(Pretty OT) Old PBS Shows

AuroraGyps · Oct 15, 2002

Help! For a while now I've been scouring the internet trying to find titles of old PBS shows that I used to watch in the '70s & early '80s, but I haven't had much luck. I used to a watch a few of their kids shows, like The Big Blue Marble, but I watched alot of science and art shows too. Like, the one with the African American guy... the title sequnce was puzzle like and placed over what he was doing so you could see him throught the letters. It also had a wierd theme song that sounded like it should've gone with a news show.
Also, I watched an art show where when the title of the show was written in cursive and mirrored, it looked like a grasshopper (the bug was the shows "mascot").
Please, if you watched alot of PBS, list some of the shows you watched and what you remember of them. This driving me nuts.

My last idea is to write PBS, but I thought I'd try here first since, like me, you all seem to remember alot of useless info.

Thanx.

Crothian · Oct 15, 2002

One of my old favorites was 3 2 1 Contact. It featured the Bloodhound gang, a kids mystery segment. They also had a series of books on them and I read them all.

Dragongirl · Oct 15, 2002

Personally what I have liked most on PBS are the British comedies...

Are You Being Served This took place in a clothing store, and though that does not sound like it woule be funny it really was. It had terribly stereotypical characters, the gay guy, the horny guy, the stuck up floor manager, the ancient senile owner, etc.

Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister These were 2 series with the same actors and was centered around the Minister/Prime Minister and his ever suffering aide.

Hitchikers Guide to the Universe

Red Dwarf

Absolutely Fabulous

Keeping up Appearances Centered around a middle class woman who wanted to fit in with the upper crust. The problem was that one sister was married to a lower class slob and the other to a man that liked to climb trees and wear women's clothing. Was fun to see how she was going to keep her family away from whomever she was trying to impress.

Chef Funny show of an arrogant and anal chef and how he ran the kitchen of a nice hotel.

Blackadder

and of course

Dr. Who The series with Tom Baker, not the other actors who played the Dr.

AuroraGyps · Oct 15, 2002

PBS Kids Shows

Sorry... probably should've said KIDS' shows from the '70s and '80s. I know the art and science shows were on PBS, but a few of the children shows might have been elsewhere. I figure I'll focus on PBS though.

Barendd Nobeard · Oct 15, 2002

Re: PBS Kids Shows

AuroraGyps said:
Sorry... probably should've said KIDS' shows from the '70s and '80s.

Hey, you guys!!

The Electric Company, of course. It was sort of the "after Sesame Street" show. I don't really remember Morgan Freeman, but he was on it. Along with Bill Cosby (first season only) and Rita Moreno. Rita played my favorite character (the director with the bad actors), but I had a crush on Winnie (Judy Graubart). Other well-known performers who were on the show include Irene Cara (from Fame), and the voices of Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks, and Joan Rivers. There are a lot of fan sites for this show. If you want to hear the theme song, I can email you a .wav file.

"Sw-"
"eet"
"Sweet!"

Ripples - I have vague memories of this show. I remember it as being like a high school gym teacher talking about health. This may have been a local show (Washington DC area). Target audience was very young kids - first grade. I remember the host holding up bundles of popsicle sticks to show how many bones were in the human body.

Mulligan's Stew - This nutrition oriented show has a companion comic book. I think the comic even had a little flimsy plastic record with some of the songs on it. Songs like "Goulash, Garbanzo Beans, and Guacamole" - very memorable tunes!

Zoom - Another crush here--the Asian girl who did the funky arm trick.

Barendd Nobeard · Oct 15, 2002

Re: PBS Kids Shows

AuroraGyps said:
Sorry... probably should've said KIDS' shows from the '70s and '80s.

Hey, you guys!!

The Electric Company, of course. It was sort of the "after Sesame Street" show. I don't really remember Morgan Freeman, but he was on it. Along with Bill Cosby (first season only) and Rita Moreno. Rita played my favorite character (the director with the bad actors), but I had a crush on Winnie (Judy Graubart). Other well-known performers who were on the show include Irene Cara (from Fame), and the voices of Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks, and Joan Rivers. There are a lot of fan sites for this show. If you want to hear the theme song, I can email you a .wav file.

Ripples - I have vague memories of this show. I remember it as being like a high school gym teacher talking about health. This may have been a local show (Washington DC area). Target audience was very young kids - first grade. I remember the host holding up bundles of popsicle sticks to show how many bones were in the human body.

Mulligan's Stew - This nutrition oriented show has a companion comic book. I think the comic even had a little flimsy plastic record with some of the songs on it. Songs like "Goulash, Garbanzo Beans, and Guacamole" - very memorable tunes!

Zoom - Another crush here--the Asian girl who did the funky arm trick.

Fast Learner · Oct 15, 2002

I faintly remember the one you mentioned with the mirrored-title-that-becomes-a-grasshopper, but no clues on it's name.

Was it actually a cricket that it turned into?

The other one doesn't ring any bells. Kids shows I remember the names of have already been mentioned.

WayneLigon · Oct 16, 2002

Dragongirl said:
Keeping up Appearances Centered around a middle class woman who wanted to fit in with the upper crust. The problem

Man, that is one damn funny show. If I still had digital cable, it was running on BBC America, I think. That, along with Vicar of Dibly, has to be one of my favorite BBC shows.

"Mrs. Bucket, I.."

"Boo-KAY, Boo-KAY!"