Tarantella

Tarantella 1990

5.30

"Tarantella" was an early Super 8 short film directed by Christopher Nolan with his childhood friend Roko Belic. It was made in 1989 while Nolan was studying at University College London. The film aired on "Image Union," a PBS programme in Chicago. It is about the suffering of a young man while he has nightmare about spiders and demons.

1990

Hidden Turkey

Hidden Turkey 2021

1

Hidden Turkey is a one-hour television special produced, hosted, and narrated by CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg. It showcases the special destinations and unique experiences not found in traditional guidebooks, brochures or on the internet. Most important, this is inspirational and accessible television. It allows the audience to immerse themselves in Turkey's evolving story and enduring culture, and to embark on a number of life-changing journeys. Among the locations visited: Istanbul, Cappadocia, Antakya, Antalya, and Laodicea.

2021

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: Live in Concert

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers: Live in Concert 2004

6.40

Taped for a two-part PBS Soundstage, Petty employs the Chicago locale as an entry into the blues and R&B that are at the foundation of rock & roll, and to a lesser extent, his music. Spread out over two DVDs, this results in a fascinating and exciting show, where the extensive covers are just as interesting as -- and arguably more interesting than -- the few hits he gets around to playing.

2004

Blondie: Live at Soundstage

Blondie: Live at Soundstage 2017

1

Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, Blondie is still putting out new music and rocking out for fans everywhere! Debbie Harry and her band bring their eclectic mix of pop, rock and punk sounds to Soundstage, performing hits such as 'The Tide is High,' 'One Way or Another,' and 'Heart of Glass' in an electrifying concert audiences are sure to love!

2017

Soundstage Blues Summit In Chicago: Muddy Waters And Friends

Soundstage Blues Summit In Chicago: Muddy Waters And Friends 1974

1

In July 1974, a group of Chicago based blues artists who had already achieved legendary status gathered together with some of their younger "blues brethren" from all over the country to pay tribute to the man most responsible for bringing blues from the Mississippi Delta upriver to Chicago, Muddy Waters. Appearing with Muddy that night were his contemporaries Willie Dixon, Koko Taylor, Junior Wells and Pinetop Perkins, and from the next generation of blues lovers and performers, Mike Bloomfield, Buddy Miles, Johnny Winter, Dr. John, and Nick Gravenites -- all artists who were on their way to becoming legends themselves. What resulted from that joyous teaming was a truly historic session that not only presented some of the greatest blues classics ever written, but a never-to-be-forgotten hour that truly demonstrates the love of music by one generation for another.

1974

Only the Ball Was White

Only the Ball Was White 1980

1

Throughout the 1900's, before Jackie Robinson broke baseball's color barrier in 1946, black baseball talent blossomed in the Negro Leagues. Baseball buffs still sing the praises of Josh Gibson who could be counted on to hit 70 homeruns in a season, and Satchel Paige who pitched over 100 no-hitters in his career. Only the Ball Was White pays tribute to the many topflight players from the Negro Leagues. Narrated by actor Paul Winfield, the program documents a bygone bittersweet era in baseball and the men who were denied stardom by the color line. Ballplayers throughout the country were interviewed for this program, all of them quick to tell tales of the life, the competition, and the camaraderie. These include: Satchel Paige, Roy Campanella, Buck Leonard, Jimmy Crutchfield, David Malarcher, Effa Manley, and Quincy Trouppe.

1980

Irish Chicago

Irish Chicago 2009

1

The colorful stories of Irish-American immigrants and their descendants who lived the history and exemplify the repeated cycle of the outsider becoming the ultimate Chicago citizen-insider.

2009

Chicago Live on SoundStage

Chicago Live on SoundStage 2004

1

One of the most loved bands in rock history, as well as one of the most commercially successful-with 50 hit songs in the U.S. alone, 18 gold records, a Grammy, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame-Chicago have maintained the unflagging devotion of millions of devoted fans throughout their 37-year career. ...This DVD documents a live show that was broadcast on PBS in June of 2003 where they play many of their hits from throughout their long career, including `25 or Six to Four,` `You`re the Inspiration,` `Saturday in the Park,` and `Beginnings,` among many others.

2004

Lamb Chop's Special Chanukah

Lamb Chop's Special Chanukah 1995

1

Shari Lewis, Lamb Chop, and the gang discover the true meaning of Chanukah in this special holiday program. The story of the special holiday and all its traditions are celebrated with music and song along with Lloyd Bochner, Alan Thicke and Pat Morita.

1995

How Chicago Rocked the 60s

How Chicago Rocked the 60s 2001

7.00

It all began when the Beatles landed in America, on February 7, 1964. Their arrival heralded the beginning of the "British Invasion," and rock and roll would never be the same. American teenagers listened to their transistor radios or 45 rpm records, and it seemed as though every young, white high-school-age male wanted to start a band. Soon, new rock and roll groups were coming together, playing in garages, basements and living rooms all around Chicago.

2001

John Prine: Live on Soundstage

John Prine: Live on Soundstage 1980

1

Grammy Award-winning folk singer John Prine performs his early classics such as "Angel from Montgomery" and "Hello in There" in this 1980 concert filmed for the PBS series "Soundstage," featuring special guest Billy Lee Riley. Interviews with Prine as he tours his Maywood, Ill., hometown and his acoustic versions of "Paradise" and "How Lucky" punctuate live stage performances of songs from his "Bruised Orange" and "Pink Cadillac" albums.

1980

Chicago Mysteries with Geoffrey Baer

Chicago Mysteries with Geoffrey Baer 2024

1

Did a UFO fly over O’Hare Airport? How did the alligator later named "Chance the Snapper" suddenly appear in Chicago’s Humboldt Lagoon? Is Hull House haunted? Why don’t Chicagoans put ketchup on their hot dogs? WTTW award-winning host/writer/producer Geoffrey Baer sets out to solve these and other puzzlers in WTTW’s CHICAGO MYSTERIES.

2024

Remembering Chicago Again

Remembering Chicago Again 1995

1

Memories and home movies of numerous Chicagoans bring the 1940s and '50s alive, from early Chicago television to the patriotic spirit of the war years when everyone pulled together.

1995

The Most Beautiful Places in Chicago

The Most Beautiful Places in Chicago 2023

1

Chicago is full of places that take your breath away, from gilded lobbies to verdant parks and eye-bending skyscrapers to glorious sacred spaces. Geoffrey Baer has seen a lot of these stunning locations while exploring the Chicago area for his WTTW documentaries, and his newest special takes you even further into The Most Beautiful Places in Chicago.

2023

Biking the Boulevards

Biking the Boulevards 2014

1

In Biking the Boulevards, Geoffrey Baer bikes his way across Chicago, using the city's network of boulevards. The boulevards are wide, tree-lined streets, which connect Chicago's largest parks. This system of parks and boulevards was the first of its kind in the country - imagined nearly 150 years ago. Discover how these boulevards came to be and explore these magnificent parks, from Washington and Sherman Parks on the South Side, to Douglas, Humboldt and Garfield on the West. These green spaces are often overlooked, but they're every bit as beautiful as Chicago's famous lakefront parks. Geoffrey invites you to take a new look at the old neighborhoods that emerged along these boulevards in the 19th Century. Places like Bronzeville, Englewood, Back of the Yards, Lawndale, Humboldt Park, and Logan Square. Many of these enclaves have seen their share of hard times over the years, but hidden just beneath the surface…you'll find some remarkable surprises.

2014

Sonic Youth: Live at Soundstage

Sonic Youth: Live at Soundstage 2003

1

Quintessential alternative rockers, Sonic Youth, celebrate free-form experimentalism while reinforcing their performance-art driven tradition in this Soundstage performance, recorded on May 7, 2003 at WTTW Grainger Studio in Chicago. The band, which settles just outside the realm of definition, delivers a part rock, part free-form noise, part avant-garde punk performance which features a new song "Sympathy for the Strawberry."

2003

DuSable to Obama: Chicago's Black Metropolis

DuSable to Obama: Chicago's Black Metropolis 2010

1

The history of Chicago's African-American community told like never before -- through the voices of its leading citizens, scholars, artists, politicians, and business leaders.

2010

Adland

Adland 1974

1

TVTV turns its critical eye to the world of advertising in Adland, subtitled Where Commercials Come From. Focusing on the reality behind the image, and specifically on the strategies of Madison Avenue, they interview prominent 1970s admen such as George Lois and Jerry Della Femina. They also go behind the scenes of commercial shoots, where such figures as Ronald McDonald and the precocious child actor Mason Reese are put through grinding routines, only to reveal themselves as jaded pros off-camera. In this clear-eyed look at the manipulation inherent in advertising, the TVTV crew meets its match in the relentless cynicism and masculine braggadocio of the seasoned admen; ultimately, TVTV conveys respect for the savvy and skills of these shrewd veterans.

1974

The Book of Chapin

The Book of Chapin 1974

1

Soundstage Original Series 1974-1985 The man who drove his "Taxi" to the top of the music charts entertains.

1974