'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood' is coming to Twitch for an epic marathon

Hi, television neighbors -- it's time to dust off your cardigan and grab your blue sneakers, because Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is coming back to our screens.

Live streaming service Twitch is hosting a free, 18-day marathon of the classic children's series, which will span 886 episodes -- many of which have only aired once and can't be seen anywhere else.

The marathon kicks off on May 15 at 12 p.m. PT, starting with Fred Rogers' famous Senate testimony about the value of public television, which marked its 48th anniversary earlier this month. Every episode, dating from the show’s premiere, will stream consecutively throughout the month of May until June 3, with additional mini-marathons in the following weeks.

The show premiered in 1968 and aired on PBS for decades. With President Trump's proposed budget cut looking to eliminate federal funding for public broadcasting, including PBS and NPR, Twitch is hosting a fundraising campaign that will encourage viewers to support their local PBS stations.

To further encourage support of PBS, Twitch Partners will be sharing personal stories about the importance of PBS and the impact of its programming in exclusive spots which will run throughout the marathon.

While it might seem counterintuitive for a digital streaming platform like Twitch to champion one of the last vestiges of the analog age, there are clear similarities between the service Twitch provides and what Mister Rogers aimed to do for his audience 50 years ago.

“From listening to feedback, it became clear that the Twitch community has not only embrace content which goes beyond gaming, they want more of it,” said Bill Moorier, Head of Creative at Twitch. “We were drawn to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood because Fred Rogers was a positive voice in fostering inclusivity and diversity, and, like our streamers, he talked to the viewers as if they were in the room with him. While his show was geared toward children, his messages have universal appeal.”

“Fred Rogers believed in the boundless potential of all children, and his landmark educational philosophy continues to guide our work today at PBS KIDS,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Children’s Media and Education at PBS. “We are excited to bring Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood to the Twitch community in this special event, honoring Fred’s legacy, and encouraging fans to support the important work that local PBS stations do to help all children learn and succeed.”

The Mister Rogers' Neighborhood marathon begins Monday, May 15 at 12 p.m. ET on Twitch.