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Jim Henson Makes Muppets (Video, 1969)

This delightful 15-minute video features a young Jim Henson explaining puppet-making (and thus Muppet-making) in 1969. This was made before Sesame Street went on the air later that year. It's part of a locally produced show for kids, and the production values are amazing. My favorite part is when Henson creates a Kermit-ish character with hat and cowboy voice, around ten minutes in. Just after that, we see an early appearance of Rufus, the shaggy white dog. Here's what Iowa Public Television has to... READ ON

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Gregory Brothers (Auto-Tune the News) Explain Their Success

The Gregory Brothers are well-known among internet nerds for their Auto-Tune the News video series. The band appeared last week at the Google ZeitGeist conference, and explained how it all happened -- particularly how their recent "Bed Intruder Song" entered the Billboard Hot 100 without any label support, and while only available via the iTunes Music Store. What's really interesting is that the Gregory Brothers entered into a contract with the man featured in the song, Antoine Dodson, and shared the... READ ON

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The Late Movies: More "Next on Mad Men" Parodies

Two weeks ago I brought you The Late Movies: Baffling "Next on Mad Men" Clips, which seemed to strike a chord with other bloggers -- it was picked up by the New York Times as well as our friends at Jezebel. (Seriously, we're friends. I met one of the editors last weekend at a wedding.) The most interesting part of all of these posts was that John Duffy has been making spoof "Next on Mad Men" trailers for some time now, and the added attention has sparked him to make a bunch more -- here's his new... READ ON

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A Bunch of Terrific Sesame Street Videos

Everyone's favorite kids' show is embracing new media: Sesame Street has a Tumblr. They're using it to post clips from the show, both old and new, some from the official YouTube channel, some not -- this is very cool, as most shows would destroy any content not from their official channel. But nope, the folks down on Sesame Street are in favor of sharing. My favorite so far is this clip in which Elmo interviews Neil Patrick Harris. I particularly enjoy how both NPH and Elmo are on the verge of... READ ON

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YouTube Time Machine

Today's fun internet trick: YouTube Time Machine. As its creators say: "Pick a year, click refresh, and TRAVEL THROUGH TIME." Well, watch a video from or pertaining to that year, anyway. Real time travel is not yet supported by YouTube on desktop browsers, though I hear the feature is in beta. An example of what you'll find: a Civil Defense Film from 1951. Representative quote from the paternalistic narrator: "If you live in an apartment house, rules for taking shelter will be posted in your... READ ON

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The Late Movies: Wendy's Training Videos

You're in for a treat tonight. Below, I've collected a series of vintage Wendy's training videos, all apparently from the 80's. While the first (a rap entitled "Hot Drinks" which explains Wendy's policy on preparing and serving coffee, tea, and hot chocolate) has gone viral, some of the others are still lingering in obscurity. I'm really curious: if any of our readers worked at Wendy's in the 80's or 90's, did they show you these videos? If so, did they seem crazy to you then? Hot Drinks "Hot... READ ON

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TV-Holic: Still on Gilligan’s Island

Last month we took you on a three-hour tour (give or take) of Gilligan's Island. But there's so much more to tell! Just sit right back and you'll find out where the S.S. Minnow got its name, which shrewd cast member is still collecting royalties, and why the Professor and Mary Ann were originally left out of the opening credits. The S.S. Minnow When the sets were being assembled for the pilot episode of Gilligan’s Island, the folks in the prop department were given a list of necessary set... READ ON

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An SNL Set is Built in Seconds

In this 80-second video, you'll see stagehands hastily assembling a set for Saturday Night Live. Early on, they get a 35-second warning and someone says over an intercom, "We're screwed." You can listen as they do the final ten-second countdown and people desperately move more furniture into the set, throw pillows in strategic places, and then hold the flat behind Fred Armisen by hand (you can see it wobbling as he starts to talk). Sheer madness, and amazing. This is live TV, folks. (Via... READ ON

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The Late Movies: Baffling "Next on Mad Men" Clips

I'm a big fan of AMC's Mad Men. I've been watching it faithfully since its debut. But one thing has been bugging me since the third season -- the "next on" segments at the end of each episode reveal virtually nothing about the plot of the next episode. They're a kind of dada art in which the producers of the show show clips of unrelated dialogue; even if you know exactly what's going on with the show, they don't show enough actual interaction to figure out what the next episode is about. It's almost as... READ ON

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Hummingbirds in Slow Motion (HD Video)

In this video, filmmaker Ann Prum describes how she and her team made a Nature documentary about hummingbirds using high-speed HD cameras and specialized lenses. It's exquisite footage, and reveals surprising truths about the hummingbirds -- like what goes on when one encounters another at a flower (hummingbird fight!), and how scientists study hummingbirds both in the wild and captivity. For example, did you know that hummingbirds catch and eat insects for protein? And did you know it's insanely hard... READ ON