I watched the very first episode of Sesame Street when I was a teenager. My dad, Newton Minow, helped get the funding for the show in the late 1960's and I remember how excited he was about transforming what children could learn from television. They would create catchy jingles and short, entertaining segments to help teach numbers, the alphabet, and more. I happened to be home from school with a bad cold the day it premiered, and I fell in love with it immediately, its fresh, insouciant, wildly imaginative, even more wildly funny, and utterly endearing sensibility. I still remember Wanda the Witch, who lived somewhere West of Washington and Wore a Wig. I loved watching it with my children. It was so much fun it was to see Smokey Robinson singing "U've Really Got a Hold on Me" with the letter U tugging on his leg and the day when everyone learned that Mr. Snuffleupagus was really real. I loved its gentle lessons about kindness and feelings. I especially remember one segment with violinist Itshak Perlman describing easy and hard with such simplicity and sweetness.
Forty years later, I still sneak a peek now and then. It's just...ducky.
Sesame Street has a delightful 40th anniversary video featuring guest stars from Michelle Obama to Adam Sandler, Jason Mraz, Paul Rudd, Jimmy Fallon, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Ricky Gervais. I'd love to hear your favorite Sesame Street memories.
Kids' television pioneer Soupy Sales died this week at age 83. Back before there were whole channels devoted to children's programming, and back way before children's television was certified wholesome and educational, Soupy Sales was just plain deliriously silly, pie-in-the-face fun with some first-class jazz accompaniment, and the children of the 1960's loved his anarchy and the way he left a lot to the imagination (we only saw the paws of some of the characters). He said he had been hit with more than 25,000 pies. And it was funny every time.
His terrific and very illuminating commentary is on the current "Frenemies" episode of "This American Life." Highly recommended for fans of reality television -- and friendship!
If you live in New York or Los Angeles, go see Spike Lee's latest movie in the theater. It is a film version of the Tony Award-winning musical autobiography, something between a concert and a play, about, by, and starring...
Parents and some grandparents will remember the old "Beany and Cecil" show about the boy with the propeller hat and his friend the sea-sick sea serpent and their adventures in outsmarting the dastardly Dishonest John. I'm very pleased that these...
Please watch this X Factor clip of Danyl Johnson singing "I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends" in what the notoriously critical Simon Cowell calls the best first audition he has seen since the show began. Johnson,...
I love this Slate article by Kim Gittleson on the best and worst uses of the classic jazz album, Kind of Blue, by Miles Davis, in film and television. The list includes an action film with real-life jazz-lover Clint Eastwood...
"Wiseguy" was a tough, smart 1980's television series about a cop (Ken Wahl) who goes deep undercover, starting with 18 months in prison to establish his criminal credentials. In this first season, just out on DVD, he infiltrates the organization...
Ellen Leventry's list of post-1990 angels on movies and television got me thinking about some of my favorites from the old days. Hard to believe that performers from Jack Benny to Cary Grant to Donald Duck have taken on an...
I'm thrilled with the wonderful new postage stamps saluting the early days of television. They bring back some very happy memories. I love all those old shows, especially "Burns & Allen," "The Twilight Zone," "The Ed Sullivan Show," and of...
Jon and Gina Brunson are Addicted to the Outdoors and so that is the name of their television show on the Outdoor Channel. Now they are working on a new show that will include their six children, ranging from age...
Be sure to read Paul Asay's entertaining and enlightening discussion of the lessons we learned from Saturday morning cartoon shows like "Scooby-Doo" (be careful of strangers) and "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" (television can teach moral lessons). I especially...
The magazine of the country's largest organization of lawyers, the American Bar Associaton has published its list of the 25 all-time greatest legal television shows from enduring classics like "LA Law," "Law & Order," and "Perry Mason" to some quirkier...
I'm not a fan of reality shows about dating because they seem too artificial and everyone on them seems so self-obsessed (granted, inevitable given their constantly being asked how they feel). But two new variations are worth a mention. Dating...
Thanks to Siva Vaidhyanathan for sharing this delightful interview with the newest PBS superhero, WordGirl, who keeps the world safe from bad guys and poor word choices! Here's to vivid and grammatically correct speech, and to PBS and WorldGirl....
I am very pleased to see this delightful DVD re-issued. I love the way it encourages kids to read by bringing them inside the stories. Meet Jack and the Giant, the Three Little Pigs, Little Red Ridinghood, and the Princess...
The Wrap has a provocative column by Domnic Patten about the impact of reality television programs on the children who participate in them. One problem is a loophole in the law. If children are working as actors on a film...
Forrest J. Ackerman is credited with coining the term "sci-fi" at UCLA in 1954. It is the perfect way to describe the wide range of astonishing, imaginative, mind-expanding works of fiction that are grounded in some element of science, often...
As well as I remember those misty images of Neil Armstrong coming out of the lunar module to put the first footstep on the moon, I remember the look on Walter Cronkite's face as he reported it. Cronkite died today...
Entertainment Weekly reports that Showtime has a new series about a minister and his family called "Revelation." Margaret Lyons wrote: I'd be pumped for anything from David Janollari and Craig Wright -- their mutual previous credit is Six Feet Under,...
VH1 has a 10th birthday tribute to SpongeBob Suqarepants that premieres tonight. VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip I like this tribute to SpongeBob's innocence and sincerity. The Washington Post has an article...
Is your family madly searching the Disney channel to find an orange life vest, a bottle of blue dye, and a blood pressure cuff? Then you must be participating in the very popular Disney Scavenger Sweepstakes! The list of required...
From the Parents Television Council: The Parents Television Council condemned Burger King, Carl's Jr., and Hardee's for a rash of new advertisements that are taking sexual innuendo to the next level. PTC slammed the companies for their gross irresponsibility and...
A forthcoming book and documentary about Gertrude Berg tell the story of this pioneering broadcaster, producer, and actress. According to a story in Flow Magazine, Gertrude Berg was the founder of the family situation comedy on radio and television. She...
The big announcement by Jon and Kate Gosselin that they are divorcing comes as no surprise. While they used the word "separate," the program acknowledged that it has gone farther than that and that they have filed for dissolution of...
I am a huge fan of advice columnist Dan Savage and his essays for "This American Life." His recent commentary on the death of his mother brought me to tears. And I am very impressed with his thoughtful assessment of...
Home is a gorgeous new documentary with a haunting musical score about the planet we live on. It is from internationally renowned French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand and produced by award-winning director Luc Besson. HOME is narrated in English by Glenn...
Why do we care so much about Jon and Kate? Why is the show about these two people and their twins and sextuplets so popular? And why are their marital problems getting so much attention? I feel terribly sad for...
As we get ready for next week's big release, Will Ferrell's "Land of the Lost," let's take a moment to remember the deliciously cheesy Saturday morning television show that inspired it....
I so enjoyed the sneak preview of the new fall series, "Glee." The characters are immediately engaging and the music is inspired. You can watch the entire pilot episode of "Glee" on Hulu and listen to an interview with the...
Get ready for this week's rebooting of the "Stark Trek" saga by revisiting the original television series. How much do you remember about Captain Kirk and his crew, whose origins we will see in the new J.J. Abrams film? 1....
Be sure to watch the amazing documentary The Hip Hop Project tonight and see the extraordinary work by Chris "Kazi" Rolle in encouraging young people to tell their stories. He gives kids who feel invisible a chance to own their...
What is is about the story of Grey Gardens that has been so enduringly fascinating? They have inspired a documentary film, a Broadway musical, endless articles, even a song by Rufus Wainwright. Some people think it is because the two...
iCarly is a cute Nickelodeon series about a girl named Carly (Miranda Cosgrove) who creates her own web show called iCarly with her best friends Sam and Freddie. The series incorporates content produced by the viewers. I've got copies of...
Qubo is sponsoring a contest for kids who make their own movies featuring the channel's Zimmer Twins. Children have until April 30 to submit animated films to be considered for broadcast on national TV. Young filmmakers can create mini animated...
Stacy Oristano provides comic relief as the warm-hearted but slightly trashy Mindy on "Friday Night Lights," one of the best shows on television. She was nice enough to take the time to answer some questions about the show and the...
I am really intrigued by the new NBC series Kings, "a contemporary re-telling of the timeless tale of David and Goliath. This series is an epic story of greed and power, war and romance, forbidden loves and secret alliances --...
This is what television used to look like. Watch this beguiling episode of "Father Knows Best" where Bud gets into trouble for shirking his chores to play a baseball game. It is impossible not to charmed by the innocent wholesomeness...
A Valentine for my readers -- this YouTube compilation of 10 great first kisses from recent television series, including "The O.C," "One Tree Hill," "Veronica Mars," and "Gilmore Girls."...
In the words of Entertainment Weekly, House and Cuddy will "do the deed" this season. The popular television series is about the irascible doctor who is a master diagnostician but who constantly battles with his frustrated supervisor about his disregard...
Many families have Super Bowl traditions as the generations gather around the television to watch the biggest football game of the year. It gives families a wonderful opportunity to share their interests and histories and to talk about the skill,...
Hey you guys! The classic 1970's show The Electric Company taught a generation of kids how to take the letters they learned on "Sesame Street" and turn them into words and sentences. The superstar cast included Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno,...
There is no better way to strengthen family connections than combining shared laughter and history. So every family should make time to watch the hilarious new PBS series "Make Em Laugh," the history of comedy on television and in the...
Jen Chaney reports in the Washington Post that "Lost" gets even more mysterious with its season premiere as the island itself begins to travel through time. After four seasons that contained flashbacks, flash-forwards and electromagnetic forces that sent some characters...
The Washington Post's always-delightful Jen Chaney wrote about her favorite television series holiday episodes from "Seinfeld" and "South Park" to "Moonlighting" and "The O.C." Be sure to take a look as the column includes some great clips. I remember the...
December is a long month for Jewish parents. From the day after Thanksgiving until New Year's Eve, America is completely saturated with Christmas and it can be very difficult to explain to small children why Santa seems to come to...
Television viewers have been inspired and captivated by Sunday School teacher Ruby Gettinger, a woman who is putting her weight loss journey on television in a reality show. Once over 700 pounds, she is now down to 500 and sticking...
Seinfeld's alternate December holiday has actual followers. There are even books about it. Its primary attraction seems to be that it is not Christmas, Hannukah, or Kwanzaa and that it is easy to observe. All you need is parties, grievance-airing,...
TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA * Dexter * House * In Treatment * Mad Men * True Blood ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION SERIES, DRAMA * Sally Field, Brothers & Sisters * Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit * January Jones,...
"Leverage" is old-fashioned entertainment, a little bit "Mission Impossible," a little bit "A-Team," a touch of "It Takes a Thief," and a lot of fun. It premieres tomorrow night on TNT at 10/9 Central. Tim Hutton plays Nathan Ford,...
New York's Paley Center for Media is asking visitors to select their favorites from a list of classic Christmas television specials. The top five vote-getters will be screened at the Paley Center in New York and Los Angeles between December...
Darby Hinton played Israel, the son of Daniel Boone on the classic 1960's television series starring Fess Parker. From the moment he got on the phone to talk with me about the series and its new release on DVD he...
The Washington Post has a poignant tribute to Leave It to Beaver from a man who found his favorite childhood show unexpectedly comforting when he was struggling with serious illness. "Leave It to Beaver" rejuvenates me. I need its gentle...
As we go to the polls today, honoring our Constitution's fundamental principles of representative democracy, another key element of Constitutional system of checks and balances is also at work. And it may include consideration of yet another key founding principle...
NPR has a great series about political firsts, including the first woman candidate for President (Victoria Woodhull, who ran in 1872, 48 years before women got the vote) and the impact of television on political campaigns in 1952, when Adlai...
Be sure to check out this terrific Beliefnet gallery from Mark I. Pinsky on the best Simpsons episodes about religions. It includes "Like Father, Like Clown" (written with the help of three rabbis, about Krusty the Clown's exploration of his...
There's an op-ed in today's Chicago Tribune is about the value of televised debates. It was written by my dad, Newton Minow, and his frequent co-author, Northwestern professor Craig LaMay. This week is the anniversary of the very first Presidential...
Newsweek's tribute to the opening credits of the new HBO series "True Blood" reminded me of the good old days when television show theme songs and opening credits were as much fun as the shows. The "Dick Van Dyke" show...
There's a terrific Idol Chatter post about the Chabad telethon with clips from John Voight, Matt LeBlanc as Joey, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and a lot of men dancing together. Chabad's 2008 telethon broadcasts tomorrow, September 14....
With not much new in theaters this week and next week, it's a good time to investigate some of the great online resources for entertainment. I was delighted to find out that there is still a way to see Joss...
Vampires are really big this year. Breaking Dawn, the fourth volume in Stephanie Meyers' Twilight series was the most eagerly anticipated book since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. And one of the most popular events at Comic-Con was the...
Anyone for a 3-hour tour? If you get on the S.S. Minnow and the other passengers are a movie star, a professor, a millionaire and his wife, not to mention Mary Ann, you might want to check to make sure...
The Parents Television Council released a new report on the way sex and marriage are portrayed on prime time television this afternoon. Today's prime-time television programming is not merely indifferent to the institution of marriage and the stabilizing role it...
I'm getting ready for one of my favorite events of the year, Comic-Con in San Diego. It began in 1970 with a few dozen comic collectors swapping comics and stories. This year, all 125,000 passes were sold out long before...
Entertainment Weekly has a very important article that asks a very important question. Why is it that the only minority character to anchor a new series is Cleveland Brown -- an animated character voiced by a white guy? The show...
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