Sesame Street

Sesame Street 1969

7.07

On a special inner city street, the inhabitants—human and muppet—teach preschoolers basic educational and social concepts using comedy, cartoons, games, and songs.

1969

This Old House

This Old House 1979

5.40

TV's original home-improvement show, following one whole-house renovation over several episodes.

1979

Nature

Nature 1982

8.10

Consistently stunning documentaries transport viewers to far-flung locations ranging from the torrid African plains to the chilly splendours of icy Antarctica. The show's primary focus is on animals and ecosystems around the world. A comic book based on the show, meant to be used an as educational tool for kids, was briefly distributed to museums and schools at no cost in the mid-2000s.

1982

Curious George

Curious George 2006

7.10

With the help of his friend “The Man in the Yellow Hat,” a curious little monkey named George sets out on adventures to learn about the world around him.

2006

Great Performances

Great Performances 1971

5.30

The best in the performing arts from across America and around the world including a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama, and performance documentaries.

1971

The Electric Company

The Electric Company 1971

7.10

The Electric Company is an educational American children's television series that was produced by the Children's Television Workshop for PBS in the United States. PBS broadcast 780 episodes over the course of its six seasons from October 25, 1971 to April 15, 1977. After it ceased production that year, the program continued in reruns from 1977 to 1985, the result of a decision made in 1975 to produce two final seasons for perpetual use. CTW produced the show at Teletape Studios Second Stage in Manhattan, the first home of Sesame Street. The Electric Company employed sketch comedy and other devices to provide an entertaining program to help elementary school children develop their grammar and reading skills. It was intended for children who had graduated from CTW's flagship program, Sesame Street. Appropriately, the humor was more mature than what was seen there.

1971

Masterpiece Mystery

Masterpiece Mystery 1980

5.00

Mystery! is an episodic television series that debuted in 1980 in the USA. It airs on PBS and is produced by WGBH. The show has brought a large number of detective series and television movies—most of them British productions from the BBC or the ITV companies and usually adapted from mystery fiction literary sources—to air on American television. In 2002, they added an American-produced series based on the novels of Tony Hillerman to their roster.

1980

Frontline

Frontline 1983

7.30

Since it began in 1983, Frontline has been airing public-affairs documentaries that explore a wide scope of the complex human experience. Frontline's goal is to extend the impact of the documentary beyond its initial broadcast by serving as a catalyst for change.

1983

Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits 1975

6.20

Now the longest-running music series in American television history, ACL showcases popular music legends and innovators from every genre.

1975

The Dick Cavett Show

The Dick Cavett Show 1968

6.70

The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks.

1968

America's Test Kitchen

America's Test Kitchen 2001

6.40

Equipment reviews, taste tests, and recipes from the test kitchen to the home cook. A team of test cooks that viewers have come to love and trust deconstruct recipes and reveal the test kitchen’s secrets to foolproof cooking at home.

2001

American Masters

American Masters 1986

7.30

American Masters is a PBS television series which produces biographies on enduring writers, musicians, visual and performing artists, dramatists, filmmakers, and others who have left an indelible impression on the cultural landscape of the United States.

1986

Washington Week with The Atlantic

Washington Week with The Atlantic 1967

9.50

Journalists participate in a round-table discussion of news events in this award-winning public affairs series. It first aired in 1967, making it the longest-running prime-time news and public affairs program on television.

1967

Bill Nye the Science Guy

Bill Nye the Science Guy 1993

7.30

It's "Mr. Wizard" for a different decade. Bill Nye is the Science Guy, a host who's hooked on experimenting and explaining. Picking one topic per show (like the human heart or electricity), Nye gets creative with teaching kids and adults alike the nuances of science.

1993

WordGirl

WordGirl 2007

6.90

WordGirl is an American children’s animated television series for children aged 9 –12, produced by the Soup2Nuts animation unit of Scholastic Entertainment for PBS Kids. The show began as a series of shorts that premiered on PBS Kids Go! on November 10, 2006, usually shown at the end of Maya & Miguel; the segment was then spun off into a new thirty-minute episodic series that premiered on September 3, 2007 on most Public Broadcasting Service member stations. This animated show is aimed at children six to twelve years old, but viewers older than this demographic have been reported as well. It is designed to teach about the expansive English language and its vocabulary. All four seasons each have twenty-six episodes. The show is also seen on some educational networks in Canada, including Knowledge in British Columbia and TVOntario, as well as Discovery Kids in Latin America. The program is also syndicated internationally in places such as Australia and Italy.

2007

Arthur

Arthur 1996

7.02

The show revolves around the lives of 8-year-old Arthur Read, an anthropomorphic aardvark, his friends and family, and their daily interactions with each other.

1996

Between the Lions

Between the Lions 2000

7.20

Between the Lions is a PBS Kids puppet television series designed to promote reading. The show is a co-production between WGBH in Boston and Sirius Thinking, Ltd., in New York City, in association with Mississippi Public Broadcasting, in Mississippi. The show has won seven Daytime Emmy awards between 2001 and 2007. The target audience is children 4 to 7 years old. It has the same puppet style as Sesame Street and several season 2 episodes, notably in Dance in Smarty Pants, had a few characters from Sesame Street guest appearing. Between The Lions started its 10th and final season on September 20, 2010. The Show Ended in November, 22 2010 Along with Reading Rainbow

2000

PBS News Weekend

PBS News Weekend 2013

4.80

A summary of the day’s national and international news, using renowned experts to provide in-depth analysis. Each weekend broadcast contains original, in-depth field reporting on topics including education, healthcare, the economy, energy, science and technology, religion, finance and the arts.

2013

Big Comfy Couch

Big Comfy Couch 1992

7.50

The Big Comfy Couch is a Canadian children's television series about Loonette the Clown and her dolly Molly, who solve everyday problems on their "Big Comfy Couch". It aired from 1992 until early 2006. It was produced by Cheryl Wagner and Robert Mills, directed by Wayne Moss and Mills. It premiered on March 2, 1992 in Canada and in 1995 in the USA on public television stations across the country. There is also a Spanish version of the show titled, "El Sofa de mi Imaginacion". It also aired in the United Kingdom on GMTV's kids block. The show's format revolves around Loonette the Clown, who lives with her dolly Molly on the eponymous Big Comfy Couch. Episodes are generally focused on a theme or a lesson. For example, Season 3's episode "Full of Life" explored the concepts of "full" and "empty", while "Sticks and Stones" dealt with name-calling and teasing.

1992

NOVA

NOVA 1974

7.02

PBS' premier science series helps viewers of all ages explore the science behind the headlines. Along the way, NOVA demystifies science and technology, and highlights the people involved in scientific pursuits.

1974