Favorite "Educational" TV show(s)

[cezanne]

Current fave for me is "How It's Made" on Discovery: Aluminum foil, gummy bears, cue sticks, combination locks.... Apparently this show is in its ninth season (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_It's_Made#Season_1). I don't know how I missed this show all this time.

What's yers?

[Pomai]

Current fave for me is "How It's Made" on Discovery: Aluminum foil, gummy bears, cue sticks, combination locks.... Apparently this show is in its ninth season (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_It's_Made#Season_1). I don't know how I missed this show all this time.

What's yers?I've never seen "How It's Made", but by your description, it sounds similar to "Made in America" on the Travel Channel (which covers everything Made in the USA), and "Unwrapped" on The Food Network (which covers everything made that's related to food). Both fantastic shows.

I used to really enjoy the Discovery Channel's "Movie Magic", which revealed how our favorite movies were made, with a focus on special effects. CGI production, blue-screening, foley artists... all that cool stuff.

In the 90's, my TV was set on Discovery Channel by default. Now it's all Food Network (educational in its own right). Probably my next "phase" will be ESPN. :D

NOVA on PBS is fantastic as well. Even better since there's no commercial interruptions. "Secrets of the Samurai Sword" is coming up next week!

[pzarquon]

We just caught a few episodes of "How It's Made" as well. (Actually, I think our TiVo profiled us and suggested it.) It's moderately interesting, but really, the program has absolutely no personality or soul. It's the very stereotype of a documentary setup, with a detached, bland narrator talking over video clips. No interaction, no questions, and no energy whatsoever.

Does "Mythbusters" count? "Dirty Jobs" with Mike Rowe? "Good Eats" with Alton Brown?

[lavagal]

Since I was too cool as a little girl to dig Mr. Rogers, I got a second chance when my girls were little and the three of us would watch together. Now I must say that a part of my heart is with Mr. Rogers. He'd show us how crayons were made, mini vacuum cleaners, erasers, balls, etc. Very cool. The three of us were spellbound.

We also like "How It's Made," but mostly that's my husband's favorite show.

I like to watch home and women makeover shows as I feel I could benefit from a chance at either!

[shaveice]

i don't go out of my way to watch or record any particular show but there are several that interest me: survivorman, seconds from disaster, diagnosis x, intervention, the upcoming 'last man standing', samantha brown on the travel channel, etc to name a few! the critics of tv are right to be concerned about mindless stuff filling our little one's heads/time, but there's no denying that there's a lot of very good stuff to enjoy...

[Lei Liko]

Since I was too cool as a little girl to dig Mr. Rogers, I got a second chance when my girls were little and the three of us would watch together. Now I must say that a part of my heart is with Mr. Rogers. He'd show us how crayons were made, mini vacuum cleaners, erasers, balls, etc. Very cool. The three of us were spellbound.

We also like "How It's Made," but mostly that's my husband's favorite show.

I like to watch home and women makeover shows as I feel I could benefit from a chance at either!

I, too, used to get excited whenever Mr. Rogers showed a film on How People Made Things. Books, crayons, and straws were my favorite! :D

I like "How It's Made" as well, but I really don't care too much for most of the stuff they feature. I think I can go on the rest of my life not knowing how people make lightbulbs. :rolleyes:

[Pomai]

I, too, used to get excited whenever Mr. Rogers showed a film on How People Made Things. Books, crayons, and straws were my favorite!Then of course there was Sesame Street. Does anyone remember The Electric Company (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Electric_Company)? I have little detailed memory of the show's content, but I DO remember having watched that back in hanabaddah dayz (dating myself here).

The first (and probably only) time I saw a Barney & Friends (that purple dinosaur) show, I had deranged thoughts of destroying my TV. :eek:

I like "How It's Made" as well, but I really don't care too much for most of the stuff they feature. I think I can go on the rest of my life not knowing how people make lightbulbs. :rolleyes:How about if they showed how an edition of People Magazine was put together (the journalism, printing and distribution/marketing process)? :p

Hey common', seeing how light bulbs, hammers, cordless drills and tractor lawn mowers are made is cool stuff!

[Lei Liko]

Then of course there was Sesame Street. Does anyone remember The Electric Company (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Electric_Company)? I have little detailed memory of the show's content, but I DO remember having watched that back in hanabaddah dayz (dating myself here).

I totally remember The Electric Company! They stopped filming new shows before I was born, but I remember they showed the reruns up until I was in grade school!

My old school favorite was 3-2-1 Contact (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3-2-1_Contact), especially the Bloodhound Gang mystery segments.

Every child of the 80s also has to remember Square One Television (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Square_One_%28TV_series%29)!

[Leo Lakio]

Then of course there was Sesame Street. Does anyone remember The Electric Company? I have little detailed memory of the show's content, but I DO remember having watched that back in hanabaddah dayz (dating myself here).There have already been multi-disc DVD releases of old shows from both of these series, two volumes of The Electric Company to date, and one of Sesame Street (the second Sesame set drops Nov. 6.) Yeah - I'm just strange enough that I have them all...:cool:

[LikaNui]

One of my all-time favorite clips ever was this one (http://youtube.com/watch?v=6AjovHGK-TA&mode=related&search=) of Harry Belafonte with Kermit and The Muppets, singing "The Banana Boat Song."
What a classic!
:)

[Leo Lakio]

One of my all-time favorite clips ever was this one (http://youtube.com/watch?v=6AjovHGK-TA&mode=related&search=) of Harry Belafonte with Kermit and The Muppets, singing "The Banana Boat Song."
What a classic!
:)Indeed it is - but just for accuracy's sake, that's from "The Muppet Show," not "Sesame Street."

[cynsaligia]

i'd say mythbusters counts, ryan. we watch it, too. a recent eppy that stuck out in my head was when they showed it would take several thousand balloons to lift a person (http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/photogalleries/balloon/balloon.html)--thereby dispelling the myth that a child can be carried away by a normal bunch of ballons.

some other shows that eric & i regularly dvr:

have fork, will travel (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_hf) with zane lamprey

three sheets (http://www.mojohd.com/mojoseries/threesheets/), also with zane lamprey (the link has clips of the show, including one clip where zane partakes of lambanog in the barrios of the philippines)

history of sex (http://store.aetv.com/html/product/index.jhtml?id=70800) from the history channel (here's a schedule (http://www.history.com/search.do?action=scheduleSearch&searchText=The+History+of+Sex) of upcoming eppies)

motorweek (http://www.pbs.org/mpt/motorweek/)

the aforementioned good eats (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ea/text/0,1976,FOOD_9956_50120,00.html) with alton brown

uncorked with billy merrit (http://www.mojohd.com/mojoseries/uncorked/) (eric likes to watch it but most of the educational value is really for me--i'm still learning about wine)

on nights i have insomnia, i try to watch understanding.... (http://science.discovery.com/tv-schedules/series.html?paid=48.13778.75667.5854.15) but halfway through, the melatonin kicks in. maybe i should dvr the next couple of eppies, which will be beauty tonight, laughter the next night, and the following, the brain.

hmmm. i just realized that a good proportion of what we watch are documentary or educational shows. no wonder we're clueless when people start talking about "dancing with the stars" or "american idol" (bleh) or "survivor."

[cezanne]

Man there's so much more of the "ed" stuff on TV nowadays. I remember when PBS was the only station that had anything educational... oh yeah that and Wild Kingdom on Sunday afternoon.

I like Mythbusters too. What a job those guys have... you wouldn't even have to pay me to get in on that action.

[cynsaligia]

Man there's so much more of the "ed" stuff on TV nowadays. I remember when PBS was the only station that had anything educational... oh yeah that and Wild Kingdom on Sunday afternoon.

I like Mythbusters too. What a job those guys have... you wouldn't even have to pay me to get in on that action.


oh, yeah, totally same here! another thing that's so cool about mythbusters is that it's a great show for kids to watch, not only for the "pure" educational value, but they show people using science to do fun things and making a living at it!

[LikaNui]

Indeed it is - but just for accuracy's sake, that's from "The Muppet Show," not "Sesame Street."Yeah, I kinda knew that already, since what I wrote was:
One of my all-time favorite clips ever was this one of Harry Belafonte with Kermit and The Muppets
I kinda figured that would give folks a clue. ;)

[Pua'i Mana'o]

back when my kiddies were younglings, I tried to get them hooked on Bill Nye the Science Guy (and that other show whose name currently escapes me, but had a similar bent). No dice--they were too young. The eldest was enraptured with Barney, who I hated with a white hot passion.

[Leo Lakio]

Yeah, I kinda knew that already, since what I wrote was:Kermit and The MuppetsI kinda figured that would give folks a clue. ;)But remember, LN - Kermit and The Muppets were also an integral part of "Sesame Street," the show being discussed in the three posts just prior to yours - hence the opportunity for confusion, hence my clarification. Yer welcome. ;)
Man there's so much more of the "ed" stuff on TV nowadays. I remember when PBS was the only station that had anything educational... oh yeah that and Wild Kingdom on Sunday afternoon.Saw an ad for PBS - on The History Channel last night. They know where else their audience is.

[liberty]

Does "Mythbusters" count? "Dirty Jobs" with Mike Rowe? "Good Eats" with Alton Brown?

I love these shows, too. :)

[Frankie's Market]

One outstanding show on PBS during the '90s was Ghostwriter. It was a fictional story about a group of kids and a ghost (named Ghostwriter) who solved mysteries together as a team. I remember most students really liked to watch that show for the entertainment value, but it did teach problem-solving skills as well as encouraging viewers to read books.

My all-time personal favorite educational program was Carl Sagan's Cosmos. The man had an ingenius way of explaining the most complex and abstract ideas to a mainstream (i.e. non-intellectual audience) without dumbing down and diluting the content. Even though it is over 25 years old, 95% of it is still applicable and is worth watching on DVD.

My currently running favorite is on the History Channel. Lost Worlds shows (through CGI technology) what historical sites looked like way back when and each episode always dispenses data and theories which are new and will fascinate even the most jaded history-buff.

[Leo Lakio]

My all-time personal favorite educational program was Carl Sagan's Cosmos. The man had an ingenius way of explaining the most complex and abstract ideas to a mainstream (i.e. non-intellectual audience) without dumbing down and diluting the content. Even though it is over 25 years old, 95% of it is still applicable and is worth watching on DVD.Excellent choice, FM. I was happy to see it come out on DVD.

[mel]

is Meerkat Manor (http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/meerkat/meerkat.html) educational? I like that show... it's got drama, family feuding, battles, survival and a whole lot more wrapped into a nice half hour docu-drama.

The program has certainly piqued my interest about these animals that I have never seen in real life (haven't been to the Zoo in ages and am saddened to learn about the lost meerkat)....

[liberty]

is Meerkat Manor (http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/meerkat/meerkat.html) educational? I like that show... it's got drama, family feuding, battles, survival and a whole lot more wrapped into a nice half hour docu-drama.

The program has certainly piqued my interest about these animals that I have never seen in real life (haven't been to the Zoo in ages and am saddened to learn about the lost meerkat)....

Another good show. I just saw that episode earlier. I was saddened as well... I actually almost cried.

[oggboy]

Deadliest Catch educational too!!!:D Well, if meerkat manor can, den can like dat...:p

[cezanne]

I think all mentioned so far are educational.

I remember on PBS there was that guy who had a finished painting of a scene or something... then he would go through the steps all over again as to how he accomplished that...all in half an hour! That was real-time. Now how Norm (New Yankee Workshop) can build a hutch from scratch in half an hour is beyond me.:D

[Honoruru]

What about No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel? I think it's the only "educational" program that carries the warning "Some scenes may be objectionable ... etc." on at least some of the shows. I love his audacity.

Then there's Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, which usually runs before or after No Reservations.

[Frankie's Market]

I remember on PBS there was that guy who had a finished painting of a scene or something... then he would go through the steps all over again as to how he accomplished that...all in half an hour!

I think I remember that show. The host had a beard and sorta dressed up like a hillbilly. :D

He was a talented artist and teacher, tho.

[cezanne]

I think I remember that show. The host had a beard and sorta dressed up like a hillbilly. :D

He was a talented artist and teacher, tho.

Haha yeah that's the guy! There was another show featuring a British guy who specialized in "faux painting". He demonstrate how to make plain surfaces look like different woods and stone. He was definitely a master at his craft...unlike the wannabe faux finishers on the DIY shows today.

[liberty]

What about No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel? I think it's the only "educational" program that carries the warning "Some scenes may be objectionable ... etc." on at least some of the shows.

The earlier "Dirty Jobs" episodes have a similar discretion statement at the beginning. (I just saw a rerun with one yesterday, actually.) I guess Discovery stopped tacking it on once the show's mission became pretty well-known.

[Pomai]

The earlier "Dirty Jobs" episodes have a similar discretion statement at the beginning. (I just saw a rerun with one yesterday, actually.) I guess Discovery stopped tacking it on once the show's mission became pretty well-known.I remember Beavis and Butthead of MTV fame had to start tacking on a disclaimer after some kid burned their house down attempting one of Beavis' "Fire!" antics. Apparently there were some anomalies in that lawsuit. :confused:

[shaveice]

a recent commercial reminded me of a program that i liked very much: everest: beyond the limit. for some reason, i've always been fascinated with stories related to mountain climbing.

anyway, a new season is coming around on oct 30th:

http://www.cablemediasales.com/pages/nets/?cp=nets&sp=prgdt&id=disc_4869

http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/everestbeyond/everestbeyond.html

on a related note, the book 'into thin air' is a very good read:
http://www.amazon.com/Into-Thin-Air-Personal-Disaster/dp/0385494785/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-6787100-1474438?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1192181532&sr=8-1

it's amazing to think that the things that happened actually happened...

[Bob P]

When my oldest was little PBS had a show called Wishbone about a Jack Russell terrier who would act out famous books. We had some great bonding moments over that show.

Currently I (actually we both) like Mythbusters and had a slight addiction to Ice Road Truckers - although I'm not sure if that's educational. I guess it did teach me that I don't want to live in northern Canada :D

I'll also admit to the guilty pleasure of watching Dogfights on The History Channel.

[liberty]

When my oldest was little PBS had a show called Wishbone about a Jack Russell terrier who would act out famous books. We had some great bonding moments over that show.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/df/Wishbone_books.png

I loved Wishbone! I thought it was neat that the stories he re-enacted drew parallels with what was going on in "real life" with his master and family. The dog who played Wishbone, Soccer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soccer_%28dog_actor%29), died in 2001. :(

[Bob P]

That's so sad! My daughter had a little stuffed Wishbone - actually I think it's still in her room someplace (she's 18 now LOL). I just remember the dog as The Count of Monte Christo holding a little sword in his mouth :D

I liked how they paralleled it too, I think it made the actual books more approachable for the kids. I do know that show caused my daughter to read some of those books once she was older.

[LocalMotion]

Anybody remember Mr. Wizard's World (http://www.mrwizardstudios.com/mrwizardsworld_mainpage.htm)? I use to love that show when i was a kid.


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