A long-running show on WGVU will make its return this month and bring with it a batch of new subjects about topics not always in the public eye.

“Ask The …” is a weekly show running on WGVU, a service of Grand Valley State University, that features a variety of topics ranging from medicine to sports, all in hopes of educating the viewer.

“Host Shelley Irwin invites a group of experts into the studio to discuss new developments in their fields and to answer questions,” says the show’s official Web site. “Viewers are encouraged to call in and ask questions on air or send in questions and comments to the show.”

Irwin has been the show’s host since her first year at WGVU.

She not only hopes to educate the show’s viewers but also to do it in a way that allows each viewer to have a hand in the discussion.

“We hope to offer an interactive forum for viewers and ‘experts’ to communicate on a wide variety of topics, from the veterinarian to the architect to the optometrist,” she said. “Perhaps my hosting skills will set the bar for an easy, conversational, informational invitation for viewers to participate.”

The show has a hand in getting information out to the general public, a major point in the existence of public television.

“Getting this information out to people and having a venue for them to access some free advice is part of our ongoing mission to educate, inform and entertain,” said the show’s producer James Holland. “We do not expect to be solving everybody’s problems, but we can at least help them to decide if they do need to consult a professional. I think we try to bring a glimpse of the (different talents in) West Michigan to our viewers and hope to inspire them to be more aware and eager to take advantage of what resources we have here in this community.”

They do all of this through the guise of fun and often colorful features.

“Some of the more interesting ‘Ask The’ episodes have been the ones we did onsite,” Irwin said. “We did one onsite at the John Ball Zoo, but my favorites are the ‘Ask The Vet’ episodes. We bring in live animals, such as turtles, and have really great discussions on wildlife and wildlife rescue.”

The show’s topics are also picked based on what the producers believe will interest the public, suggestions from viewers directly or from conversations with experts that people have in daily life.

“There are some fairly universal topics that almost everyone has questions about: our health, our pets’ health, the environment we live in, our financial and legal obligations,” Holland said. “We also want to inspire people to step out of their comfort zone and try something new. There are shows where chefs have prepared food, wine experts talk about wine and food pairings; we talk people through improving their golf swing and how they can enjoy all the natural resources in Michigan.”

The show airs every Thursday at 6 p.m. on WGVU, and repeats on Mondays at 12:30 a.m.

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