The final episode of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" aired Friday.

After 33 years, Fred Rogers says it's time to move out of the neighborhood and on to other projects.

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Rogers, the 71-year-old host and creator of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," will still appear on reruns of the show for years to come, his production company said.

The show has gained a wide audience among children and parents who appreciate its simple lessons and Rogers' gentle, soothing manner: He has taught children to share, how to deal with anger and not to fear the bathtub because they will never go down the drain.

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Rogers' television career began in 1951 when he was hired as an assistant producer for NBC. In 1953, he moved to Pittsburgh, near his hometown of Latrobe, Pa., and began serving as producer and puppeteer on the Pittsburgh television show "The Children's Corner."

That show introduced many of the characters that would become regulars on "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," including Daniel Striped Tiger, King Friday XIII, X the Owl and Lady Elaine Fairchilde.

The show originally aired on WTAE-TV in 1965-66.

Rogers began hosting "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" at WQED in 1967, and PBS began nationally distributing it the next year.

Rogers had produced about 10 new episodes in each of the last few years, and almost 1,000 programs have been recorded in all.

Most shows now broadcast on Public Broadcasting Service stations are repeats, said George Miles, president of WQED in Pittsburgh, the station where the show is filmed.

"Fred has said that these programs are basically evergreens," Miles said. "Many of the programs go back many number of years, but the messages are the same."

Rogers will focus on his Web sites, publications and special programs with museums after wrapping his last few episodes next year, the company said.