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The PBS series "Meeting of Minds" was developed by Steve Allen and aired from 1977 to 1981. Guests on the show included historical figures who had a profound impact on the course of history. Guests would interact with one other and host Steve Allen, addressing philosophy, religion, history, science, and many other themes. It had a lot in common with Arthur Voronka's Canadian television series Witness to Yesterday, which aired three years before Meeting of Minds. Witness to Yesterday aired a 1976 episode in which Steve Allen appeared as George Gershwin, a year before the premiere of Meeting of Minds. As much as was possible, the exact words of the historical figures were used. This was a fully produced television broadcast, but scripts were meticulously prepared to give the impression of a conversation between two historical personalities. Guest list included Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Thomas Aquinas, Martin Luther, Cleopatra, Marie Antoinette, Florence Nightingale, Thomas Paine, Voltaire, Karl Marx, Charles Darwin, Daniel O'Connell, Catherine II, and Oliver Cromwell. Typically, each episode is televised in two parts, the first of which introduces the guests and the second of which continues the debate. This is the standard format for the show. There were a total of 24 episodes created for the show.