National Network for Equitable Library Service

Between 1986 and 1991, nearly ten million people a week watched Pee-wee’s Playhouse, the critically acclaimed and widely successful children’s program broadcast on CBS. Now, on the 25th anniversary of the show, the complete behind-the-scenes story is being told for the first time by those who experienced it.

A smart, engaging investigation of the show that brought real teens to TV

My So-Called Life lasted only 19 episodes from 1994 to 1995, but in that time it earned many devoted viewers, including the showrunners who would usher in the teen TV boom of the late ’90s and the new millennium. With its focus on 15-year-old Angela Chase’s search for her identity, MSCL’s realistic representation of adolescence on TV was groundbreaking; without her there would be no Buffy or Felicity, Rory Gilmore or Veronica Mars.

Born with cerebral palsy, Geri Jewell inspired a generation of young people when she became the first person with a disability to appear in a recurring role on prime-time television, with her groundbreaking character, Cousin Geri, on the NBC sitcom The Facts of Life.

A fascinating investigation of what strikes fear in an immortal’s heart

The memoir of the creator of Doctor Who and a legend in British and Canadian TV and film A major influence on the BBC and independent television in Britain in the 1960s, as well as on CBC and the National Film Board in Canada, Sydney Newman acted as head of drama at a key period in the history of television. For the first time, his comprehensive memoirs--written in the years before his death in 1997--are being made public. Born to a poor Jewish family in the tenements of Queen Street in Toronto, Newman's artistic talent got him a job at the NFB under John Grierson.

Gus Van Sant's film and the '90s cult of the alternative Gus Van Sant's 1991 indie darling My Own Private Idaho, perplexed and provoked, inspiring a new ethos for a new decade: being different was better than being good. Gentlemen of the Shade examines how the film was a coming-of-age for a generation of young people who would embrace the alternative and bring their outsider perspectives to sustainability, technology, gender constructs, and social responsibility.

The first book in the critically acclaimed, bestselling Finding Lost series brings you an analysis of seasons 1 and 2 in one volume.

If you’re feeling as lost as the castaways on the show, Finding Lost is the crucial companion guide to help you unravel the mysteries of the island. This is the only book that offers an episode-by-episode guide to the first two seasons of Lost, following the developments of the characters, the plots, and the various connections fans must make to keep up. Finding Lost includes:

The castaways on Lost spent two seasons trying to find rescue, dealing with the traumas of their past, and being baffled by the presence of polar bears on their deserted island. In season 3, they are focused on a bigger problem: the Others. With the mysteries of the island deepening and the puzzle becoming more convoluted, this book will help you put those pieces together to figure out where the series is going. The only Lost guide available that analyzes the show episode by episode, Finding Lost series includes:

“Nikki Stafford is a godsend to Lost enthusiasts in particular and TV lovers in general. I’ve written about TV for several years, and have always valued her opinion and insights on all things television.” — Amanda Cuda, Connecticut Post

“The Finding Lost series is quite simply the best Lost resource for fans. Not only is the information concise and complete, Nikki Stafford’s commentary is insightful, relevant, and entertaining. No matter how well you know the show, Stafford’s analysis of the themes and symbolism of Lost will renew your desire to go back and watch over, and over again.”
— Jon “DocArtz” Lachonis, BuddyTV.com