PITTSBURGH -- After more than 45 years in children's television, Fred Rogers' star shines brighter than ever.

The man was full of surprises.

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• Known as one of the softest-spoken people on television, Rogers' voice nonetheless resounded over radio and television when he spoke to parents' and children's concerns about war in the Persian Gulf.
• To many, he seems a most ordinary sort of man, but he took the extraordinary step of appearing on Russia's longest-running children's television program ... and later welcoming that program's host into the Neighborhood.
• His message is one of respect for fellow humans, but caustic comics Jay Leno, Johnny Carson and Joan Rivers have all invited him to appear with them on "The Tonight Show."
• His personal style is traditional, even conservative, but The Village Voice cited him as the only valid father figure on television.
• In his television series a measured minute passes in silence, but in today's fast-paced world, the series ratings still place it among children's favorites on PBS.

As Lady Elaine Fairchilde might say, "Something's up, Toots!" Lady Elaine (in case you're wondering) is the lovable mischief-making puppet character in "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," Rogers' series for children that was often as surprising as the man who created it and hosted it.

It was there, in the "Neighborhood" that:

• Astronaut Al Worden told children how space travelers "go potty" in rocket ships.
• The Wicked Witch of the West and the Incredible Hulk were introduced as caring human beings underneath their scary makeup.
• Children have heard -- many of them for the first time -- open and direct talk about divorce, conflict, adoption and death.

"Is Mister Rogers warm and wonderful -- or just plain dippy?" the Philadelphia Inquirer once asked in a brassy headline.

"I'm a composer and piano player," answered Rogers thoughtfully, as though not quite sure where to begin, "a writer and television producer... almost by accident a performer... a husband, father and grandfather. And I'm a minister. You know, most of us are many things, and I remember the marvelous feeling I had when I realized that many parts of who I am could be brought together in work for children and their families. That's what I am the most: a man who cares deeply about children."

Many adults who happen to catch a "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" program are downright perplexed as to why anyone, children included, would want to watch the series. Where's the ZAP!, the POW!? What's this character up to, anyway? Thirty-five years of this kind of thing? How come?

"It's true that I started in children's television more than 45 years ago," explained Rogers. "Not with 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood,' but in a direction that led me there. That direction was the creation of television programming that spoke, with respect, to the concerns of early childhood -- not as many adults see it but as children feel it. It took me l2 years and the support of some remarkable people who helped me understand children's feelings... and helped get me back in touch with the feelings I'd had as a child.

"I know firsthand how hard those feelings are to reawaken, to recapture, and that's why adults sometimes miss the point of what we're doing. They may find it strange that I'd write a song called 'You Can Never Go Down the Drain.' But the adults who laugh about that song now may once have been 2-year-olds who were terrified to take a bath.

"There's something else: I'm not a character on 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.' I don't think of my time away from the studio as my 'real' life. What I do in the studio is part of my real life, and the person on camera is the real me. I think children appreciate having a real person talk with them about feelings that are real to them. Why have two generations of children watched our programs? I'd say that's why."

The significance of Rogers' work has not eluded all adults, however. For example, on the serious side:

• For a major anniversary salute in the mid-'70s to Rogers, distinguished academicians from across the country convened at a symposium on creativity and childhood. Keynote speaker: the "dean" of American psychologists, Erik Erikson.
• At last count, more than 35 colleges and universities have awarded honorary degrees to Rogers.
• He received virtually every major award in children's television, and dozens of others from special-interest groups in education, communications, and early childhood. Besides two George Foster Peabody Awards, Emmys, "Lifetime Achievement" Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and the TV Critics Association, Rogers was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.
• Numerous national publications, ranging from Reader's Digest and People to the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, from Esquire to LIFE magazine have featured Rogers and his "Neighborhood."
• In addition to his appearances on "The Tonight Show," Rogers has been a guest on many other programs including: "Nightline," "The David Letterman Show," "Good Morning, America," "Today," "CNN & Time," "Larry King Live," and "Entertainment Tonight."

And, on the flip side, Rogers has:

• Been spoofed by the likes of Johnny Carson, Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams, Dan Aykroyd, "Second City TV" and "The National Lampoon"
• Had clips and songs from "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," turn up for in the movies "Poltergeist," "Paternity," "Casper," "Being There," "Short Circuit II," "The Burbs" -- and on the television programs "Friends," "Now and Again," "Mad About You" and "ER"
• Provided humorous references for political cartoons and daily comic strips

Despite all this hullabaloo, visitors found Rogers to be a man of reticence who was more inclined to listen than to talk. He did not feel at home in the spotlight, though he was unfailingly friendly when stopped on the street or in airports, or asked for autographs in restaurants or stores.

"It's not always easy to be well-known," Rogers admitted. "I am, by nature, a private person, and I think my family deserves privacy, too. But," he added with an ingenuous smile, "I feel fortunate to be going through life with this face."

Star? Rogers disliked the term. A better one, perhaps, was coined by a poetic admirer who called him "a bright light in childhood's sky."

At the urging of parents and colleagues alike, Rogers was making increasing use of other media besides broadcast television in his efforts to reach children and their families. For instance, recent projects from Family Communications Inc., Rogers' production company, include:

• Videos about tolerance for early elementary students and their teachers
• An activity book for children who are grieving
• A series of illustrated, easy-to-read parenting pamphlets, in English and Spanish
• A children's Web site at PBS.org and a second generation corporate Web site
• A book and video for children who have a mentally ill parent; and another book/video set for children in women's shelters
• Training materials for adults working with young children on the subjects of anger management, basic health care and witnessing violence in their communities
• Two series of children's photo books -- one series dealing with first experiences that children often face and sometimes fear, and a second series helping families talk about sensitive topics
• Adult books on parenting, letters from children and adults to their television neighbor, and a compilation of quotations from Fred Rogers
• A source book of activities to accompany "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" programs, currently used in homes and child-care centers around the country.

Those familiar with Rogers' work, who have watched his rise to national prominence and influence reach an all-time high, often wondered where he would go next.

Said Rogers, "When people ask me 'What's next?' I tell them, 'This is next -- just what I'm doing.' That doesn't mean standing still. No one can stand still, any more than a child can stop growing. Adults keep on growing, too. As for myself, I have no plans to slow down. I'm going to keep right on trying to help children grow within their families, and trying as well to help parents in those families stay in touch with the children they once were."

Source: Family Communications Inc.