WQED

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.

It's a giant sort-of-Victorian holiday village covered in candy! It's an astounding work of folk art. It's Gingerbread Lane. We follow its creator, chef Jon Lovitch, from icing in February to assembling in November at Station Square. Sweet stuff!

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.

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.

Journey back in time for a musical event that's as close to time travel as television will allow. Your living room becomes the stage as Little Anthony and the Original Imperials, The Fleetwoods, Little Richard and more shake, rattle and roll for this once in a lifetime performance. Join hosts Frankie Valli, Jerry "The Iceman" Butler and Lloyd Price for an unforgettable evening that you'll watch over and over. ~Filmed May 15 and 16, 2001

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

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.

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.

Bakeries are popular places. They smell great. They are full of wonderful things to eat, from crusty breads to gooey and sweet treats. And they often become neighborhood meeting places, where bakers work hard and where people often leave with good feelings as well as fresh baked goods. In this documentary, we celebrate A Few Great Bakeries across America, never claiming that this is a list of "Best Bakeries" but rather just a few warm ones worth checking out. All of these places seem connected by early mornings, long hours of hard work, delicious products and customers who love them. We happily celebrate these few bakeries and hope that everyone will be inspired to look for more great ones all across America.

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.

Looking in other people’s houses can be fun. And in southwestern Pennsylvania, it doesn’t matter if you live in a city neighborhood like Friendship or in rural Washington County, you can find wonderful houses not far away that reveal much about the history, the culture and the people in this comfy corner of the state.

There's something tasty, often sweet, fruity and all-American about a really good piece of pie. In this delicious documentary, travel across the country to visit shops, restaurants, cafes, and even a few homes in search of some excellent crusts, crimping, fillings and flavors.

The North Side Leadership Conference held a special North Side Sandwich Week competition at the Penn Brewery. Cameraman Bob Lubomski and producer Rick Sebak went to sample some of the sandwiches, and now we've put together this report celebrating ten great spots to get outstanding North Side sandwiches.

This documentary from PBS travels throughout America in search of the best breakfast places the country has to offer. Along the way, the patrons, employees, and owners of such establishments give their take on what makes for great breakfast fare, and what keeps a customer coming back for more.

Everybody loves ice cream. It’s cool, sweet and delicious. It’s also the tantalizing topic of this happy documentary program that takes viewers to ice cream places across America from Vermont to Hawaii, highlighting outstanding places to get a cone or a bowl. An Ice Cream Show features mostly small ice cream lovers – from makers and eaters to collectors and cone-makers.

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.

We celebrate the 60th anniversary of the opening of the Squirrel Hill Tunnels! Looking at history, the ongoing renovation project, and some surprises, including help from Sam Hall, WTAE's traffic reporter.

A filmed version of Aaron Copland's most famous ballet, with its original star, who also choreographed.

A glimpse into the world and methodology of dancer Martha Graham.

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.