Bill Nye the Science Guy

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Bill Nye the Science Guy
Bnsg2.jpg
A shot of the opening sequence.
Format Children's television series/Education
Created by Bill Nye
James McKenna
Erren Gottlieb
Presented by Bill Nye
Starring Suzanne Mikawa,
Ivyann Schwan,
Jaffar Smith,
et al.
Narrated by Pat Cashman
Country of origin United States
Language(s) English
No. of seasons 5
No. of episodes 100
Production
Executive producer(s) Elizabeth Brock,
Erren Gottlieb,
James McKenna
Producer(s) Bill Nye
Running time 26 minutes
Production company(s) KCTS Seattle
Rabbit Ears Productions
Disney Educational Productions
Distributor Disney-ABC Domestic Television
Broadcast
Original channel PBS
Audio format Dolby Surround
Original run September 10, 1993 (1993-09-10) – June 20, 1998 (1998-06-20)

Bill Nye the Science Guy is an educational television program that originally aired from September 10, 1993 to June 20, 1998, hosted by Bill Nye and produced by Buena Vista Television. The show aired on PBS Kids and was also syndicated to local stations, making it the second first-run television program behind The Open Mind. It still airs on some PBS stations as an educational program for in-school use. Each of the 100 episodes aims to teach a specific topic in science to a preteen audience. The show is frequently used in schools as an education medium.

Created by comedian Ross Shafer and based on sketches on KING-TV's sketch program Almost Live!, Bill Nye the Science Guy was produced by KCTS-TV of Seattle.

Bill Nye the Science Guy has won 17 Emmy Awards.

Contents

[edit] Contents

The show ran about the same time as and covered similar topics to Beakman's World, in fact sharing one crew member, editor/writer/director Michael Gross. Before this show, Bill Nye had previously worked alongside Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future: The Animated Series, where Nye played Doc Brown's assistant and demonstrated several experiments.

Bill Nye the Science Guy has been likened to a modern Mr. Wizard. Bill's TV persona is a tall and slender scientist wearing a blue lab coat and a bow-tie. He mixes the serious science of everyday things with fast-paced action and humor. Each show begins with Bill walking onto the set, called "Nye Labs", which is filled with scientific visuals (including many "of science" contraptions announced dramatically, such as "The slingshots of Science!") relevant to the topic of the show. Most episodes contain a mock song parody and music video in the "Soundtrack of Science" by "Not That Bad Records", substituting a scientific roundup of the episode for the lyrics to a popular song. Each show ends with Bill explaining his departure in a clever description of an activity on topic. The credits sometimes rolled next to a series of outtakes from the episode.

Another popular member of the cast is the announcer Pat Cashman, whom Nye knew from his time on Almost Live!. Some announcers who subbed in for Cashman include Ernie Anderson, Gary Owens, and Brian Cummings. In 1996, Bill made a guest appearance on Cartoon Network's talk-show Space Ghost Coast to Coast in its twenty-fourth episode, Boo! with Michael Norman. A year later, he made an appearance on PBS Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

[edit] Theme song

Aside from Bill himself, one of the most memorable things about Bill Nye the Science Guy is its theme song. The bass-heavy theme is set to a Hip hop beat with Bill's name shouted throughout the duration of the song. The sound and speed fluctuations of the voice were accomplished through a vocoder and electronic pitch fluctuation. The theme song is credited to Mike Greene.

[edit] Production music

The show's episodes consisted of several compositions from Associated Production Music. Some featured tracks include:

  • "Act of Heroism (C)"
  • "Blood in the Gutter" by Laurie Johnson
  • "Drama Impact #3" by Ivor Slaney
  • "The Gunfighter" by Ennio Morricone
  • "Hit and Run" by Ralph Dollimore
  • "Killer Birds" by Gregor Narholz
  • "Saw Theme"
  • "Graveyard"

Many of these tracks were also featured in SpongeBob SquarePants. Another common track used was the theme from the English show Dave Allen At Large, here used as the theme from "The Jackie Smazz Show." "Killer Birds" was used in an All That episode.

[edit] Funding

[edit] Video game

A computer game for the series, titled Bill Nye the Science Guy: Stop the Rock!, was released in 1996 for Windows and Macintosh by Pacific Interactive. In the game, a large meteoroid called "Impending Dumé" threatens to make a catastrophic collision with the Earth. A team of scientists develop a laser satellite-controlling computer system called MAAX (Meteorid and Asteroid Exploder) to destroy the meteoroid; however, MAAX develops a personality of its own (in an obvious parody of the sentient computer HAL from the film and novel 2001: A Space Odyssey) and refuses to save the planet unless Earth's scientists can solve seven science riddles. Nye Labs decides to take on MAAX's challenge, and the player, depicted as the newest member of the Nye Labs team, is asked to solve these riddles using Nye Labs' equipment before Impending Dumé hits (represented through an in-game timer). The game featured a fully explorable Nye Labs, as well as video cut scenes featuring Bill Nye and other Nye Labs scientists. However, the characters and cast members from the TV series, sans Bill Nye and a few others, do not appear in this game, instead being replaced by game-exclusive Nye Labs team members and new actors.

[edit] List of episodes

Episodes
Season Episode number Episode name "Soundtrack of Science" Parody song

1

 1 Flight Nyevana – "Smells Like Air Pressure"

Parody of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana
2 Earth's Crust Magmadonna – "Crust"

Parody of "Vogue" by Madonna
3 Dinosaurs J.C. – "Mr. Dino"

Parody of "Mr. Wendal" by Arrested Development
4 Skin No music video
5 Buoyancy Sure Floats-a lot – "Bill's Got Boat"

Parody of "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot
6 Gravity Attraction Action – "G-R-A-V-I-T-Y"

Parody of "Twilight Zone" by 2 Unlimited
7 Digestion Dy Gestion – "Can't Eat This"

Parody of "Can't Truss It" by Public Enemy
8 Phases of Matter Phaze Change – "Solid Liquid Gas"

Parody of "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)" by Digable Planets
9 Biodiversity Bio Di Versity – "We're all Connected"

Parody of "Connected" by Stereo MC's
10 Simple Machines The Pulley Ramp Five – "ABC's of Machinery"

Parody of "ABC" by The Jackson 5
11 The Moon The Lunatics – "Moon Cycle"

Parody of "Bicycle Race" by Queen
12 Sound Gloria Wavelength and the Vibrations – "Sound is a VIBE"

Parody of "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor
13 Garbage Trash E. Trash – "R.E.C.Y.C.L.E."

Parody of "Respect" by Aretha Franklin; artist name is a parody of Doug E. Fresh
14 Structure Stress N' Tension – "Let's Talk About Stress"

Parody of "Let's Talk About Sex" by Salt-n-Pepa
15 Earth's Seasons A Tilted Development – "Rhyme and Season"; artist name is a parody of Arrested Development
16 Light & Color The Bent Wavelengths – "Light and Colour"
Parody of "Sweating Bullets" by Megadeth
17 Cells Mighty Chondria – "Cellular Haze"

Parody of "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix
18 Electrical Current Billy Ray Cyrcuits – "AC/DC Charge"

Parody of "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus
19 Outer Space Elve Centuri – "Celestial Hotel"

Parody of "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley
20 Eyeball The Eye Doctors – "Two Eyes"

Parody of "Two Princes" by The Spin Doctors
2 21 Magnetism N.S. Cool J. – "Opposites Attract"

Parody of "Insane in the Brain" by Cypress Hill; artist name is a parody of LL Cool J
22 Wind Wind Dee – "Wind Is In Your Hair"

Parody of "Groove Is in the Heart" by Deee-Lite
23 Blood and Circulation AB+ – "Blood Stream"

Parody of "Love Shack" by The B-52's
24 Chemical Reactions Chemical Reactions – "Don't Try This at Home"

Parody of "State of Attraction" by Paula Abdul
25 Static Electricity The Sticky Socks – "Static Electricity"

Parody of "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors
26 Food Web Food Webby Web – "(It's The) Food Web"

Parody of "Who Am I (What's My Name)?" by Snoop Dogg
27 Light Optics Queen Lighteefa – "B.E.N.T."

Parody of "U.N.I.T.Y." by Queen Latifah
28 Bones and Muscles Steppenbone – "Bones in my Body"

Parody of "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf
29 Oceanography Gulfstream Girls – "Deep Ocean Currents"

Parody of "California Girls" by The Beach Boys
30 Heat LeHot – "LeHeat"

Parody of "Le Freak" by Chic
31 Insects UB Buggy – "Jah Mon, Insects Rule"


Style Parody of UB40
32 Balance Torquer – "Balance This"


Parody of "Get Off This" by Cracker
33 The Sun Deep Yellow – "My Favorite Star"


Parody of "Highway Star" by Deep Purple
34 Brain En Lobe – "Whatta Brain"


Parody of "Whatta Man" by En Vogue with Salt-n-Pepa
35 Forests John Cougar Loggincamp – "Second Growth"


Style Parody of John Mellencamp
36 Communication Mary Chapin Communicator – "How Can We Communicate"


Parody of "He Thinks He'll Keep Her" by Mary Chapin Carpenter
37 Momentum Momentisey – "The Faster You Push Me"

Parody of "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get" by Morrissey
38 Reptiles No music video – the commercial-free PBS version of the episode, however, had a brief spoof entitled "Cold Blooded".


Parody of "Hot Blooded" by Foreigner
39 Atmosphere Warm -n- Wetta – "Fresh Aire"; artist name is a parody of Salt N Pepa
40 Respiration Ali Veoli – "What A Pair"


Style Parody of Tatyana Ali
3 41 The Planets No music video
42 Pressure PSI Garden – "Pressure"


Parody of "Spoonman" by Soundgarden
43 Plants Rhoda Dendron – "Cross Pollination"


Parody of "Human Behaviour" by Björk
44 Rocks and Soil Sedimentary Fools – "Rocks Rock Harder"


Parody of "Basket Case" by Green Day
45 Energy The ERG's – "N-R-G"


Style Parody of the Beastie Boys
46 Evolution Evolver – "Survival"


Style Parody of Veruca Salt
47 Water Cycle J.A.C. – "Water Cycle Jump"


Parody of "Jump" by Kris Kross
48 Friction Grace Slip – "Friction Happens"; artist name is a parody of Grace Slick
49 Germs Dose of Soap – "Just Wash Your Hands"


Parody of "Don't Turn Around" by Ace of Base
50 Climates Climate Report – "Whether the Weather"


Parody of "Lucas With The Lid Off" by Lucas Secon
51 Waves Big Amplitude – "Baby I Love Your Wave"


Parody of "Baby, I Love Your Way" by Big Mountain (originally by Peter Frampton)
52 Ocean Life James Baleen – "Power To The Plankton"


Style Parody of James Brown
53 Mammals Fake Fur – "Jennifer's A Mammal"


Parody of "Institutionalized" by Suicidal Tendencies
54 Spinning Things House of Spin – "Spin Around"


Parody of "Jump Around" by House of Pain
55 Fish Salmon Dave – "I'm a Sole Man"


Parody of "Soul Man" by Sam & Dave
56 Human Transportation Carpoolio – "Move Groove"


Parody of "Fantastic Voyage" by Coolio
57 Wetlands Maria and the Mudflats – "Where The Land is Wet"
58 Birds LL Bloo J. – "Talkin' Bout Birds"; artist name is a parody of LL Cool J
59 Populations Shirell Crow – "All We Need To Do"


Parody of "All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow
60 Animal Locomotion Bjorn Turun – "Loco Motion"


Parody of "Everything Zen" by Bush
4 61 Rivers and Streams Talking Headwaters – "Take Me To The River"


Parody of "Take Me to the River" by Talking Heads
62 Nutrition Knute Trishan – "Good Food"
63 Marine Mammals Marina Cesealia – "Breathe Like Me"


Parody of "I Know" by Dionne Farris
64 Earthquakes Mistah Richter – "Earthquake Rumble"
65 NTV Top 11 Video Countdown Mudhoney – "Bill Nye The Science Guy Theme"
66 Spiders Foo Spighters – "This is A Spiders Life"


Parody of "This Is a Call" by Foo Fighters
67 Pollution Solutions No music video
68 Probability Steven Odd – "50 Fifty"


Parody of "Loser" by Beck
69 Pseudoscience Dare L. Pseudo – "Pure Proof"


Parody of "100% Pure Love" by Crystal Waters
70 Flowers Daisy Birdsenbees – "So Many Flowers"
71 Archaeology Mob Barley – "Diggin'"


Parody of "Jamming" by Bob Marley
72 Deserts Deserette – "Always Dry"


Parody of "You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morissette
73 Amphibians P-Swamp All Stars with DJ Hoppy – "The Amphidelic Mothership Metamorphisis"


Style Parody of George Clinton the P-Funk All Stars
74 Volcanoes Volcanque – "Lavaflows"


Parody of "Waterfalls" by TLC
75 Invertebrates S. Khar Go – "Crawl Away"


Parody of "Runaway" by Janet Jackson
76 Heart Vinny Vein and the Pumpers – "Gimme Back My Heart"
77 Inventions En Vent and the Process – "It's An 'ing Thing"
78 Computers La Binary – "One Zero 001"


Parody of "Be My Lover" by La Bouche
79 Fossils Etchton Stone – "Fossil Man"


Parody of "Rocket Man" by Elton John
80 Time The Tim E. Zone Experience – "Time Time Time Time Time..."


Parody of "Time Has Come Today" by The Chambers Brothers
5 81 Forensics Krime Seen – "We Will Find You"


Parody of "We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions" by Queen
82 Space Exploration The Space Princess of Galactic Grooviness – "Planets All"


Parody of "Set You Free" by Planet Soul
83 Genes Alice in Genes – "It's Called Genetics"


Parody of "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine'; artist name is a parody of Alice In Chains
84 Architecture The Artist Formerly Known as Archie T. – "Makin' Plans"


Parody of "All Mixed Up" by 311; artist name is a parody of The Artist Formerly Known As Prince
85 Farming Chris Ballew – "Farm Food"


Parody of "Peaches" by The Presidents of the United States of America, of which Ballew himself is a member
86 Life Cycles Roberta Fungi – "Everything Has A Life Cycle"


Parody of "Killing Me Softly" by Roberta Flack
87 Do-It-Yourself Science Nye & The Family Crust – "Do It Yourself Science"


Parody of "Hell" by Squirrel Nut Zippers; artist name is a parody of Sly and the Family Stone
88 Atoms Third Nye Blind – "Atoms in My Life"


Parody of "Semi Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind
89 Ocean Exploration The Posies – "Voyage of the Aquanauts"
90 Lakes and Ponds The Foggy Boyz – "Fond of Lakes and Ponds"


Parody of "Tha Crossroads" by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
91 Smell Turbinator Two – "Come On Use Your Brain (Smell This)"


Parody of "C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)" by Quad City DJ's; artist name is a parody of Terminator 2
92 Caves Batilda & Guano – "Cave Thing"


Parody of "Shake Your Groove Thing" by Peaches & Herb
93 Fluids Weflo – "Drip it"


Parody of "Whip It" by Devo
94 Erosion Earth, Wind & Ice – "Causing the Erosion"


Style Parody of No Doubt; artist name is a parody of Earth, Wind & Fire
95 Comets and Meteors Halley Comet – "Got Me Looking"


Parody of "Shadowboxer" by Fiona Apple
96 Storms Mighty Might Thundertones – "Stormin'"


Style Parody of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
97 Measurement The Meter Men – "Every Measurement You Make"


Parody of "Every Breath You Take" by The Police
98 Patterns Downward Spiral – "Patterns of Joy"


Style Parody of The Prodigy
99 Science of music "There's Science In Music"


Parody of "The Time Warp" by Richard O'Brien
100 Motion

June 28, 1998

 Slow Moe – "All in Motion"


Parody of "Hot for Teacher" by Van Halen

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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