Daniel Tiger, the titular character of "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood." The show is a spin-off of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."
Prince Wednesday, Miss Elaina, and Daniel Tiger in an episode of "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood."
Daniel Tiger, the titular character of "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood." The show is a spin-off of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."

Some social media users aren't too keen on Daniel Tiger, the titular character of a "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" spinoff show on PBS Kids.

The protagonist of the PBS Kids show "Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood" has been catching heat from social media users who say he is always angry, has an issue with keeping his hands to himself and makes everything about himself.

Daniel Tiger is inspired by an original character from "Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood," which starred author and minister Fred Rogers and ran from 1968 to 2001. PBS announced Daniel’s show in summer 2011, noting that the 4-year-old tiger cub would talk directly to audiences and give them a glimpse into his life in the Neighborhood of Make Believe.

Angela Santomero, the creator of "Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood," said the show is all about a "pro-social curriculum" and follows in Fred Rogers' footsteps, including with similar music. Santomero and her team have also made efforts to be inclusive and teach children about others who are different, as seen in the episode where Daniel struggles to relate to a boy with autism.

Most episodes consist of Daniel excitedly telling viewers what he’s up to that day, then running into a conflict, such as having his feelings hurt, singing a song and learning how to resolve the issue. While Daniel's actions seem harmless and educational to many, some TikTok users are questioning several aspects of the children's show.

TikTok users share Daniel Tiger’s 'most annoying' moments

Among some of Daniel’s "most annoying" moments, according to one social media user, is when he growls and gets mad. During one episode, he was playing with his little sister, baby Margaret, when Margaret crawled through a fence he’d built and knocked it over.

"I am so mad," he yelled as he raised his fist to Margaret. Just then, their mother stopped Daniel.

"Stop, stop, stop. It’s OK to feel angry. It’s not, not, not OK to hurt someone," his mother sang.

When Daniel’s mother asked him why his sister knocked down the fence, the animated tiger said she wanted to get her stuffed animal. His mother assured him that his sister had mistakenly knocked the fence down.

"She didn’t mean it, and she is just a baby," Daniel agreed, later going over to hug his baby sister.

Despite the intended lesson, social media users have wondered if Daniel hitting, or almost hitting people is the norm.

"Margaret backing away like this has happened before," wrote one TikTok user.

Others have voiced concerns over Daniel's behavior and questioned how his actions may impact his future relationships.

'How would you feel?'

Social media users have also dissected a lunchtime scene where a hungry Daniel opened his lunchbox to eat an egg salad sandwich. When classmate Miss Elaina smelled it, she covered her nose and asked what it was, then said she didn’t like egg salad.

"How would you feel if your friend said that they didn't like your lunch?" Daniel asked, looking at the viewers with a downtrodden facial expression. "It hurts my feelings."

Noticing that Daniel seemed down, their teacher intervened, asking Miss Elaina how she would feel if someone said they didn’t like her lunch. Miss Elaina would feel bad, the girl said. Their teacher then sang a tune to remind them that it’s OK to like different things, but it’s also important to be kind. The pair then make up and finish their lunch.

Some commenters on TikTok defended Daniel and acknowledged that Miss Elaina could’ve been kinder. Others pointed out that he always seems to take issue with Miss Elaina, a Black character on the show, although he's had issues previously with other characters as well.

Daniel Tiger uses same strategy as 'Mister Rogers' Neighborhood,' production company says

Fred Rogers Productions, the production company behind the show, told USA TODAY on Thursday, Oct. 9, that the company works closely with child development experts to ensure Daniel learns lessons in ways that preschoolers can understand.

Daniel Tiger experiences a range of emotions, like most 4-year-olds do. These emotions make him more relatable to viewers. He often learns by talking about his feelings, and sometimes, singing.

It’s the same strategy from "Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood," the company said. Mister Rogers would often ask viewers, "Are there things that make you angry? Do you have ways of showing you're angry? Ways that don't hurt you or anybody else?"

Daniel Tiger’s tone is different from 'Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,' social media users say

Some commenters have pointed out that Daniel is trying to carry on Mister Rogers’ legacy of kindness, but disagree with the show's approach.

"It definitely doesn’t do a good job," one TikTok user wrote. "Mr. Rogers was so soft spoken."

Others who grew up watching the show reminded TikTok users that they’re watching a show as adults, and that they once related to Daniel as children.

"We were his age," said the TikTok user, adding that Daniel Tiger offers an "insanely accurate depiction" of a 4-year-old. "(It's) a very good show to help kids regulate their emotions."

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Email her at sdmartin@usatoday.com.

This story was updated to clarify a statement about the strategy of "Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood".

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Daniel Tiger is being called 'annoying' on TikTok. Here's why.

Reporting by Saleen Martin, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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