Mr. Rogers - The Untold Story

Fred Rogers, who passed away in 2003, may have been the warmest, kindest, most soft-spoken man to grace the small screen. He was a source of comfort and peace to generations of pre-Ritalin children and parents alike. But I can't help but thinking, as a Rogers-centric memoir hits the bookstands, that this may be the least interesting story ever told.

Where's the tale of the Fred Rogers who overcame a violent childhood on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, raised by a prostitute mother and a junkie father? The man who escaped a Brazilian prison by fashioning a hang-glider from the skin of wild dogs he killed with his bare hands? The hero who found himself abducted by aliens whose genetic experiments left him with the super-human strength he used to fight crime and play a brief stint in professional lacrosse?

Instead, we get this:

Madigan's book describes their friendship and how Rogers helped Madigan deal with marital despair, depression, the death of his brother, problems with his father and struggles with his writing career. Madigan's publisher may be hoping that the book will connect with the same audience that loved Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie and its celebration of male mentoring and friendship.

I think I'll just wait for the movie adaptation.

A proud 'Friendship with Fred Rogers' [usatoday.com]

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