Square One Television: A PBS Kids Show that Made Math Fun

I consider the good old days of PBS kid's programming to be from the late 1960s to around the late 1990s. Back then, the network had plenty of shows that were as fun for children as they were educational. Not only could young children learn from shows such as Sesame Street, but elementary and middle school children could watch shows on such subjects as geography, science, and history. One such show that made learning fun for all ages was Square One Television, which from 1987 through 1994 sought to teach children all about math, making it entertaining so as to make kids actually want to learn math. They succeeded rather admirably, and many people, myself included, still have fond memories of a series from an era of PBS shows that may never be recreated.

The series, produced by Sesame Workshop back when they were known as the Children's Television Workshop or CTW, featured a variety of skits revolved around teaching children various concepts of math, from multiplication to division to fractions and even Roman numerals. The skits ranged from parodies of popular television shows such as General Hospital and The People's Court, to various game show skits, some of which actually used young contestants who played for a chance to win prizes. The skits were often humorous as well as educational, a trait that would be used in other PBS shows such as Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego. Not only would children be entertained by the skits, but they would also learn about math and why it is an important concept.

Also seen frequently were special music videos in which various artists would sing about math concepts. With the popularity of MTV, CTW created many of these videos, many of which were as catchy as they were educational. Sometimes, special guest stars were brought in to perform the songs. Gregory Hines, the Fat Boys, and even Weird Al Yankovic were among the celebrity guests who sung about math at some point during the show's history. One of my personal favorite tunes of the bunch is "Wanna Be," performed by Bobby McFerrin, which taught kids about how they needed to learn math in order to be successful in their careers. Great musical performances such as these added to the show's appeal.

One of my favorite recurring skits in Mathman, a parody of the arcade game Pac-Man. Here, the title character would have to eat various numbers and shapes that fit a particular category (i.e. multiples of five). If he was incorrect, as was most often the case, the vile Mr. Glitch would eat him up. On the rare occasions where Mathman got a perfect score, the skit would end with him getting a free game. Sometimes, the tables were turned, and Mr. Glitch got a chance to play. If he made a wrong decision at some point, Mathman, or on at least one occasion, his pet Mathdog, would eat poor Mr. Glitch. These skits were quite enjoyable, and it was always fun to see if Mathman would actually avoid becoming Mr. Glitch's lunch.

Many of the sketches were live action, but other animated skits were seen, as well. Besides Mathman, there was Dirk Niblick, in which the title character would teach math in order to aid his friends. Pauline's Perilous Pyramid, which was similar to another popular arcade game, Q*bert, had her jumping on positive numbers while avoiding negative numbers. Like the live action sequences, the animated segments were entertaining, and proved that education did not always have to be a completely serious subject.

Most of the segments were always self-contained, and were not featured in every episode. However, each show always ended with Mathnet, a serialized drama in which math was needed to solve a variety of mysteries. Here, detectives George Frankly, Kate Monday (his partner in Seasons 1 and 2) and Pat Tuesday (who replaced Kate starting in Season 3) would uncover a variety of cases, and needed to utilize math concepts in order to find stolen items and capture criminals. Each Mathnet case lasted five episodes, the first four of which ended on a cliffhanger, meaning that the viewers would have to tune in the following day to see what happened next. Most episodes of a serialized Mathnet story also featured footage from previous chapters to catch the viewers up on what had gone before. The cases would be wrapped up on shows that aired on Friday, and the detectives could take a rest until the following week's case.

Whereas the other skits tended to be humorous, Mathnet had more of a dramatic tone to it. That's not to say that there was no comic relief: some humor popped up from time to time, and the fourth wall would be broken, mainly when it was suggested that the detectives look at previous episode footage to review what they knew about the case so far. Even so, the mix of drama, humor, and education made every Mathnet case a joy to watch, and it was worth rooting for the detectives to see how they would finally solve the mysteries. At the same time, Mathnet showed just how vital math is to solving everyday problems, which is a lesson that we should all take to heart. So popular was Mathnet that some prime time specials, which featured Mathnet cases reedited to be seen in a one-hour time slot, aired on occasion during Square One television's run.

As a whole, Square One Television was an ideal way to teach children about math. It was a delightful mix of humor, music, drama, and fun, all of which made it a great way to make kids want to learn more about math. These days, PBS Kids caters mainly to very young children, a stark contrast to the way Square One was created to educate children through their middle school days. The series, which lasted 230 episodes, ended its run in 1994, but it lived on in various forms over the next decade. In the mid-1990s, a special version for the classroom, entitled Square One TV Math Talk, was created. Then from 1999 until 2003, the original series aired on the Noggin cable network, and after this run, it has not appeared anywhere else since. To date, no Square One DVDs exist, nor are there any planned at this time, but a variety of Square One skits are viewable online.

It is sad to see how PBS Kids programming has gone downhill, because shows like Square One Television proved just how fun education for children could be. From music videos to parodies to the serialized Mathnet, the show had a lot going for it, and it succeeded in its endeavors to turn math into a fun concept. I am not sure if a revival in the modern age of kid's television would come anywhere close to matching or surpassing it in terms of being enjoyable. Therefore, I await the show's release on DVD, though with Sesame Workshop catering towards very young viewers, who knows if it will become a reality? In the meantime, be sure to look up Square One segments online and see for yourself why it was one of the best ways to combine education and fun in order to create a wonderful series.