If you were to pick one person throughout television history that has never done anything to court controversy, a few names are likely to come to mind. Maybe Betty White, who was genuinely beloved by millions. Possibly Alex Trebek, Bob Newhart, or Alan Thicke. Your safest choice, arguably, would have to be Fred Rogers of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. And for the most part, it’s a wise choice. But Rogers, for being a Presbyterian minister and all, had a wee bit of the troublemaker in him, willing to tackle taboo subjects and explain them to children in a way that was honest, in a way they could understand. But one subject proved so controversial that the five-episode arc about it, originally aired in November 1983, was taken out of syndication: nuclear war.
