"Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" LEGO set not approved for production
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- LEGO won't produce a "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood"-themed set after a review.
The LEGO set designed by Matt Smith, who goes by the username "Bricksmitherd," didn't get approved by the LEGO Review Board, the company said in an update on its website. The set had to get 10,000 votes before it could even go before the board.
LEGO didn't cite a specific reason for its decision, but said some of the top factors include brand fit, expected demand, licensing possibilities, feasibility and playability.
"Obviously, I'm disappointed. As Mister Rogers would say, it's okay to feel that way, right? It's okay to be disappointed. And I was disappointed," Smith said.
"But at the same time, I don't feel like it's a failure in a certain way because it brought people so much joy and so much happiness and brought them together in their love for Mister Rogers whether LEGO made it into a set or not," he said.
The 1,968-piece set -- honoring the show's original premiere in 1968 -- featured Mister Rogers' home on the front and the Neighborhood of Make-Believe on the back. It had the red trolley, King Friday's Castle and several Easter eggs, like the fish tank and a closet that opened to reveal his sweater.
LEGO said the Mister Rogers-themed set was one of 49 that had reached 10,000 supporters between May and September last year. The two sets that are moving into production are a Minifigure prize machine and a western river steamboat.
"Thank you to Bricksmitherd for the passion and creativity that went into this project, and to all of you who voted so that we would have the opportunity to consider this as a potential LEGO set. We're sorry to deliver this disappointing news," LEGO said in its update.
Despite the disappointing news, Smith told KDKA-TV he's excited about "a great number of projects" that are in the works.
