There was only one Fred Rogers, known to the world for decades as Mister Rogers. He gave preschoolers a warm, safe place to learn about positive and negative emotions, right and wrong, fantasy and reality. 

Jack McBrayer has his own distinctly sweet, nonthreatening persona captured in a new Apple TV+ show called “Hello, Jack! The Kindness Show.” The show for young kids incorporates elements of both “Sesame Street” and “Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.”

“We want to just remind kids about how easy it is to say and do kind things,” McBrayer said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Any time you greet someone sincerely and warmly, that is the most basic and common way to express kindness. I wanted that right up top with the name ‘Hello, Jack!’”

McBrayer did years of improv in Chicago and New York in his 20s, before Tina Fey gave him his big break at age 33 on her NBC hit show “30 Rock” casting him as lovably naive Kenneth the Page. It’s a role he embraced over seven seasons and 138 episodes.

He has since done plenty of voice-over work in the “Wreck-It Ralph” films and animated shows such as “Puppy Dog Pals,” “Bob’s Burgers” and “Big Mouth.” He has also worked regularly with Adult Swim, appearing on various shows including a short-lived series paired with Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. More recently, he spent six months performing in London in the musical version of “Waitress.”

But this particular kids show idea has been percolating in his mind for several years.

“I started noticing how grown-ups were behaving towards each other ,and I couldn’t help but sense a lack of compassion and a lack of civility and a lack of kindness in these day-to-day interactions,” McBrayer said. “I started thinking about when we as human beings start learning these lessons. I started thinking of the TV shows we grew up with like ‘Sesame Street’ and ‘Electric Company.’”

But “Mister Rogers” was the beacon: “He was a grown man speaking directly to me, the home viewer, in a very gentle way about these wonderful things, about feelings, empathy, fears and questions. It was a very unique show, and he was a very unique individual.”

McBrayer had naturally seen the lauded documentary about Rogers, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor,” and the Tom Hanks-led biopic “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.”

“I make no claims to be any Fred Rogers,” he said. “I’m Jack McBrayer, but I wanted to honor that message, emulate what Mister Rogers was able to do with his show and put a McBrayer spin on it. And it’s 2021. Life is different. How can we address these universal concepts in a modern way?”

One homage to Mister Rogers, who would create make-believe scenes using puppets, was his show’s animated sequences, which he called “shared imagination moments” where he foresees what could possibly happen later in the episode.

McBrayer needed help to make his vision a reality. He collaborated with Angela Santomero, who helped create classic kid shows such as “Blue’s Clues” and “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.” She fell in love with McBrayer’s idea immediately. “It was the way he looked at me through the camera,” she said. “It was his infectious smile and his passion.”

“Hello, Jack!” is based in a brightly colored town called Clover Grove, where residents all practice kindness and sing frequently. McBrayer runs the Hummingbird Cafe where he interacts with musician Bebe (Markita Prescott) and chef Theo (Albert Kong). A coterie of elementary school kids propel the plotlines as well.

Each episode features a dilemma, and Jack guides the viewers and the residents using the tools of kindness to overcome whatever obstacles they face. After a short intro, McBrayer sings “Try A Little Act of Kindness” written by pop band OK Go, most famous for its 2009 music video featuring the band members doing elaborate choreography using treadmills. (OK Go, in fact, created all the original music.)

In one episode, the cafe holds a weekly Friday Feast, but chef Theo injured his arm, requiring everyone to pitch in to ensure the feast still happens. And even when Jack accidentally drops the pizza into a vegetable tray, they figure out the combo works anyway. In another episode, Jack and his friends surprise homesick new resident Mr. Prickles with a new garden. In a third, Jack gives a disappointed Sonia a chance to sing at his cafe when her concert was canceled.

The show is also infused with clovers, as noted by the name of the town. Why? It’s truly a good-luck charm for McBrayer, who had a knack for finding four-leaf clovers in the wild while growing up.

“The trick is to be patient and to pay attention,” he said. “Over the years, I’ve collected well over 300 of them. I always keep one in my wallet, and I love giving them as gifts. People kind of can’t believe they’re real!”