"Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" emphasized young children's social and emotional needs, and unlike another PBS show, "Sesame Street", which premiered in 1969, did not focus on cognitive learning.Writer Kathy Merlock Jackson said, "While both shows target the same preschool audience and prepare children for kindergarten, "Sesame Street" concentrates on school-readiness skills while "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" focuses on the child's developing psyche and feelings and sense of moral and ethical reasoning".