Great British series, always something classic and interesting to watch. Also informative and cultural. read more

If there's one thing to know about me, it's that TV is my life. So you can imagine my excitement when I nabbed a spot on 'Check, Please' to rep my beloved Chicago Suburbs before I departed for a life of television watching on Pacific Standard Time. My episode airs October 24th and I'll be real, I'm not so great on camera. On the internet? Sure. I'd like to think I'm pretty good on the internet, but on camera... welp... I trip on my words constantly, I can't make direct eye contact, and I talk out of one side of my mouth like the characters on the show Rugrats... it's possible I unknowingly had a stroke, and one time a coworker admitted that they legit thought I was autistic... for an entire 2 years. So I guess we'll see how this TV thing goes... they did give me a buncha wine, so the gap on the 50/50 of that is probably pretty wide. As far as WTTW in general, I can't knock 'em one bit. They were by far my favorite babysitter growing up and that Rick Steves... something about his voice is just very soothing to me. Puts my chakra in line or some junk. I recently learned that one in every 25 people is supposedly a sociopath... I don't want to incriminate myself or my cold, black heart, but I'll just say that WTTW taught me kindness and human emotions that I otherwise may have lacked. My parents tried really had to raise us brats but they had to work, A LOT, and I spent a lot of time in front of the TV, doing my learning and developing my character which I won't pretend is a shining example of humanity, but I could've come out a lot worse and based on the low-income area I grew up and seeing what the majority of other kids in my 'hood turned out like, I was better off in front of the TV than out in the real world. - Lamb Chop taught me how to be annoying with that glorious song that never ends. - Mr Rogers taught me that taking your shoes off inside the house important. - The Magic School Bus with my homegirl Miss Frizzle. - Freaking Kratt's Creatures - love those dreamy animal-loving brother. - Wishbone, the time traveling dog... couldn't get enough of that sh*t. - The Frugal Gourmet... Don't pretend like you or parents didn't own that cookbook. - WHERE IN THE WORLD IS CARMEN SNA DIEGO - for hours on end. - Clifford The Big Red Dog, what's not to love? - The Big Comfy Couch was creepy and wonderful. - This Old House --- Bob Vila version or bust! - Reading Rainbow didn't exactly get me reading, but I watched the show, sooo... - And let's not forget that babe Bill Nye The Science Guy. Hubba.Freaking.Hubba. Sure, their fundraising broadcasting is pretty unbearable, but I guess it's good to turn the TV off and get out of the house sometimes, so the phone operators in mini stadium seating are my cue. As far as the studio and the staff are concerned, the place is immaculate and everyone there was cool as heck. The make-up artist was mega rad and a trooper when she had to work double time when it became apparent that I'm the sweatiest person ever and basically need make-up retouching every 10 minutes. The new(ish host Catherine De Orio) is super down to Earth and that's coming a person who went through a mini version of the stages of grief when Alpana left, but now having met Catherine and seen her deal with some pretty awkward on-set conversations like a pro, I've got nothing but love for her. And the icing on the cake was getting to meet and chat with David Manilow, the series creator, during the interview process and on set for the first day of Season 14 shooting. Super cool guy who just emanates energy and really pumped us all up for the taping. I feel super lucky to have gotten to be a part of the 14th season of a show that's on perma-DVR at my house and really is a legit slice if Chicago history, but even without, WTTW is the crown jewel of non-cable television and a thing I'm eternally grateful for. And you can watch me be the first person to say the word 'pussy' on Check, Please... possibly on Public Broadcasting altogether right here: http://checkplease.wttw.com/restaurants/season-14-episode-2-full-show read more

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After watching Check Please Bay Area for a year, I can't believe how terrible Check Please is in Chicago. 1) Hostess has a stiff jaw and she cannot enunciate any word clearly 2) When the guests get heated with personal comments, she has no clue how to lighten things up. Please watch and learn from Check Please Bay Area! read more

Trust me. You have to be looking for this place to find it. Even my GPS was having a bit of a melt down as it tried to figure out where I wanted to go. If only someone had told me it is basically on the Northeastern Campus I might have fared a little better but instead I took a little drive around the north side before finally honing in on the place. I was invited to a private function at the station where I got to meet Rick Steves who hosts "Europe through the Back door". The studios are clean, and the staff at the station take care of their "sponsors" (the donating public) by making sure that there is food and drink and there is plenty of Chicago history adorning the walls to make any visit worthwhile. They also have a private venue function room that I was told is available for groups to rent out. All in all- a place that provides wonderful public TV to Chicagoland. And I, for one, am happy for that! Now if I can only get my GPS to stop saying "recalculating route"! read more

I went to the studios to record an episode of Check, Please and was blown away with how cool the entire location is! It's actually located on the same property as the Northeastern campus and would not be easily seen if you weren't GPS'ing your way. All of their filming is done downstairs in the basement (so no cell phone reception). The guests are taken care of from the minute they walk into the building and down to the green room. If you ever get the chance to be on Check, Please! or any other show, make sure you save room for the good (free) sandwiches they offer their guests. This channel has some other great shows that encompass Chicago life! I grew up watching channel 11 and will continue watching as long as I stay living here :) read more

Loved my experience at the studio and at the set of the show "check, please! Studio was not too hard to find and so glad to have been able to be on the show where I get most of my food recommendations. read more

WTTW - Chicago PBS - Check, Please! Season 14 - Television Stations Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm typing this at home after I came back from the members studio tour. They do it once every other month sometimes twice. There was a decent amount of people there, close to maybe 30??? When you get there, you wait in the lobby until it's time for the tour to start. You check in and just chill for about 20 minutes before the tour starts. After that, your tour guide comes up and gives you some info on the station and all the channels they have. It's brief, simple and sweet. You then go down the steps and from there on you get taken to 2 sound stages. Check please and chicago tonight. You can take as many pics as you like. It's a simple, cute little tour. Our tour guide was chill and nice. It's just chill lol read more

Dear Channel 11, You have been the foundation for my early learning-Mr. Rogers, Lamb Chops Play along, sesame street. Enjoyments of my after school tv time-Big Comfy Couch, Zoom, and my all time favorite Arthur the aardvark!! Now in my early twenties I'm completely enchanted by Chicago Tonight, Nova, and all the wonderful the documentaries. I'm enjoying exploring all the different neighborhoods of this city, and have honestly kept my eyes and ears open when ever I'm at a festival, museum, and park WISHING someone would come up to me and ask me to be the bumper in between shows that says "Hi, I'm Kristyn, and your watching WTTW Channel 11" PLEAS PLEASE PLEASSSSE find me!! read more

This station over the years has evolved just slightly with the times but has kept its core values. It has it's kids programming in the mornings with basic shows like Sesame Street which themselves have moved with the times but have also been revolutionary television if you think about it for kids, and they were the original station you'd flip to for cooking shows before the food network blew up if you think back to it. Even Dr. Who used to roam the channel. Now I would have to say my favorite part of channel 11's local flavor is CHECK PLEASE. Especially for Chicago yelpers it's a great way to find new places to eat out there and get some opinions from different perspectives as well as an inside look at the restaurants themselves. You'll find a very low key set of television shows on channel 11, but there's nothing wrong with that. You can actually find footage of Obama also saying that he wasn't going to run for president on local channel 11 news a few times if you research into it. read more

Not just a station that shows Sesame Street or Ken Burns documentaries. This fine PBS network airs concerts of all kinds; from rock to classical. It has also turned me on to Monty Python, Dr. Who, Dave Allen and Image Union, and so many great and fun programs over the years, that I had to write about them. If you live in the Chicagoland area, tune into Channel 11. They are viewer supported and let's hope they stick around for many more years to come. read more

WTTW - Chicago PBS - WTTW - Television Stations Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

WTTW 11 is a great PBS station. I've been a viewer since age 3, watching Sesame Street, Mr. Rodger's Neighborhood, and The New Yankee Workshop. I still watch The New Yankee Workshop and to stay young, I watch Arthur, Dr. Who, and Monty Python. I've worked a few of their pledge drives a few years ago (volunteered through Chicago Area Mensa). The WTTW staff is very nice and really treats their volunteers well (read: tours and free food). I was even given an extended tour by one of the sound engineers and got to see parts of the three studios and control rooms not usually shown on the visitor tours. Disclosure: I am *NOT* a WTTW subscriber. read more

I love watching channel 11 now as much as I did when I was little. I still watch Sesame Street but now there are new shows like Dragon Tales and Super Why! that my kids love. I'm also a history buff so the Geoffrey Bear Tours are my absolute favorite. I went so far as to buy them on DVD so I can watch them over and over again. I also catch other programs such as Chicago Tonight with Phil Ponce, American Experience, Soundstage, Mexico - One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless, and the occasional NOVA . I often TiVo these programs so I can watch them in peace once the kids go to sleep. I support and believe in PBS so much that I volunteer for their pledge drives. And yes, I'm a member... read more

We took advantage of the studio tour as members. Coming from the burbs can be difficult to gauge traffic so we arrived about 30 minutes early. But just in time to say hi to Phil Ponce. The tour itself takes you into three studios including those used for the old Sound Stage and Chicago Tonight. Funny how small the CT set looks in person. We were given the opportunity to check out the Chicago trinkets along the back wall which answered some of our 'what is that?' question from watching the show. We never felt rushed as we moved from one studio to the next. No problems with parking in their free lot. read more

Why does WTTW lower their high programming standards with thieir Saturday programing when ithey have "advertorials" for these self proclaimed "experts" ? The regular programming of all the culinary and ood show are wonderful..why change a good thing? Also we are constantly being beiged with all he staff pleading for money. We should not contribute anything whenever this happens, epecially when the station replaces the regular great food programs. They might finally understand that they lower their refrehing and high standards when they put in these sub-standard programs! read more

I remember a standard that they fall short of now. There programming has suffered and the quality has dropped dramatically. The only good show is Downtown Abbey. It has given them some stars (2). Otherwise none. read more

We ordered an audio CD. Without permission, PBS substituted a DVD. It did not advise it could not fill our order or offer a refund. We had to call to complain and send back the wrong item and wait....and wait..for a refund. It is still not here. read more

First let me say that I like PBS and their programming a lot. So this yelp is not directed at that. However, it is directed at their fraudulent website. I recently signed up for something they promote as "Passport" to gain access to programming when I can view it, as my work hours often interfere with what I can watch. My subscription experience has been disastrous from the start and has been a huge disappointment. First of all their website is a hodgepodge, confusing, and difficult to navigate (The first time I used the Internet was in 1989, so I think I know a little about that). It appears to have been put together by the lowest bidder, and the contract awarded to the most politically correct one at that. Once I had wasted a great deal of time learning the awkward navigation, I discovered that 90% of the programming they promote on the site is NOT AVAILABLE TO PASSPORT SUBSCRIBERS! They just put up thumbnails to make you THINK you can access those programs, and then sprinkle a few live links in just to fool you. Any other business would be charged with fraud. Now, I finally have given up and called PBS Passport to cancel. So I called the contact number they gave to my bank, and it's a FAX machine number. That's right. A fax machine. PBS Passport is a scam. Buyer beware. Now I have to go and see if I need to hire attorney to cancel my subscription. read more

While cooking I've been amusing myself by watching this station trying to get people to buy CDs from Dr. Daniel Amen, the author of "Magnificent Mind at Any Age." This has led me to consider rewiring my brain by investing in sufficient cable to extend the reach of the speakers on my computer so as to be able to listen to BBC Radio 4 in the kitchen. I would be a happier and better balanced and informed person at this moment if I had made that choice before switching on the TV tonight. read more

you are the only thing that makes TV worth watching. thanks for making chicago a better place! :-) read more

Check please is one of the most unique shows on television and truly brings out the best of Chicago. If you haven't seen the show, you need to do yourself a favor and watch. You can find past restaurant reviews and additional information on their website here: http://www.wttw.com/main.taf?p=1,5 read more

Channel 11 rocks. I watched it all the time as a child watching Sesame Street, Mister Rogers, Reading Rainbow and other educational problems. I still watch it now watching such shows as History Detectives, Antiques Roadshow, American Experience, and many other programs as well. read more

I absolutely love channel 11. I don't even know where to start but I just have to say that kids programing and Check please! are the best!!!

As a TV channel, WTTW is great. I grew up watching their children's programs in the 70s, Julia Child, All Creatures Great & Small, etc. As an adult I confess to watching it a whole lot less. WTTW does some interesting programming of their own, but my favorite is Soundcheck- it's a great concept of bringing the live concert experience into people's homes through TV. Last year I became a WTTW subscriber and got some tickets to a taping of the Garbage Soundcheck- very cool. The studio space is really sweet- pretty short, wide, and high- everybody ends up close to the stage. Especially me since I got moved into the front row! Yeah, I'm rocking out in front of Duke Erickson- 3 minutes of TV fame scratched off my 15. So everybody has to check in there early, and people with the platinum seats or whatever they're called are seated on the main floor. All the other tickets get you up into the stands. They seat the floor people in the back rows of the floor initially as the place fills and the producers walk around and hand pick people to move up to the very front. By the looks of who got moved, I'd say they're looking for fans, brightly colored clothing and good looking people- it doesn't hurt to have a good looking date! Ok, they obviously also want people that'll cheer loud and do what normal concert goers do, which can be tough in a TV studio setting where the show is not as loud, the lights are a little brighter, and the cameras make one a little more self conscience. Overall it's a neat setting since the stage is permanently setup- you get lighting and monitors that just aren't practical or possible for a touring act that needs to fit on a number of stages with a budget. So anyway, Ch11/WTTW has done some pretty cool shows over the years. I'm not a huge fan of what they do today, but memories of their studio for Soundcheck and the whole experience are worth an extra star or two from me. read more

Isn't channel 11 wonderful? I won't watch anything else unless someone straps me to my couch. I hate watching tv with commercials! Someday, I will be independantly wealthy, so I can donate lots of money to WTTW and make sure everyone in the world knows who Phil Ponce is. read more

I'm curious how this Sunday evening news anchor keeps this position as he consistently & constantly is trying to "review" what he is reading. It is very difficult to listen to him. I'm sorry though I can't do this any longer. read more

Channel 11 is the only local channel that has some of the best programs...Some of my favorites: Check Please, Passport to Europe. so many traveling shows, and of course, One Plate at a Time... read more

You gotta love Channel 11 for Big Bird and Barney. And it has so much more to offer too. They have lots of great documentries, food reviews, and concerts on this channel. Its a great learning channel for kids and adults alike. This channel is definitely a great option for some entertaining and educational fun. read more

We have just watched the annual New Year's Great Performance from the Vienna Philharmonic. The beautiful and elegant melodies are still surrounding in my mind. This year's Great Performance was similar to the past Great Performances in which it encompassed the world's most attractive, legendary, and Classical Music. Actually, the New Year's Great Performance from the Vienna Philharmonic has been one of our superlative New Year's celebrations and traditional occasions for many years already. I wish everyone a Happy and best New Year 2013. I would like to say thank you very much to WTTW Channel 11, which has provided us such a great opportunity to benefit from the New Year's Great Performance in the past, present, and future. read more

At times PBS can suck. We have contributed a nice sum to WTTW. We listen to many of their shows, news, and varied broadcasts. RE THE BEGGING HOUR. We are currently listening or trying to listen to a Johnny Mathis special. This is infinitely worse than any commercial broadcast. In fact the last half hour was all begging. We know the station needs support and $. However these shows are nothing more than redundant regurgitation of toothy smiles telling us that if you contribute you will live another five years. I will not listen to this stupid pap. Do they know how many of their listeners are sickened by the begging babbling. Find another way! PBS is screwing themselves. read more

Hmmm, Chicago Tonight is pretty good, but Check Please kinda sucks in its horrible predictability and lack of variety. But for us non-cable TV watchers, this and WYCC gives you reason to buy those rabbit ears. (Well, not that this is all I watch...) read more