Alive from Off Center

1. S01E01Short Video ArtworksJuly 1, 1985—In John Sanborn and Kit Fitzgerald’s Ear to the Ground, percussionist David Van Thieghem “plays” the city of New York as he uses everyday ob
2. S01E02Video DanceJuly 8, 1985—This program opens with a piece performed by the dance group "Maasai," which explores an African tribal dance and its variations performed i
3. S01E03Smothering DreamsJuly 15, 1985—Smothering Dreams features an interview with video artist/sculptor Dan Reeves as well as clips from his video piece of the same title. The w
4. S01E04Comedy VideoJuly 22, 1985—Artists who poke fun at the medium of television are the focus of this 1985 episode. As noted by host Susan Stamberg, Comedy on Video is hig
5. S01E05TonguesJuly 29, 1985—Directed by video artist Shirley Clarke, Tongues (1985) is a collaboration between playwright Sam Shepard and actor Joseph Chaikin. Accordin
6. S01E06Summer DancesAugust 5, 1985—"Summer" is the theme of the dances, which are performed outdoors. Inspired by the teenage life in a working-class neighborhood, the first d
7. S01E07A Personal History of the American TheatreAugust 12, 1985—Spalding Gray discusses his experiences working as a professional theater actor while sitting at a desk or table in the same manner as many
8. S01E08Artist's Music VideosAugust 19, 1985—This program, hosted by Susan Stamberg, showcases alt rock music videos, beginning with "The Dancing Man," in which a recurring song torment

Season 1 ranked & reviewed

1. S02E01Animation, Dance, and ComedyJune 30, 1986—Season two of Alive from Off Center begins with engaging segments from 1986 that showcase state-of-the-art video technology, dance, and come
2. S02E02Sister Suzie CinemaJuly 7, 1986—This program features the broadcast premiere of the "doo-wop" opera "Sister Suzie Cinema," which integrates the "a cappella" singing of the
3. S02E03Fire, Light, Sticks, Rotary ActionJuly 14, 1986—Hosted by Susan Stamberg, this program features three pieces by movement artist Michael Moschen and a dance performance by Bill T. Jones and
4. S02E04Computer AnimationJuly 21, 1986—Hosted by Susan Stamberg, this program features works by two video/computer artists: "Mt. Fuji," by the Japanese artist Ko Nakajima, and "Hy
5. S02E05The World of PhotographyJuly 28, 1986—This episode contains a parody of a "how-to" instructional video about photography starring noted photographers William Wegman and Michael S
6. S02E06Video Theater and DanceAugust 4, 1986—In this program, hosted by Susan Stamberg, three dances created especially for performance on television -- two from America and one from Fr
7. S02E07Three ChoreographersAugust 11, 1986—Hosted by Susan Stamberg, the program features dance pieces by Charles Moulton, David Parsons, Trisha Brown, and Skip Blumberg. "Nine Person
8. S02E08Young Video ArtistsAugust 18, 1986—In "The Nose Knows," Teddy Dibble sniffs several microphones, selects one, and mouths the words to an instrumental of "The Girl from Ipanema
9. S02E09Choreography by David GordonAugust 25, 1986—This program features three works by dancer and choreographer David Gordon. The first, entitled "Dorothy and Eileen," combines dance with st
10. S02E10What You Mean We?September 1, 1986—his program features two video works by performance artist Laurie Anderson. The first, "Late Show" (an excerpt from her film "Home of the Br

Season 2 ranked & reviewed

1. S03E01As Seen on TVJuly 13, 1987—Hosted by Laurie Anderson and her male double, a computer-generated clone, this program features comic artist Bill Irwin. Trying to find a c
2. S03E02FunhouseAugust 14, 1987—An avant-garde omnibus that features works by off-the-wall artists in many different disciplines.
3. S03E03Women of the CalabashSeptember 19, 1987—This energetic 1987 program features the Women of the Calabash, an all-female percussion and vocal ensemble who perform with calabashes. Rev

Season 3 ranked & reviewed

1. S04E01Men Die SoonerJuly 31, 1988—An avant-garde omnibus that features works by off-the-wall artists in many different disciplines.

Season 4 ranked & reviewed

1. S06E01PostcardsSeptember 13, 1990—An avant-garde omnibus that features works by off-the-wall artists in many different disciplines.
2. S06E02RoadSeptember 13, 1990—A bleak portrait of life in a Lancashire town in 1980's Thatcher era Britain.

Season 6 ranked & reviewed

1. S07E01Words in Your FaceJuly 12, 1991—An avant-garde omnibus that features works by off-the-wall artists in many different disciplines.
2. S07E02Dances in ExileSeptember 2, 1991—An avant-garde omnibus that features works by off-the-wall artists in many different disciplines.

Season 7 ranked & reviewed