Service Shows


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

Service shows describe non-fiction series that present information on specifics topics with the intent to teach, instruct, or offer an opinion, i.e. cooking, carpentry, or home décor programs.

Highlights
Julia Child on her popular cooking show, The French Chef  on PBS
26:30
Roger Ebert on his approach to reviewing a film in print and for television
02:04
Joseph Wapner on shooting The People's Court and becoming recognizable to the public
28:31
Suze Orman on the debut of her show on CNBC and how it evolved
Anthony Bourdain on the series The Mind of a Chef
04:04
Bob Vila on his first home improvement show, This Old House
36:02
Who talked about this genre

Mary V. Ahern

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Mary V. Ahern on early television shows she worked on, including On Trial and United or Not, and on the founding of the Ford Foundation
03:07
Mary V. Ahern on producing Horizons
00:56

Erik Barnouw

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Erik Barnouw on his earliest involvement with television in production at ABC with a book discussion program from Columbia University called Seminar
06:22

Anthony Bourdain

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Anthony Bourdain on his first TV series, A Cook's Tour
02:44
Anthony Bourdain on hosting Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
40:18
Anthony Bourdain on the series The Mind of a Chef
04:04
Anthony Bourdain on hosting Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
20:06

Vivian Brown

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Vivian Brown on hosting her show Day Planner on The Weather Channel
03:00

Alton Brown

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Alton Brown on how the format of Good Eats evolved; on the research, scripts, stories for the show, and directing
09:51
Alton Brown on the two pilots of Good Eats; on getting the show on PBS Chicago, eventually getting on Food Network, and passing up a deal with Discovery; on book rights
09:08
Alton Brown on the philosophy of and developing the visual style of Good Eats
07:53
Alton Brown on the lack of food styling and of fetish-izing food on Good Eats; on pop culture references on the show
06:12
Alton Brown on characters on Good Eats - "W", crew members on camera, food experts, and the lady in the refrigerator; on his family members appearing on the show; on his wife's one appearance on the program; on one thing Food Network censored; on his favorite episodes of the show
18:46
Alton Brown on how he got asked to host Iron Chef America; on his preparations for the show
10:34

Frances Buss Buch

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Frances Buss Buch on host Dione Lucas and directing the cooking show To the Queen's Taste
09:11
Frances Buss Buch on directing the CBS cooking show Dione Lucas Cooking School
05:23
Frances Buss Buch on host Dione Lucas and directing the cooking show Dione Lucas Cooking School
09:10

Jim Cantore

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Jim Cantore on documentary specials he's hosted for The Weather Channel
03:56

Josie Carey

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Josie Carey on working on her first television show, Ask the Girls, a local women's service show in Pittsburgh
16:09

Julia Child

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Julia Child on her popular cooking show, The French Chef  on PBS
26:30
Julia Child on The French Chef's switch from black and white to color
02:00

Roger Ebert

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Roger Ebert on his approach to reviewing a film in print and for television
02:04

Richard Frank

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Richard Frank on developing Siskel & Ebert & the Movies
03:17

Herb Granath

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Herb Granath on the Arts programming for the ABC cable network
06:25

Roger King

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Roger King on King World reviving, producing, and distributing The Hollywood Squares with Whoopi Goldberg as the center square, and on distributing Martha Stewart Living
01:32

Jack LaLanne

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Jack LaLanne on the early years of The Jack LaLanne Show
28:29

Gavin MacLeod

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Gavin MacLeod on his first television appearance in a religious program called Lamp Unto My Feet
01:04

E. Roger Muir

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E. Roger Muir on producing early service shows on NBC starting in 1947, including I Love to Eat and You Are an Artist
07:00

Bertram van Munster

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Bertram van Munster on creating/producing Wild Things and working on a wildlife series that focuses on exotic animals and how it changed the genre

Bill Nye

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Bill Nye on the format, audience, and early days of his show, Bill Nye, The Science Guy
06:12
Bill Nye on his look, topics for, and popular episodes of Bill Nye, The Science Guy
07:59
Bill Nye on reactions, production, and his persona on Bill Nye, The Science Guy
05:50
Bill Nye on the writing and editing on Bill Nye, the Science Guy
06:54
Bill Nye on his favorite moments and episodes of Bill Nye, the Science Guy
03:54
Bill Nye on Bill Nye, The Science Guy's Emmy wins, popular bits, and censorship issues
17:11

Suze Orman

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Suze Orman on her appearances on QVC and how it put her on the map
07:08
Suze Orman on the debut of her show on CNBC and how it evolved
Suze Orman on working in live television; on whether there are any other shows like hers on TV

Jacques Pépin

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Jacques Pépin on his KQED Cooking Shows
54:10

William Shatner

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William Shatner on hosting Rescue 911
03:54

Ira Skutch

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Ira Skutch on the NBC show You Are an Artist, which gave drawing lessons
01:05
Ira Skutch on James Beard's I Love to Eat
00:54
Ira Skutch on the book discussion show Author Meets the Critics
00:41
Ira Skutch on the travelogue series Geographically Speaking
00:53

Dick Smith

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Dick Smith on makeup for James Beard's cooking show I Love to Eat
01:18

Bob Vila

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Bob Vila on his first home improvement show, This Old House
36:02
Bob Vila on the beginnings of his home improvement show, Bob Vila's Home Again
00:27
Bob Vila on Bob Vila's Home Again and Bob Vila
16:26

Joseph A. Wapner

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Joseph Wapner on the future of courtroom TV
00:36

Ruth Westheimer

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Dr Ruth Westheimer on her start in television hosting; on how she came to be called "Dr. Ruth"
02:40
Dr. Ruth Westheimer on her series Good Sex with Dr. Ruth Westheimer; on the language she chose to use in her work; on how sex is perceived in various cultures
11:51