Encyclopedia (TV series)
Encyclopedia is a television series created by the HBO Network and the for-profit branch of the Children's Television Workshop (CTW) (now known as Sesame Workshop), Distinguished Productions, Inc. (DPI), (now which has been folded into Sesame Workshop). The series premiered on the HBO network in 1988. Each episode covered a letter or series of letters in the alphabet, with short skits of sketch comedy devoted to up to twelve corresponding encyclopedia topics. Several topics were related through song. Three of the six writers of the show had also been writers for NBC's "Saturday Night  Live": Patricia Marx, Brian McConnachie, and Mitchell Kriegman. The series featured the band BETTY, who performed both the opening and closing themes as well as individual songs for selected topics. Topics. The series covered the following topics: Awards. Daytime Emmy Awards: Merchandising. Video. All episodes were released on VHS in the late 1990s. They are no longer available commercially, but often appear on eBay.