The Announcer at the beginning of each program

[MrRogers143]

One way many people could tell Mister Rogers was beginning was the announcer at the beginning of each program who says "The people who give the money to make Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, are the people who contribute to this, and other Public Television Stations, and The Sears Roebuck Foundation." Who is that voiced by, and when did they start using this at the beginning and end of each program? And TL, how did they begin the Pre-79 programs?

[mjb1124]

The opening and closing announcements against the blue screen started with the first 1979 episode.   The pre-79 episodes started immediately with the opening pan of the model neighborhood as the intro to "Won't You Be My Neighbor" plays, and the funding credits appear after the title without announcements.   Then during the closing model neighborhood pan, the funding credits appear between the show credits and the copyright notice, *with* a voiceover.   Initially, this was followed immediately by the NET or PBS logo, but by 1976, the "trolley cards" featuring episode numbers and additional funding credits were added after the credits on all color pre-79 episodes.

I'm pretty sure that's Fred Rogers himself doing those voiceovers from 1971 on - it definitely sounds like his diction to me.   Somebody else did them on the 1968-70 episodes though.

[Neighborhood Archive]

I'm pretty sure that's Fred Rogers himself doing those voiceovers from 1971 on - it definitely sounds like his diction to me.   Somebody else did them on the 1968-70 episodes though.

Not sure who does the voiceovers before and after the episodes but it is definitely not Fred Rogers.

[bka]

Newell would know. I can't remember his name. for some reason I think he was related to Hoagy Carmichael....dunno why.

[mjb1124]

Interesting... always thought it was Fred but I'm definitely curious now.

[MrRogers143]

I emailed Fred Rogers co. to find out who the announcer was, and as soon as I know, everyone will know.

[galenfott]

While I could tell the announcer wasn't Fred, I always thought it sounded oddly like him.

[MrRogers143]

I just recieved an email from the Fred Rogers Co, and here's the answer:

"David doesn't have specific information on who said each quote you have listed below, but he does remember that most of the announcements that you hear before the program were recorded by people who worked/helped with the Neighborhood series (in the early years) or they were people who worked with WQED (the station where the programs were recorded). Sometimes people ask David if it was a "famous person" who made the program's introduction, but it was not."

[bka]

George Hill (whose portrait hangs on the wall of Vice President Reardon in the Pineapple & Tomato opera), might remember the voice that says "the people who gave the money...."

[mitsguy2001]

George Hill (whose portrait hangs on the wall of Vice President Reardon in the Pineapple & Tomato opera), might remember the voice that says "the people who gave the money...."

Who is George Hill?  Also, was Reardon's office a set, or was it a regular office in WQED's building?

[bka]

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/postgazette/obituary.aspx?n=george-s-hill&pid=142394013   he was an important part of the very early Neighborhood, but what his function was I don't know.   I think the announcer's first name was Eliot.  Why I think so I do not know....Elaine Lynch would know about George Hill and probably the identity of the announcer. She was always information central.

[galenfott]

There's an Eliot A. Daley who's credited with co-writing episode 1183. Here's his website: http://eliotdaley.com He was president of Small World Enterprises, and seems to have been instrumental in finding funding for the show.

[galenfott]

Mystery solved! Mr. Daley writes me: "Guilty as charged, Galen. I've been the disembodied voice-over ever since 1970, having updated the credits a number of times over the years as underwriters and program-length-specifications changed."

[pastorscott]

To me, it sure sounds like two different announcers, one for the pre-1979(while the credits were rolling) and one for the "blue screen" voice overs of the post 1979 period.  Did Mr. Daley clearly say he did both?  From his website, it looked like he was most involved in the pre-1979 years. 

[mjb1124]

There was a different voice guy for the first 3 seasons (NET era), but from the 1971 season on, it sounds to me like the same guy from the post-79 episodes.    Mr. Daley said he's been there since 1970, which sounds about right since the 1971 episodes may have started taping then.   So I think we have our answer here.

And yes, I agree that something about the way Mr. Daley talks reminds me a lot of Fred.   I would say that it might be a Pittsburgh thing, but then again I'm not sure if Mr. Daley was originally from there.