Meeting of Minds

if only this show was available for purchase. i was an avid viewer when i was in junior high. the "interviews" with historical figures were a real impetus for me to learn more about these people. steve allen's manner of chatting and questioning had the viewer forgetting these were actors dressed like paganini or voltaire. in the same manner that someone might see a musical artist on some TV show today and buy their cd, i was watching this show and then going to the library to check out books and records. i am a bertrand russell fan to this day. i believe schools could benefit from owning copies of these shows and incorporating them into their curriculum. totally engrossing.

There are volumes 1 & 2 available now for Meeting of Minds at the Steve Allen Store Front....I believe the Volume 2 has them all? I remember watching it around high school age even...initially our Dad had us watch it first with him before we we able to see the program we wanted. But it did make history more interesting to learn about...it made you curious...to go on further and find out more.....I believe even the children in school today would enjoy seeing a few...it might peak their curiosity....to learn more...children are like sponges...it might give a little twist for the better on history...I couldn't believe that I remembered watching them after all these years!

This really was a great show. For those of you not familiar with this show, imagine if you will a round table talk show consisting of famous people from history. One show might include as guests Christopher Columbus and Emily Dickenson and Mata Hari with Steve Allen acting as host. Usually Jane Meadows (Steve's wife in real life) would guest star along with other well known and lesser known celebrities. The guests had "read up" of course on the character they were portraying so the show was an excellent opportunity to see history come to life in an interesting and dramatic fashion. Keep in mind that the guests would never break character throughout the show. The guests were indeed the famous people in history they were portraying. Highly imaginative television and available in VHS format!

Steve Allen has accomplished an outstanding way to make history fun and understandable, providing a framework to explore morality and serious philosophical subjects. He brings together improbable groups of historical characters of such stature as Emily Dickinson and Gengis Khan, in a lively person to person discussion at the present time. Profound but not boring, funny and touching, it makes you appreciate the beauty of opposing points of view and to discover the basic humanity of seemingly antagonistic positions. This is most certainly the best US television series EVER. At the end of each chapter you feel richer and much more tolerant, ready to appreciate and sympathize a little more your with fellow human beings. I am terribly sorry it did not continue for many years.

Too bad we can't have stuff like this now. Steve was a genius.

Just saw him in person dec 11th and he hasn't "lost" it.