Product Details

• Writers: Rick Sebak
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: WQED Multimedia
• DVD Release Date: August 31, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0002TT0L4
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #40,939 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

About the Actor
Rick Sebak makes unusual television programs.

His slightly wacky documentaries celebrate various aspects of modern American life and the unexpected charms of Pittsburgh. Audiences have learned to recognize his friendly narrative style and the unusual topics that he obviously loves.

He's done an hour about hot dogs and hot dog shops across the United States. Another hour on flea markets. Ninety minutes about Pittsburgh's great commercial neighborhood called the Strip. You can catch can his "Sandwiches That You Will Like" on public television or on DVD. He's put together programs about pre-Disney amusement parks, really good ice cream places, "Stuff That's Gone" in western Pennsylvania, and, in a special called "Shore Things," he documented some of the non-environmental reasons why people like to go to the beach.

Rick's programs may make you want to travel. The New York Daily News has said, "Rick Sebak is not a filmmaker. He's a brainwasher. He's a brainwasher because you can't watch one of his effervescent films without having a very strong urge to follow in his footsteps and experience firsthand the places he presents so compellingly."

He has put together many individual special programs that make up what is called the Pittsburgh History Series, including "North Side Story,""Kennywood Memories", A To Z," and "Things That Aren't There Anymore."

After his statewide special on "Pennsylvania Diners And Other Roadside Restaurants" aired on PBS stations across the country in 1994, earning good ratings without any significant promotional campaign, Rick began making national documentaries including "An Ice Cream Show," "Great Old Amusement Parks," and "A Flea Market Documentary."

He has a way of quickly capturing the essence of a place and its people. His documentary, Sandwiches That You Will Like, delighted viewers, tempted their taste buds and, in the process, convinced them to contribute to public television.

PBS stations around the country often rebroadcast Rick's programs because audiences respond so favorably to the quirky blend of Americana, places and personalities.

In 1990, Rick converted one of his local specials into a national program for PBS: "Our Neighbor Fred Rogers." In 2003, after the death of Mister Rogers, Rick rewrote the documentary which was reedited with new narration by Michael Keaton, and the resulting program titled "Fred Rogers: America's Favorite Neighbor" has aired on PBS stations nationwide.

Before coming to WQED in Pittsburgh, Rick worked for 11 years at the South Carolina Educational Television Network in Columbia, South Carolina. His work there included the award-winning documentaries "Shag," about the official state dance of South Carolina, and "The Slightly Wacky Aussie Doco," a travelogue about Australia.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Celebration! Don't miss it!, June 11, 2005

By	Jocelyn Price (St. Louis, mo United States) - See all my reviews

I have forgotten when I first encountered the documentaries of Rick Sebak, but they have enriched my life. They are all great, fun TV shows that you can sit down and watch with anyone. Kids like them because they are quirky and funny; older people like them because these shows so often pay homage to the past. Repeatedly, we have watched them as a family and enjoyed them more each time.

To be specific about "A Hot Dog Program", Sebak and Co. go all over the country visiting hot dog stands. Sebak maintains that hot dogs, unlike hamburgers, have not become standardized products of cookie-cutter-same chains. So, he finds lots of interesting, quirky places and talks to the people he finds there.

I am always amazed at how natural and engaging all these people are. Sebak clearly puts them at ease and catches them at their best.

I was amazed at the variety of types of hot dogs, and how each region of the country is so protective of their regional way of preparing, dressing, accompanying their dogs. New York style, with a side of papaya juice? Chicago style, loaded up with stuff? Southern style, with slaw? It would be worth the road trip to find out in person.

I would recommend this to anyone, but especially to parents who want something really interesting and entertaining to share with their kids. Teachers might also like it as a "jumping off" point for discussions about regional differences, respecting others' tastes, etc.

By the way, I like all-beef hot dogs, grilled, with yellow mustard and relish (but not that Chicago-style neon green stuff), served on a fresh, lightly toasted bun. A side of fries or potato salad is nice, too.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Americana, March 19, 2007

By	Chimonsho (Turtle Island) - See all my reviews

This classic documentary is formally about hotdogs, and it chronicles many memorable eateries. But at its core is a marked populist sensibility. We the people are the stars: Americans of all kinds (some tourists too), united by hunger and satisfied by a perennial favorite meal. The film contains much more: witty, charming interviews in many distinctive dialects and accents; explorations of ethnicity, oral culture and oral history; roadside architecture; regional rivalries, self-made entrepreneurs, and of course that ultimate gross-out institution, the eating contest. The only drawback is probably unavoidable. A film celebrating Hotdog Nation (no Fast Food Nation, not here) has only fleeting comments on nutritional shortcomings, though clearly some HDs can be quite healthy. There is a brief scene in a hotdog factory, not because "if people saw 'em being made, they'd never eat 'em again," but strictly for context. I've seen it twice and will watch again---it's a great teaching tool---and spend a couple of days each time fulfilling that craving. And I always saw myself as a hamburger guy....D. Gabaccia, "We Are What We Eat" and H. Diner, "Hungering for America" cover similar themes and more as well.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mechanically Seperated Beef, Chicken, fillers? Who Cares..., July 28, 2006

By	David Carlin (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This was great entertainment. Why I have viewed this over 10 times is still a mystery to me, but a warning. This video will make you crave a hotdog. You may find yourself looking for a hotdog only stand or restaurant. Sadly in Philadelphia, where I reside, we do not have such places with the exception of the street vendors. Hotdogs are typically labeled on children's menu only at restaurants here so it was interesting to see Chicago, NYC as some of the hotspots of Hotdog consumage (If that is a word). The production of this video is excellent and it is in the editing of the interviews that is strong. The music behind running behind it all is ridiculously funny. The subjects interviewed are sometimes outrageous as was the Papaya King and Gray's Papaya segment in NYC. Also included with this DVD is the entire 1998 Nathans Hot Dog Eating contest as it happened. It's hard to believe the record for hotdogs eaten has now grown above forty.