Educational television or learning television is the use of television programs in the field of distance education . It may be in the form of individual television programs or dedicated specialty channels that is often associated with cable television in the United States as Public, educational, and government access (PEG) channel providers. There are also adult education programs for an older audience; many of these are instructional television or "telecourse" services that can be taken for college credit, such as the Open University programs on BBC television in the UK.
25-485: Drunk History is an American educational comedy television series produced by Comedy Central , based on the Funny or Die web series created by Derek Waters and Jeremy Konner in 2007. Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are the show's executive producers . In each episode, an inebriated narrator, joined by host Waters, struggles to recount an event from history, while actors enact the narrator's anecdotes and also lip sync
50-539: A model that incorporated the work of Albert Bandura and other theorists, as well as research to determine whether programs impacted audience behavior. The first ever television series produced in the Pacific Island country of Vanuatu , entitled Love Patrol and launched in 2007, was praised as an edutainment series, as it aimed to educate viewers on the issue of AIDS , while simultaneously providing an entertaining story. The Hulu Original TV series East Los High
75-619: A position where it does not belong and be judged "worst ever." In many cases, "worst television series ever" lists are slanted toward more contemporary shows, in recent memory. The Children's Television Act of 1990, which was first fully enforced in 1996, requires broadcast television stations in the United States to carry a minimum of three hours of " educational/informational " programming geared directly at children. The move prompted an exodus of non-educational children's programming to cable television and largely failed in its efforts to expand
100-423: A secondary concern. Television series notable for negative reception, from around the world, either by published critics, by network executives or by audience response, can be judged based on poor quality, the lack of a budget, rapid cancellation, very low viewership, offensive content, and/or negative impact on other series on the same channel. In some cases, a show that is acceptable on its own merits can be put in
125-529: A segment of The Noite com Danilo Gentili in 2017. Comedy Central Brasil broadcast the show separated from The Noite . Argentina's Telefe (owned by Viacom ) will broadcast the Argentine version of the show, Pasado de Copas: Drunk History , hosted by Marcos Mundstock , a member of Les Luthiers . Polish version, Drunk History: Pół litra historii , premiered on October 12, 2017, on Comedy Central Poland . An Australian version entitled Drunk History Australia
150-435: A total of zero back in 1957. Curtin noted that news programs were extended to full half-hour segments, and foreign and domestic issues were receiving heightened degrees of attention. Some television programs are designed with primarily educational purposes in mind, although they might rely heavily on entertainment to communicate their educational messages. In children's programming, edutainment becomes fun and interesting for
175-714: Is an Australian educational comedy television series based on the American series of the same name , which is in-turn based on the web series from Funny or Die . In each episode, an inebriated celebrity struggles to recount a historical event, while actors reconstruct and enact the narrator's anecdotes while lip syncing the dialogue. In addition to celebrity guest stars, the show's characters are played by regulars such as David Collins , Yvie Jones , Cameron Knight , Adam Dunn, Sara West , Greta Lee Jackson, Aaron Chen , Paul Ayre, Lana Kington, Harry Keep, Seaton Kay-Smith, Bruce Guo, Emma Thompson and Hamish Adams-Cairns. A pilot
200-482: Is backed by a health initiative to teach healthy sexual behaviors (e.g. using protection, getting checked for sexually transmitted diseases). Some television shows incorporate a considerable degree of historical or factual information while attempting to make the presentation or framing of such content entertaining or exciting. By making learning seem "exciting" they can be said to stimulate curiosity, taking Elinor Wonders Why as an example. The presence of edutainment
225-561: Is especially evident in children's television series , such as Sesame Street , Teletubbies , and Barney and Friends . Discovery Channel is also known for its various shows that follow that theme, including MythBusters . Sometimes these programs may be more entertaining than educational and may replace educational shows in the television program lineup. The History Channel has transitioned from producing primarily factual and historical documentaries to more sensational, dramatic, and supposedly entertaining programs, with educational content
250-462: The 1950s, children-aimed shows like Watch Mr Wizard were made which could be considered edutainment. On the other hand, some programs may seem for the lay public to contain educational content, but are actually completely fictional. It is up to experts to figure out if a specific TV program uses realistic or fictional plots. One example for only seemingly real programs are mockumentaries . Drunk History Australia Drunk History Australia
275-409: The 1970s the use of telenovela to disseminate the government's policy views to mass audiences. The "Sabido Method" has been adopted by a number of countries, including India, Kenya, Peru, and China. The television medium can and has been used for a multitude of educational purposes. Some television programs are explicitly educational, while others only incidentally so. Some formats blend the two in
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#1733092554746300-527: The amount of educational television on the airwaves (in fact, children's television in general has declined significantly on broadcast television since the act was imposed, although it can be argued that the E/I regulations could very well be the only thing keeping children's television on broadcast airwaves in the 2010s). Some programs are primarily aimed at entertainment, but may contain an incidental amount of educational content. Educational content may be inherent to
325-467: The attempt to amuse but also retain some educational value. The time of "TV vs. radio", the early 1960s, were an era of change. Historian Michael Curtin recounted that then-FCC chair Jon Doerfor, and TV network heads, had come to an agreement that most television programming was based on commercialism and emphasized entertainment too much. To help counterbalance this, there was a plan organized to produce more serious news and documentary programs. This policy
350-441: The bevy of comedic talent is wasted on cheesy pantomimes, but audiences who enjoy a fresh spin on historical retellings may want to take a swig." On Metacritic , the season has a weighted average score of 57 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Educational television Many children's television series are educational, ranging from dedicated learning programs to those that indirectly teach
375-536: The child but can still be educational. Other television programs are designed to raise social awareness. One form of edutainment popular in Latin America is the educational telenovela . Miguel Sabido, a producer of telenovelas from the 1970s on, has combined communication theory with pro-health/education messages to educate audiences throughout Latin America about family planning, literacy, and other topics. He developed
400-956: The design of the show, such as with medical dramas where the plot invariably explores anatomical and biological issues. The Sentinel Award, which is administered by the University of Southern California 's Annenberg Center for Communication , the CDC and the National Cancer Institute ( NCI ), is given each year to programs that address health and medical issues in their storylines. 2006's nominees/winners included: While some programs are typically "pure" entertainment, they may foray into educational content at select times. For older viewers, individual situation comedy episodes also occasionally serve as educational entertainment vehicles. These episodes are sometimes described in United States television commercial parlance as very special episodes . As early as
425-650: The dialogue is the stuff that is not accurate." Independent newspapers have verified that the information in the series is historically accurate. Since January 12, 2015, a British version of Drunk History has been broadcast on Comedy Central 's UK channel. A Latin American version, Drunk History: El lado borroso de la historia , is presented by Eugenio Derbez . The Hungarian version, Tömény történelem , premiered on October 24, 2016 on Comedy Central Hungary . A Brazilian version hosted by Danilo Gentili , Drunk History Brasil: o Lado Embriagado da História , aired on SBT as
450-410: The dialogue. In addition to Waters and celebrity guest stars, the show's characters are played by regulars such as Bennie Arthur, Tim Baltz , Mort Burke, Sarah Burns , Maria Blasucci , Craig Cackowski, Michael Cassady, Michael Coleman, Tymberlee Hill , Adam Nee, Jeremy J. Tutson, Greg Tuculescu, J.T. Palmer and Aasha Davis . The series premiered on Comedy Central on July 9, 2013. On August 26, 2019,
475-548: The series read up on the stories while sober, then rehearse it in front of a producer before getting drunk. Waters says he drinks with the storytellers in order to "let them know we're doing this together" and so as not to make it feel exploitative. According to Derek Waters, all the dates and story elements are true, though the historical figures' dialogue is obviously not accurate. He told NPR that he "make[s] sure to go back and say: Make sure you say this date or this person's name. I don't want to mess up anyone's names. But obviously
500-537: The series was renewed for a seventh season. On August 19, 2020, that decision was reversed when Comedy Central cancelled the series, with the sixth season serving as its last. Early production had already begun before production halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic . A number of international versions have also been produced. The idea for the series originated from a drunken conversation that Derek Waters had with his friend and actor Jake Johnson in which Johnson recounted
525-655: The story of R&B singer Otis Redding , who died in a plane crash. Waters thought it would be funny to film and recreate a story of an intoxicated person stumbling through a historical story, and have actors reenact the story. Waters told his friend, actor Michael Cera , about the idea, and Cera encouraged him to make it and volunteered to appear in the video. The first video premiered on the website Funny or Die on August 6, 2007. It starred Johnson, Waters, Cera, and actress Ashley Johnson . The series continued to air online on Funny or Die and briefly aired on HBO . It premiered on Comedy Central on July 9, 2013. The storytellers in
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#1733092554746550-725: The viewers. Some series are written to have a specific moral behind every episode, often explained at the end by the character that learned the lesson. In the social aspects of television , several studies have found that educational television has many advantages. The Media Awareness Network explains in its article "The Good Things about Television" that television can be a very powerful and effective learning tool for children if used wisely. The article states that television can help kids or teens discover where they fit into society, develop closer relationships with peers and family, and teach them to understand complex social aspects of communication. Mexican TV producer Miguel Sabido pioneered in
575-800: Was commissioned for Network Ten ’s Pilot Week in 2018, in which a 30-minute pilot episode aired along with several other new show pilots . The episode featured stories about Ned Kelly and Phar Lap and was presented by Stephen Curry & Rhys Darby . A season was commissioned in October 2019 by Network Ten and was released prematurely on 27 March 2020 on their streaming service, 10 Play , prior to its official premiere on 14 September 2020. The first season of Drunk History received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes , it holds an approval rating of 61% and an average score of 6.4/10, based on 18 ratings. The site's critics consensus reads: " Drunk History ' s boozy lectures wear out their welcome fast and
600-670: Was commissioned in 2018 by Network Ten for Pilot Week , in which a 30-minute pilot episode aired along with several other new show pilots . The episode featured stories about Ned Kelly and Phar Lap and was presented by comedians Stephen Curry & Rhys Darby . The first season was commissioned in 2019 by Network Ten and was released prematurely on 27 March 2020 on their streaming service 10 Play , prior to its official premiere on 14 September 2020. Retellings: Retellings: Retellings: Retellings: Retellings: Retellings: Retellings: The pilot drew mostly positive reviews, but some viewers were unhappy that
625-482: Was placed just in time for networks to expand their news coverage on the Kennedy-Nixon campaigns and debates. This increase in coverage stirred up the polls as those who saw the debates, with Kennedy's good looks and camera confidence, decided he had won, whereas those who listened were more impressed with Nixon. By 1962, TV reform was in full swing, and 400 prime-time documentaries had been produced, as opposed to
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