Documentaries & Education

Derek Crabbe investigates various film and television adaptations of comic books in his educational series History of Comics on Film. Just like its name, this series is a bit dry, especially when episodes stretch to close to an hour. However the shorter episodes, like the 20-minute one based on The U.S. of Archie, are tight enough to remain entertaining.

If you don't know your Star Trek from your Star Wars you might need to take a Geek Crash Course. Diana Dekajlo and Michael A. Nixon are on a mission to enlighten the geek-challenged on all aspects of geek culture, from comic books to computer games. It's aimed at nerd newbies but the episodes are entertaining enough to enthrall serious geeks.

With so many young gay and lesbian teens committing suicide as they struggle to come to terms with their sexuality, a channel like I'm From Driftwood has become more important than ever. Through its intimate documentary portraits of LGBTQ people, the stars and the ordinary Joes and Janes, gay and lesbian folks learn they are not alone. And the rest of us learn these people aren't all that different from the rest of us. These are powerful lessons indeed.

If you believe the Bollywood movies, India is a colorful and cheery place where people sing and dance in the street. The team from Video Volunteers tells a very different story with their local news channel IndiaUnheard. As its name suggests the webseries puts cameras into the hands of marginalized people and encourages them to reveal the true India.

Learn about the blues sounds of the Mississippi Delta with the educational guitar series Masters of Delta Blues Guitar. Kevin Duggan’s series is ideal for people with some guitar skills, but too advanced for beginners. That helps it fill a bit of a niche in the market, even if it isn’t for everybody.

Bill Streeter celebrates the music and culture of his home town in the webseries, Lo-Fi Saint Louis. Series dealing with music and the arts are a dime a dozen, but the focus on The River City helps to set this one apart. The videos are professionally produced, and the use of high-definition video makes them a real pleasure to watch.

Take a little break for yourself and enjoy the nature videos from the Serenity Channel. The combination of tranquil images and soothing music works a treat to help you relax. New episodes are a bit slow to come, with months passing before new ones join the collection, but this isn't the kind of channel that leaves you hanging out for the next installment!

Gone are the days when learning was only done in a conventional classroom with four walls. Kirsten Winkler investigates the new breed of online education businesses in her informative interview series, Edukwest. The interviews are well done, but sadly many of them drag a bit too long for an online audience.

A program full of graphs and statistics doesn't sound too fascinating on paper, but the lively range of topics helps the educational Infographics Show find an audience. Who could resist clicking on a video all about masturbation or breasts? The focus is on facts, but there's enough entertainment value to keep viewers tuning in.

The Montana State University has created an impressive educational nature and science series in Terra: The Nature of Our World. The production is slick and the videos diverse and informative. The website design isn't very intuitive though, with viewers needing to scroll up on pages to see the videos they're looking for. This unique design takes some time to get used to.