‘Donkey Hodie’ Puppeteers Bring Classic ‘Mister Rogers’ Characters to Life for a New Generation
Terry Flores When Fred Rogers Prods. execs decided to revisit the classic “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” character Donkey Hodie in a modern puppet show for preschoolers, they knew just the team with the storytelling and puppeteering chops to bring the project to life: brothers Adam and David Rudman, the team behind Chicago-based Spiffy Pictures.David Rudman is a Muppeteer who has played Cookie Monster on “Sesame Street” and Scooter, Janice and Beaker on “The Muppet Show,” and Adam Rudman is an Emmy-winning writer, whose credits include “Sesame Street,” “Tom & Jerry” and “Scooby-Doo.” They are co-creators and executive producers of “Donkey Hodie,” which premiered on PBS stations May 3.