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1
Arthur

PBS

Arthur Read, the spectacular bespectacled aardvark stars in this children's series about growing up. Typical childhood problems such as bratty siblings, schoolyard bullies and classroom cliques are addressed by this popular program. Arthur's eleventh season has come to a close. However, watch for repeats again soon on your local PBS station. And keep watching for more details on upcoming episodes of the program.

Developed from Marc Brown's beloved books, Arthur reminds us all of how it feels to be 8 years old. Just like your average kid, Arthur overcomes the dreaded obstacles of third-grade life, such as his tough teacher Mr. Ratburn, bullies, and mountains of homework. At home, Arthur must face the pint- terror also known as his sister Dora Winifred, or D.W. for short. Everything between these two is a struggle; who gets control of the television remote, who can play their Crazy Bus CD, whose hobbies are dumber, that's a baby show...Will Arthur ever win one of these pointless arguments? Probably never, because not only is D.W. fiercely independent, she's also very smart. But despite it all, Arthur and D.W. are still brother and sister, and when they're not arguing, they can accomplish great things together.

Keeping Arthur sane are his helpful friends --- an assortment of colorful animal cohorts who always provide sound advice and a few laughs too. They are: Francine Frensky (a tomboy who would rather play sports than go to the mall), Buster Baxter (an enthusiastic gourmand), Alan "The Brain" Powers (a bona-fide 3rd grade genius, who even writes computer programs in his spare time), Muffy Crosswire (the rich girl with a real heart of gold), and Sue Ellen Armstrong (a traveler of the world and geography expert). Arthur can also sometimes be seen with Fern Walters (a soft-spoken musician with semi-hidden goth interests), Binky Barnes (acts like a bully, but enjoys pastimes such as ballet and clarinet), George Nordgren / Lundgren (a somewhat shy moose who be truly entertaining when he tries), Prunella (who was supposed psychic powers and is actually in the fourth grade) and Jenna Morgan (a rarely seen cat-girl.) And of course, who could forget Pal, Arthur's lovable, loyal pet pooch?

Arthur airs on PBS every weekday and on some stations on weekends --- check local listings for time. Or, go to the PBSKids' Arthur schedule to find out which episode is airing in a city near you.

A large number of Arthur stories have been released on DVD and video. Many episodes are also available in book form. There are also a wealth of Arthur-related promotions and products, so keep an eye on the news and check online merchants such as eBay and Amazon, and your local stores.

Theme Song

Every day when you're walkin' down the street, Everybody that you meet, Has an original point of view... - Chorus: And I say "Hey!" (Hey!) What a wonderful kind of day! (Day!) If we can learn to work and play,(Play!) And get along with each other... - You've got to listen to your heart, Listen to the beat, Listen to the rhythm, the rhythm on the street, Open up your eyes, Open up your ears, Get together and make things better, By working together It's a simple message, and it comes from the heart, Believe in (believe in yourself...) 'Cuz that's the Place to START! - And I say "Hey!" (Hey!) What a wonderful kind of day! (Day!) If we can learn to work and play (PLAY!), And get along with each other Hey! What a wonderful kind of day Hey! What a wonderful kind of day... Hey!moreless
2
Sesame Street

PBS

Sesame Street is a widely recognized and perpetually daring experiment in educational children's programming. This show has taken popular-culture and turned it upside-down. The fast-paced advertisements that had parents of the new era worrying for their children were the basis for the original format of this show. The show has often satirized pop culture, and made itself easier for parents to watch along too. And thus, the positive impact this show has had on modern society is beyond another. No show is more recognized the world over by as many generations and walks of life. Shown in its original format or with changes to reflect a regional education focus, Sesame Street is now seen in over 140 countries. The show that Entertainment Weekly named the "20th Best Ever Show" has changed the education scene to focus on "entertainment." This has turned out to be a valuable theory that not only helps the medicinal learning go down easier, but it also increases the effectiveness of the information being taught. In an almost backwards sense, the show stays fresh by recycling programming ideas every three years, by which time a new group of kids is watching. Unlike most PBS Kids shows, which have an original run, then go into continuous repeats until getting dropped by PBS or sold to another network, Sesame Street has created many new episodes every season since its debut Nov. 10, 1969. American teachers now expect children to arrive on the first day of school knowing the basics about letters, numbers, and language. "Kindergarten now does what first grade used to do," creator Joan Ganz Cooney has said, "and I think that's directly due to Sesame Street." International versions have changed Sesame Street to be more relevant to their culture and environments. They adjust the unique American inner city, with a cast made up mainly of Muppets, African-Americans, Spaniards and Chinese to reflect their own lifestyles. For example, Canada's Sesame Park features a small suburban town inhabited by folks like an otter and a bear, a bush pilot, a disabled child in a wheel-chair and her cat and Russia's Ulitsa Sesame set in a Russian dvor (courtyard) has a 9-foot tall tree spirit who has his joyous and problem-solving Muppet friends. No show can help in tumultuous or troubled times like Sesame Street. For example: • The Israelis and the Palestinians have now merged their independent spin-offs, to help teach the fighting cultures to accept each other for who they are, not what they have done in the past. • The original American Sesame Street helped children deal with the incidents of 9-11 • On the week of October 4-8, 2004, Sesame Workshop actually dug up reruns of Sesame Street episodes from its 32nd season, in which a hurricane plundered the neighborhood. This move was to come to grips with those disabused by the four hurricanes that struck Florida in a six-week span the previous August and September. It also sent a message about the news' propensity for covering violent acts. • The current South African government has not taken much action on the matters of HIV and AIDS, so in 2003, the South African version of Sesame Street added in a 5-year-old girl monster who manages to go about daily life with ease, even though she intercepted HIV through a blood transfusion shortly after birth. This led to an American backlash, even though her exposure in the States has always been restricted to sesameworkshop.org. Undoubtedly, she is the hardest-edged Muppet since Jim Henson's ill-fated "Creatures from the Planet Gorch" on Saturday Night Live's first season. • No other puppet than a Muppet, namely Elmo, could be taken seriously when asking America's congressional Education Appropriations Subcommittee for more funding to school music programs, so that "when Elmo goes to school, there will be the instruments to play." (Unfortunately, Newt Gingrich's Congress chose instead to divert to Sesame Street production funds from other PBS series. Among the casualties was one of Sesame Street's godchildren, Ghostwriter.) •In the mid-70s, they introduced Linda Bove, a deaf actress playing a deaf librarian that lives a life equal to all the rest of the area's inhabitants. Please note that Sesame Street's air time varies between various PBS stations in America. In recent years, a few PBS stations have dropped the show (including WNYE in New York, whose last airing was in June 2003). sesame street even had a touring show, SESAME STREET LIVE,which has just recently celebrated 25 years of performing. Characters Cookie Monster Cookie Monster has always had a passion for cookies, gobbling them up whenever he can. However, in order to promote healthy eating habits, Cookie Monster recently learned that cookies are a "sometime" food. So now, Cookie Monster also eats fruits and vegetables in addition to his trademark snack. Elmo Elmo is a cute little red monster, who wants to know more about the world he is growing up in. Oscar the Grouch Oscar lives in a dustbin, sure its not the most hygienic of places, but Oscar isn't the most hygienic of creatures. He likes to cause mischief but also enjoys learning. Ernie and Bert Best friends and room-mates, both showing us how people get along with each other and how sometimes you may even fall-out with your best friend. The Count The Count, would teaches us to count, whether it be really difficult numbers or easy numbers, the Counts thing is maths and counting, and he sure is good at it. Big Bird A huge yellow bird, who's everyone's friend. No matter what species, color or race you are.moreless
3
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

PBS (ended 2001)

"In a little toy neighborhood, a tiny trolley rolls past a house at the end of a street. Welcome toMister Rogers' Neighborhood." In the annals of children's TV, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood ranks among the longest-lasting and beloved shows. Upon its conclusion, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood was the longest-running series in PBS history (a record eclipsed by Sesame Street in 2003). Host Fred Rogers (known to millions as simply "Mister Rogers") used his gentle charm and mannerisms to communicate with his audience of children. Topics centered on nearly every inconceivable matter of concern to children, ranging from everyday fears related to going to sleep, getting immunizations and disappointment about not getting one's way to losing a loved one to death and physical handicaps. Rogers used simple songs and, on nearly every show, segments from the Neighborhood of Make-Believe (NOM) to make his point. A scale-model trolley was often (but not always) used to segue into the Make-Believe segments, said neighborhood being inhabited by puppet characters including King Friday XIII, Lady Elaine Fairchild and Daniel Striped Tiger. Many shows also featured visits from cast members – most often Mr. McFeely (tagline: "Speedy Delivery"), Robert Trow, Joe Negri and Chef Brockett (the local baker). Many times, Rogers also visited the neighborhood shops of both the regulars and guests. Each show began and ended with a camera panning over a scale neighborhood (said to represent the town where Rogers lived). Production History While today's longer-running PBS Kids shows reinvent themselves every five years, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood achieved, throughout its 31 seasons, that rarest of elements: consistency. It is a legacy that can all be traced through every aspect of Fred Rogers' television career. Some of the characters in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, both real and imagined, had appeared in two of Fred Rogers' earlier programs, The Children's Corner for Pittsburgh's WQED in 1954 and the CBC's Misterogers in 1963. It was for Misterogers that Fred first appeared on-camera. Rogers returned to WQED in Pittsburgh to begin writing and hosting Mister Rogers' Neighborhood May 22, 1967. Several other public television stations from Chicago to Boston carried the show on a trial basis that year. Beginning February 19, 1968, the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood program that we know today, began airing nationwide on National Educational Television (NET), the predecessor to PBS. This was also the year David Newell, returned from Europe, began work for Rogers. He was in charge of the production as well as the neighborhood's Speedy Delivery service. (AN ASIDE: Rogers wanted to call the delivery man Mr. McCurdy after the man at the Sears-Roebuck Foundation, whose support launched Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. But the people at Sears-Roebuck called Rogers and said "Mr. McCurdy" was too self-serving. Thus Rogers went to his roots to rename Newell's deliveryman. "McFeely" was Rogers' middle name and the last name of his maternal grandfather.) Shows were produced as a daily strip from 1968 to 1976, at which time production was suspended. Counting black-and-white episodes, 590 shows were produced in that span. Production resumed at the beginning of the remote video age in 1979. Rogers went on location more, supervising videos of how people make things (a precursor to the TVO series Here's How!). Other characters would be introduced in the subsequent two decades. In all, 305 new programs were taped from 1979 through 2001. Of that volume, the most notable shows came in 1991, with Rogers focusing on calming children's fears during the first U.S. war with Iraq. PBS gradually narrowed the window for the 460 "pre-79" episodes with each new season from 1980 onward. When the number of "post-75" episodes was enough to cover entire years, the classic shows were retired, last airing on PBS in the summer of 1995. Despite the production stoppage and the subsequent passing of Fred Rogers on February 27, 2003, PBS continues to repeat Mister Roger's Neighborhood in all its original glory–an accomplishment unique among all PBS Kids shows.moreless
4
Wild Kratts

PBS

Join creature teachers Chris and Martin Kratt on PBS KIDS GO's new series "Wild Kratts". Children are pulled into the show as they tag along with Chris and Martin on their animal-powered adventures.moreless
5
Liberty's Kids

PBS (ended 2004)

Liberty's Kids was a truly "revolutionary" children's animated series by DIC. For as long as it ran on PBS, Liberty's Kids entertained seven- to twelve-year-olds while introducing them to the exciting stories and people behind the birth of a nation. The program unfurled its historical vignettes through the eyes of two teenage apprentices, Sarah Phillips and James Hiller, who worked in Benjamin Franklin's print shop and discovered first-hand the great adventures of the American Revolution. Benjamin Franklin's wise words and strong principled actions gave guidance to our young heroes, whether he is with them in Philadelphia or writing from across the ocean in France. James Hiller was a 14-year-old apprentice journalist at Ben Franklin's Print Shop. He idolized Dr. Franklin and hoped to run his own newspaper someday. Moses was born in West Africa. After learning the valuable job of smithing, he was able to earn enough money to buy his freedom back. Moses traveled to Philadelphia where he found employment taking care of Benjamin Franklin's printing press. Henri was an eight-year-old street urchin, who had been semi-adopted by Moses and James, who rescued him from a ship. He paid for his room and board by helping out around the print shop and learning how to read and write. Sarah Phillips was a bright 15-year-old girl from England. She helped James and Henri on their wonderful adventures. For a while, she found James' idea of liberty very agitating while working as a journalist to get the Loyalist side of each of James' stories. Liberty's Kids was designed as a 40-part miniseries, run on PBS September 2, 2002 to August 13, 2004. After that, cut-down versions were scattered to commercial stations. The Theme Song is performed by: Aaron Carter and Kayla I see a land with liberty for all Next thing I know the truth will rise and fall That's just the way it goes A word now to the wise The world was made to change Each day is a surprize I'm looking at life with my own eyes I'm searching for a hero to idolize Feeling the pain as innocence dies I'm looking at life through my own eyes I'll take my heart into battle Give that freedom bell a raddle Get my independence signed Declare for it on the dotted line Let Philadelphia freedom ring and patriotic voices sing Red, White and Blue Never give up You represent America! I'm hoping and praying for a brighter day I listen to my heart and I obey How can I see it any other way? I'm looking at life through my own eyesmoreless
6
Reading Rainbow

PBS (ended 2006)

Reading Rainbow is a children's series designed to promote reading comprehension in elementary school age children. Host LeVar Burton introduces the theme of the episode and the book to be profiled in an animated story using the illustrations from the book and narrated by a celebrity, such as Bill Cosby, Ruby Dee, Richard Gere, and the late great stars Ossie Davis, Julia Child, Raul Julia and Gilda Radner, for example. After the story is finished, feature stories in the same subject as the book are profiled, and youth reviewers give critiques of three additional books. LeVar usually introduces the children critics by saying, "but you don't have to take my word for it..."moreless
7
WordGirl

PBS

Learn new words and expand your vocabulary with the help of a different kind of superhero known as WordGirl. WordGirl and her monkey sidekick, Captain Huggy Face, are the resident superheroes of Fair City, and originally arrived from the planet Lexicon, protecting the innocent, and righting the wrong of villains such as Doctor Two-Brains, The Butcher, Granny May and Mr. Big. When not fighting crime, they turn themselves into an ordinary 10-year-old named Becky Botsford and her pet monkey, Bob.moreless
8
Martha Speaks

PBS

Martha is a dog who, upon eating alphabet soup, can speak! Based on Susan Meddaugh's children's books, this show aims to teach young children new words as Martha communicates with her best friend, ten-year-old Helen. Martha Speaks Theme Song: Martha was an average dog. She went-bark.-And-woof. And-arrr. But when she ate some alphabet soup, then what happened was bizzare. On the way to Martha's stomach, the letters lost their way. They traveled to her brain and now- She's got a lot to say. Now she speaks. How now brown cow? Martha speaks. Yeah, she speaks and speaks and speaks and speaks and speaks... What's a caboose? When are we eating again? Martha speaks... Hey Joe, what d'ya know! My name's not Joe. She's not always right but still that Martha speaks. Hi there! She's got a voice; she's ready to shout. Martha will tell you what it's all about. Sometimes wrong, but seldom in doubt. Martha will tell you what it's all about. That dog's unique... Testing, one, two! Hear her speak! Martha speaks and speaks and speaks and speaks and... Communicates, enumerates, elucidates, exaggerates, indicates, and explicates, bloviates, and overstates, and (pant, pant, pant)hyperventilates! Martha...to reiterate, Martha Speaks!moreless
9
Curious George

PBS

The tale of Curious George is sweet and basic. George, an African monkey, is being raised by the Man in the Yellow Hat. The Man in the Yellow Hat tries very hard to care for George, however, complications frequently occur, typically George's naivety and curiosity get him and others into trouble.

The Man in the Yellow hat is typically able to save the day. On the rare occasions that things are beyond the Man in the Yellow Hat's control, George comes through and rights all wrong (usually George is the cause of the wrong). In the end, because George is just a helpless, innocent little monkey, everyone realizes that he is sorry for his actions, and they forgive him for causing trouble.

For over sixty years Curious George has been entertaining and educating young people. The concept of Curious George began as a series of children's books written by Margret and H.A. Rey in 1941. The books were immensely popular with children because George possessed so many child-like characteristics, and the plot was so basic and innocent.

In 1979 the Curious George books were turned into a cartoon so a wider audience could enjoy them.

Curious George airs on PBS weekdays at 8:30 am; & 3:30 pm eastern time.moreless
10
Dinosaur Train

PBS

It's a dream come true for all young dino-fans: a CGI-animated series called Dinosaur Train brings the natural sciences, including history and paleontology, to life. Aimed at preschoolers, this new PBS Kids series, co-produced by the Jim Henson Co., includes 40 half-hour episodes featuring live-action and paleontologist Dr. Scott Sampson as well as additional learning resources like an interactive Web site for children and activities for parents and teachers. Dinosaur Train was created by Craig Bartlett (Hey Arnold) and focuses on the adventures of pteranadons Shiny, Tiny and Don as well as their adopted brother, Buddy. Buddy is a curious young dinosaur who is determined to learn his true origins. He likes to make hypotheses (educated, scientific predictions) and is a keen observer of the world around him. To aid him in his quest to learn about his world, his parents often take him on the Dinosaur Train, a fantastical train capable of time-traveling to any period in the Mesozoic Era through devices known as "time tunnels." Dinosaur Train is seen weekdays on most PBSKids stations as part of the PBSKids Preschool Block, featuring Miss Rosa. The program is presented in widescreen, is rated TV-Y with E/I for educational/instructional content and features CGI animation.moreless
11
Dragon Tales

PBS (ended 2005)

Two Hispanic children, Max and Emmy, move into a new home. Like any young children, they're not quite happy at first about moving. Then, Emmy finds a secret drawer and inside is box containing a magical, shimmering dragon scale. Hmmm... there's some words on the box. What do they say? "I wish, I wish, with all my heart, to fly with dragons, in a land apart." The magical decorations fly around them, transporting them (and us) to Dragon Land.

Brought to you by Sesame Workshop (formerly Children's Television Workshop), the company that brings you Sesame Street it's Dragon Tales! Join Cassie, Ord, Zak & Wheezie, Quetzal, and their human friends, Max and Emmy in two daily adventures, each separated by a musical interstitial, "Dragon Tunes."

Dragon Tales has enjoyed two seasons and many years of success on PBSKids. The show's popularity has spawned book, video, DVD and CD releases and even a live stage show. Now, the show's popularity has prompted its return. The third season is now airing in repeats along with the first and second, featuring folk songs and a folk theme, as well as a new character named Enrique --- a pleasant looking fellow in an Arthureseque outfit who's moved in next door to Max and Emmy. As some new stories are being paired with past stories, keep an eye on this guide to find out what's new and what's not. The new Dragon Tales CD released on February 15, 2005, featuring 14 tracks, some previously available on CD, but some never-before-released ones as well, such as "Friends," "Hola," and "Speak Up."

After it's return in 2005, it's not yet known if any further new episodes will air. Please note that the show status is currently listed as On Hiatus / TBD, but that may change if it turns out the program will return.

Dragon Tales is going to be part of the new PBSKids "pre-school block." Watch for this special block of programming beginning this fall. It will feature two new PBSKids shows It's a Big Big World and Curious George along with this show and Clifford the Big Red Dog.

Looking to find out even more about Dragon Tales? Try the show's PBSKids official website. Now updated for the third season, you can listen to songs, get character info, play games and much more at the official site. There's material for parents as well. Stop by Sesame Workshop's Pressroom also to get even more information on the third season.

Character Guide:

Emmy: Emmy is six-years old and has an active spirit and sense of adventure. She's always ready to chip in her ideas, participate in fun games and sporting activities and help out all of her friends. However, her take-charge personality can sometimes rub the wrong way and she occasionally needs to take a step back when she becomes too close to the action. Her best dragon friend is Cassie and she usually rides with her.

Max: Max is Emmy's four-year old little brother. He's always happy to join her on an adventure to Dragon Land, but sometimes gets upset about being too small to do certain things. Although not as competitive or sporty as Emmy, he too delights in the fun adventures that Dragon Land has to offer. His best dragon friend is Ord and he usually rides with him.

Cassie: Cassie is a sweet and intelligent, but rather shy pink dragon. She often has many great ideas and is good at many things, but sometimes lacks the confidence to speak her mind. She gets help from all of her friends, especially Emmy, and from her teacher Quetzal. Family is very important to Cassie, as she has 72 brothers and sisters and sometimes helps her parents to take care of her little sister Kiki and her little brother, Finn.

Birthday: May 16

Ord: Ord is a tall blue dragon who loves nothing more than to eat, particularly anything with dragonberrys in it. Though his tall height appears scary at first, he himself fears many things. One of his biggest fears is the dark, a problem he often wrestles with in the series.

Birthday: September 9

Zak: Zak is not only a brother to his sister, Wheezie, he's also a very special partner. Zak and Wheezie are a dynamic duo, a two-headed dragon who often work together, but can also think quite independently. Zak enjoys the status quo, but his wild sister Wheezie often helps him to find a good time. Desiring peace, Zak often finds himself at the receiving end of various indignities --- from food on the head to a fish blowing bubbles straight in his face.

Birthday: July 21

Wheezie: Wheezie is a high-strung dragon who loves singing, doing wild things and shouting and singing about the things she loves. Sister of and joined with Zak, she can't always understand his desire for her to calm down. Still, the two always find in the end that they wouldn't have it any other way.

Birthday: July 21

Quetzal: Hailing from some sort of Dragon Land Mexico, apparently, Quetzal is a wise dragon teacher who instructs the kids and dragons at the School in the Sky. Unlike other dragon adults, he's only a bit larger than the kids, to keep him easily recognizable to the viewing audience. Quetzal has a magical book that contains reference on many things in Dragon Land. He's always a great source of advice, but tries as best as possible to only help the kids and dragons in solving their own problems.

Birthday: September 27

Enrique: He's a new character coming to the third season of the program in February 2005. Enrique is raised by his Dad and Grandma and he's recently moved to the area where Max and Emmy live, all the way from Colombia. They meet and show him Dragon Land. At first, he's a bit scared, especially because he finds it hard to connect with people, having moved many times. But soon he's having great adventures in Dragon Land, just like Max and Emmy! Since Zak and Wheezie were left, he rides with them, and they're delighted at the opportunity to have someone to ride with them, since they usually flew only with each other in the past.

Dragon Tales airs weekdays on most PBS stations and also in some foreign markets.

Dragon birthdays courtesy of the 2005 Dragon Tales calendar. Special thanks to Sesame Workshop:
(c) 2005 Sesame Workshop/Columbia Tristar Television Distribution. "Dragon Tales" and its logo are trademarks of Sesame Workshop and Columbia Tristar Television Distribution. All rights reserved.moreless
12
The Electric Company 1970s

PBS (ended 1977)

On the heels of its fabulously successful Sesame Street, the Children's Television Workshop (CTW) created The Electric Company. With its roots in Motown Sound, Broadway and Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, The Electric Company drew attention for six years as the most popular instructional television show. It would win an Emmy for Outstanding Children's Series, and its soundtrack album earned a Grammy. Targeting children ages 6 through 10, The Electric Company aimed to teach basic reading and grammar skills to the young viewers. The show's cast of skit players helped teach these concepts through the use of skits, songs, cartoon and blackout segments and regular features; all of them revolved around sound clusters (e.g., sh-, -ly, -oo-), contractions, punctuation marks, etc. The series provided material for elementary schools, as CTW published a biweekly TEC Teacher's Guide detailing program contents. Quickly, the cast members began to establish themselves with various personas: • Skip Hinnant (who had played Schroeder in the off-Broadway production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown) had one of the best known characters: Fargo North, Decoder. Early in the run, this Peter Sellers knock-off interpreted messages that people gave to him when they couldn't understand what had been written. • The show also made Morgan Freeman. He created Easy Reader, the cool dude who loved reading anything he could get his hands on. Freeman also played radio disc jockey Mel Mounds, who usually introduced The Short Circus tunes (see below). • Rita Moreno created her tagline, "Hey You Guys!", while playing Millie, the Milkman's helper. She put the same fire into playing Otto the Director, who fumed as her actors didn't read their lines properly. • Judy Graubart, alumnus of The Second City in Chicago, became Jennifer of the Jungle, teaching bits of phonetics to her friend Paul the Gorilla. • And who can forget J. Arthur Crank? Jimmy Boyd (B. 1939) created the character, strictly as a voice on a telephone during the first season. In all future years, Crank was seen as that bad-tempered loud dresser. Complimenting the adults in the cast was The Short Circus, a group of five teenaged performers usually involved in songs or dances. Members of The Short Circus drew names from a hat to determine what would be their character name. While the Short Circus changed its talents from one season to the next, they did keep one member constant: June Angela. The show also set itself apart with the cloud sets by Nat Mongioi (which members of the cast called "Limbo Land"), cool music by the late Joe Raposo and others, unique sound effects Dick Maitland pinned to punctuation marks, and the high-tech computer animation. The logo above can only suggest these elements, which seemed to represent the New Era back in the 1970s. Among the most popular of the regular features was Spiderman, a live-action segment added during the series' fourth season. The Spiderman segments (for which there were about two dozen or so made) featured The Electric Company cast as various characters. Beginning in 1972, there was also The Adventures of Letterman cartoon series. The evil Spell Binder would cause trouble by using his magic wand, replacing key letters to make the worse of situations (e.g.: Train into Rain). Then Letterman would take the letter(s) off his varsity sweater and correct the hazard. Muppet characters from Sesame Street (including Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch and Grover) also visited on occasion through the years. A total of 780 episodes of The Electric Company aired from 1971 to 1977 on PBS; reruns of the final two seasons aired through the fall of 1985. Programs always ended with one of its cast members stating: The Electric Company gets its power from The Children's Television Workshop. This was followed by a superimposed caption: The Electric Company is a trademark and service mark of the Children's Television Workshop. © Copyright Children's Television Workshop 1971 to 1977 In 1972, CTW began issuing The Electric Company magazine. Appropriately enough, the mag contained feature articles, games and other activities featuring members of the show's cast. It was published until the late-1980s, when replaced with a magazine called Kid City. A sister magazine, Spidey Super Stories (also issued and endorsed by The Electric Company's producers) contained children's reading level-versions of the web slinger's battles with his arch-enemies plus comic strip versions of the The Electric Company Spiderman segments. Spidey Super Stories were published from October 1974 to January 1982. Sixty-five episodes of The Electric Company from various seasons – a good share from the 1972-1973 and 1973-1974 seasons – began airing on Nickelodeon's new Noggin network in the spring of 1999 (kicked off with a two-hour retrospective of the show on TV Land, another Nickelodeon sister network). The shows were edited slightly, removing all program numbers and show-ending teases (see Notes within Show 131). Also for the Noggin run, CTW gave credit to Marvel Comics, which had never received a copyright notice on the original run. Thus all episodes from Seasons 4 to 6 had their copyrights redisplayed: The Electric Company is a trademark and service mark of the Children's Television Workshop. © Copyright Children's Television Workshop 1974 to 1976 The use of the character Spiderman was provided as a courtesy to the Children's Television Workshop by Marvel Comics Group. © Copyright Marvel Comics Group 1974 to 1976 At first, Noggin aired The Electric Company during several daytime and overnight time slots seven days a week. By the time CTW was renamed Sesame Workshop in 2000, however, the show's timeslots were downgraded to late-nights and then, in 2002, only a couple of weekend overnight airings. In early 2003, with the value of Sesame Workshop's interest in Noggin even less (if not zero), The Electric Company was pulled from Noggin's schedule altogether. (Note: Classic episodes of Sesame Street, which were shown under the title Sesame Street Unpaved, had also been a part of Noggin's schedule. Noggin had shown 65 classic episodes (originally airing between 1969 to 1986) of the series. Like The Electric Company, Sesame Street Unpaved had originally aired weekdays before being placed in downgraded timeslots (eventually weekend overnights). Both shows had attracted primarily adults (who had watched the show as children) and college-aged fans, and both shows were too dated for their intended childhood audience. Noggin underwent a total personality change beginning April 1, 2002, placing more emphasis on original programming (in addition to airing reruns of Nickelodeon kiddie shows). The general effect of removing The Electric Company from the airwaves, has not been a pleasant one for American society. Some people believe Sesame Workshop discusses The Electric Company only when lowering the wrecker's ball on those who have violated their copyrights. (To this day, The Electric Company™ and the logo are trademarks and service marks of Sesame Workshop, © 1971-1977.) Though it appears Sesame Workshop chooses not to live in the past, it has been digitizing segments from all its old shows in preparation for DVD releases. The first DVD of The Electric Company is scheduled for release in 2006. (This is the result of an independent campaign for a TEC DVD release; see below.) The Electric Company will always be remembered by its fans as an entertaining series which taught children to read. Elementary classroom teachers regularly scheduled their days so their students could watch the show, and reading scores increased as a result of in-class and home viewing. Hey You Guys! petersmith among them We're gonna turn it on We're gonna bring you the power We're gonna light up The dark of night Like the brightest day In a whole new way We're gonna turn it on We're gonna bring you the power It's coming down the line Strong as it can be Through the courtesy Of The Electric Company™ from The Electric Company Theme Music and Lyrics by Joe Raposo © 1971 Jonico Musicmoreless
13
Ghostwriter

PBS (ended 1995)

Ghostwriter was the story of a group of New York City kids, brought together by the spiritual being known as "Ghostwriter". The kids work together, with Ghostwriter's help, to solve the mysteries they encounter. The series featured a cast of widely different ethnic groups, and focused on the concept of "making reading fun." The show was renewed for one year as The New Ghostwriter Mysteries" on CBS.moreless
14
Maya & Miguel

PBS

Maya & Miguel is based on two 10-year-old twins who are Hispanic and go to school, and make new friends. This show is made by Scholastic, who also makes children favorites such as Clifford The Big Red Dog, Clifford's Puppy Days and The Magic School Bus. Maya & Miguel features guest stars including Erik Estrada, Lucy Liu, Carlos Ponce and Elizabeth Peña. The show is made for 5 year old to 11 year old, but other children might be interested in it as well. The show entertains and educate children. It will entertain as it is an animated comedy. It educates because it teaches Spanish Language, Culture, traditions and it encourages cultural diversity. The show describes the adventures of the Santo's Twins. As well, as the lessons and experiences the twins have. It explains how the twins deal with their problems along with family and friends. Theme Song: It's Maya and Miguel! What they will do next you never can tell Brother and Sister, and Best Friends as Well With each Misadventure they're put to the test Working together is what they do best Helping their family and friends, that's the start He leads with his head, and she follows her heart It's Maya, (it's maya) and Miguel (miguel) What they will do next you never can tell It's Maya, (it's maya) and Miguel (miguel) Brother and Sister, and Best Friends as Well Brother and Sister, Maya and Miguel! Character Bios Maya- Maya is a great person who always tries to help everyone. Sometimes her plans go wrong, but everyone knows she had good intentions. Maya loves to have adventures with her twin brother Miguel. Miguel- Miguel is three minutes older than Maya, so he always uses that against her. Miguel loves to have adventures with his twin sister although he does not admit it. Miguel loves Soccer, music and laugh. Paco- Paco is the family "perico", or bird. Paco always knows what to say. Paco enjoys eating crackers and other cookies. Rosa and Santiago- Rosa and Santiago are the most understanding parents you will ever meet. They enjoy playing with their children but also teaching them wise lessons. Theo- Theo is one of Miguel's best friends. Theo is very smart and hates to be called a geek, because he knows he is not one. Theo has great memory and can be counted on to solve many problems. Tito- Tito is the twins 7-year-old cousin who came from Mexico and lives with them. Tito does not know much English but he is catching up. He loves to have adventures with both his cousins. Andy- Andy is an American boy who is also Miguel's friend. Andy is physically challenged because of his arm. He hates it when people feel sorry for him or treat him differently. Maggie- Maggie is one of Maya's best friends. Her parents are from China, therefore her life is richly influenced by Chinese Culture. Chrissy- Chrissy is one Maya's best friends along with Maggie. Chrissy is an only child, therefore she loves to be with her friends. Abuela Elena- Abuela Elena is Maya and Miguel's grandma. She loves them and also likes to be with them as well as hang around with them. Mailman Sr. Felipe- Sr. Felipe is the neighborhood mailman who likes to be around the twins. Sr. Felipe always has something to say about Maya's ideas. He also loves to help the children around.moreless
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The Electric Company

PBS

"Hey You guyyyyyyyys!" PBS resurrects the 1970s favorite kid's program The Electric Company for a new generation! Full of didactic stories and engaging song and dance routines, the creators aim to teach young people to read in a down-to-earth street style that they will easily understand.moreless
16
Angelina Ballerina

PBS (ended 2003)

Set in Chipping Cheddar, a place similiar to 1920s London, Angelina Ballerina features Angelina Mouseling, a bold little mouse with big dreams - she hopes to become the greatest ballerina in Mouseland.

Based on the books by Katherine Holabird and Helen Craig, this animated series is produced by Grand Slamm Children's Films, for HIT Entertainment. Academy Award winner Dame Judi Dench lends her voice as Miss Lilly, Angelina's friend and ballet teacher. Judi Dench's own daughter, Finty Williams voices the heroine, Angelina Mouseling.

Charming, witty and tender, this program's destined to become one of HiT's best franchises.

As an added treat, each episode features a segment with young students from the Royal Academy of Dance.

Angelina Ballerina has appeared on CiTV in the UK, ABC in Australia, the PBS network in the US, and on various other networks worldwide. Videos are also available for those who live in an area which does not have networks that air the show.

Angelina Ballerina is a fictional mouse, created by author Katharine Holabird and illustrator Helen Craig, who features in a popular series of children's books. The first book in the series was published in 1982, and there have since been over twenty books in the series.

The series can currently be seen on Nick Jr. and PBS Kids Sprout.

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17
The Magic School Bus

PBS (ended 1997)

A classroom taught by Ms. Valerie Frizzle is always fun and exciting. The colorful teacher owns a Magic School Bus which can transform into different things like a spaceship, a battery, or even an alligator! These things can help Ms. Frizzle with visual teaching methods as she reveals information about anything in science. The students include Carlos, Phoebe, Keesha, Dorothy Ann, Tim, Ralphie, Arnold, and Wanda.

Originally, The Magic School Bus aired on PBS. But when production ceased after four years, The Magic School Bus's run on PBS ended with it. It reruns on TLC and Discovery Kids' network in the United States. It also airs in other countries.moreless
18
Kipper

PBS (ended 2000)

This show, which used to air on Nick Jr., focused on a laid-back dog and the simple adventures he has. His best friends is Tiger, a Scottie dog, and Pig, a well, pig. Pig also has a small cousin or some relation like that called Arnold. Arnold can't talk yet. Kipper Theme Song: They call him Kipper Kipper the Dog The one with the slipper That's Kipper Kipper the Dog By the way that's a toad not a frog Now, he can do this Do you think you could? He can do that Which is more than any old cat could Would you like a dog, like a dog, like a dog, like a dog like Kipper That's Kipper the Dog Now that's a frog.moreless
19
Kratts' Creatures

PBS (ended 1996)

This show is a nature show thats aimed at kids and explains the type of things young children would want to know. The hosts are two brothers, Chris and Martin. This show was canceled and turned into Zaboomafoo.moreless
20
Postcards from Buster

PBS

Arthur's best friend Buster, is starring in his own series. Buster accompanies his airline pilot father as he flies the fictional latin rock group Los Viajeros on a concert tour. Catch Buster in the second season of the program, now airing weekly on PBSKids GO!

Characters:

Buster Baxter - He's a rabbit who loves to eat! He's a big pig, but he is a loyal friend to his best friend Arthur. Buster loves taking naps, and he isn't very good in school.

Arthur Read - Buster's best friend. He is also very loyal to Buster. He wears glasses. He's an aardvark.

Theme Song:

Hey, Buster! Where you off too? What you up to? Buster! Where you off to now?

Where you gonna be? Who you gonna see there? Let's find out whose hands we'll shake See the things you've done We can have some fun there Let's find out what friends we'll make

Buster! Where you off to? What you up to? Buster! Where you off to now? (Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)

Ring around the globe From North Pole to South Pole Ridin' on horses, ferrys, trains and planes Hikin' bikin' swimmin' on the seashore He's got his camera And he's gonna explore All the neat things he's never done before. (Yeah, yeah, yeah)

Hey, Buster! Where you off to? What you up to? Buster! What you up to now, now, now? Hey Buster! Where you off to?

Info about the Theme Song:

The fun starts with "Hey Buster," the catchy, original theme song, performed by musician Wyclef Jean, formerly of the acclaimed rap group The Fugees. Wyclef-known for a multicultural that transcends musical genre-performs the song with help from 3 on 3, a teenaged hip-hop group that he is producing.

Show Music:

Each episode incorporates an original song about the region or city Buster is about to visit. The songs-sung by Los Viajeros-introduce viewers to the new location, help to advance the narrative, and engage viewers. Upbeat, diverse music genres are folded into storylines as a vehicle to help introduce kids to different cultures, as well as reinforce the curriculum for viewers who are learning English through repetition, rhyme, and catchy lyrics. Original music score by award-winning Argentinean composer Claudio Ragazzi (Next Stop Wonderland, The Blue Diner).

Books:

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers released Buster's Activity Book in time for the series premiere, packed with 32 pages of activities that center around the series' travel theme. They also launched in Spring 2005 a 12-book series of leveled readers for children ages six to nine titled Passport to Reading, which tie into Buster's adventures on the show, and the people and places he encounters on his journey.

FAQ:

Q. When is this show airing? A. The show began on October 11th, 2004. You can catch it weekdays on most PBS station as part of a block called PBS Kids GO! Check local schedule listings or the official website for the exact time in your area. The program is now in its second season, thanks to the funding of such organizations as The Arthur Vining Davis Foundation and The Gill Foundation.

Q. Is this show a spin-off of Arthur? A. Yes, it is. The show began from the episode of Arthur, "Postcards from Buster".

Q. What is the plot of this show? A. Buster travels to various locations, making new friends and learning about their culture. He sends video postcards back home to his friends in Elwood City, many of whom appear from time-to-time on the show.

Q. Who is the main character in this show? A. Buster is the star of the show, but his father Bo Baxter is also an important character. Los Viajeros --- Carlos and Mora are also central to the plot.

Q. Will the original characters air? A. Yes, they will because Buster is going to be keeping in touch with them through via cam.

Q. What ages is this show targeted at? A. This show is mainly targeted at four to eight, with a special emphasis on six to eight.

First Telecast: October 11th, 2004

Episodes: 50+

This is a spin off series from the hit PBS Kids series Arthur.moreless
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