# How to find an obscure 1960's/70's (PBS?) TV documentary? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 15, 2015, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-an-obscure-1960s-70s-pbs-tv-documentary/731415 "2015-09-15T21:47:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2015, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-an-obscure-1960s-70s-pbs-tv-documentary/731415/1 "2015-09-15T21:47:14Z")
I’m trying to find information on a TV documentary from the 1960’s or 1970’s called “The Race for the Repressor”, or possibly “The Hunt for the Repressor”, which was probably but not definitely made by PBS. It’s about then-exciting biological research at Harvard (in what is now the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology), in the very early days of figuring out how genes are regulated. I know this thing exists because we had a group viewing of it in grad school, around 15 years ago, but all I can find online is a couple of passing references in interviews with some old biology hands (e.g., [here](http://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgen.1005351)). Does anyone have any ideas on how to go about digging up more info (and if possible a copy)? Is there some “giant index of every PBS documentary ever made” that I could hunt through? Wikis that specialize in old TV shows? Thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Gothic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Gothic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gothic)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-an-obscure-1960s-70s-pbs-tv-documentary/731415/2 "2015-09-16T16:21:15Z")
I can not find anything, I wonder if Mark got the title right. Maybe he has a copy you can ask for? [ptashnem@aol.com](mailto:ptashnem@aol.com) Though he may also throw in some of his violin recordings. > **[Mark Ptashne](https://www.markptashne.com/)** > > Website of molecular biologist and violinist Mark Ptashne ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-an-obscure-1960s-70s-pbs-tv-documentary/731415/3 "2015-09-16T16:26:11Z")
Why not[contact Harvard directly](https://www.mcb.harvard.edu/mcb/contact/listing)? I know my wife’s alma mater kept copies of documentaries and such about them from the pre-VCR days. ---
**Author:** ![JR\_Brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JR\_Brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JR_Brown)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2015, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-an-obscure-1960s-70s-pbs-tv-documentary/731415/4 "2015-09-16T19:37:17Z")
Thanks guys. I guess I could quiz the MCB office; I only want a copy for my own personal amusement (the thing is _hilarious_ if you’re a biologist; the narration and presentation is very pompous, and science has marched on quite a bit, plus you get to see Famous Respected Senior Faculty back when they were young and obnoxious) so I’m not sure how cooperative they’d be, but it might be worth a shot. ---
**Author:** ![saper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@saper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saper)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-an-obscure-1960s-70s-pbs-tv-documentary/731415/5 "2015-11-09T22:21:11Z")
it’s called [The Scientist](https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1842&dat=19680819&id=9forAAAAIBAJ&sjid=08YEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1477,3085947&hl=en). I felt the need to make an account and reply, since I found your post when I was searching for it just now and didn’t want to leave you hanging. I was trying to see if there was any IMDB info on it to confirm certain “cast” members but found this message board instead. I _might_ have a digital copy of it, I’d have to check my laptop at home to say for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-find-an-obscure-1960s-70s-pbs-tv-documentary/731415/6 "2015-11-10T02:37:38Z")
I used to know, but my memory has been…