Special Sub-Topic: Commercial Free Click Here To Play: Commercial Free

PBS is known for quality children's programming. Which PBS show, whose cast included Kermit the Frog, Big Bird, and Mr Hooper, introduced young children to the alphabet and numbers?

Sesame Street. "Sesame Street" premiered in 1969. The cast was a mixture of live actors and puppets. Among the most well-known were Muppet roommates Bert and Ernie, Oscar the Grouch who lived in a trash can, and the Cookie Monster. The show also included short animated segments 'sponsored' by various letters and numbers.

Another children's program on PBS stations started each show with a man who sang "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood" while he put on a sweater and changed his shoes. What show was this?

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. "Mister Rogers Neighborhood" began in 1968 on the National Education Television Network and moved to PBS in 1970 where it aired daily throughout the week. New episodes were created through August 2001. Mister Rogers talked and sang to children from his house. A toy trolley running on a track in the house signaled the transition to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, a segment of the show where Mister Rogers interacted with puppet characters.

A mainstay of PBS programming is "Masterpiece Theater" (renamed "Masterpiece" in 2008) on Sunday nights. This show brought in British mini-series such as "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" and "The Duchess of Duke Street" as well as dramatizations of famous novels. For its first 22 years, the show was introduced by which British-born journalist and broadcaster?

Alistair Cooke. Alistair Cooke moved from England to the United States in 1937. From 1946 to 2004 he broadcast a weekly "Letter from America" on BBC radio. His introductions to the Masterpiece Theater episodes often included explanations of British history or customs to make the show more accessible to American audiences. Following Cooke's retirement from the show in 1992, U.S. columnist and author Russell Baker hosted "Masterpiece Theater" until 2004.

"The Best of Masterpiece Theater", a retrospective which aired in 2007, counted down the most popular "Masterpiece Theater" series. Which was rated as #1?

Upstairs, Downstairs. Popularity was determined through an online poll on the PBS "Masterpiece" website which was linked to from many PBS stations' websites. The top five series (in order) according to the poll were: "Upstairs, Downstairs" "The Forsyte Saga" (2002 adaptation) "I, Claudius" "Bleak House" (2006 adaptation) "Prime Suspect" "The Best of Masterpiece Theater" was hosted by British actor Derek Jacobi who played the title role in "I, Claudius".

PBS also introduced many British comedy shows to audiences in the United States. Which of these shows did not air on PBS stations?

The Office. The BBC comedy "The Office" inspired a show of the same name in the U.S. which aired on NBC. Other British sitcoms which have aired on PBS include "Keeping Up Appearances", "Waiting for God" and "To the Manor Born".

"Mystery" which premiered on PBS in 1980, has included many dramatizations of mystery books including "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" (based on stories by Arthur Conan Doyle), "Poirot" (based on books by Agatha Christie), and "The Inspector Lynley Mysteries" (based on novels by Elizabeth George). Which popular "Mystery" series, starring Helen Mirren as Detective Chief Inspector Jane Tennison, was not originally a book?

Prime Suspect. British actress Helen Mirren starred as DCI Tennison in seven "Prime Suspect" series over fifteen years. The first case aired in 1991. "Prime Suspect: The Final Act" aired in 2006. In between filming the television series, Mirren also starred in several theatrical films including "The Madness of King George" (1994), "Calendar Girls" (2002), and "The Queen" (2006). "Dalgliesh" and "An Unsuitable Job for a Woman" are both based on books by author P.D. James. "Inspector Morse" is based on novels by Colin Dexter.

Film maker Ken Burns has had many of his documentaries featured on public television. Which of these was the first to be produced on PBS?

Brooklyn Bridge. While the other three titles are better known, "Brooklyn Bridge" aired first, in 1982. "The Civil War" aired in 1990, "Baseball" in 1994, and "Jazz" in 2001. "Brooklyn Bridge" was only 58 minutes long and was shown on one night. The other three films were much longer and were aired as separate episodes, stretched out over a number of evenings.

Another mainstay of PBS programming is coverage of the performing arts, including classical music, ballet, modern dance, opera, musical theater, and folk music. On which show are you most likely to see profiles of performers, composers and choreographers?

American Masters. "Great Performances" and "Live from Lincoln Center" usually broadcast a complete show or concert. In contrast, "American Masters" is more biographical. Each episode focuses on a single person or group and includes interviews and short clips from numerous performances.

Public television's commercial-free programming also includes science and nature shows. Which PBS show was hosted by Alan Alda, better known for his acting talents?

Scientific American Frontiers. Alda, who played Hawkeye Pierce on the television show "M*A*S*H", is very enthusiastic about hosting a science show. He is quoted on the PBS website as saying "Whenever I think of how much pleasure I have interviewing scientists, I remember that they're having the real fun in actually being able to do the science." (http://www.pbs.org/saf/alan_bio.htm) All the shows listed have aired on PBS.

A quiz about public television wouldn't be complete without mentioning public affairs programming. Which weekly show on PBS consists of a panel discussion with four reporters and a moderator?

Washington Week. "Washington Week in Review" first aired locally on Washington DC station WETA in 1967 and began airing nationally in 1969. According to the program's website the program was only once in danger of being cancelled, in 1972, but was saved due to a deluge of mail from supportive viewers. (http://www.pbs.org/weta/washingtonweek/about.html) "Meet the Press" airs on NBC. "Face the Nation" is on CBS. "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" is on ABC.