Behind the Scenes (American TV series) facts for kids

Behind the Scenes was a cool 10-episode TV show that aired on PBS in 1992. It was made for kids aged 8 to 12, but anyone interested in art would enjoy it! The show explored different parts of the arts. It helped viewers understand how artists think and create their amazing work. The famous magic duo, Penn & Teller, were the hosts. Alice Trillin and Jane Garmey were the main producers, along with Ellen Hovde and Muffie Meyer.

Exploring Art: How the Show Worked

The show used many creative ways to explain art. It featured short films, cool computer animation, and lots of music. These elements helped explain tricky ideas about how artists create things.

Penn & Teller's Magic of Art

The hosts, Penn & Teller, used their magic tricks to make art concepts easy to understand. Each of their skits showed a different part of the episode's main theme. For example, to show how rhythms work in a song, Teller once explained they would make a mouse appear for one part of the rhythm and a frog for a change in the pattern! This continued until there were many mice and frogs.

Penn and Teller wanted to make sure they didn't talk down to their young audience. Teller said that kids are "desperately curious." He also mentioned that art can be like a magic trick. For instance, understanding how perspective works in a painting is a lot like figuring out a magic trick. It makes you wonder, "How did they do that?"

Episodes: Discovering Different Art Forms

The show had 10 episodes, and each one focused on a different art idea or form. They featured various artists who shared their skills and insights. Here's a list of the episodes and what they covered: