Daniel Tiger & Donkey Hodie Team Up For Their First PBS Kids Crossover Episode

My kids, now 12 and 14, grew up watching Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, which has forever endeared the PBS Kids show to our family. So, my interest was immediately piqued when I heard that Daniel Tiger was leaving the Neighborhood of Make-Believe to visit another town in the PBS universe: Someplace Else.

That’s right — in an exciting twist for PBS Kids, two Fred Rogers-inspired shows are coming together in one super fun crossover. Daniel Tiger Visits Someplace Else premieres Aug. 11 as part of Donkey Hodie, marking the first time these beloved characters have shared the screen.

According to Ellen Doherty, chief creative officer at Fred Rogers Productions, the idea was a long time in the making.

“Since Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Donkey Hodie both come from the original world of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, the idea or the inevitability of a crossover was always there. We did that specifically from the start with certain choices, like the cobblestone path being something that visually unites them,” Doherty tells Scary Mommy.

In the special, Daniel and Dad Tiger hop aboard Trolley to visit Donkey and her pals. And don’t worry; the episode includes lots of nostalgic nods for longtime fans of Mister Rogers’ world: a reimagined version of the “Look and Listen” song (a Fred Rogers classic!), Trolley’s tunnel ride, and even Grampy Hodie’s clock, which contains hidden Easter eggs referencing the original show.

Of course, reimagining animated characters like Daniel and Dad Tiger as puppets came with its own unique set of challenges. Doherty says the creative teams behind both shows really put their heads together to make sure Daniel felt emotionally and visually consistent with the animated version preschoolers already know and love.

“Our Donkey Hodie team, led by Kristin DiQuollo, who’s the co-executive producer, and our Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood team, led by Chris Loggins, who’s the supervising producer, worked really closely together,” says Doherty.

She continues, “Then, in developing the script, we worked with Jill Cozza-Turner, who is the head writer for Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, but also had written a number of episodes for Donkey Hodie. So she knew both worlds and could really bring a lot to thinking about how we blend the two experiences.”

Fans of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood will also recognize familiar emotional “strategy” songs (personal OG favorite: “When you feel so mad that you want to roar, take a deep breath and count to four!”), which blend seamlessly with Donkey Hodie’s core “I statement” messages (like “I can do hard things”). The result is a sweet, silly, and developmentally thoughtful adventure that models empathy, cooperation, and self-confidence.

And, it goes without saying, the crossover special is a celebration of the enduring legacy of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Says Doherty, “I hope that if Fred Rogers could see this, that he would be really delighted.”