WARNING: The following post contains images of a shocking nature and despite its source material, is not appropriate for anyone under the age of 18. And before you get all excited, no, it does not contain naked boobies. We all remember lovable ol' Fred Rogers, aka TV's Mister Rogers, as a warm, cuddly and caring neighbor who never wore a frown and always had a smile for someone smaller than him.
But what if all those cheerful hellos, colorful sweater jackets and speeches about being special on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood were just a mask hiding something very dark and sinister? Specifically, a clown mask?
If the very thought of the fledgling economy makes you just a little bit sad, get some Kleenex and a shoulder to cry on because you're about to bawl your eyes out. 
Way back in July and August I mentioned the new PBS series from
Bear in the Big Blue House creator Mitchell Kriegman called It's a Big, Big World. At the time the
show was still in production and facing a writers strike. I pretty much forgot all about the show when it finally
aired, but I've since caught a few episodes, and I must say, it's quite impressive, at least visually. The show uses a
technique called "shadowmation" which combines puppetry with animated backgrounds using what appears to be a
blue screen effect. The result is a varicolored jungle world that jumps off the screen like a pop-up book. The
environmental message of the show is a good one as well, even if it does get a little too "kumbaya" at times.
Have any questions for Rich Sommer of Mad Men? Ask them here!
Syfy's Alice -- An early look
The TV Squad Podcast: Surprising shows, decade-end lists, and the Commenter of the Week!
