I emailed Jesse Thorn about “Mister Rogers & Me” at 4:39 pm New Year’s Day, mere seconds after a rogue synapse reminded me that Jesse — whose Public Radio International show, “The Sound Of Young America” (now, “Bullseye With Jesse Thorn”) I’d been listening to for years — absolutely loved Mister Rogers.

“That sounds very cool,” he wrote back just three minutes later. “I am indeed a big fan of Mister Rogers, and have cried more than once at Davy [Rothbart's "This American Life"] story about him. Why don’t you send a screener and we’ll figure out a time for you to come in?”

And so it was that my brother (and co-director, DP, editor, and all around best friend) Christofer and I found ourselves climbing the steps to Jesse’s house (where he tapes “Bullseye” with producer Juia Smith and engineer Nick White) less than an hour after landing ay LAX. The air was cool and sweet. The sun was bright through the trees. Everything felt cinematic.

Julia (who’d generously dealt with my frequent, enthusiastic but constantly re-scheduling emails) gingerly asked us to keep it down; Jesse’s newborn was just settling down for an afternoon nap. I felt right at home.

Jesse’s living room was quietly buzzing with sun-drenched, entrepreneurial spirit. We tiptoed past the nice fellow typing away in the living room, climbed a flight of stairs to Jesse’s studio — a Mac with a few microphones, really — and settled in. Before I knew it, we were rolling, and I was talking with the same thoughtful, smart, articulate guy I’d been listening to for years.

JT: I don’t often invite someone onto the show when I haven’t seen the thing we’re going to talk about, but when Ben Wagner sent me an email saying ‘I’m working on this documentary film about being neighbors with Mister Rogers and living a life of Mister Rogers and the life of Mister Rogers oh also I’m an executive at MTV News,’ I knew It was something I wanted to talk about on my show.

And when I saw his sweet, gentle and incredibly-touching movie, “Mister Rogers & Me,” I have to say I cried about half a dozen times because to be frank there have been few more powerful broadcasters in my life than Mister Rogers and honestly, few more powerful people.

So, I’m just going to start in the plainest place which is I cannot imagine what it would be like to meet Mister Rogers in real life. Like, I just can’t wrap my head around that. He’s such a powerful abstract figure that if he became concrete before me I think I’d just die.

BW: Which yunno come to think of it might be why we spent part of the reason that we spent last ten years doing this because it was significant. But in a way you can imagine it because he was in-person — the experience I had with him — was not profoundly different than the experience we all had with him as children, or as parents watching with our children.

He was attentive. He was curious. He was engaged. He was warm. He was full of light, yunno? I mean, just coming out of his ears. And that was my experience as a kid as well. That you just felt safe, and happy, and informed.

Jesse was moved throughout the conversation, pausing occasionally to clear his throat. And he came prepared, rolling some terrific clips including Mister Rogers’ 1969 Senate hearing. We spoke in hushed, reverential tones for about an hour, then tip-toed downstairs where Jesse tucked a white handkerchief in my suit pocket, handed us each a Bullseye t-shirt, snapped a photo and sent us on our way.

I was jet lagged and frazzled, spun-round by a whirlwind, two-week press tour. Our time with Jesse, Julia and Nick, though, was an oasis of calm. They run a cool clubhouse whose motto is “Be good.” They’re kind souls, and kindred spirits. We were honored and grateful to be there. Do have a listen…

“Bullseye With Jesse Thorn” airs on NPR stations around the country, or download the broadcast version, or extended interview from Maximum Fun.

Filmmaker Benjamin Wagner first met “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” creator and star, Fred Rogers, at the television icon’s summer home on Nantucket, Massachusetts. His mother rented the cottage next door, so Mister Rogers really was his neighbor. Years after his death, Wagner and his brother, Christofer, set out to trace the impact of Rogers’ values through interviews with Tim Russet, Susan Stamberg, Marc Brown, and more.

Critics are unanimous in their praise.

“A gem of a film. Nostalgic and relevant. A revealing personal journey that asks important questions about our human connections.” – Huffington Post

“Rich with the same quiet profundity found in Mister Rogers’ show.” – LA Weekly

“A charming love letter to the beloved TV icon.” – NextMovie

“A lovely film, strong and simple and deep, and I have a feeling it would greatly please its subject. I cannot recommend it highly enough. – Hitfix

“A heartfelt reminder of what made Fred Rogers so special, and a much-needed refresher course for grown-ups on the values he impressed on us all as children.” – Parade Magazine

“A firm reassurance to generations of viewers of how truly fantastic “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” was and why his legacy endures via books and DVDs” – Salon

“A communion for those whose lives were deeply impacted by “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and its enduring message: “I like you just the way you are.” The film emphasizes with great success that the “deep and simple” message is more important now than it ever has been.” -IndieWire

“Mister Rogers and Me is a wonderful documentary about a man who lived an exemplary life, and touched literally millions of lives in a positive way. It is never wrong to hear the words “You are special,” and that is the message Fred Rogers wished to convey to everyone he came in contact with. This film captures that spirit in a remarkable way.” – Blog Critics

“Inspirational! I love this film! It’s a must see for any of us that grew up with Mister Rogers Neighborhood.” – SaraBeth3

“This is a unique, loving and special film.” – T_Mart

“This documentary is very touching on many levels and shows that true kindness and friendship (without stipulations) is unfortunately rare but cherished. Please watch this documentary and remember that, ‘I like you just the way you are.’” – Bill Billson

“Mister Rogers & Me” was released on March 20th. The 70-minute documentary is available on PBS DVD and iTunes. Leave YOUR reviews and remembrances in the comments below, on iTunes, or Facebook today!

From the porter at Richmond International Airport who told us how Mister Rogers’ voice was the only tranquil thing in his turbulent, childhood home, to the Chicago Reader reporter who met Mister Rogers crossing a bridge, to the Washington Post reporter who’s father worked with America’s Favorite Neighbor, everyone has a story of inspiration and impact.

I’ve solicited a few as I’ve gotten to know folks via comments, email and Facebook in the last few months. These are just a few. What’s your “Mister Rogers & Me” story? Share it in the comments, email me, or post on our Facebook page.

I went through a time in my life when I was dealing with a situation that wasn’t mentionable to me. I never shared it with my family with whom I am close or with any friends. It had a very negative impact on me over several years. It was much later when I was reading one of Mr. Rogers books that I came across his teaching about mentionable and manageable. And isn’t that just about being connected with one another – about being honest from our hearts about who we are. I never had the honor of meeting Mr. Rogers, but I am so thankful for the kindness that he shared with all of us. For me now, I try to keep things mentionable and so –manageable. – Theresa

I will never ever forget meeting Fred Rogers. I was producing talk radio in Philadelphia and we had scheduled him to come in-studio to promote a book he had written. During a newsbreak, I had asked him to autograph a picture for my two kids. He asked their names and personalized the pics – but he added to the pics “through the courtesy of your father,” telling me that it’s very important that that remember where these pictures came from, from YOU, their father. I have never forgotten that, and he was right., My kids (grown-up now) look at those pics and that is the most memorable thing about them – “through the courtesy of your father”. I have never met someone so genuine in my life, and the world is a little bit less bright without him, even all these years later. – John

My “Mister Rogers and Me” story sort of begins when a close friend who has rented a room from us, and lived with us for over 25 years had video tape of all of the episodes of “The Simpsons”, the longest running show on Fox. So I decided to choose to make video tapes of “Mister Rogers Neighborhood” – the longest running show on PBS. I did not realize how much my life would be changed for the better in my attitude toward my work and how I do it, and in changes to my worldview. I have a college degree from one of our church’s colleges, Calvin College, in Grand Rapids, MI. I did a major in theology, and a minor in philosophy, and have been a missionary in my career, and have worked for the Feeding America Food Bank Network, and still do food donation work as a volunteer. Fred Rogers religious worldview and his personal religious life and thought behind what he was doing in his work with children and families on television has just captivated my life and thinking. I now wear “the cardigan and the tie”, and try to look at my world like Fred Rogers did. – James

My parents always told the story that, from age 2, I used to run the length of the trailer we lived in every time I heard the Neighborhood theme song and that, besides his show, I was completely disinterested in TV. I continued to be a loyal fan and defender even in high school when I was the only teenager to attend his Indianapolis Lollipop concert with the Indianapolis Symphony (in 1984, I think). I handed a security guard a bundle to pass along to Mr. Rogers. It contained a copy of The Little Prince (I had an amazing high school French teacher who introduced me to this book, which I fell in love with because it communicated the same messages that meant so much to me coming from Mr. Rogers’ shows all those years) and a letter. A very short time later, I got a lovely thank you card (a huge surprise at the time, but now that I’ve read so much about him, I’ve learned that writing thank you letters was a daily exercise for him) telling me that The Little Prince was one of his favorite books. I’ve since read that, over his desk, he kept a framed copy of the most famous quote from the book–”On ne voit bien qu’avec the coeur; l’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux” (You can only see clearly with the heart…What is essential is invisible to the eye.”) – Shelly

“Mister Rogers & Me” is available now on PBS DVD and iTunes.

For me, songwriting has always been a means of understanding that which Mister Rogers called “the essential invisible”: sadness, fear, uncertainty, love, hope and faith. In her book “The Simple Faith Of Mister Rogers,” Amy Hollingsworth tells us that Mister Rogers used to “cry through his fingertips” when playing piano as a child.

Little wonder, then, that the “Mister Rogers & Me” Soundtrack — available now on iTunes and benefiting Fred Rogers Center in Latrobe, Pennsylvania — is a personal, intimate affair. The fourteen-track compilation (thirteen on iTunes) comprised if songs by myself and dear friends Casey Shea, Peter Rothbart (aka The Poem Adept), Richard Sancho, and pianist Chris LoPresto, span singer/songwriter fair, solo piano instrumental, and full band. At tomorrow night’s NYC Premiere Party (Thursday, March 22 7-9pm) Chris LoPresto and I will be on-hand with bassist Tony Maceli, drummer Ryan Vaughn and guitarist Chris Abad to perform songs from the soundtrack, and celebrate the release of “Mister Rogers & Me” on DVD.

The complete “Mister Rogers & Me” Soundtrack:

Summer’s Gone (Acoustic) – Benjamin Wagner
Hollywood Arms – Benjamin Wagner
Dark Blue – Benjamin Wagner
Radio – Benjamin Wagner
Concrete – Richard Sanchoa
Descent – Chris LoPresto
Breathe In – Benjamin Wagner
Anecdotally – Chris LoPresto
Bear & Raccoon – The Poem Adept
Landed – Chris LoPresto
The Last Time – Benjamin Wagner
Won’t You Be – Chris LoPreso
Love Is Here To Stay – Casey Shea (Physical CD Only)
Summer’s Gone (Electric) – Benjamin Wagner

Here are the long-form liner notes to the “Mister Rogers & Me” Soundtrack explaining Mister Rogers’ influence on me as a songwriter:

If you’d told me when I first began writing songs that Mister Rogers would eventually be as significant an influence on my songwriting as my then-heroes, Michael Stipe and Bono, well, I’d have been inordinately dubious. Twenty-five years later, though, it is so. In fact, Mister Rogers may be my single, most-significant influence.

See, Mister Rogers summered in a modest, gray, shake-shingle house on Nantucket Island. My mother rented a tiny cottage next door. So Mister Rogers really was my neighbor.

I visited Mister Rogers’ “Crooked House” on the afternoon of my thirtieth birthday in 2001. We sat in his living room overlooking Madaket Bay. It was wood paneled, and strewn with photos and artwork: Lady Elaine, King Friday, and Trolley. I sat, mouth agape, and talked a while about New York — he has an apartment just one block from mine there — my job, my plans, and my dreams.

And then I sang “Summer’s Gone” for him: a plaintive, mid-tempo rocker permeated with loss. He clapped, and offered me lemonade, and it was awesome. And it could have been enough. But then he asked me if I’d like a tour of the house, and of course I said yes. There were tiny doors, narrow staircases, and surprise little rooms around each turn. It was a sparse, almost ascetic house. In one small room, there was a pair of blue Keds next to a cot where he said he snuck the occasional catnap!

But the most magical part of my tour occurred in his study, out back behind the garage. There was a desk, a computer, and a small piano, all with a view over the pale green grassy dunes to the blue sea. He asked me something no one ever asks. “Tell me about your father? Your mother doesn’t say much about him.” And so I told him about my parent’s divorce when I was ten, and how difficult it was, and felt like crying right there on the spot.

“That must have been very difficult for you, Benjamin.”

Then he rolled his chair over to the piano and began playing: first, the theme from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” and then “Happy Birthday” to me. Even now, ten years later, it seems like a dream.

Outside, we stood on the back porch in the Indian summer sun staring out at the water. He asked me about my job at MTV. I was al title bit embarrassed, a PBS mind in a jump-cut, MTV world. I told him how meaningful music had been to me, especially during the divorce. And that I wanted to do something meaningful with my life. Mister Rogers paused. “I feel so strongly,” he said, “That deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex.”

I thought about the phrase all year-long, and told him so the following summer. “Spread the message, Benjamin,” he said. “Spread the message.”

Years after Mister Rogers death in 2003, my brother, Christofer, and I set out to do just that. Over the course of five years, we interviewed some of Mister Rogers’ real friends and neighbors: authors Amy Hollingsworth, Davy Rothbart and Tim Madigan, journalists Tim Russert, Linda Ellerbee and Susan Stamberg, photographer Beverly Hall, and others. We immersed ourselves in his world, in his values, and discovered an immensely deep, simple and broad legacy of inspiration, elevation, and intention.

And little by little, Mister Rogers’ teachings — above all, the confidence to be myself — became the most-valuable tool in my songwriting kit. Over time, I cast off the pleather pants, the fingernail polish, the gold lame, and the distorted Marshall amp I’d hidden behind. “The greatest gift you can give,” Mister Rogers said, “Is your honest self.” I embraced my acoustic guitar, jeans and t-shirts, and allowed for sincerity, authenticity, and the simple (but time-tested) song structure of verse chorus verse chorus bridge verse chorus. Moreover, I stopped censoring myself. I stopped writing songs for someone else — The Credibility Police — and began writing what came naturally: songs about loss and hope, rain and sunshine. I let myself use the word, “Love.”

And so, when it came time to score my brother and my long-gestating, uber-indie documentary, the song choices were simple. Of course “Summer’s Gone” had to be there; it was there from the beginning. And “Breathe In,” a song directly inspired by Mister Rogers’ belief in silence. And “The Last Time,” the ultimate expression of an open heart written for my fiance — now my wife. In the time since we’d met, Mister Rogers — and the journey he inspired — had readied me for marriage, and fatherhood. And my music reflected that.

At nearly an hour and a half, though, our film called for more: other voices, other spaces. And so I looked for the helpers.

I turned to my colleague Rich Sancho for a distinctly urban sound. “Concrete” delivers a sense of forward motion — a distraction bordering on chaos — that was key to establishing New York City as an environment distinct from our beloved, tranquil Nantucket.

We met Davy Rothbart’s brother, Peter, in Pittsburgh. He gave us a copy of his band’s CD, The Poem Adept’s “The Sight Of Any Bird.” As we drove back to the city listening to “Bear & Raccoon” on repeat, we knew we had to include it in the film.

For key interstitial moments — spaces where we’d encourage the viewer to pause and reflect — I called on Chris LoPresto. In just a few gigs together, Chris had never failed ti dazzle me with his taste, sophistication, and soul. We send him a rough cut, and asked him to extemporize. He did so in spades, returning a dozen impressionist tracks including “Descent,” “Landed,” and “Won’t You Be.” Each is distinctly evocative, and moving.

Still, we were stumped for a finale. While an electric, full-band version of “Summer’s Gone” seemed somehow logical, it wasn’t the right tenor. We wanted uplift, resolution, closure. Something rousing. Something that would leave viewers feeling fulfilled, encouraged — like they were part of a movement.

And the it came on my headphones: Casey Shea’s “Love Is Here To Stay.” My dear friend’s song — one I’d performed with him more than once — had all the elements. The song opens with angelic voices, then builds to a rousing conclusion. “C’mon, c’mon,” Casey sings, “Gather ’round.”

In a few short weeks, “Mister Rogers & Me” will be released on PBS DVD, and broadcast on PBS Affiliates from Seattle to Boston. It’s been quite a journey from the back porch of The Crooked House to here. I was a young, single MTV News Producer by day, singer/songwriter by night when this began. I was uncertain, unconfident, and often melancholy. Today, I am not so young. I am married with a daughter and another due this summer. still at MTV News, now a Senior Vice President. I am less uncertain, more confident, and quite happy. I don’t write many songs anymore, and rarely perform. There’s a sweeter voice in my ears these days, my daughter’s. It’s enough melody for a lifetime.

- Benjamin Wagner February, 2012

See, Mister Rogers summered in a modest, gray, shake-shingled house on the edge of Nantucket. My mother rented a tiny cottage next door. So Mister Rogers really was my neighbor.

Somehow, one brief but powerful conversation with the television icon on the afternoon of my 30th birthday way back in 2001 inspired me to write, produce and co-direct (with my brother who shot and edited) a feature-length movie.

Today, we celebrate what would have been Mister Rogers’ 84th birthday with the release of that film, “Mister Rogers & Me.”

First, it screened in festivals from Nantucket to to Hot Springs and Sun Valley. Then at events from New York to Chicago and Los Angeles. Today, it’s officially not ours anymore. It’s everyone’s.

That’s exciting: Mister Rogers asked me to “Spread the message.” That pure-hearted imperative has driven this project forward for over ten years through every imaginable impediment.

But it’s also scary; people can by cynical, sarcastic and mean spirited. Our film is hopeful, sincere and joyful. I steel myself against the naysayers with something Mister Rogers told Amy Hollingsworth that she shared with me shortly after we met: “I’ve often hesitated in beginning a project because I’ve thought, ‘It’ll never turn out to be even remotely like the good idea I have as I start.’ I could just ‘feel’ how good it could be. But I decided that, for the present, I would create the best way I know how and accept the ambiguities.”

I was a 30-year-old, serial monogamist, aspring rock star when I met Mister Rogers. I had no idea what he meant when he told me, “I feel so strongly that deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex.”

Today, I am a 40-year-old media executive, husband and father. I now have dozens of deep and simple insights from some remarkable mentors and neighbors: Bo Lozoff, Tim Russert, Maureen Orth, Susan Stamberg, Linda Ellerbee, Marc Brown, Amy Hollingsworth, Tim Madigan, Davy Rothbart and the plethora of other off-camera conversations I’ve had on the subject.

Eleven years later, I am finally coming in for a landing. In a few minutes I will be home. It’s where I was headed all along, it’s what I wished for; I just didn’t know it.

Maggie will bound down the hall screaming, “Daddy!” She will throw her arms around my neck, giggle, and pat my back. And then she will grab my pointer finger, and lead me into her bedroom where we will build blocks, sing songs, and solve puzzles. I will relish every second.

Today, on Mister Rogers’ birthday, I am grateful for the gifts he gave me: above, the knowledge that “There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.” Every relationship matters. Every second is a choice.

The soundtrack to “Mister Rogers & Me” will be available at the event, and in iTunes. As with DVD sales, proceeds will benefit Fred Rogers Center’s efforts to advance the fields of early learning and children’s media by acting as a catalyst for communication, collaboration, and creative change.

The album is comprised if songs by Benjamin Wagner, Casey Shea, Peter Rothbart’s The Poem Adept, Richard Sancho, and pianist Chris LoPresto. Wagner and LoPresto will be on-hand with bassist Tony Maceli, drummer Ryan Vaughn and guitarist Chris Abad.

In September, 2001, American Television Icon Mister Rogers told MTV-producer Benjamin Wagner to “Spread the message” that “deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex.” On March 20, that message will be writ large.

The feature-length documentary, “Mister Rogers & Me,” will be released on PBS DVD and iTunes March 20, 2012, in honor of America’s Favorite Neighbor’s birthday. Copies of “Mister Rogers & Me” on DVD are available for pre-order now at ShopPBS.org. DVD Special features include a Paley Center For Media Q&A featuring Christofer and Benjamin Wagner; full-length interviews with Tim Russert and Susan Stamberg; and director’s commentary with the brothers.

Mister Rogers summered in a modest house on a quiet corner of Nantucket Island. MTV producer Benjamin Wagner’s mother rented the cottage next door. On the afternoon of their first meeting, “America’s Favorite Neighbor” asked the young journalist about his job. Wagner — a PBS mind in a jump-cut, sound-bit MTV world — expressed enthusiasm tempered with an iota of ambivalence. Mister Rogers said warmly, “I feel so strongly that deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex.” One year and many “deep and simple” conversations later, Rogers whispered, “Spread the message, Benjamin!”

After Rogers’ death in 2003, Wagner and his brother, Christofer, set out to learn more about the man himself and discover what he meant by “deep and simple.” As Benjamin and Christofer learned more about Mister Rogers, their travels led them to conversations with “Meet the Press” anchor (and Nantucket neighbor) Tim Russert; “Arthur” creator Marc Brown; NPR correspondent (and sometimes “Neighborhood” co-host) Susan Stamberg; “Neighborhood” puppeteer and Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood founder, Dr. Susan Linn; and many other neighbors and friends of Mister Rogers.

In the end, the brothers come to know more than just the man and his luminous legacy. Their personal journey unearths the roots of Mister Rogers’ values, unmasks the forces acting against depth and simplicity, and helps them to develop the means to lead deeper, simpler lives.

An abbreviated, 58-minute broadcast version of the film will air on 27 PBS affiliates ARKA (Arkansas), CONN (Connecticut), HAWA (Hawaii), IDAH (Idaho), KAET (Arizona), KBYU (Utah), KCTS (Washington), KENT (Kentucky), KERA (Texas), KRMA (Colorado), KWSU (Washington), MONT (Montana), NCAR (North Carolina), NDAK (North Dakota), NEWH (New Hampshire), SDAK (South Dakota), WCNY (New York), WCVE (Virginia), WFYI (Indiana), WGBH (Massachussetts), WKYU (Kentucky), WMVS (Wisconsin), WPSU (Pennsylvania, WPTD (Ohio), WQLN (Pennsylvania), WUSF (Florida) and WXXI (New York). Check local listings for airtimes.

The NYC Premiere Party marks the last in a series of “Mister Rogers & Me” events throughout March, including screenings at Washington, D.C.’s Newseum (featuring Maureen Orth, Susan Stamberg and Amy Hollingsworth) on March 18, The Los Angeles Paley Center (featuring Davy Rothbart and Tim Madigan) on March 19, and at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh on March 20.

The event is free, and celebrates the March 20 release of “Mister Rogers & Me” on PBS Home Video in honor of America’s Favorite Neighbor’s 84th birthday. Paley Center attendees are encouraged to wear cardigans.

Benjamin Wagner was a rising MTV producer when his life was transformed by a meeting with the recently retired host of the iconic Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Fred Rogers. This charming and philosophical documentary chronicles Wagner’s quest to understand Rogers’s mantra: “deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex.”

This gnomic message forces Wagner to reevaluate his life, journeying some 4,000 miles across country to meet people also touched by Rogers, including Tim Russert, Susan Stamberg, Linda Ellerbee, Rothbart and Madigan. A true independent labor of love, this quietly profound film is mostly financed and written, produced, directed, shot and edited by the Wagner brothers.

As Steve Rosenbaum wrote on the Huffington Post: “Mister Rogers & Me is a gem of a film. Nostalgic and relevant. A revealing personal journey that asks important questions about our human connections. And important questions about how media connect with our children today.”

The Wagner Brother wrote, produced, directed, shot and edited the 80-minute documentary. Production began in 2006. The film premiered at The Nantucket Film Festival in 2010, and garnered a Heartland Film Festival Crystal Heart Award later that year. A portion of DVD sales benefit The Fred Rogers Center in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

An abbreviated, 58-minute broadcast version of the film will air on 27 PBS affiliates ARKA (Arkansas), CONN (Connecticut), HAWA (Hawaii), IDAH (Idaho), KAET (Arizona), KBYU (Utah), KCTS (Washington), KENT (Kentucky), KERA (Texas), KRMA (Colorado), KWSU (Washington), MONT (Montana), NCAR (North Carolina), NDAK (North Dakota), NEWH (New Hampshire), SDAK (South Dakota), WCNY (New York), WCVE (Virginia), WFYI (Indiana), WGBH (Massachussetts), WKYU (Kentucky), WMVS (Wisconsin), WPSU (Pennsylvania, WPTD (Ohio), WQLN (Pennsylvania), WUSF (Florida) and WXXI (New York). Check local listings for airtimes.

The Wagner brothers will be hosting a series of special screenings of the film throughout March, including events at Newseum in Washngton, DC, on March 18th, and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh on “Mister Rogers Day” March 20.

A panel discussion featuring NPR Correspondent Susan Stamberg, “The Simple Faith Of Mister Rogers” Author Amy Hollingsworth, and Vanity Fair Correspondent Maureen Orth (was married to Tim Russert until his death in 2008) will follow the screening. The event is free with museum admission.

Benjamin first met Rogers, the creator of the long-running PBS series “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” at Rogers’ summer home on Nantucket in 2001. The meeting transformed the life of Wagner, who was then a producer for MTV News. Following Rogers’ death in 2003, Benjamin and Christofer set out to meet those who knew Rogers and were influenced by his life.

The documentary features interviews with Russert, Stamberg, popular children’s author Marc Brown, “Nick News” host Linda Ellerbee, Hollingsworth, I’m Proud Of You” Author Tim Madigan, and more.

“Mister Rogers & Me” is scheduled for release on PBS Home Video on March 20, 2012, in honor of Rogers’ 84th birthday.

An abbreviated, 58-minute broadcast version of the film will air on 27 PBS affiliates ARKA (Arkansas), CONN (Connecticut), HAWA (Hawaii), IDAH (Idaho), KAET (Arizona), KBYU (Utah), KCTS (Washington), KENT (Kentucky), KERA (Texas), KRMA (Colorado), KWSU (Washington), MONT (Montana), NCAR (North Carolina), NDAK (North Dakota), NEWH (New Hampshire), SDAK (South Dakota), WCNY (New York), WCVE (Virginia), WFYI (Indiana), WGBH (Massachussetts), WKYU (Kentucky), WMVS (Wisconsin), WPSU (Pennsylvania, WPTD (Ohio), WQLN (Pennsylvania), WUSF (Florida) and WXXI (New York). Check local listings for airtimes.

The Wagner brothers will be hosting a series of special screenings of the film throughout March, including events at The Los Angeles Paley Center (featuring Davy Rothbart and Tim Madigan) on March 19, and at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh on March 20.

The feature-length documentary, “Mister Rogers & Me,” will be released on PBS DVD and iTunes March 20, 2012, in honor of America’s Favorite Neighbor’s birthday. Copies of “Mister Rogers & Me” on DVD are available for pre-order now at ShopPBS.org. DVD Special features include a Paley Center For Media Q&A featuring Christofer and Benjamin Wagner; full-length interviews with Tim Russert and Susan Stamberg; and director’s commentary with the brothers.

Proceeds from DVD sales will benefit Fred Rogers Center’s efforts to advance the fields of early learning and children’s media by acting as a catalyst for communication, collaboration, and creative change.

Mister Rogers summered in a modest house on a quiet corner of Nantucket Island. MTV producer Benjamin Wagner’s mother rented the cottage next door. On the afternoon of their first meeting, “America’s Favorite Neighbor” asked the young journalist about his job. Wagner — a PBS mind in a jump-cut, sound-bit MTV world — expressed enthusiasm tempered with an iota of ambivalence. Mister Rogers said warmly, “I feel so strongly that deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex.” One year and many “deep and simple” conversations later, Rogers whispered, “Spread the message, Benjamin!”

After Rogers’ death in 2003, Wagner and his brother, Christofer, set out to learn more about the man himself and discover what he meant by “deep and simple.” As Benjamin and Christofer learned more about Mister Rogers, their travels led them to conversations with “Meet the Press” anchor (and Nantucket neighbor) Tim Russert; “Arthur” creator Marc Brown; NPR correspondent (and sometimes “Neighborhood” co-host) Susan Stamberg; “Neighborhood” puppeteer and Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood founder, Dr. Susan Linn; and many other neighbors and friends of Mister Rogers.

In the end, the brothers come to know more than just the man and his luminous legacy. Their personal journey unearths the roots of Mister Rogers’ values, unmasks the forces acting against depth and simplicity, and helps them to develop the means to lead deeper, simpler lives.

An abbreviated, 58-minute broadcast version of the film will air on 27 PBS affiliates ARKA (Arkansas), CONN (Connecticut), HAWA (Hawaii), IDAH (Idaho), KAET (Arizona), KBYU (Utah), KCTS (Washington), KENT (Kentucky), KERA (Texas), KRMA (Colorado), KWSU (Washington), MONT (Montana), NCAR (North Carolina), NDAK (North Dakota), NEWH (New Hampshire), SDAK (South Dakota), WCNY (New York), WCVE (Virginia), WFYI (Indiana), WGBH (Massachussetts), WKYU (Kentucky), WMVS (Wisconsin), WPSU (Pennsylvania, WPTD (Ohio), WQLN (Pennsylvania), WUSF (Florida) and WXXI (New York). Check local listings for airtimes.

The Wagner brothers will be hosting a series of special screenings of the film throughout March, including events at Washington, D.C.’s Newseum (featuring Maureen Orth, Susan Stamberg and Amy Hollingsworth) on March 18, The Los Angeles Paley Center (featuring Davy Rothbart and Tim Madigan) on March 19, and at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh on March 20.

A Q&A with the one-time residents will follow the screening. Both brothers attended nearby Tredyffrin-Easttown Middle and Conestoga Senior High Schools in the late-80s. Proceeds will benefit The Association for the Colonial Theatre.

“Mister Rogers & Me” is a moving, feature-length documentary in which The Wagner Bros seek to better understand Benjamin’s brief-but-impactful conversation with the television icon. It was a sunny, Indian Summer afternoon in 2001 when the recently-retired Rogers told the then MTV producer, “I feel so strongly that deep and simple is far more essential than shallow and complex.” Five years later, the brothers set out to make what would become “Mister Rogers & Me.”

As the brothers learn more about Mister Rogers “deep and simple” upbringing, values and process, their travels lead them to conversations with “Meet the Press” anchor (and Nantucket neighbor) Tim Russert; “Arthur” creator Marc Brown; NPR correspondent (and sometimes “Neighborhood” co-host) Susan Stamberg; “Neighborhood” puppeteer and Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood founder, Dr. Susan Linn; and many of Mister Rogers’ other real friends and neighbors.

“The film takes the narrative structure of a road trip, or Heroe’s Quest,” Wagner explains. “We were challenged to leave home and go out into the world to gain some knowledge, insight or vision, then return to share what we’ve learned. We couldn’t be more excited to return to The Main Line to share this movie with our friends and neighbors. It’s going to be a real homecoming.”

The events is the third in a series of events (including a forthcoming screening at The Nantucket Athenium on March 3) leading to the broadcast, DVD and on-demand release of “Mister Rogers & Me.” Complete details will be release in the coming days.

Opened in 1903, the Colonial Theater is the only theatre of its kind in Chester County. In its early days, the Colonial was home to live stage shows, vaudeville acts and musicals including appearances by Harry Houdini and Mary Pickford. It was featured in the 1958 science fiction classic, “The Blob,” starring Steve McQueen and filmed in and around Phoenixville. The Association for the Colonial Theatre’s mission is to restore the landmark Colonial Theatre and promote cultural, economic and civic life.