Deep Dive: Kids Breaks 1997

When I look for old station breaks on YouTube, I’m often looking for particular spots I remember from my years working in on-air promotions. As I’ve mentioned, there’s no archive available for perusal – and any old tapes we once had with these elements have since been lost, recorded over or degraded to the point of worthlessness.

One of the spots I recalled was “Short McShort Short.” We aired it in kids breaks in the late ’90s. I found it online as part of a KERA Dallas break featuring a Bill Nye The Science Guy promo, a signaling value spot, some funding credits and elements from “The Game.” Here’s that break…

Monday Montage

What’s happening, what’s on and what’s interesting this week …

Watch NASA psychologists prepare astronauts for the extreme isolation required by a Mars mission as INDEPENDENT LENS presents SPACE: THE LONGEST GOODBYE – tonight at 10 on PBS NC.

Check out a trailer for the Netflix series Eric starring Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock). It looks seriously dark and creepy and I, for one, can’t wait.

Hey, It’s Photo Friday!

Another dip into the archives I acquired some years ago. Among the many booklets, articles, slides and miscellaneous materials, I find vintage photographs like this. Sadly, there is often little to no context so all I have to go on are guesses and visual clues which seem to indicate who, what and when.

Flashback: May 2009

Here’s the cover of our monthly program magazine from 15 years ago…

The featured program was WWII BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: STALIN, THE NAZIS AND THE WEST, a six-episode series that provided a new history of the Second World War. Also mentioned were a SECRETS OF THE DEAD titled Michelangelo Revealed, MASTERPIECE (The Old Curiosity Shop and Wallander being the presentations this month) and CRY FOR HELP, a program about teens and depression.

Sounds Familiar

“Well, kids, the Spinosaurus is the world’s largest therapod and the world’s largest land carnivore.” – Mr. Conductor (Ian James Corlett), dispensing dino-knowledge, DINOSAUR TRAIN

Wednesday Trivia Question

What’s the name of Rosie’s cat on ROSIE’S RULES?

ROSIE’S RULES is one of the newest additions to the PBS Kids line-up. Debuting in October 2022, the series follows Rosie Fuentes, a creative and optimistic 5-year-old with a whimsical imagination, as she investigates and learns about the area around her San Antonio home. Rosie lives in a multicultural household (her father is from Mexico City, her mother is from Wisconsin) and the show is primarily in English but blends in Spanish words and phrases.

Rosie’s family consists of her parents and two siblings – Crystal and Iggy. Rosie also has a fluffy white pet cat who is her cuddliest, fluffiest sidekick. Sometimes the kitty can be seen doing unusual human-like motions such as cartwheels, jumping rope and pattycake. The cat is a good listener, making her an excellent companion. She may also be a secret genius.

So what is it? What’s the name of Rosie’s cat on ROSIE’S RULES?

Where Do I Know That Actor?

MR. BATES VS. THE POST OFFICE is a four-part MASTERPIECE series that concluded its run Sunday night. According to PBS, it’s a “shockingly true David vs Goliath story following one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British legal history.” Britain’s Telegraph called it “undeniably powerful and finally redemptive.” Most viewers probably just know it as engrossing television.

If you’ve been watching, you probably recognized a few of the actors appearing in this limited series. Let’s see who’s who…

Toby Jones starred as Subpostmaster Alan Bates, the man responsible for assembling those wronged by the Post Office. I would have thought an actor of his talent and career would have made many appearances on shows we’ve aired on public broadcasting but I only found a few of note. He played Roger in Capital, Daniel Quilp in The Old Curiosity Shop and Ste Fox in Aristocrats. There were also guest spots in Cadfael and The Way We Live Now plus memorable appearances in Sherlock (as Culverton Smith in “The Lying Detective”) and in Midsomer Murders (as Dan Peterson for four episodes).

Monday Montage

What’s happening, what’s on and what’s interesting this week …

Tour of the coastal North Carolina town of Beaufort through the photos and memories of its older residents. Don’t miss BEAUFORT REMEMBERS – Tuesday night at 10 on the North Carolina Channel.

Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) talks to Variety about his successful Hollywood career and how playing disparate characters seems to fuel him.

Hey, It’s Photo Friday!

If you’re ever a guest on our public affairs series STATE LINES, here’s what you’ll be drinking out of. As one might guess, any decent political/current events discussion program needs to keep its guests hydrated since a dry mouth can be the difference between making a cogent argument and looking like a fool on statewide television. So that why we had these drinking mugs made up with the STATE LINES logo. They showcase our brand and make nifty souvenirs (assuming guests get to keep theirs – I don’t know for certain).

Flashback: 25 April 1982

Here’s what we were broadcasting in the afternoon and evening of 25 April 1982 on the airwaves of the University of North Carolina Center for Public Television…