Josie Carey

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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In her over three-hour interview, Josie Carey (1930-2004) discusses beginning her television career as an associate producer on KDKA in Pittsburgh before joining Pittsburgh's then-new public television station WQED, where she hosted The Children's Corner, produced by Fred Rogers. She talks about how concepts, songs, and puppets originally created on The Children's Corner became cornerstones of Rogers' Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Carey talks about moving to South Carolina, where she created and hosted the children's program Whee!. She details her feelings about the then-current state of children's television and concludes by discussing career highlights and regrets. Karen Herman conducted the interview on July 23, 1999 in Pittsburgh, PA.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"People will come up and they'll say how much they enjoyed watching me and how they grew up with me. A lady will be eighty-years-old and she'll say, 'I used to watch you when I was a little girl.' I want to say, 'Honey, they didn't have television when you were a little girl!'"

People Talking About ...
Josie Carey
Highlights
Josie Carey on collaborating on the songs for The Children's Corner with Fred Rogers, and on their working relationship
04:04
Josie Carey on Fred Rogers' puppets on The Children's Corner, and on the other characters on the show
03:36
Josie Carey on guests who appeared on The Children's Corner, including Johnny Carson and Charles Schulz
03:13
Josie Carey on her favorite moments of The Children's Corner
07:00
Josie Carey on her work on the local South Carolina children's show Wheee!
09:13
Josie Carey on the legacy of Fred Rogers
01:40
Full Interview

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Chapter 1
On her early years and influences; on the impact of World War II on her family as she was growing up; on working on her first television show, Ask the Girls, a local women's service show in Pittsburgh
On the hosts of Ask the Girls, including her mentor Florence Sando; on the format and segments of Ask the Girls; on her title and duties on Ask the Girls
On her earliest memories of television; on being hired by WQED before the station went on the air

Chapter 2
On the creation of Pittsburgh public station WQED, and on meeting Fred Rogers; on going on the air with The Children's Corner, and hosting the show with Fred Rogers doing characters; on the audience she and Fred Rogers were playing to on The Children's Corner
On working with the cameras on The Children's Corner, and on the logistics of the show with Fred Rogers; on guests who appeared on The Children's Corner, including Johnny Carson and Charles M. Schulz; on a typical production day hosting The Children's Corner and on the creation of "Daniel Tiger"

Chapter 3
On Fred Rogers' puppets on The Children's Corner, and on the other characters on the show; on hosting the NBC version of The Children's Corner, featuring Fred Rogers; on the differences between the WQED version of the show and the NBC version
On her dealings with NBC when The Children's Corner aired on the network; on collaborating with Fred Rogers on writing songs for The Children's Corner; on hosting Josie's Storyland and The Children's Corner at the same time, for two years

Chapter 4
On the religious elements of The Children's Corner; on collaborating on the songs for The Children's Corner with Fred Rogers, and on their working relationship; on how Fred Rogers evolved from The Children's Corner to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
On presenting a united front to WQED with Fred Rogers; on winning a Sylvania Award for her work on The Children's Corner, and various other awards; on educators' reaction to The Children's Corner, and on Fred Rogers' religion
On the end of The Children's Corner after seven years, and on Fred Rogers going to do a show for the CBC; on her favorite moments of The Children's Corner; on the cute rivalry between her and Fred Rogers on The Children's Corner

Chapter 5
On the friendly rivalry between her and Fred Rogers on The Children's Corner, and on using things from her childhood on the show; on various other programs on WQED; on her time at KDKA
On the people she worked with at KDKA; on leaving KDKA, and on the changing face of children's television; on the then-current state of children's television
On the shows she let her own child watch; on going to do a children's show in South Carolina

Chapter 6
On her work on the local South Carolina children's show Wheee!; on the then-current state of children; on then-current projects
On her greatest challenges; on career regrets
On the legacy of Fred Rogers; on advice to an aspiring children's show host; on how she would like to be remembered

Chapter 7
On B-roll pictures from her career - her album with Fred Rogers "Around the Children's Corner"; with the cast of Ask the Girls including Florence Sando; with Fred Rogers' puppet "Daniel Tiger"; Fred Rogers' puppet "Lady Elaine Fairchild"; King Friday the 13th Calendar; more of Fred Rogers' puppets; with Fred Rogers; with Fred Rogers and his puppet "Daniel Tiger"; dancing with Fred Rogers; the cast of Funsville on KDKA; on the set of Wheee!
Shows

Children's Corner, The

View Show Page
Josie Carey on going on the air with The Children's Corner, and hosting the show with Fred Rogers doing characters
04:35
Josie Carey on the audience she and Fred Rogers were playing to on The Children's Corner
02:50
Josie Carey on working with the cameras on The Children's Corner, and on the logistics of the show with Fred Rogers
02:28
Josie Carey on guests who appeared on The Children's Corner, including Johnny Carson and Charles Schulz
03:12
Josie Carey on a typical production day hosting The Children's Corner with Fred Rogers, and on the letters they received
06:39
Josie Carey on the creation of "Daniel Tiger" by Fred Rogers on The Children's Corner
01:21
Josie Carey on Fred Rogers' puppets on The Children's Corner, and on the other characters on the show
03:36
Josie Carey on how she worked with Fred Rogers' puppets on The Children's Corner
02:38
Josie Carey on the hosting NBC version of The Children's Corner, featuring Fred Rogers
05:21
Josie Carey on the differences between the WQED version of The Children's Corner and the NBC version
01:52
Josie Carey on her and Fred Rogers' dealings with NBC when The Children's Corner aired on the network
04:03
Josie Carey on collaborating with Fred Rogers on writing songs for The Children's Corner
01:49
Josie Carey on hosting Josie's Storyland and The Children's Corner at the same time, for two years
08:03
Josie Carey on the religious elements she and Fred Rogers brought to The Children's Corner
01:45
Josie Carey on collaborating on the songs for The Children's Corner with Fred Rogers, and on their working relationship
04:04
Josie Carey on how Fred Rogers evolved from The Children's Corner to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
01:45
Josie Carey on winning a Sylvania Award for her work on The Children's Corner, and various other awards
02:47
Josie Carey on educators' reaction to The Children's Corner, and on Fred Rogers' religion
02:16
Josie Carey on the end of The Children's Corner after seven years, and on Fred Rogers going to do a show for the CBC
02:57
Josie Carey on she and Fred Rogers signing the rights away to some of their early songs from The Children's Corner
03:04
Josie Carey on her favorite moments of The Children's Corner
07:00
Josie Carey on the cute rivalry between her and Fred Rogers on The Children's Corner
01:16
Josie Carey on the friendly rivalry between her and Fred Rogers on The Children's Corner, and on using things from her childhood on the show
05:39

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

View Show Page
Josie Carey on how Fred Rogers evolved from The Children's Corner to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
01:45
Josie Carey on the legacy of Fred Rogers
01:40
Topics

Advice

View Topic
Josie Carey on advice to an aspiring children's show host
01:20

Creative Influences and Inspiration

View Topic
Josie Carey on the hosts of Ask the Girls, including her mentor Florence Sando
03:08

First Big Break

View Topic
Josie Carey on being hired by WQED before the station went on the air
03:22

Historic Events and Social Change

View Topic
Josie Carey on the impact of World War II on her family as she was growing up
00:47

Network Creation

View Topic
Josie Carey on being hired by WQED before the station went on the air
03:22
Josie Carey on the creation of Pittsburgh public station WQED, and on meeting Fred Rogers
07:44

Pivotal Career Moments

View Topic
Josie Carey on being hired by WQED before the station went on the air
03:22
Josie Carey on the hosts of Ask the Girls, including her mentor Florence Sando
03:08

Television Industry

View Topic
Josie Carey on being hired by WQED before the station went on the air
03:22
Josie Carey on the creation of Pittsburgh public station WQED, and on meeting Fred Rogers
07:44
Josie Carey on the then-current state of children's television
02:15
Josie Carey on advice to an aspiring children's show host
01:20

War

View Topic
Josie Carey on the impact of World War II on her family as she was growing up
00:47

World War II

View Topic
Josie Carey on the impact of World War II on her family as she was growing up
00:47
Professions

Children's Show Host

View Profession
Josie Carey on advice to an aspiring children's show host
01:20

Hosts

View Profession
Josie Carey on advice to an aspiring children's show host
01:20
Genres

Children's Programming

View Genre
Josie Carey on hosting The Children's Corner, with Fred Rogers doing characters
21:07
Josie Carey on hosting The Children's Corner
29:27
Josie Carey on hosting Josie's Storyland
10:07
Josie Carey on hosting The Children's Corner, featuring Fred Rogers
28:50
Josie Carey on going to do a children's show in South Carolina
02:55
Josie Carey on her work on the local South Carolina children's show Wheee!
09:13

Service Shows

View Genre
Josie Carey on working on her first television show, Ask the Girls, a local women's service show in Pittsburgh
16:09
People

Charles M. Schulz

View Person Page
Josie Carey on guests who appeared on The Children's Corner, including Johnny Carson and Charles M. Schulz
03:12

Fred Rogers

View Interview Page
Josie Carey on the creation of Pittsburgh public station WQED, and on meeting Fred Rogers
06:01
Josie Carey on going on the air with The Children's Corner, and hosting the show with Fred Rogers doing characters
04:35
Josie Carey on the audience she and Fred Rogers were playing to on The Children's Corner, and on their on-air personas
02:50
Josie Carey on working on the cameras, and on the logistics of the show with Fred Rogers
02:28
Josie Carey on a typical production day hosting The Children's Corner, and on Fred Rogers' role on the show
06:40
Josie Carey on the creation of "Daniel Tiger" by Fred Rogers on The Children's Corner
01:21
Josie Carey on Fred Rogers' puppets on The Children's Corner, and on the other characters on the show
03:36
Josie Carey on how she worked with Fred Rogers' puppets on The Children's Corner
02:38
Josie Carey on the hosting NBC version of The Children's Corner, featuring Fred Rogers
05:21
Josie Carey on collaborating with Fred Rogers on writing songs for The Children's Corner
01:49
Josie Carey on presenting a united front to WQED with Fred Rogers
01:50
Josie Carey on collaborating on the songs for The Children's Corner with Fred Rogers, and on their working relationship
04:04
Josie Carey on how Fred Rogers evolved from The Children's Corner to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
01:45
Josie Carey on educators' reaction to The Children's Corner, and on Fred Rogers' religion
02:16
Josie Carey on the end of The Children's Corner after seven years, and on Fred Rogers going to do a show for the CBC
02:57
Josie Carey on she and Fred Rogers signing the rights away to some of their early songs from The Children's Corner
03:04
Josie Carey on the cute rivalry between her and Fred Rogers on The Children's Corner
01:20
Josie Carey on the friendly rivalry between her and Fred Rogers on The Children's Corner, and on using things from her
05:39
Josie Carey on the legacy of Fred Rogers
01:40

Johnny Carson

View Person Page
Josie Carey on guests who appeared on The Children's Corner, including Johnny Carson and Charles M. Schulz
03:12

All Interviews

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