About Huell

Huell Howser: Biography

A native of Tennessee, Huell Howser began his television career at WSM-TV in Nashville after receiving his B.A. degree from the University of Tennessee. Huell's work in television has carried him through travels worldwide, including Egypt, Israel, Haiti, Nicaragua and Europe, and twice to the former Soviet Union.

Huell later joined WCBS-TV in New York City as host of a magazine-style series. He then came to Los Angeles in 1981 to work as a reporter for KCBS-TV. Huell joined public television station KCET/Los Angeles in 1987 to produce Videolog, a series nominated for an Emmy Award under his leadership.

Huell is a frequent speaker to civic and student groups, and is the 1996 Honorary Chairman of the California PTA. He is also active in numerous charitable, civic and social groups in California.

Huell hosts a number of different series fro PBS television:

CALIFORNIA'S GOLD
We are extremely proud of all the California's Gold shows we have produced over the past 15 years on our State's rich history, cultural diversity, natural wonders, and amazing people.

Seen on all PBS affiliates in California, this is our signature series, and is endorsed by a number of organizations including: the California Teachers Association; the California Federation of Teachers; the California State Library Foundation; the California Library Association; the California School Boards Association; the California Council for the Social Studies; and the California Historical Society.

CALIFORNIA'S GREEN
We all know how important it is to preserve and protect our fragile natural environment here in California. With ever-greater and faster population growth and development staring us in the face, it's more critical now than ever to try and live in harmony with our state's environment by preserving clean air, conserving water and dealing with issues like recycling and open spaces.

For that reason, we launched our series titled California's Green. This series highlights what innovative and creative Californians are doing to solve environmental challenges.

I'm really excited about California's Green because it is a learning experience for us all and most importantly it provides us with practical ideas and knowledge that we can actually implement in our daily lives.

ROAD TRIP
Join Huell Howser as he sets off again on California's highways and byways. The Automobile Club of Southern California sponsors Huell's series, ROAD TRIP with Huell Howser.

The premise of the series is simple: See where the road leads as Huell and his cameraman set out on a California highway, with no particular destination in mind, on a voyage of discovery.

CALIOFRNIA'S GOLDEN PARKS
In May of 2002, we proudly announced our monthly, half-hour, statewide series titled California's Golden Parks. This series features a visit to a different State Park each month. With over 260 State Parks containing a diverse collection of natural beauty, history, and a recreational wonderland unmatched anywhere else in the country, we can't get to them all, but we'll have fun trying.

CALIFORNIA'S MISSIONS
They stretch from San Diego in the south to Sonoma in the north. Some are located right in the middle of bustling towns and cities, while others sit in rural isolation. Located along the route of the original El Camino Real, many have become well-known tourist destinations visited by hundreds of thousands of people from literally all over the world. Yet others, located on the same route, remain obscure and almost forgotten. They come in all shapes and sizes, represent different styles of architecture and are presently in varying stages of restoration. Some are State Historic Parks, while most others are still active churches.

We're talking, of course, about the California Missions and even though they differ in many ways, these missions have become part of the history and lore of our state and endure today as true California treasures.

In this very special ten part miniseries, entitled simply California Missions, Huell Howser and cameraman Luis Fuerte set out on a quest to visit all 21 missions that run much of the length of present-day California.

The miniseries features three missions in each thirty-minute episode. We started in San Diego and literally drove up the coast. It was the most fascinating and enlightening trip of my life. I now have a better understanding of just what it is about these wonderful missions that continues to captivate so many people after all these years.

CALIFORNIA'S GOLDEN COAST
California's Golden Coast which will take us up and down our state's 1,100 miles of coastline. We will look not only at our coast's breathtaking beauty, but also focus on some of the challenges facing it, and some of the people and organizations working hard to protect and preserve it as a place we can all enjoy.

VISITING... With Huell Howser
The VISITING series takes us to the many diverse neighborhoods of Southern California, and introduces us to the people who live there. VISITING has captured the spirit of the Southland with episodes ranging from a look at how menudo is made to the celebration surrounding the rededication of Angeles Flight.

LA Times critic Howard Rosenberg calls Huell's style, "Intimate,magnificently unslick, utterly charming, and absolutely irresistible." Viewers agree, and VISITING... With Huell Howser continues to be one of the most popular programs on KCET - PBS Los Angeles.

VISITING has been on the air for over 15 years, and is generously funded by a grant provided by the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation and produced by KCET.