Sesame Street

Sesame Street 1969

7.10

On a special inner city street, the inhabitants—human and muppet—teach preschoolers basic educational and social concepts using comedy, cartoons, games, and songs.

1969

NOVA

NOVA 1974

6.83

PBS' premier science series helps viewers of all ages explore the science behind the headlines. Along the way, NOVA demystifies science and technology, and highlights the people involved in scientific pursuits.

1974

This Old House

This Old House 1979

5.20

TV's original home-improvement show, following one whole-house renovation over several episodes.

1979

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors

Variety Studio: Actors on Actors 2014

4.33

PBS SoCal and Variety take you inside the biggest movies and T.V. shows of the past year through candid conversations with today's hottest actors. Hosted by Variety Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis and Variety Chief Correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister, each episode brings together pairs of actors engaging in intimate one-on-one discussions about their craft and work.

2014

Call the Midwife

Call the Midwife 2012

7.51

Drama following the lives of a group of midwives working in the poverty-stricken East End of London during the 1950s, based on the best-selling memoirs of Jennifer Worth.

2012

Frontline

Frontline 1983

7.50

Since it began in 1983, Frontline has been airing public-affairs documentaries that explore a wide scope of the complex human experience. Frontline's goal is to extend the impact of the documentary beyond its initial broadcast by serving as a catalyst for change.

1983

Great Performances

Great Performances 1971

4.90

The best in the performing arts from across America and around the world including a diverse programming portfolio of classical music, opera, popular song, musical theater, dance, drama, and performance documentaries.

1971

Curious George

Curious George 2006

7.10

With the help of his friend “The Man in the Yellow Hat,” a curious little monkey named George sets out on adventures to learn about the world around him.

2006

Barney & Friends

Barney & Friends 1992

4.89

Barney & Friends is an American children's television series aimed at children from ages 2 to 5. The series, which first aired on April 6, 1992, features the title character Barney, a purple anthropomorphic Tyrannosaurus rex who conveys educational messages through songs and small dance routines with a friendly, optimistic attitude.

1992

Masterpiece

Masterpiece 2017

1

As of the start of broadcasting Victoria Series One in January 2017, Masterpiece Classic was no longer branded as such, but simply Masterpiece (on screen, PBS Masterpiece online and social media), and it no longer had an on-screen host.

2017

Nature

Nature 1982

8.10

Consistently stunning documentaries transport viewers to far-flung locations ranging from the torrid African plains to the chilly splendours of icy Antarctica. The show's primary focus is on animals and ecosystems around the world. A comic book based on the show, meant to be used an as educational tool for kids, was briefly distributed to museums and schools at no cost in the mid-2000s.

1982

The Dick Cavett Show

The Dick Cavett Show 1968

6.60

The Dick Cavett Show has been the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks.

1968

Washington Week with The Atlantic

Washington Week with The Atlantic 1967

9.50

Journalists participate in a round-table discussion of news events in this award-winning public affairs series. It first aired in 1967, making it the longest-running prime-time news and public affairs program on television.

1967

Masterpiece Mystery

Masterpiece Mystery 1980

8.00

Mystery! is an episodic television series that debuted in 1980 in the USA. It airs on PBS and is produced by WGBH. The show has brought a large number of detective series and television movies—most of them British productions from the BBC or the ITV companies and usually adapted from mystery fiction literary sources—to air on American television. In 2002, they added an American-produced series based on the novels of Tony Hillerman to their roster.

1980

Firing Line with Margaret Hoover

Firing Line with Margaret Hoover 2018

7.50

Join author, activist and commentator Margaret Hoover for a public affairs talk show that delivers a civil and engaging contest of ideas among the brightest minds and voices from across the ideological spectrum.

2018

American Experience

American Experience 1988

7.46

TV's most-watched history series brings to life the compelling stories from our past that inform our understanding of the world today.

1988

The Electric Company

The Electric Company 1971

6.90

The Electric Company is an educational American children's television series that was produced by the Children's Television Workshop for PBS in the United States. PBS broadcast 780 episodes over the course of its six seasons from October 25, 1971 to April 15, 1977. After it ceased production that year, the program continued in reruns from 1977 to 1985, the result of a decision made in 1975 to produce two final seasons for perpetual use. CTW produced the show at Teletape Studios Second Stage in Manhattan, the first home of Sesame Street. The Electric Company employed sketch comedy and other devices to provide an entertaining program to help elementary school children develop their grammar and reading skills. It was intended for children who had graduated from CTW's flagship program, Sesame Street. Appropriately, the humor was more mature than what was seen there.

1971

WordGirl

WordGirl 2007

6.90

WordGirl is an American children’s animated television series for children aged 9 –12, produced by the Soup2Nuts animation unit of Scholastic Entertainment for PBS Kids. The show began as a series of shorts that premiered on PBS Kids Go! on November 10, 2006, usually shown at the end of Maya & Miguel; the segment was then spun off into a new thirty-minute episodic series that premiered on September 3, 2007 on most Public Broadcasting Service member stations. This animated show is aimed at children six to twelve years old, but viewers older than this demographic have been reported as well. It is designed to teach about the expansive English language and its vocabulary. All four seasons each have twenty-six episodes. The show is also seen on some educational networks in Canada, including Knowledge in British Columbia and TVOntario, as well as Discovery Kids in Latin America. The program is also syndicated internationally in places such as Australia and Italy.

2007

The French Chef

The French Chef 1963

6.83

One of the first cooking shows on American television, created and hosted by Julia Child on public television to introduce the French way of cooking. It emphasized fresh ingredients, many of which were unfamiliar to Americans. Based on the books she co-authored, entitled Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

1963

PBS News Weekend

PBS News Weekend 2013

4.80

A summary of the day’s national and international news, using renowned experts to provide in-depth analysis. Each weekend broadcast contains original, in-depth field reporting on topics including education, healthcare, the economy, energy, science and technology, religion, finance and the arts.

2013