Great Old Amusement Parks

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!

1999-07-21 | en

A Flea Market Documentary

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.

2001-07-30 | en

Return to Downtown Pittsburgh

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.

2016-01-28 | en

The Falcons

The Falcons is an intimate, observational documentary that delves into the world of the Tshakhruk Ethnoband, a remarkable musical ensemble in the Armenian highlands. Comprised of special-needs children that reside at the state orphanage, these young musicians find solace, strength, and self-expression through the transformative power of music.

2025-02-21 | hy

Kennywood Memories

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!

1988-09-30 | en

Downtown Pittsburgh

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.

1992-01-01 | en

The Strip Show

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."

1996-01-01 | en

Victims Fight Back

Shocking documentary centering on victims of violent crime who seek to get revenge on their assailants.

1985-01-01 | en

Drug Talk: Some Current Drug Programs

Explores the issues junior high and high schools were facing surrounding teen drug use. Looks at several very integrated public schools and programs being developed in them to prevent drug abuse. Includes the police lecture, the ex-addict, the youth organizer, and the "rap room." Anti-drug program organizers seek students' perspectives and knowledge about drugs. Some nice images of 1970s teens looking very stoned.

1972-01-23 | en

Focus On Heroin

This film points out the risks of being a heroin addict. Explains that addicts cannot be identified solely with one particular socio-economic level and cannot always be detected by appearance. Addicts and ex-addicts describe the first and subsequent drugs they used.

1971-01-23 | en

Children of the Camps

Documentary following six Americans of Japanese ancestry who were held in U.S. internment camps during World War II.

1999-04-26 | en

A Time To Dance: The Life and Work of Norma Canner

This intimate, uncannily moving documentary profiles Norma Canner, a pioneer in dance movement therapy, who found in dance a way to help people who had been discarded by society. The film traces the evolution of Norma's career from Broadway actress in the '40s, through her ground-breaking work in creative movement with disabled and mentally retarded children in the '60s, to her present work as a dance therapist with adults. Utilizing drawing, music, theater, and dance in the context of other modes of therapy, her work has proved extraordinarily beneficial for handicapped individuals, as well as providing cathartic healing experiences for those with deep emotional scars; And her work with children who were blind, deaf, or autistic has became a model.

1998-12-07 | en

Never Worry Always Worry

Martijn Van Loo, a dedicated teacher who commutes from Brussels to Mechelen, struggles because of personal and professional pressures. As the challenges of his life mount, he turns to art as a lifeline — a way to cope, connect, and keep going.

2024-11-19 | nl

Le chemin brut de Lisette et Romain

1995-12-01 | fr

The Best of WQED

Television was still a pretty new concept back in 1953 when a group of like-minded leaders got together and decided that what Pittsburgh needed was its own community-owned educational television station. It would be the first one in the country. One year later, WQED Pittsburgh was on the air and making broadcast history. The Best of WQED showcases some of t he station's earliest programs including "The Children's Corner," with Josie Carey and Fred Rogers. Rare archival footage and photographs take viewers on a journey through the early days of television and reintroduces them to the people and programs that became part of the lives of thousands of Pittsburghers. The Best of WQED is hosted by WQED Cooks' Chris Fennimore and features seldom-seen footage of everyone from Art Rooney Sr. to Martha Graham to early Rick Sebak to the Great TV Auction.

2013-01-01 | en

Things That Aren't There Anymore

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.

1990-05-31 | en

Pittsburgh A to Z

Here are twenty-six Amazing, Beautiful, Captivating and Delicious pieces of a great medium-sized city! This unusual video includes everything from Fish sandwiches to Grant Street, from the History Center to our Interesting Islands. Pittsburgh A to Z is a delightful documentary that celebrates (in alphabetical order!) a wide variety of topics from Amateur Archaeologists (looking for arrowheads and other ancient American artifacts) to the zinging zaps of the Zambelli’s. It’s an amusing adventure, a tantalizing tour, a homey history lesson led by popular producer Rick Sebak. All that and much more!

2001-12-02 | en

Houses Around Here

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.

1994-07-01 | en

The Work

Set entirely inside Folsom Prison, The Work follows three men during four days of intensive group therapy with convicts, revealing an intimate and powerful portrait of authentic human transformation that transcends what we think of as rehabilitation.

2017-03-11 | en

The Spirit of Pittsburgh

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.

1989-01-01 | en