The More You Know
Encyclopedia
The More You Know is a series of Emmy award-winning public service announcement
s (or PSAs) broadcast on the NBCUniversal family of channels in the United States
and other locations. The spots feature personalities from various NBC shows. Tom Brokaw
was the first person to do a The More You Know spot; it aired on NBC
in January 1989 (these replaced the One to Grow On
PSAs that were used from 1983 to 1989). The first 'comet trail' star logo was created by Paul Johnson on an animation stand using a slit scan technique at R/Greenberg Associates (now R/GA Digital Studios) in Manhattan. [rga.com] They were later updated using 3D CG. These PSAs are broadcast regularly during NBC's programming in primetime, late night, and Saturday morning.
In 2010 and 2011, US president
Barack Obama
participated in the campaign, each time encouraging parents to be more involved in their children's educations. Several past presidents have also participated, including President Bill Clinton
and President George H. W. Bush
.
"El Poder de Saber" (The Power of Knowing) is "The More You Know's" sister campaign on Telemundo. While the other U.S. broadcast networks have similar campaigns, namely CBS Cares
and ABC
's A Better Community , The More You Know is likely the most well known.
, 30 Rock
, Family Guy
, Drawn Together
, Scrubs
, an America-themed episode of X-Play
, recurring parodies on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
, a running segment on The Daily Show
called "The Less You Know," parodies on The Showbiz Show with David Spade
, and an April 2006 series of NBC-produced mock PSAs starring the cast of The Office
. A skit on Saturday Night Live
portrayed the sometimes-fatal effects of CPR. A parody was also on MADtv
mentioning the "[nonexistent] danger of conga line
s", and another one which basically spouted random obvious facts. Spliced
has a parody of public-service announcements in general (and The More You Know in particular), in brief segments called "Knowing is Growing".
Public service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
s (or PSAs) broadcast on the NBCUniversal family of channels in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and other locations. The spots feature personalities from various NBC shows. Tom Brokaw
Tom Brokaw
Thomas John "Tom" Brokaw is an American television journalist and author best known as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News from 1982 to 2004. He is the author of The Greatest Generation and other books and the recipient of numerous awards and honors...
was the first person to do a The More You Know spot; it aired on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
in January 1989 (these replaced the One to Grow On
One to Grow On
One to Grow On is an educational public service announcement that broadcast during NBC's Saturday morning line-up from 1983 to 1989 when the network ran cartoons. One to Grow On focuses on ethical and personal safety dilemmas and attempts to teach viewers how to solve them...
PSAs that were used from 1983 to 1989). The first 'comet trail' star logo was created by Paul Johnson on an animation stand using a slit scan technique at R/Greenberg Associates (now R/GA Digital Studios) in Manhattan. [rga.com] They were later updated using 3D CG. These PSAs are broadcast regularly during NBC's programming in primetime, late night, and Saturday morning.
In 2010 and 2011, US president
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
participated in the campaign, each time encouraging parents to be more involved in their children's educations. Several past presidents have also participated, including President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
.
"El Poder de Saber" (The Power of Knowing) is "The More You Know's" sister campaign on Telemundo. While the other U.S. broadcast networks have similar campaigns, namely CBS Cares
CBS Cares
CBS Cares are a collection of public service announcements that appear on CBS that touch upon issues such as tolerance, child advocacy, and depression...
and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's A Better Community , The More You Know is likely the most well known.
Parodies
The campaign has been widely parodied, with references in Will & GraceWill & Grace
Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...
, 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
, Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, Drawn Together
Drawn Together
Drawn Together is an American animated television series, which ran on Comedy Central from October 27, 2004 to November 14, 2007. The series was created by Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein, and uses a sitcom format with a TV reality show setting...
, Scrubs
Scrubs (TV series)
Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
, an America-themed episode of X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
, recurring parodies on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
, a running segment on The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
called "The Less You Know," parodies on The Showbiz Show with David Spade
The Showbiz Show with David Spade
The Showbiz Show with David Spade was a weekly television program on Comedy Central that starred comedian David Spade. It is a comedic parody of celebrity news programs such as Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood...
, and an April 2006 series of NBC-produced mock PSAs starring the cast of The Office
The Office (US TV series)
The Office is an American comedy television series broadcast by NBC. An adaptation of the original BBC series of the same name, it depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company...
. A skit on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
portrayed the sometimes-fatal effects of CPR. A parody was also on MADtv
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
mentioning the "[nonexistent] danger of conga line
Conga Line
The conga line is a Cuban carnival march that was first developed in Cuba and became popular in the United States in the 1930s and 1950s. The dancers form a long, processing line. It has three shuffle steps on the beat, followed by a kick that is slightly ahead of the fourth beat...
s", and another one which basically spouted random obvious facts. Spliced
Spliced (TV series)
Spliced is a Canadian animated television series produced by Teletoon and Nelvana. The series made its world premiere on Jetix in Latin America on April 20, 2009. The series currently airs in Canada on Teletoon, in the United States on qubo, in Australia on ABC3, in the United Kingdom on Nicktoons,...
has a parody of public-service announcements in general (and The More You Know in particular), in brief segments called "Knowing is Growing".