TV Acres launches new look: Check out the new content and visit the TV Acres Clubhouse. (Jerome A. Holst © 2009)

Hi folks, I'm Al Holst, the owner of TV Acres.com  and I want to welcome you to newest version of my television-oriented website, or as I call it, "The Ultimate Subject Guide to TV Program Facts."

Improvements to the website include an upgraded TV Westerns section. It now contains over 150 shows, featuring, pictures, theme song lyrics and the text of many memorable voice-over narrations. These shows can be accessed by Decade, Subject or by an A-Z List.

Our new TV Acres Clubhouse features our mascots TeyVey-a Tuba, the Digital Diva of Channel Surfing and her assistant, Clyde, an elf-like creature who wrangles electronic beings called Zappers.

You also find links to the Clubhouse oath, biographical sketches of Al, TeyVey-A -Tuba and Clyde, News on the Net, Collectible Corners, a trivia game (still under construction ) called "Spin that Darn Wheel!") A Mystery Guest, and a few fun interactive graphics.

First launched in 2000, TV Acres was the culmination of 25 years of research. In the late 1990's, I gathered together all my TV information and created the manuscript "The Channel Surfers Encyclopedia of TV Facts and Trivia." When I finished printing the manuscript it ended up being 1500 pages which I divided in to 5 volumes.

Initially, I wanted to publish the book. I have a couple publishers interested in the project, but I soon realized that it would be better to upload the text on to the Internet. That way I could update it instantly and most importantly, I would stay in control of the project instead of giving it over to an editor, whose vision might not mesh with my own.

After learning basic HTML coding, I created a simple template and cut and pasted my computer files into the first version of the TV ACRES website. A few years later, I added more artwork and content.

Then in 2005, I decided to hire a web design firm to rework my static. .htm based template and produce a .php platform. This changeover required that I cut and paste all my original content into the new .php. templates. This took me three years. I spent many a night after work, uploading text from one file after another until, in March o f 2009, I completed transferring some 7000 pages of content.

The latest version of my website is the result of my own sweat and the creative endeavors of some very talented people including EZ Solutions in Pennsylvania who created the .php design for my site; GLYPHIX from Kent State, Ohio who produced the rollover animations for my Homepage and Clubhouse; and iCreativeMedia who drew our mascot illustrations of Al, TeyVey-A-Tuba and Clyde.

And, last but not least, my talented friend Greg Ricker from Youngstown, Ohio who donated his time and skills in helping me debug and tweak my website, so it could launch on time for my birthday (May 17th).

Now that the hard worked is done, I'll have time to start adding more and more content to the site. I can't wait.

Meanwhile, I invite all of you to browse our new site and we hope you will come back often. Take care.  Jerome "Al"  Holst, webmaster.