PBS Digital Studios is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

that through which

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

distributes original educational web video content based in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...

. It comprises both original series and partnerships with existing YouTube channels. Most of the series are about science, popular culture, art, food, news, and music.

History

PBS Digital Studios was founded by

Jason Seiken Jason Seiken is a British-American media executive known for launching the online edition of ''The Washington Post,'' PBS' digital output, and the Telegraph Media Group. A dual citizen of the United States and United Kingdom, he was the first Amer ...

in June 2012.Looking Back On A Year Of PBS Digital Studios
July 18, 2013. They had their first viral hit with a "remix" of

autotune Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances. Auto-Tu ...

d vocals from ''

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' (sometimes shortened to ''Mister Rogers'') is an American half-hour educational children's television series that ran from 1968 to 2001, and was created and hosted by Fred Rogers. The series ''Misterogers'' debut ...

'' titled "Garden of Your Mind".First scripted series from PBS Digital Studios updates Frankenstein for modern age
July 25, 2014. The PBS Digital Studios network has received more than 500 million views and has over 7 million subscribers. Popular series found on their channels include ''Crash Course'', ''Blank on Blank'', ''It’s Okay To Be Smart'', and the multiple

Webby Award The Webby Awards are awards for excellence on the Internet presented annually by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a judging body composed of over two thousand industry experts and technology innovators. Categories include ...

–winning ''PBS Idea Channel''.PBS Digital Studios to Premiere First Scripted Series 'Frankenstein, M.D.' on Tuesday, August 19
, July 23, 2014. Each month, the shows average more than 5 million streams.PBS Launching 4 New Digital Original Series
May 5, 2014. Its first scripted series, ''

Frankenstein, MD ''Frankenstein, MD'' is a 2014 American Gothic horror comedy webseries with transmedia elements. Produced in partnership between Pemberley Digital and PBS Digital Studios, the show is a modern adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel ''Frankenstein ...

'', launched on August 19, 2014, and ran until October 31, 2014. In 2015, PBS Digital Studios partnered with the

Green brothers The Green brothers, John (born 1977) and Hank (born 1980), are two American entrepreneurs, social activists, authors, and YouTube vloggers. The two extensively work together, having started their collaborative popularity with a daily vlog proje ...

' series Crash Course, commissioning three courses in astronomy, U.S. government, and philosophy. Crash Course Astronomy launched January 15, 2015, Crash Course U.S. Government & Politics launched January 23, 2015, and Crash Course Philosophy launched February 8, 2016. In addition to commissioning series, PBS Digital Studios have partnered with existing YouTube channels. They partnered with ''

BrainCraft ''BrainCraft'' is an educational video series on YouTube created by Australian science communicator Vanessa Hill. Hill's videos use stop motion and paper craft animation to explain neuroscience, psychology and human behavior. ''BrainCraft'' is par ...

'' in June, 2014 and ''

Physics Girl Dianna Leilani Cowern (born May 4, 1989) is an American science communicator. She is a YouTuber; she uploads videos to her YouTube channel ''Physics Girl'' explaining various physical phenomena. She worked in partnership with the PBS Digital Stu ...

'' in August, 2015. In 2017, the network cancelled a slew of its shows, including popular channels like PBS Game/Show & the PBS Idea Channel.

Current series

* Above The Noise * Be Smart *

CrashCourse ''Crash Course'' (sometimes stylized as ''CrashCourse'') is an educational YouTube channel started by John Green and Hank Green (collectively the Green brothers), who first rose to fame on the YouTube platform through their ''Vlogbrothers'' chan ...

* Deep Look * Far Out * Fate & Fabled * Historian's Take * Indie Alaska * Monstrum * Only in El Paso * Otherwords * PBS Eons * PBS Space Time * PBS Terra * PBS Vitals * Rogue History * Reactions * Subcultured * Two Cents * Weathered * Why am I like this?

Past series

As of December 2020, PBS Digital Studios lists the following as "past" series: * 24 Frames * After the Ice * America From Scratch * American Veteran: Keep It Close * Animal IQ * Antarctic Extremes * A Moment of Science * A People’s History of Asian America * Are You MN Enough? *

The Art Assignment ''The Art Assignment'' is a PBS Digital Studios webseries focused on contemporary art that debuted in February 2014.Lindquist, David. (24 September 2013)Sarah Green exiting IMA to develop PBS series ''The Indianapolis Star'' ''The Art Assignment' ...

* BBQwithFranklin * Beat Making Lab * Blank on Blank * Bon Appétempt * BrainCraft * Central Standard * Everything But the News * First Person * FullTimeKid * Future of Work * Good Gumbo * The Good Stuff * Gross Science * Global Weirding with

Katharine Hayhoe Katharine Anne Scott Hayhoe (born 1972) is a Canadian atmospheric scientist. She is a Paul Whitfield Horn Distinguished Professor and an Endowed Chair in Public Policy and Public Law in the Texas Tech University Department of Political Science. I ...

* Hot Mess * Human Elements * I Contain Multitudes * If Cities Could Dance * The Intergalactic Nemesis * Indie Lens Storycast * InventorSeries * It's Lit! * Latinos Are Essential * Makin' Friends with Ryan Miller * Mike Likes Science * Modern Comedian * NOURISH * opbmusicStagepass * Origin Of Everything * Out of Our Elements * Overview * Parentalogic * PBS Diorama * PBS Game/Show * PBS Idea Channel * PBS Infinite Series * PBSoffbook * PBS ReInventors * PBS Short Docs * Pancake Mountain *

* Prideland * Say It Loud * Self-Evident * Serving Up Science * Shanks FX * Sound Field * STELLAR * Tacos of Texas * The ChatterBox * Unusual Creatures * You're Doing it Wrong

Reception

Evan Desimone of ''

NewMediaRockstars ''NewMediaRockstars'' (''NMR'') is an online magazine which was launched in December 2011 and primarily covers YouTube performers, entrepreneurs, and artists with videos and interviews. In 2013, ''NewMediaRockstars'' closed because of lack of fund ...

'' wrote, "Brilliant...takes you somewhere you didn’t expect." Sam Gutelle of ''

Tubefilter Tubefilter, Inc. is a privately held company based in Los Angeles, California that operates media businesses focusing on the online entertainment industry. Tubefilter is best known for Tubefilter News, a blog targeted at the fans, creators, pro ...

'' called Idea Channel show, "Nothing short of superb."

References

External links

PBS Digital Studios: YouTube Channel
��the location of their original web content
Current PBS Digital Studios YouTube Shows

National Public Media
��information from the National Public Media website
PBS
��videos of PBS personalities whose words have been autotuned and remixed
Forbes
��Looking back on one year of PBS Digital Studios {{PBSTV YouTube channels launched in 2012 Education companies established in 2012 2012 establishments in the United States American educational websites Public Broadcasting Service