AMERICA’S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS Joins the Smithsonian

2009.04.16

AMERICA’S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS (AFV), the American version of TBS’s FUN TV WITH KATO-CHAN AND KEN-CHAN: FUNNY HOME VIDEO CORNER, became a permanent part of the entertainment collections of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History when executive producer Vin Di Bona donated artifacts from the beginning of the series at a ceremony at the museum on April 8th　American time (9th Japan time). Some of these artifacts included a camcorder used to film the first winning video, an annotated script, an audience voting machine and a presentation reel that prompted the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) network to order the pilot episode.

The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum complex and The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. The museum’s entertainment collections include valuable donations in American entertainment history such as props from THE WIZARD OF OZ and puppets from SESAME STREET. This permanent addition of AFV artifacts to the Smithsonian shows that AFV has now become a part of American history.

ABC began airing AFV in 1989, and with the show celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, it is safe to say that that nearly every American is familiar with this long-running series. Additionally, AFV has been distributed to more than 80 countries. The show not only began an explosion of home-video programs, but it is also said to have been the genesis of YouTube.

Vin Di Bona received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007. AFV is the first show based on a Japanese format which has been selected to be a part of the Smithsonian and has contributed to getting its executive-producer a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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AMERICA’S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS Joins the Smithsonian