Classic PBS Children’s Television: Part II, 1980s

In the 1980s, PBS programs Sesame Street and Mister Rogers Neighborhood continued their popular prominence on the children’s television landscape. However, several new shows premiered that decade, creating a whole new morning and afternoon schedule of award winning programs that would become quite popular with both children and their approving parents. We will look back at some of the most notable of these popular series that first appeared during the 1980s in this second installment of Classic PBS Children’s Television.

321 Contact (1980-1992) was one of the most innovative shows of its day, and it brought to the livingrooms of many a child not just scientific concepts but also scientific applications, all in “real-world” environments. Essentially, it was a science show that took place out of the laboratory. Physics lessons on a rollercoaster, using an actual power grid to demonstrate the flow of electricity, a trip inside the Statue of Liberty during its mid-1980s makeover, a peer inside the workings of a cable trolley system, and the use of a sonogram to show the development of a fetus are just some of the ways 321 Contact and its hip, young cast conveyed scientific principles to an audience of young children for more than a decade. 321 Contact also featured occasional segments called The Blood Hound Gang, where savvy sleuths solved crimes and misdemeanors using a hardy dose of scientific insight and problem-solving skills.

Long Ago and Far Away (1989-1993) opened each episode with James Earl Jones as host, who would introduce each episode’s wonderful re-tellings of classic children’s stories and folk tales through film, cartoon, and claymation.

Reading Rainbow (1983-2004) was hosted by the award-winning Le Var Burton. The show, which handled a different topic each episode, took children on educational adventures through such places as the jungles of New York City, the early-American outpost of Old Sturbridge Village in New England, a weather station and, yes, even a library. The first half of the episode, after introducing the theme, would encompass the reading of a book (usually by a top-flight actor or actress), live immersion in the episode’s subject (often through Burton’s filmed, on-location experiences and also interviews with both notable and typical figures in the respective topic field), and short book reviews of a few related books. Each book profiled on the last part of the episode was “recommended” by a young child who would sit in front of the camera and explain different parts of the book. These children (some were quite animated) usually even contributed a couple of their own comments about the work. Though there are many memorable episodes, two of these stand-out episodes included Burton’s day on the scaffolding of the Statue of Liberty during its mid-1980s renovation and Burton’s behind-the-scenes trip to the set of his other television series—Star Trek, The Next Generation.

Square One TV (1987-1992) brought mathematics to middle-schoolers across the nation as various popular guest stars of the time played center stage in a number of hip skits and sketches that introduced some of the basic concepts of math. Not only did Square One TV introduce several principles of math know-how to kids, the show also gave the young audience a chance to meet both “hot” stars of the day and many revered entertainers, such as James Earl Jones, William Windom, McLean Stevenson, Wayne Knight, “Weird Al” Yankovic, and Downtown Julie Brown (music personality). Mathnet was a popular segment usually aired toward the end of Square One TV. In Mathnet, Officer George Frankly (Joe Howard) and Sargent Kate Monday (Beverly Leech—later replaced by Toni Di Buono, who played Sargent Pat Tuesday) had to use mathematical clues to solve crimes of every type. Mathnet was a real illustration to budding mathematicians just how important math is in everyday applications—including crime-fighting.

Zoobilee Zoo (1986-1988) was a colorful, fun show with the preschooler in mind. The program was based on the exciting lives of numerous animals (actors, dressed up in eye-catching animal costumes) who resided in Zoobilee Zoo. This lively zoo was well-watched over by a wise leopard named Mayor Ben (played by the renowned Ben Vereen).

We will complete this three-part look at the PBS children’s shows of yesteryear by recalling programs that began in the 1990s. As you will find in Classic PBS Children’s Television: Part III, 1990s, many of PBS’ 1990s children’s series followed the suit of their earlier counterparts and helped continue a tradition of quality, enriching, live-action childen’s programming that dominated the network in preceding decades.

Resources:

“321 Contact.” Internet Movie Database. 14 September 2007. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190169/

“Long Ago and Far Away.” Internet Movie Database. 16 September 2007. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386215/

“Reading Rainbow.” Internet Movie Database. 16 September 2007. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085075/

“Square One TV.” Internet Movie Database. 14 September 2007. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0191731/

“Zoobilee Zoo.” Internet Movie Database. 14 September 2007. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090553/