Fast Track English (Telekolleg II)

 

Year published/aired: 1997-1999

Year produced/filmed:

# of episodes: 39

Grade: adults, beginner

Genres: everyday's situations

Sub-subject: grammar

Broadcaster: WDR

Production company: Pilgrim Productions

Producer: Peter Teckentrup

Story: Robert Parr,

Editor:

Director: David Pick

Media: VHSx2 (x3)

Media distribution: TR-Verlagsunion

Additional media: books, CD-ROM Vokabeltrainer

Working material:

Material publisher: TR-Verlagsunion

Novel available:

Other literature: 

Plot (short):  Part of the Telekolleg II series (for grown-ups). WDR, 3x13 episodes. 3rd season is called Fast Track English - The Business World. 4th season is titled America - The Freedom to Be. The official site has 4 seasons. Wunschliste has a 5th season before that (mainly USA, but not even broadcasted on WDR but H3). Maybe the sequel America - People and Places.

Available on  the br mediathek / Telekolleg -> Englisch (1. Trimester). Brodcasted on Wednesdays on ARD Alpha at 6.30 am.

Pictured is recent episode 7 Sport in winter, showing mainly younger kids playing Soccer outside. And brief scenes in snow. Mainly grown-ups also Soccer (men outside), trainer from Gillingham FC, Ice-Hockey, and comedian Meter-Man at an indoor pool and Aerobics.

Produced from 1997 but ending credits says 2000. Books published in 2001.

I don't know the other episodes, but probably very few kids/teens shown.

Episodes: ~30 minutes each

Full list on German Wikipedia and the official site.

Update: Episode 3 has many scenes of 2 boys, update 2: ep 19 has another swimming scenes

https://schulfernsehenenglischhistory.blogspot.com/2023/06/fast-track-english-telekolleg-ii.html

https://schulfernsehenenglischhistory.blogspot.com/2025/04/fast-track-english-telekolleg-ii.html

Country Profiles: Heartland USA

 

Another, 1997 episode of this 10 parts series. Produced by The Phoenix Learning Group. I found some tiny pics (only this one from this episode) and the film text on the previous "Praxis-Unterrichtsfilm" site via archive.org and some more German titles.

The plot here is about Lee (originated from Korea) and Anne Roby and their family living in St. Louis, Missouri, a big Midwest city. Going to school, shopping, meeting friends,playing golf, ... 

They have another, older brother Seth, studying aboard. Parents are divorced. They moved from Iowa and Pennsylvania.

20 minutes. Co-production of ICEM (International Council for Education Media) ; directed by John Dallavis, produced by Barbara Bryant. Released on VHS and DVD. (VHS maybe bilingual, DVD maybe just US version). 5th grade. German Version and material by Rainer Hahn.

https://schulfernsehenenglischhistory.blogspot.com/2021/07/country-profiles.html

Country Profiles: A Day in Germany

 

Another episode of this series. German subtitle: Ein Tag in Deutschland, 1997, 18 min, twin sisters Susanne and Kathrin about Christmas.

Norwegian title: En dag in Tyskland (series: Land i verden)

More info about this series at the main entry

https://schulfernsehenenglischhistory.blogspot.com/2021/07/country-profiles.html

Goldfish

 

Year published/aired: 1997 ?

Year produced/filmed:

# of episodes: 6 ?

Grade: 1

Genres: basics ?

Sub-subject:

Broadcaster: 

Production company: BBC English

Producer:

Story:

Editor:

Director:

Media: VHSx6

Media publisher: Barcanova D.L. ?  /Anaya

Additional media: books, audio cassettes, wall charts, flashcards, VHS

Working material: Anne-Carol Fisher

Material publisher: Anaya educacion (Spain)

Novel available: 

Other literature:

Plot (short): This is obviously mainly a picture book series for 1st graders, but there also were VHS (I just have found pics of books, so can't say much about the VHS, but are partial animated). Books also later reissued as New Goldfish. Different illustrators. Best infos on worldcat. Audiobooks have 9 units on each of the 2 cassettes.

Episodes: 50 or (2x) 38 minutes each. VHS known:

4. Robin (VHS)

6. /2. Daniel and the Twins (VHS)

 

Books

3. New Friends (Goldfish Reader) book only? Also as #1 together with the following as 2
4. The Magic Forest (New Goldfish Reader) book only?

3. /5. Harrap (New Goldfish Reader) book only?

5. The Smugglers' Den (book only?)

6. A Dangerous Adventure  (New Goldfish Reader) book only?

Captain Crimson

 

Year published/aired: 1997

Year produced/filmed:

# of episodes: 8

Grade: 2-4

Genres: Adventure

Sub-subject: Sci-Fi, Comic

Broadcaster: BBC, CBBC

Production company:

Producer: Cas Lester

Story: Elly Brewer

Editor:

Director: Cas Lester

Media: -?

Media publisher: 

Additional media: books, video game

Working material:

Material publisher: 

Novel available: 

Other literature:

Plot (short): Captain Crimson is a Comic hero character by artist Jeff. That 10 yo son Tom (Ben Brooks) and friend Amy finished the comic whose character comes to real life, played by Felix Dexter. The kids and granny have to hide him.

Part of the Look and Read series.

Episodes: 20 minutes each

1. Escape From the Black Beyond

2. Guzzle Trouble

3. Banana Drama

4. A Giant Celebration

5. It'll All Come Out in the Wash

6. Take the Bull By the Horns

7. Operation Recovery

8. Black to the Future

A World of English

 

Year published/aired: 1997

Year produced/filmed:

# of episodes: 12 

Grade: 5-10

Genres: Documentary

Sub-subject: Geography

Broadcaster:

Production company:

Story:

Editor:

Producer: Andrew Bampfield

Director: Andrew Bampfield

Media: VHSx1

Additional media: books

Working material:

Material publisher: Cambridge University Press, Klett (Germany)

Novel available:

Other literature: 

Plot (short): English For School series. Sequel is Welcome to English. Short documentaries. School Life, sports (including swimming), also showing kids, etc (see episodes)

Presenters: Clare Hardie, James, Lance, Beverly Andrews
Actors: Lucy Turner, Samir Rerizani, Sue Rich, Sharon Bord,

Episodes: 5 minutes each
A School Day in the USA, Time for sport, In the Everglades National Park, Biscayne Bay, Life 1.400 years ago, A family History, From Cambridge to Antarctica, An Adventure Holiday, Through the Tunnel, The Young Musicians, Making Electricity, The Power of Flight

 

We 're Kids in Britain

 

Year published/aired: 1997 ? 

Year produced/filmed: 

# of episodes: 6 units ?

Grade:

Genres: Everyday's situations

Sub-subject:

Broadcaster: 

Production company: 

Producer:

Story:

Editor:

Director:

Media: DVDx1

Media Publisher: Longman Pearson

Additional media: Books

Working material: Gail Ellis

Material Publisher: Longman

Novel available: 

Other literature:

Plot (short): Lives of British Kids Luke and Jenny. Home, school, at play, festivals (eg. Christmas, pictured).

Info: Also available in French and I think Spanish.

Episodes: 40 min total
Home and Family

Guy Fawkes Day

A School Day

Christmas

A Week in February

An Easter Outing

Playway to English

 

Year published/aired: 1997-2001

Year produced/filmed:

# of episodes: 

Grade: 1

Genres: basics

Sub-subject:

Broadcaster:

Production company: Cambridge University

Story:

Editor:

Director:

Media: DVD

Additional media: CD

Working material: Pupils book, picture cards, story cards, teacher's book, doll Max

Material publisher: Helbling (Austria), Klett (Germany)

Novel available:

Other literature: 

Plot (short): Sketches and Cartoon stories with Doll Max. (animated and real-life scenes and songs). English as 2nd language for the 1st Grade (elementary).

Episodes:

1997 Part I (206 minutes) grade 1

2001 part 2 (98 minutes) grade 2

Also more parts. 4 levels

Info:

Also used in CZ