TV REVIEW : Affectionate Portrait of Mr. Rogers

He’s the star of one of PBS’ most respected shows. He has bemused Johnny Carson and has been memorably satirized by Eddie Murphy on “Saturday Night Live.” He has gained the respect of parents and educators and the trust of millions of children.

He’s Fred Rogers, the soft-spoken, gentle good neighbor on the 22-year-old “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood,” the longest-running children’s show on PBS, and he’s the subject of an affectionate, unexpectedly moving documentary, tonight at 8 on KCET Channel 28.

Through vintage film and tape, and comments from colleagues and educators, the hour traces Rogers’ background from his Pennsylvania childhood to his graduation from Rollins College with a music degree, his marriage and fatherhood, his ordination as a Presbyterian minister, his graduate work in child development and his evolution from off-camera puppeteer and gofer to on-camera star.

He describes himself as “an emotional archeologist,” helping children to understand their emotions and feel safe expressing them. He and his puppets in the land of Make Believe--King Friday, Lady Elaine, Daniel, X the Owl--have dealt simply and honestly with issues as complex as death and divorce and as basic as why you won’t go down the drain with the bathwater.

Rogers’ warm, respectful reception by a group of Yale students who remember him as part of their childhood vividly illustrates the impact of his appeal: He represents caring, trust and dignity, qualities that are at a premium in a world of hype and the big sell.