The WGBH Educational Foundation proposes to produce a series of six one-hour television programs for PBS broadcast on the history of the development of the computer. Each of the six programs will focus on a period defined by the unique development of computer technology at that time, such as the first invention of mechanical calculating machines. The producers will tell the stories of the men and women whose work evolved into " The Information Age" using dramatic reconstruction of historical events. Advanced computer graphics, interviews with the computer industry's past and present leaders, and historical film and still photographs will be used to capture the excitement of technological invention and to demystify the inner workings of the computer. An audience of more than ten million will view the series in 1991, complemented by videotapes and teacher guides distributed within the education community; the series will ultimately be seen in more than 70,000 classrooms. Program research products and production materials will be contributed to a historical archive when the project is completed. The project budget totals $3.67 million; NSF support is less than 3% of the total.
