Pioneers of Television (2008–2019) User Reviews

Local Children's Television

[dwacon-2 · 6/10 · 21 February 2011]

I watched this show with great interest... having grown up in Philadelphia where we enjoyed local shows on three network affiliates and three independent UHF stations (plus PBS affiliates in Philly and South Jersey). Imagine my surprise to find Philadelphia completely ignored in this episode of the miniseries.

From New York to Los Angeles... Miami to Chicago to Green Bay... even Phoenix Arizona. But why oh why did they completely skip the home of such local television programs such as:

Gene London, Sally Starr, Lorenzo the Clown, Pixanne, Sergeant Sacto, Wee Willy Weber, Captain Noah, Chief Halftown, and the Uncle Floyd Show starring Floyd Vivino and his brother, band leader for the Conan Show.

Of course, there are many others... plus the nationally syndicated programs (such as Soupy Sales and Romper Room) and programming imported from Japan, poorly dubbed into English.

I would like to know why, of all the cities in America, this show completely dissed Philadelphia.

Worth it for the clips. Otherwise a disappointment

[MixMaven · 3/10 · 11 January 2008]

This comment refers specifically to the "Late Night" segment of the mini-series.

The narration contains several glaring moments of very bad writing and is overly "Burnsian" in its slow, serious delivery. The omission of David Letterman among the interviewees leaves one wondering whether he refused or someone had an ax to grind. The parade of past guests as interviewees also suffers from missing figures, particularly those who were regulars on Carson's show.

The show also fails to give the viewer much insight into the off camera personalities of its subjects. We learn (?) that Carson was a shy, private person and that if you didn't hear from him you were doing a good job and that if you did hear from him it was likely to be unvarnished opinion. At this late date can we not get deeper?

Overall, a disappointment; it should have been better.

PIONEERS OF TELEVISION "TV Super Heroes" is so botched it should be removed

[Pro Jury · 3/10 · 11 February 2013]

Does contain spoilers.

PIONEERS OF TELEVISION Season 3 edition "TV's Super Heroes" was not simply lacking, it was inaccurate.

It assumed that only live action TV counts, not TV cartoons. Well, OK, opinions can vary on this. If you are looking for super heroes, you are doing it blind if you limit yourself this way.

It assumed that a TV super hero must be born from a comic book, or be a spoof of one. Simply wrong. So profoundly wrong, words escape me.

Historic facts, wrong again. Let's take a look.

Before the first WONDER WOMAN aired, held up by PIONEERS OF TELEVISION as the first US TV series with a female super hero lead, the US TV series ISIS started its run with the 100% luscious, sexy & oogle-worthy JoAnna Cameron who single-"hand"-edly changed millions of innocent boy brains into less-than-innocent man brains. A real life TV goddess.

Also, when Wonder Girl joined Wonder Woman it was not the first female-female super hero double-team on American TV. ELECTRA WOMAN AND DYNA GIRL predates Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl.

In TV history, there have been space alien super heroes not born from comic books. Mr. Spock had the strength of 10 men in TOS. The strength of 10 men is one well established threshold of super hero strength.

In TV history, the most realistic TV super hero ever -- so ground-breaking and so popular that the characters Oscar Goldman and Rudy Wells were seen on two different TV networks at the same time (golly gee, talk about historic) -- was the title character of THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN. All completely unknown to the producers of the PIONEERS OF TELEVISION.

This episode is so poor and inaccurate that PBS should remove it from rotation.