Inside/Out (American TV series) facts for kids

Inside/Out was a special American TV show. It helped kids learn about important social topics. The show was on PBS from January 1972 to December 1973.

It was made by the National Instructional Television Center (NIT). Many TV stations helped create it. These included stations in St. Louis, Cleveland, and Virginia. A Canadian group also helped. NIT later changed its name to the Agency for Instructional Television (AIT).

Money for the show came from 32 education groups. These groups were from both the United States and Canada. The Exxon company also helped pay for the series.

The show's theme music was "Ripple." It was created by Simon Haseley. The London Studio Group performed the song.

About the Inside/Out TV Series

Inside/Out was a collection of short TV episodes. Each episode was 15 minutes long. The show aimed to teach children about social issues. These are topics like feelings, friendships, and family.

Unlike many shows, Inside/Out often ended with a cliffhanger. This means the story stopped at an exciting moment. Viewers had to think about what would happen next. They also thought about what they would do in a similar situation.

The show was very popular. Some PBS stations even showed two episodes together. This allowed parents to watch with their children in the evening.

Many schools used Inside/Out in classrooms. It was shown on TV during school hours. Schools also used 16mm film reels of the episodes. It was a common part of school TV lessons. This continued for many years, even into the late 1980s.

Inside/Out was the first of several similar shows. The AIT made these educational programs. Other shows included Bread and Butterflies (1974) and Self Incorporated (1975). There was also Trade-Offs (1978), which taught about money. Thinkabout (1979) focused on creativity. On The Level (1980) and Give & Take (1982) were also part of this group.

Each of these shows ran for only one season. However, they were shown again and again. Schools used them for many years. This is because the topics they covered stayed important.

In 1974, a book called Stories from Inside/Out was published. It was written by Ken Sobol. The book turned some of the TV scripts into stories. It also included questions for discussion.

In 1996, AIT made a new version of the series. It was called Looking from the Inside/Out.

Episode List

Awards and Recognition

The Inside/Out series won an important award. It received the 1974 Emmy Award. This award was for 'Outstanding Instructional Children's Programming'.