If you grew up with television in the 80s and 90s like I did, you were partially raised by Public Broadcasting Service personalities. They were our teachers, mentors and friends. PBS might just account for 0.01% of the Federal budget, not including donations, but it had 100% of our hearts. Here is a sample of five awesome PBS television show hosts we loved.

The Friend - Mister Rogers

“Mister Roger’s Neighborhood” was a long-running show on PBS airing from 1968 - 2001. Donned in his signature sneakers and sweaters (which his mother actually knitted), Mister Rogers taught us many life lessons including how to be a good friend, managing our emotions, and embracing self-respect. Fred Rogers actually got into television because he thought children’s programing was awful. He believed a slower, more conversational show was better for the medium. As it turns out, kids retained more knowledge from Mister Rogers than they did from Sesame Street. Mister Rogers is also public television’s patron guardian. In 1968, Fred Rogers went before the Senate to retain its grant from being slashed. His plea not only saved the funding… it helped get an increase.

The Bibliophile - Levar Burton

Levar Burton hosted the show, “Reading Rainbow”, which aired from 1983 to 2006. The show featured children's books which defined an episode’s theme. Levar would explore the theme with on-site segments. My favorite part was when kids recommended new books to read. Growing up with a lot of time on military bases and having an English Teacher as a mother, Levar found a love for reading starting with comic books. Today, Levar Burton owns the rights to Reading Rainbow which he bought following it cancelation in 2006. After the most successful Kickstarter campaigns in history, Reading Rainbow is finding new life in a more technologically advanced endeavor. Incidentally, there was an informal but powerful movement for Levar to be the new host of Jeopardy! However, after a week of guest hosting, he made it clear he was not interested. Bummer.

The Saucier - Julia Child

Julia Child is the Queen Mother of celebrity chefs. Starting with her first show in 1963, “The French Chef”, Julia had more than a dozen television shows and specials spanning four decades with even more published cookbooks. What I remember most about Julia is that she made fancy cooking accessible. Many of her blunders and candid moments were never edited out which made her approachable and human. Julia taught us all that anybody can cook great food. One among many interesting facts about this fascinating woman is that she was a special operative during World War 2! She worked for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the predecessor to the CIA, and was posted in China and Sri Lanka. During her time in the OSS, she even helped develop shark repellant kits for Navy sailors! A WW2 operative turned foremost celebrity chef? She’s more awesome than anyone imagined!

The Maestro - Bob Ross

With his calm voice and friendly demeanor, Bob Ross was watched by only 10% or less who actually painted along with him on “The Joy of Painting”, which aired from 1983 to 1994. Why would one watch a painting class they never intended to try? Because it was the most cathartic experience of afternoon television, that’s why. Long before ASMR videos on YouTube, Bob was comforting us with his soothing speech and beautiful landscapes painted before our eyes in less than 30 minutes. He even topped the cake with special guest woodland creatures such as squirrels and deer. Bob taught us that beauty is everywhere and accidents can be happy. Although leaving us in 1995, Bob Ross remains in our hearts today as a pop cultural icon and internet sensation. An interesting note about Bob’s signature fro: He initially permed his hair to save cost on hair cuts. He couldn’t get rid of the do later though because it was so iconic to his brand.

The Fabricator - Bob Vila

Bob Vila is the quintessential “DIY Guy”. On his show, “This Old House”, which started airing in 1979, Bob Vila taught us to believe we could build and fix anything ourselves. You know you’re a cultural icon when Tim Allen creates a successful sitcom making fun of you. In fact, Bob Villa would even guest star as Tim the Tool Man’s nemesis on “Home Improvement”. Every week on “This Old House”, Bob would show the ins-and-outs of home remodeling and convince even the least handy of us that we could do it too. Bob Vila would leave the show in 1989 due to a conflict of interest with his brand promotions. He faired alright though. Vila used his iconic status for other shows and promotional opportunities. I remember him almost as much as a spokesman for Sears power tools. He is a published author with half of his books under the brand, “Bob Vila's Guide to Historic Homes of America”.

Well, there you have it: My pick for the most awesome PBS TV hosts of the 80s and 90s. Do you have your own favorite PBS host not on this list? Let me know in the comments. With that, I’ll leave you with this inspirational quote from our friend Mister Rogers: