Popular Mechanics for Kids
| Popular Mechanics for Kids | |
|---|---|
 Popular Mechanics for Kids Cast (Jay isn't shown) |
|
| Format | Educational television series |
| Directed by | Sid Goldberg |
| Starring | Elisha Cuthbert Jay Baruchel Tyler Kyte Vanessa Lengies Charlie Powell |
| Country of origin |  Canada |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 102 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Jonathan Finklstein |
| Running time | 25 min. (approx.) |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | BBC Kids (2000-2011) Discovery Kids (1997-2010) Global (1997-2008) First-run syndication PBS Kids |
| Original run | 7 September 1997 – 12 February 2001 |
Popular Mechanics for Kids (sometimes abbreviated to PMK) was an educational Canadian television series based on Popular Mechanics magazine. It was notable for starting the careers of both Elisha Cuthbert and Jay Baruchel. The show's purpose was to teach viewers how things work. It was awarded the Parents Choice Award in 2003, and was nominated for the Gemini Awards.
The series aired from 1997 to 2001, and re-runs of the show continued to air on Global until 2008. It aired on BBC Kids and Discovery Kids until 2009. Along with Cuthbert and Baruchel, the cast included Charles Powell nicknamed "Charlie" for the series, Tyler Kyte (who replaced Jay in the second series), and eventually Vanessa Lengies. After the closure of Discovery Kids Canada, BBC Kids Canada decided to drop reruns of the show from its programming. It ended on December 31, 2009, though it aired in syndication on BBC Kids in Canada only. The show ended completely May 14, 2011, on BBC Kids Canada when a new version of BBC Kids replaced its old channel with a new schedule.
The show was filmed primarily in Montreal, Quebec, and is currently distributed on home video/DVD by Koch Vision.
Contents |
[edit] Episode Overview
The show starts off with an overview of the show's episode. One of the hosts (Elisha, Tyler Jay, and later Vanessa,) then start their first experience on the show, (amusement park, snowboarding, surfing, motorbiking, visiting a science museum etc.). The other host then goes on their experience. Throughout the first two adventures, short, educational segments are shown.
Later, another segment is shown, called Charlie's Experiment/Tip. It is much longer than the mini segments shown throughout the show, and it involves Charlie demonstrating an experiment. Sometimes he answers frequently asked questions about science topics related to the episode topic. At the start of season 3, one of the hosts, (mostly Vanessa,) would go on a third adventure. After some more real life examples of the show's topic are shown, the two hosts then conclude the show, saying, "See you next week", and the show ends.
[edit] Cast
[edit] Segments
- Maniac Brainiac
- Cool Tool
- Charlie's Experiment/Tip
- Mechanix with Nix and Tix, later known as just Nix & Tix
- Action!
- Coming Up on PMK
- Rewind
- Fast Forward
- FACTory
- Under the Hood
- Gear Gutz
- Sparks
- System Error
[edit] Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired (Canadian dates) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season premiere | Season finale | |||
| 1 | 25 | September 7, 1997 | February 8, 1998 | |
| 2 | 25 | September 6, 1998 | January 24, 1999 | |
| 3 | 20 | September 5, 1999 | January 30, 2000 | |
| 4 | 23 | January 7, 2001 | February 12, 2001 | |
[edit] DVD's
A number of VHS copies (and later, DVD's) have been released by Koch Vision and E1 Entertainment.
- Slither and Slime
- Radical Rockets
- Rip Roaring Rollercoasters and All Access to Fun
- Gators, Dragons and Other Wild Beasts
- Super Sea Creatures and Awesome Ocean Adevntures
- Lightning and Other Forces of Nature
- X-reme rides
- Roller Coasters
- Zoos
- Garbage
- Popular Mechanics For Kids: 4 DVD Box Set
- Popular Mechanics For Kids: 6 DVD Box Set
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- 1997 Canadian television series debuts
- 2001 Canadian television series endings
- 1990s Canadian television series
- 2000s Canadian television series
- Television series produced in Montreal
- Canadian children's television series
- First-run syndicated television programs in the United States
- Global Television Network shows
- Television programs based on magazines
- Science education television series
