Break out the cake, the balloons, and the fascinating facts about human physiology, because PBS Digital Studios (PBSDS) is celebrating its tenth birthday. The digital video arm of the titular TV channel has been serving up educational content on platforms like YouTube since 2012, and it’s still going strong. Its latest slate of shows includes a newly-launched entry about the human body and upcoming programs that will touch on topics like American demographics and piracy.
Over the course of its ten-year run, PBS Digital Studios has continuously adapted its programming to fit the ever-changing online video landscape. If you look at the videos from the network’s early days, you’ll recognize the face-to-face vlog style that was popular at the time. Recent releases have moved into more scripted and even theatrical territory. The first episode of Why Am I Like This?, a series centered on the body, uses a “bad date” setup to share some fast facts about the sense of smell.
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Why Am I Like This? is hosted by Dr. Tina Lasisi was developed with the help of a $2.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF’s grant has supported multiple shows on PBS Terra, PBSDS’ science and nature vertical. That public funding also led to the launch of Far Out, an exploration of futurism.
“As a fan of PBS Digital Studios for many years, it has been an amazing opportunity to lead this team at such a pivotal moment,” said Maribel Lopez, Head of PBS Digital Studios, in a statement. “We are excited that audiences continue to stream and engage with our broad range of ongoing digital series. Now, as we look forward to the next decade, we’re on track to extend the reach of PBS’s mission to many new audiences across YouTube and PBS digital platforms with multiple series in development.”
Many of those in-development shows are also brought to viewers thanks to grants, some of which — like the one from the NSF — are specifically earmarked for programming that uplifts underrepresented voices. A $3 million grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is being used to produce two shows that will premiere this fall. Welcome to Alief with Mo Amer, from Houston Public Media, will explore American demography through the case study of the titular suburb. Rogue History, based in North Carolina, will tell historical tales of female, LGBTQIA and BIPOC pirates.
With its continued commitment to smart and diverse programming, PBSDS is set up for another strong decade. Its channels may not look like the typical ten-year YouTube vets, but that only exemplifies what makes it such a unique studio.
