Basic Info

First Air: September 02, 1985

Rating: ⭐ 6.0/10 (3 votes)

Status: Ended

Seasons & Episodes

Seasons: 1

Episodes: 65

Last Episode

Name: Cartooning - Club Day

Season: 1, Episode: 65

Air Date: 1985-11-29

Runtime: 27 min

US Log Line: The Secret City mural is completed. Pre-Production Name (AVM); #165:"Cartooning" {Note: The Log Line as printed in TV Guide was inaccurate. Episode 65 was a Club Day and there are no mural segments on Club Days. The mural was completed the prior Thursday in episode 64. This error likely originates with the pre-production Program Listings developed for the show by Adler Video Marketing which stated "#165: "Cartooning." Cartoonist Al Grosso helps Commander Mark finish the secret city mural."}

Videos

The Secret City : Episode 1 : Moonscape Building (YouTube)

The Secret City

1985 1 seasons 65 episodes ⭐ 6.0/10 3 votes

Overview

The Secret City was a television program designed to teach children how to draw, starring Mark Kistler as as the fictional ‘Commander Mark’ who led viewers and in-studio club members through various drawing exercises in a sci-fi clubhouse setting full of fun, fantasy, and adventure. While the show’s format essentially prioritizes instruction over narrative, ongoing ‘drama’ is created by the frequent addition of new key features to the emerging scenery of the giant Secret City mural. Often Special Guests would appear on the show to demonstrate other art forms or practical applications for drawing skills. The show was created by John Price & Mark Kistler, based on Bruce McIntyre's AVDP. Much of the series was edited live in-camera and was shot in a somewhat semi-scripted format. It was produced at Maryland Public Television through private funding by Children's Video Associates, and intended for broadcast via national PBS syndication. It also aired on TVOntario.