This is a HeadGum Podcast. I don't know what to think

I don't know what to say

you're the guy's all right

yeah that's okay

I don't know anything.

Hello, welcome to factually, I'm Adam Conover,

and we have a bit of a different episode for you this week. A little bit of a change of. on a little trip down memory lane. See in the early 90s I was a huge fan of children's

educational television. I know I know it's a big surprise coming from the guy who

does an educational comedy show wearing brightly colored outfits, but I used to eat up shows like

Bill Nye the Science Guy, where on Earth is Carmen San Diego, and especially Beakman's World.

I don't know if you remember Beakman's World it was a show that combined cutting edge

special effects puppeteering and comedy to illustrate complex scientific concepts

for kids there was even a dude in a rat costume who burped and farted.

I loved this show.

It perfectly spoke to my nine-year-old sensibilities.

Now you'd think a show like that would just succeed in the cutthroat marketplace of

children's television because of how great it was, right?

I mean, kids like to learn and they like farting rats, so it should have been an easy sell.

Well, it wasn't until recently that I found out the Bigman's world, and many of your favorite

kids educational shows like it that you remember from growing up wouldn't have existed at all

if not for a particular law passed by Congress.

See, in the late 80s, there was very little educational programming on children's TV,

...