Dish Network shows on instruction or education are enjoyable.In the more than sixty years since television was adapted for commercial use and first started appearing in American homes, TV programming has always been primarily about entertainment, not education.

The earliest shows included police dramas like "Highway Patrol" starring hard-driving Broderick Crawford, quiz shows like "Beat the Clock" with Bud Collier and fun-filled half-hour and full hour live "variety" shows with such great entertainers as Sid Caesar, Milton Berle (known then as Uncle Miltie) and the great Jackie Gleason. However, there was little – or no – programming that centered on education. The reason for that was obvious … The entire concept of television had a single purpose: entertain people in their homes, get their attention and, when you have accomplished that – sell them products and services. After all, corporations that sponsored the programs paid the bills. It was important to television executives (make that critically important) that corporate sponsors make money.

These executive believed back then, and still believe today, that entertainment draws audiences and that educational or instructional TV is not always entertaining. Audiences, the larger the better, of course, help corporate sponsors of TV programming sell products and services and make money. It is as simple as that … and always has been.

And yet, the formerly locked-in mindset of TV network executives and programmers is beginning to change. That’s because educational TV has become entertaining. Oh, it can’t be said that every show that attempts to educate viewers is fun or interesting to watch. That’s still not true.

But many of today’s shows that are built around instruction or education are enjoyable. The people who produce such programming understand that it is essential that the shows they sell to networks, shows that receive a television time slot, must be entertaining or … there will be no viewers (or, at the very least, just a few viewers).

The earliest shows included police dramas like "Highway Patrol" starring hard-driving Broderick Crawford, quiz shows like "Beat the Clock" with Bud Collier and fun-filled half-hour and full hour live "variety" shows with such great entertainers as Sid Caesar, Milton Berle (known then as Uncle Miltie) and the great Jackie Gleason. However, there was little – or no – programming that centered on education. The reason for that was obvious … The entire concept of television had a single purpose: entertain people in their homes, get their attention and, when you have accomplished that – sell them products and services. After all, corporations that sponsored the programs paid the bills. It was important to television executives (make that critically important) that corporate sponsors make money.

So … now in the 21st century, shows that are meant to impart information or instruct or educate (and there are lots of them) have found a way to captivate and involve their viewers by making the programming entertaining.

It’s evident in shows that cover human history … show and tell how products are manufactured … cover political discourse and current events … teach about government … enter American courtrooms and so much more. It began as a kind of "classroom in a picture tube," but today, in the 21st century, educational TV is finally entertaining.

By: Bob Willson