PBS

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and television program distributor.

Why It Is Really For Viewers Like You

 * 1) The channel is, for the US, educational programming at it's peak.
 * 2) Its most iconic "Everyman" P-Head logo, which he debuted in 1971.
 * 3) The PBS network had many great original shows, including Sesame Street, Nova, This Old House, Washington Week, Nature, Antiques Roadshow (US), Frontline, Masterpiece, MotorWeek, PBS NewsHour, Finding Your Roots, Masterpiece Mystery! and Austin City Limits.
 * 4) * Its most-watched original children's program was Sesame Street that the preschoolers watched and learned from this show, every day.
 * 5) In addition, they have introduced US audiences to many great British programmes, such as Monty Python's Flying Circus, Downtown Abbey, BBC World News America, Dr. Who, & Antiques Roadshow (UK).
 * 6) Its music video, "Just Watch Us Now", was very catchy.
 * 7) PBS Kids has a great range of well-made shows that were produced over the years. While their focus has mainly been on young children, they have also targeted older kids as well, with shows like Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, The Electric Company, and their former block PBS Kids Go!, which included Cyberchase, Fetch! with Ruff Ruff Man, Arthur, WordGirl, and a reboot of the aforementioned The Electric Company.
 * 8) * The music in the 1999-2002 bumpers and IDs is great. It can best be described as synth or art pop and acapella.
 * 9) * The animation in the bumpers and IDs are also quite creative, such as simulating cutout animation in the 2008 era.
 * 10) Because of how funding is generated, programming can feel much more organic, as there's no need to pander to corporate interests.
 * 11) It spawned into three spin-off networks, Create, World and First Nations Experience.
 * 12) It had some heartwarming promos with the Sesame Street Muppets.
 * 13) It spawned into a UK-exclusive network, PBS America, which was great for non-Americans who wanted to watch PBS shows.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Although PBS Kids is a well received block, it is not without detractors:
 * 2) * Their original bumpers and IDs used from 1999 to 2008 may frighten young viewers. Thankfully, they were phased out by 2010.
 * 3) * Similarly, some have found some of the newer bumpers and IDs from 2013 onwards to be annoying.
 * 4) * Speaking of PBS Kids, it took a dip in quality starting in 2013. For instance, with the removal of the PBS Kids GO! block, there's currently little to no content for older kids. They will lose interest in the network and stop watching because of this and move on to cable networks (Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney Channel), video games, and digital streaming services. Luckily, they do have their own streaming service (as well as a deal with Amazon Prime Video) and currently haven't seen too much decline regarding its main target audience.
 * 5) It can sometimes lean to any toxic political-wings, though being a public broadcaster, this is rare.
 * 6) The bumpers and IDs from 2002 to 2008 ditched the art pop music and acapella in favor of synth-pop, but luckily trace elements of these remained until mid 2008 when they were ditched in favor of acoustic instruments.
 * 7) Some bad or average shows here and there, such as:
 * 8) * Donkey Hodie
 * 9) * The 2019 reboot of Clifford the Big Red Dog
 * 10) * Angelina Ballerina
 * 11) * Seasons 9-14 of Barney & Friends
 * 12) * Caillou
 * 13) * Teletubbies (depending on your view)
 * 14) * Boohbah
 * 15) * Seasons 33-37 and 40-present of Sesame Street (depending on your view)

Trivia

 * PBS was founded on November 3, 1969, before Sesame Street premiered.
 * It was America's very first major commercial-free television network.
 * Starting in 2016, Sesame Street aired on HBO, which meant that PBS was its second-run network.
 * Before it became PBS in 1970, it was originally launched as National Educational Television (NET).
 * After the original PBS Kids all-day channel was shut down in 2005 due to a lack of funding, PBS had planned to make an all-day channel based on the new PBS Kids GO! block, but stations turned it down, due to the channel lacking in shows. The shows planned to be exclusive to the channel were later added to the PBS Kids website instead.