says. “It’s been really fun. To see where we are a year later is exceptional.
We still have eight more months to get better.”
Ellen Doherty, executive producer and chief creative officer of Fred Rogers Productions, says her goal is to make sure that shows are designed for children but also meant for anyone.
“This series is really clear and strongly crafted,” Doherty says. “The stories will resonate with viewers of all ages. We took our inspiration from a character Fred created years ago, and it’s an homage to his way of teaching. The series is letting viewers know that nobody is perfect. As long as you push through and reach for your goals, it’s all worth it.”