At the height of the MTV era, PBS got in on the video revolution, throwing cash at a bunch of avant-garde performers and artists with open-ended instructions to explore the boundaries of television. The results were predictably stoner-friendly and surreal.
Between her towering height, plain looks and incredibly strange voice, legendary chef Julia Child at first seemed ill-suited for television, but she ended up changing the medium as much as she did American attitudes toward food.
Scott Moran, standup comic and creator of the excellent web series Modern Comedian, tells me about his inspiration for the show, how he goes about creating an episode and his plans for the future.
A look at the creation and impact of Computer Chronicles, the pioneering and long-running public television show which set out to examine the technology of the future, but also ended up creating an amazing window to the past.
Produced at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in 1984, Storylordsis an educational series following the young Norbert as he tries to save the mythical land of Mojuste from the evil clutches of Thorzuul, armed only with helpful reading techniques. Though it still runs during instructional blocks on PBS, the series was shown in 3rd grade classes for a long time, at least long enough to become an integral part of my fond elementary school memories. I'm not sure how far this traveled beyond Wisconsin (if you enjoyed it in some far-flung city, leave a comment), but thanks to the Internet, we can all revel in its cheesy splendor. Holy Camole! Hop on your Bike-o-tron and let's ride!
