Carousels! Coasters! And crowds of crazy people!
On a Hot Summer day, there may be no better place on earth than a traditional amusement park. A place where you can hop on a classic wooden coaster, reach for the ring as you whirl by on the merry-go-round, or cool down on the Caterpillar. In this documentary, you get to visit some of America's most charming parks from Lake Compounce in Connecticut to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in California. You get to gallop on the Derby Racer at Playland, go with the flow on the Boat Chute at Lake Winnepesaukah, and rock on Deno's Wonder Wheel at Coney Island. And of course there are coasters, including the Thunderbolt at Kennywood, the Cyclone at Astroland, the Raven at Holiday World, and San Diego's Giant Dipper!
Narrator
11 Apr 2015
Dwarves Kingdom is a documentary film about a theme park featuring performances by little people with dwarfism who live in a fantasy recreation of a magical empire. Built by a wealthy Chinese businessman, this other-worldly kingdom, officially called World Ecological Garden of Butterfly and Little People Kingdom, is located in the mountains surrounding the city of Kunming in Western China.
15 Sep 2017
10 years before the debut of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. In 1979, Bill Viola and Frank Caliguri dreamed up a contest pitting barroom bigmouths against wrestlers, martial artists, boxers, bouncers and brawlers, billed as no-holds-barred new type of competitive fighting. When the fights succeeded beyond their wildest expectations, they were swept up in a chain of events that ended in the first mixed-martial arts ban in the nation. “Tough Guys” chronicles the inception of Caliguri and Viola’s first bouts and the colorful, crazy cast of fighters who made them a hit as well as the politicians who brought it all crashing down. The film brings to life a moment when the national martial arts craze was building to a crescendo as the economies of Pennsylvania steel towns were plummeting to levels of unemployment never seen, breeding desperate men looking for a chance to prove their worth and make some money in the ring.
04 Feb 1991
Before there was Disneyland, there was Coney Island. By the turn of the century, this tiny piece of New York real estate was internationally famous. On summer Sundays, three great pleasure domes--Steeplechase, Luna Park and Dreamland--competed for the patronage of a half-million people. By day it was the world's most amazing amusement park, by night, an electric "Eden".
01 Jan 1992
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.
01 Jan 1996
The Strip District is a delicious old neighborhood in Pittsburgh. On most Saturday mornings, its one of the best places on earth, full of hungry people, crunchy fruits, snappy vegetables, world-class street food, cool characters and tasty surprises of all sorts. This 1996 documentary is a tour of the Strip including big breakfasts, shopping along Penn Avenue and Smallman Street, warehouses, churches and nightclubs, along with some amazing history. Producer Rick Sebak says, "It ends up being a big commercial for the Strip, but the neighborhood deserves lots of loving attention. Its a great, great place."
07 Nov 2020
The story of Six Flags New Orleans, a theme park devastated by Hurricane Katrina that has become a holy grail of sorts for urban exploration and the efforts to restore the park to its former glory.
28 Jan 2016
In this sequel to his 1992 documentary Downtown Pittsburgh, Rick Sebak takes viewers on a tour of a twenty-first century Pittsburgh that's both changing and charming.
31 Jul 1996
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.
31 Aug 1999
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.
04 Jul 2018
A summer on an island of leisure in the Paris region. Land of Adventures, dredge and transgression for some, place of refuge and escape for the other. Its pay range to its hidden nooks, the exploration of a Kingdom of childhood, in resonance with the bustle of the world.
01 Oct 2009
What made more money than the entire American movie industry through the 50s and 60s? Pinball. Special When Lit rediscovers the lure of a lost pop icon. A product of the mechanical and electrical age, the American invention swept the world and defined cool. Now it is relegated to a nostalgic footnote deserving a better fate. Joining the fans, collectors, designers and champion players from across the globe who share a world many of us didn't know still existed.
16 Jun 2021
Amina, Sami and Jennyfer are high school students in the Paris suburbs, in 93. At the initiative of 3 of their teachers, they embark on an unexpected investigation into a gigantic leisure park project which involves concreting agricultural land near their homes. But can we have the power to act on a territory when we are 17 years old? Funny and intrepid, these new citizens take us to meet residents of their neighborhood, property developers, farmers and even elected officials of the National Assembly. A joyful quest that challenges conventional wisdom and revives our connection to the land!
29 Oct 2008
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.
30 Sep 1988
It’s roller coasters! French fries! And lots of good times! It’s a high-flying, double dipped, screeching, squealing, scream-your-eyes-out documentary about one of America’s greatest amusement parks, Kennywood!
05 Jun 2017
A fun, nostalgic look at the rich history of Lagoon Amusement Park, which has enchanted visitors for generations with its rides, rock concerts, and family fun for more than a century.
30 Jul 2001
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.
01 Jan 1989
THE SPIRIT OF PITTSBURGH celebrates the human achievement of a city's continuing Renaissance. It is the heroic story of how Pittsburgh, once plagued by industrial pollution and urban blight, was transformed in just 40 years to what it is today. It is a story told by people who were intimately involved in its change - scientists, politicians, teachers, construction workers, business and community leaders. Unique archival footage dramatically portrays Pittsburgh's past; stunning photography captures the city today - from its hills, bridges and rivers to the medical, educational and artistic communities in its mosaic of neighborhoods. This is Pittsburgh, a place whose people take pride in their heritage and in their ever-changing home. THE SPIRIT OF PITTSBURGH was commissioned by The Pittsburgh Foundation of Dollar Bank. Look for this remarkable film at its permanent home in the Renaissance Theatre of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.
01 Jan 1981
The perfect way to reminisce about your Walt Disney World vacation! It's all here, exquisitely photographed and fully narrated. From Liberty Square to Fantasyland, the file covers every part of the Magic Kingdom. There's much more, though... an entire resort playground with all the luxurious resort hotels and rustic campgrounds that make up the Vacation Kingdom. Here's a beautiful souvenir of the single most popular vacation destination in the world!
19 Apr 1994
Kirk Cameron is our host for the 1994 TV Special, “The Making of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror” celebrating the opening of Walt Disney World's newest attraction. With interviews from Michael Eisner, then the Chairman, President, and CEO of the Walt Disney Company and Marty Sklar President of Walt Disney Imagineering we get a sense for what goes into creating an attraction like the Tower of Terror. Additional interviews include Michael Sprout, David Durand, Jack Blitch, Catherine Moulton, and Ken Gomes.
11 Jul 2004
A travelogue featuring oddly-shaped buildings (and the folks who live in, work in, own and admire them) located along USA highways.