Summer of Sebak: Beloved Pittsburgh documentaries now airing
It’s the “Summer of Sebak” at WQED-TV, marking beloved documentarian Rick Sebak’s 50 years in public broadcasting, 39 of them at WQED.
To celebrate this milestone, all summer long WQED will air local fan favorites such as “Kennywood Memories” and “The Strip Show” along with national classics including “A Hot Dog Program,” “Shore Things” and “An Ice Cream Show,” as well as some of Sebak’s rarely seen programs.
Every Thursday night and Saturdays at noon, viewers can revisit the interesting places, colorful characters and local history that make Pittsburgh Pittsburgh.
Not many people have a season named after them.
“I’m humbled and honored,” Sebak said. “It’s truly amazing and a big compliment.”
Pittsburghers adore his sometimes quirky and highly nostalgic one-of-a-kind documentary style, often described as “scrapbook documentary.”
Sebak describes his programs as a celebration with a slight historic bent, which over the years have taken viewers to amusement parks, bakeries, diners, hot dog shops and ice cream parlors and featured West Hills landmarks such as the old Coraopolis Bridge and Gino’s Restaurant on Neville Island.
“History tends to be just about government and military and all of that,” Sebak said. “But really, history is everything. It is the history of an amusement park, and it is a history of a diner, and it is a history of a pizza joint.
“I just love all of that. And I love being surprised by Pittsburgh. I think it’s what keeps me going and I want to share that with people. All of my shows are a shared celebration.”
That’s why the Pittsburgh History Series is an integral part of the Rick Sebak collection at WQED. The 1990s titles include “Things that Aren’t There Anymore,” “Stuff That’s Gone,” “North Side Story,” “South Side” and “Things That Are Still Here.” The 2000s feature “Things We’ve Made,” “25 Things I Like About Pittsburgh” and “Return to Downtown Pittsburgh.”
Sebak grew up in Bethel Park and graduated from Bethel Park High School before heading off to college at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. He began his TV career in 1976 in South Carolina, working with Josie Carey, who, ironically, went on to work with Fred Rogers at WQED, where Sebak was hired in 1987.
“I always feel like I’m a very lucky person,” Sebak said. “I was lucky to get my first job in TV. I’m lucky that 39 years ago I made the jump from South Carolina back here to Pittsburgh.”
Sebak has the ability to tap into the heart and soul of a community, highlighting small businesses, good food and fascinating aspects of American life, inviting viewers to come along with him. He has produced more than 60 programs about Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania and more than 15 national programs that aired on PBS stations across the country.
“Rick has spent 50 years following his curiosity and introducing us to people and stories we don’t soon forget,” said Jason Jedlinski, president and CEO of WQED Multimedia. “His programs endure because he notices the details most people miss and helps us see familiar places in a different way.”
For the full “Summer of Sebak” schedule, visit www.wqed.org/sebak
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