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Cyberchase

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Cyberchase
File:Kids on logo2.PNG
Created byWNET
Directed byLarry Jacobs
Jason Groh
Starring
Country of originUnited States
No. of episodes94 - As of July 23, 2010 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time30 minutes
Original release
NetworkPBS Kids GO!
ReleaseJanuary 21, 2002 (2002-01-21) –
present

Cyberchase is an educational television series for children aged 8 to 11[1], that teaches children discrete mathematics. The show airs on PBS and PBS Kids GO! in the United States. Seasons one through five were produced by Thirteen/WNET New York and Nelvana. As of season six Cyberchase is produced by Thirteen in association with Title Entertainment, Inc. and WNET.ORG.[2] This television series premiered on January 21, 2002.[1]

Plot

The show stars three Earth children — Matt, Jackie and Inez — and Digit, a "cyboid" (a bird-like cyborg). The three kids and Digit use their math and problem solving skills to stop the evil deeds of the Hacker and his two cyborg henchmen, Buzz and Delete.

The series takes place in Cyberspace, with planet-like bodies called "Cybersites." Each cybersite is inhabited by "Cyborgs" the virtual inhabitants of Cyberspace. Some are based on real-world places, such as ancient Egypt and the American Old West, or fantasy worlds, such as mythological Greece. The guardian of all Cyberspace is Motherboard; her repairman is Dr. Marbles.[2]

Cast (credited order)

Main article: List of CyberChase characters

Guest Cast

Educational Philosophy

Cyberchase tries to show kids that math is everywhere and everyone can be good at it. The series encourages viewers to see, think, and do mathematics in their world. The show and supporting activities have been designed to support math education and reflect the curriculum standards of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics[3]. The show’s philosophy is to foster enthusiasm for math, to model mathematic reasoning, to help children improve their problem-solving skills and to inspire all children to approach math with confidence and a "can-do" attitude.[4]

Episodes

Main article: List of Cyberchase episodes

Season 1

In the pilot, "Lost My Marbles", Hacker infects Motherboard with a computer virus. At a library on Earth, while looking at a computer, Matt, Jackie, and Inez (who accidentally let Hacker unleash the virus, by touching the computer map, at the same time) are sucked through a dimensional portal into Cyberspace. In their first adventure, they go to an island to rescue Dr. Marbles. In subsequent adventures, they return to Cyberspace to thwart Hacker's evil plans, which vary from ruining Motherboard to trying to take over a Cybersite.

Throughout the season, the Cybersquad searched for a new encryptor chip for Motherboard. In episode 109, the kids nearly retrieved the encryptor chip, but lost it in a dust storm.

Season 2

This season is a continuation of the same basic plot of season one. However, the focus on the search for the Encryptor Chip is shown less as the season deals more with a new scenario; each episode involving Hacker seeking to take over a cybersite or all of Cyberspace, or plot a nefarious scheme in which he is wreaking chaos and havoc somewhere. In addition, a continued appearance of Wicked, a witch from the cybersite Happily-Ever-After occurred, revealing her strong feeling towards Hacker, while Hacker only used her abilities as a witch to further his own evil tactics as seen in episode #211, although he did show mutual feelings towards her in episode #203, but once again, he became self-centered and cared less about her. In a way, the occurrences of Episode #211 are the only of Wicked's evenings where she is successful with her affections. The charactor of sam vander rom (Al Roker is introduced in 204 and 208 and Erica ram is introduced in 211, where she hosts cyberscoop along side him.

Season 3

In the third season, the kids met Slider, a rebel-style skateboarder who lives in the cybersite Radopolis. He first appears in the episode The Borg of the Ring where he retrieved the Totally Rad Ring of Radopolis from Hacker. The kids are told his father, Coop, had abandoned him. Coop was on a distant cyber-planet, but the kids didn't know that yet.

The most dramatic event in the season happened in a two part miniseries called The Snelfu Snafu. While Slider was searching for his father, he stumbled across the location of the elusive encryptor chip. When he alerted the cybersquad, they soon discovered it was in the hands of an auctioneer. The kids eventually earned enough snelfus (the cyberspace term for dollars) to win it, but they discovered the chip was infected to drain Motherboard (which might be the reason that this one is orange and yellow, rather than dark pink and chrome), replacing her with Hacker. The kids were then placed in the dungeon at the new Hacker Control Central; when they escaped they searched for the encryptor chip (because Motherboard was trapped in it). Upon finding it, they also rescued Dr. Marbles. However, when they attempted to put the chip in the circuits, the hardware rejected it because Hacker blocked the switch. Dr. Marbles was forced to reboot Motherboard destroying the chip in the process. Also, Hacker rejects Wicked, setting the stage for some of the future episodes.

Season 4

In season four, Hacker attempts another scheme at bring chaos to Cyberspace. He steals the Electric Eel of Aquari-yum as a power source, and the Pedestal of Penguia as a relay for the power-flow, and combines these items with other gizmos and gadgets to form the Transformitron, a device with the capability of transforming anyone into anything. After taking the NIC (Network Interface Card) from Slider's dad Coop and kidnapping Slider, the device was complete. However, the CyberSquad was able to thwart Hacker's plans again by dismantling the device so it could not be used again and allowing the effects of the Transformatron to wear off.

Season 5

During this season, they had a special two hour program called Cyberchase: My Big Idea! This program dealt entirely around the theme of inventions. Four back to back episodes (episodes #502-#505) were shown, each dealing with a different topic about inventions. The program was hosted by Bianca and Harry from Cyberchase For Real! and in between episodes, they talked about inventions that were made by kids, and showed clips of kids who had made inventions of their own. This was also the first series without the late actor Len Carlson voicing Buzz. The episode "EcoHaven Ooze" is dedicated to him.

Season 6

Season 6 begins with episode "Digit's B-Day Surprise" and the kids have an idea to celebrate: a surprise party, but they pretend to forget all about his b-day (the day he was "booted" up). A disappointed Digit then runs into Hacker, who wants to reprogram him to gain access to Motherboard. Meanwhile the kids have a chocolate Digit sculpture, and they need to cross the desert in order to get it to the party. Soon, they discover that dressing it with a wet cloth can get it there without melting it. This is the first season to be animated in Adobe Flash.

Season 7

Season 7 started with "Weather Watchers". It was launched April 21, 2009. There were 4 episodes about it. In the first two episodes, "For Real" segments included Janice Huff, a meteorologist with New York's WNBC-TV who played "Stormy Gale" in episodes 701–702. This also included Episode 601.

Season 8

Season 8 premiered on June 25, 2010, with the Summer Challenge. Episode 804 introduced Ledge, the newest villain of Cyberspace. Hacker doesn't like Ledge for the reason that Ledge heavily insults him and the possible fact that Ledge is less arrogant that Hacker, even though he is equally evil. [5]

As of Monday September 6, 2010, some PBS member stations such as WMHT-TV in Albany, New York will no longer air the show because it will be streaming online through the PBS KIDS GO! website.

DVD releases

Between 2002 and 2005, five Cyberchase DVDs were released, with 3 episodes each, but on the VHS, you can only get 2 of the 3 episodes.

Codename Icky

Features the following episodes:

  • 116 Codename Icky
  • 203 Harriet Hippo & the Mean Green
  • 112 Of All The Luck

Totally Rad !

Features the following episodes:

  • 202 Totally Rad!
  • 302 The Borg of the Ring
  • 123 Fortress of Attitude

Starlight Night

Features the following episodes:

  • 312 Starlight Night
  • 104 Snow Day to Be Exact
  • 213 A Time To Cook

The Snelfu Snafu

Features the following episodes:

  • 309 The Snelfu Snafu Part 1
  • 310 The Snelfu Snafu Part 2
  • 211 The Wedding Scammer

EcoHaven CSE Features the following episodes:

  • 301 EcoHaven CSE
  • 408 A Crinkle in Time
  • 305 The Creech Who Would be Crowned

"For Real"

Main article: List of Cyberchase "For Real" Segments

Each Cyberchase episode is followed by "Cyberchase For Real," a live-action educational supplement linking concepts learned in the show to real life experiences. The actors Bianca (Bianca DeGroat) and Harry (Matthew Wilson) are in their thirties, but amusingly act in a manner similar to the age of the target audience. "For Real" is produced by WNET on location in and around New York City after production is completed on the animated segments. These "For Real" segments are broadcast exclusively on PBS in the United States where the program runs longer. Some "For Real" segments can also be viewed online.[2]

Cybersites

Main article: List of cybersites

There are several cybersites shown throughout the seasons. Each one has its own unique qualities which are dealt with through the elementary mathematics concept within the show, but also through various cultural references or even historical references.

Museum Tour

A touring museum exhibition, Cyberchase—The Chase is On! is based on the television series. It was developed by the Children's Museum of Houston where it was on view from September 28, 1996, through May 13, 2000. The exhibition is currently touring children's museums and science museums across the US.[6]

Cultural references

  • Several episodes of Cyberchase are a spoof of Harry Potter called Sharri Spotter. The head wizard Professor Stumblesnore is a spoof of Professor Dumbledore, and the wizard school that Sharri goes to is called Frogsnorts, a spoof of Hogwarts.
  • The 19th century mathematician and early computer programmer, Lady Ada Lovelace, is a character in the Valentine's Day episode "Hugs and Witches." She is voiced by Saturday Night Live founding cast member Jane Curtin.
  • "Chewcroca," a dinosaur, is a reference to Chewbacca, a hairy creature from Star Wars.
  • The episode, "The Wedding Scammer" parodies The Today Show weddings and features the voice of The Today Show's weatherman Al Roker.
  • The episode "The Borg of the Ring" is a spoof off the popular book and movie series, The Lord of the Rings.
  • Science Fiction television shows are often the subject of parody here. Various objects and/or devices are notably similar to things seen in the Star Trek television franchise. The kid named "Slider," is probably a nod to the Sliders series.
  • The episode "A World Without Zero" parodies various celebrities.


Funders

Official sites

Wikis

References

  1. ^ a b Cyberchase FAQ
  2. ^ a b c Cyberchase Program Summary
  3. ^ National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
  4. ^ Cyberchase Educational philosophy
  5. ^ http://www.thirteen.org/
  6. ^ Children's Museum Houston
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