Great Old Amusement Parks

A documentary profiling cemeteries and cemetery-related businesses and events across the United States.

A Flea Market Documentary is a new PBS special and an all-American celebration of open-air shopping across the country. On any weekend, there may be no better place to find out what makes America great than at a flea market. A Flea Market Documentary is an unabashed celebration of the unusual people and the enticing things that can be found in parking lots, fairgrounds, drive-ins, sidewalks, and wherever else someone has posted a sign saying "Flea Market." It's capitalism mixed with craziness. It's amazing old stuff, great salespeople, the ancient tradition of the open-air market, and the possibility of finding a bargain, all uniting shoppers across the nation. Produced by WQED Pittsburgh, A Flea Market Documentary travels from the gigantic Rose Bowl Market in Pasadena, California, to the busy but modest- sized Eastern Market in Washington, DC, talking with organizers, vendors, food merchants and shoppers.

Mmm, smell the bacon! Order the grits with red-eye gravy! Get the lobster hash! Try the veggie omelet! Part food show and part travelogue, Breakfast Special 2: Revenge of the Omelets is another celebration of getting up and going out for a memorable morning meal. Visit a diner in Connecticut, admire homemade biscuits in North Carolina, and savor some big pancakes in Pittsburgh. Along the way we find seaside specialties in New Hampshire, duck breast in Philadelphia, and salmon cakes in Detroit. On the Big Island of Hawaii, we sample loco moco, Portuguese donuts and scrumptious variations on all of the above! Cooks, servers, and regulars all across America share their love and loyalty for our most important meal of the day.

Enjoy an all-American celebration of what may be the country's most popular fast food. From Connecticut to South Carolina to California, Rick Sebak visits some of the nation's coolest hot dog places, taking viewers inside a giant hot dog-shaped building, stopping at some crazy late-night stands, and looking at how hot dogs are made. Wonder how and when hot dogs became so popular-or what toppings are tops these days? Tune in and find out.

Writer, producer, puppeteer, songwriter--America's Favorite Neighbor takes a thorough look at the career of legendary children's television host Fred Rogers. Produced for Pittsburgh's WQED, this informative documentary tracks his rise as floor manager for various NBC programs, such as Your Hit Parade, to the major awards he received later in life, such as the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Along the way, he's seen launching public TV programs The Children's Corner, which featured a soon-to-be-famous puppet named King Friday, and Canada's MisteRogers. The latter, naturally, was followed by Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which made its national debut in 1968, and would eventually became the longest running program in PBS history. Hosted by fellow Pennsylvania native Michael Keaton (Batman), who worked on his show in the early days, America's Favorite Neighbor is suitable for all ages, but is geared more towards adults, particularly parents and educators.

Remember when Forbes Field was the world’s greatest ballpark? When the Dips roller coaster at West View Park came out to Route 19? When everyone went to the Allegheny County Fair? When streetcars ran all over town? They’re all parts of this warm and winsome program about Pittsburgh’s past, this heartfelt tribute to great and old places where people used to go to have fun.

People love going to the beach for lots of different reasons. The sun. The sand. The salt-water taffy. In this slightly wacky documentary, we consider all kinds of things that draw people to the coast: board walks, seafood, lifeguards, even metal-detectors and roller skates. From Nantucket to Venice Beach, people relax and bounce in the waves. From the Outer Banks to Oahu, beachgoers bring along their fishing gear and hope to catch some dinner.

A travelogue featuring oddly-shaped buildings (and the folks who live in, work in, own and admire them) located along USA highways.

This documentary explores the wonders of downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Rick Sebak narrates while you are taken on a nostalgic journey through downtown Pittsburgh's rich history as a bustling American urban center. The film explores downtown Pittsburgh's culture, history, architecture, and secrets. With new and archival footage.

Maybe it's Pittsburgh's chipped-beef "Slammer" you're craving. Or Iowa's Maid Rite "loosemeat"? Louisville's "Hot Brown"? Escape fast-food sameness on a mouth-watering tour through America's distinctive sandwich landscape. Let veteran guide Rick Sebak (A Hot Dog Program, An Ice Cream Show) take you across the country to New Orleans for muffaletta, to Chicago for Italian beef, and New York City for pastrami on rye.

Whether you've walked its neighborhoods, driven around its streets, hiked and biked through its surrounding mountains and valleys, or watched out the plane window enroute to Pittsburgh International Airport, you have never experienced Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania like you will in Pittsburgh from the Air. Using the latest technology in HD aerial photography, this WQED Multimedia production takes you up in the air -- over neighborhoods, rivers and forests, inside the exploding spectacle of July 4th fireworks - to capture stunning aerial views of one of America's most vibrant regions. This is Western Pennsylvania at work and play -- in its glorious green seasons and in the cold, crystalline beauty of winter light. This is Pittsburgh from the Air.

When Pittsburgh Magazine named George A. Romero (1940-2017) Pittsburgher of the Year in 1991, Rick Sebak explored how the filmmaker's career has intersected with the city. See how Romero used the greater Pittsburgh area as the setting for many of his films, and learn about his early work in advertising and television, including Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

The Lincoln Highway was established in 1913 as America’s first coast-to-coast paved highway. It connected New York City with San Francisco and passed through towns and cities in 13 states. It was an adventure for early motorists, and drivers today still love its hidden charms and all the stuff along its several paths. A RIDE ALONG THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY considers some of the history of the road and shows some of the joys of finding and riding along the various alignments of the highway today. Along the way, we meet highway historians and enthusiasts from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Evanston, Wyoming, and many places in between. We check out the cottages at the Lincoln Motor Court near Bedford, PA, stop for lunch in Mount Vernon, Iowa, meet some folks in Eureka, Nevada, and even walk out to the end of the Berkeley pier in California. It's a great trip.

In an age when every fast food place seems the same, diners have remained distinctive, fun places to stop, full of local flavor. This program takes a look at several of the most interesting diners in Pennsylvania, and also considers a few other roadside restaurants (like Midway Plaza on the Pennsylvania Turnpike) that have interesting histories and reputations for good “home-cooked” food. So get a cup of coffee. Have a seat. And come along as we visit great little restaurants from Wellsboro to Downingtown, from Milford to Conneaut Lake. Let’s go to Potato City, to the Melrose in Philly and to unforgettable little places from Pittsburgh to Poconos. Whether it’s the middle of the night in State College or lunchtime in Smethport, this documentary gives you an unusual taste of Pennsylvania and some of its quirkier cuisine.

Featuring stunning autumn colors and the fresh greens of spring, the much-anticipated Pittsburgh From The Air II takes you on an unforgettable sightseeing tour of Western Pennsylvania. Our helicopter and production crew used the latest technology in HD aerial photography as they swooped over mountains, valleys, rivers, gorges, skyscrapers, and towns to showcase the beauty of the region. Highlights include spectacular views of the Pittsburgh Marathon, the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail, historic covered bridges, Youghiogheny River Lake, Friday night football and much more.

"Colonel" Elliott White Springs spearheaded an innovative ad campaign to sell bed sheets that changed the approach of the country's advertising industry. He began acquiring and commissioning artwork depicting attractive young women as "Springmaids." He copiously employed sexual innuendo in his ad copy. Many were outraged by his approach, but there was convincing proof that "sex sells."