Childrens Television

In 1970, on a soundstage on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a group of men, women, and Muppets of various ages and colors worked doggedly to finish the first season of a children’s TV program that was not yet assured a second season: Sesame Street. They were conducting an experiment to see if television could be used to better prepare disadvantaged preschoolers for kindergarten. What they didn’t know then was that they were starting a cultural revolution that would affect all American kids.

Married . . . With Children writer-producer Richard Gurman takes us behind the scenes of this boundary-breaking show to reveal how its inner workings were at times as disruptive and contentious—yet at other times, as hysterical and raunchy—as the Bundy family themselves.

Harriet M. Welsch is a spy. In her notebook, she writes down everything she knows about everyone, even her classmates and her best friends. Then Harriet loses track of her notebook, and it ends up in the wrong hands. Before she can stop them, her friends have read the always truthful, sometimes awful things she’s written about each of them. Will Harriet find a way to put her life and her friendships back together?

This audiobook tells the story of how Philo Farnsworth came up with the idea for electronic television at age 14, and later developed his idea into the technology for television that is still used today.

Nikki’s juggling a lot this month. A reality TV crew is following Nikki and her friends as they record their hit song together, plus there are voice lessons, dance practice, and little sister Brianna’s latest wacky hijinks. Nikki’s sure she can handle everything, but will all the excitement cause new problems for Nikki and Brandon, now that cameras are everywhere Nikki goes?

For over forty years, ventriloquist Shari Lewis and her sassy hand puppet Lamb Chop were the most beloved team in children's television. Together with her other puppets Charlie Horse and Hush Puppy, Shari raised three generations of kids and struggled to stay relevant in an industry that was constantly changing. In this audiobook, cowritten and recorded by Shari's daughter Mallory Lewis (who now performs with Lamb Chop) and producer-biographer Nat Segaloff, you'll hear how Shari survived using sheer will and talent.

In February 1958, the Herrmann family began to experience strange events at their home in Seaford, New York. The first occurrences were harmless—just caps popping off of bottles. But soon things escalated. Dishes were smashed, bookshelves toppled over, and objects moved. Could these unexplained events have been the work of a devious poltergeist named Popper?

You watch your television every day, but how does it actually work? Max Axiom has the answers. Join Max as he explores the science and engineering behind television technology.

Known as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, Alfred Hitchcock's unique vision in movies like Psycho and The Birds sent shivers down our spines and shock waves through the film industry. His innovative camera techniques have been studied for decades, and his gift for storytelling cemented his place in history. Many directors make great movies, but the genius of Hitchcock helped make movies great. Learn how a chubby boy from London became the "Master of Suspense".

Thomas and Jackie Hawks had big plans. The couple wanted to sell their retirement home - a hard-earned 55-foot yacht named Well Deserved - and move onto land to spend more time with family. So when a baby-faced buyer, Skylar Deleon, wanted to test drive the yacht, the Hawks were overjoyed. However, Skylar had an even more troubling future planned. But as the Hawks set sail with Skylar and two of his friends, not everyone will return. A compelling true crime, Vanished at Sea is a murder mystery that starts as a missing persons' case and quickly evolves into homicide.

This complete guide to the lives and careers of two of Disney's biggest stars - Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez - details their rise to fame from their early days becoming best friends on the set of Barney and Friends to touring with the Jonas Brothers and finally securing record deals of their own. Including sections on their hit shows Sonny with a Chance and Wizards of Waverly Place as well as Camp Rock, their music, and their upcoming Disney channel original movie Princess Protection Program.

RuPaul Andre Charles always knew he was meant to be a performer. Even as a young child, he loved to dress up and imitate the glamorous women he saw on television. When he turned 15, he began studying theater in a performing arts school in Atlanta and never looked back. Ru developed his drag-queen personality and launched his career in the 1980s. He now hosts and judges the widely popular and long-running show RuPaul's Drag Race, which has raised the profile of the art of drag and drag queens around the world.

Jamie Grimm has finally accomplished his dream of proving himself the Planet's Funniest Kid Comic, and the sky's the limit from there. Enter a couple of TV executives with a huge plan for Jamie: a new show about Jamie and his oddball friends! But when Jamie struggles to learn the acting ropes, will it be an early curtain call for the biggest show of the decade?

As a shy young boy, Fred Rogers found comfort in telling stories through puppets. When television grew in popularity, he knew he wanted to create a show that encouraged kindness and goodness. His show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood shaped modern television and cemented his legacy.

A Culturematic is a little machine for making culture. It’s an ingenuity engine. The Culturematic acts as a probe into the often-alien world of contemporary culture, to test the atmosphere, to see what life it can sustain, to see who responds and how. Culturematics start small but can scale up ferociously, bootstrapping themselves as they go. Because they are so inexpensive, we can afford to fire off a multitude of them simultaneously. This is evolutionary strategy, iterative innovation, and rapid prototyping all at once.

So you think your mom is embarrassing? You won’t after you meet mine. She’s the co-host of a morning television show and her host chat has covered everything I’ve done from puking on my piano teacher’s shoes to gluing antlers on my head. But I’ve got the microphone now and I’m doing weekly commentaries on my school’s broadcast/podcast. Don’t get me wrong - mom’s awesome, and I’d never really want to freak her out. But if viewers get to hear about my private life, why can’t I dish about Mom’s new boyfriend, or how dorky she is as a school volunteer?

Enemy bombers. Gas masks. Evacuation. What was World War Two really like? Five modern children have the chance to find out. They are taking part in Strictly Evacuees, a brand-new reality show.

Excitement builds when a reality-TV crew arrive at Katie’s boarding school. This could be her big chance to star on TV! But the show’s producer is her arch-enemy, Danielle’s, older brother, and as usual Danielle is doing everything in her power to make sure there’s only one star – her.If Katie and her friends can win the talent contest, then they’re guaranteed a shot at fame.

On Halloween eve 1938, people across America gathered around the radio to listen to their favorite Sunday evening program. Expecting to hear the latest drama from Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre, many were alarmed when news bulletins interrupted the show. New Jersey had been rocked by mysterious explosions. The announcements continued, each more frantic than the last. An invading army's strange and powerful weapons had killed thousands. Listeners feared the worst. Was America under attack by the Germans? Could this be the start of another world war?

Violence is considered by most, a tricky thing to predict. Some researchers say otherwise, and that violence may actually be able to be prevented. I look deep into the history of media's influence on violence in society, as well as today's influence. I also discuss important studies that were conducted to reveal the truth.