Mathnet

Lord I miss "Mathnet". I first saw it on PBS as part of "Square One TV". Probably the reason I got into computer science and cop shows. The show was (unlike some of the crap on afternoon TV today) genuinely funny, entertaining, and educational.

Of course I didn't get all the in-jokes until I was much older- the whole play on "Dragnet", the criminal brothers Karamazov, George and Martha, and the CAR-RT SORT company...

I only wish today's kids TV has something like "Mathnet". Alas...

Mathnet which started as a segment of "Square One TV," was a fun & funny adaptation of a familiar police procedural (specifically the 50's cop show, "Dragnet") which employed quality performances and solid writing to teach math concepts. It insulted neither the child nor adult viewer. Many actors who served as regulars and guest stars would pop up giving quality performances in primetime TV and in movies. If I could find DVD's of this series I'd buy them in a heartbeat.

I came upon Square One TV when I was already out of college, and had a degree in video production. Mathnet was just the kind of show I would have loved to have worked on, with its great production values, great writing, and a fabulously talented cast who could deliver the lines deadpan.

I still remember two episodes in particular. In one, George was planning a vacation in Michigan on an island named Nomanissan, yes, that's Nomanissan Island (say it out loud if you need to). The other episode introduced me to the Fibonacci Sequence (begin with 1, then add it to the previous number (0), then continue to add the last 2 numbers together to get the next): 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13... It's amazing how many times that has come up in the last 30 years, and I only understood it because I watched Mathnet.

SUCH a good program! If they offered the whole series for download, I would buy it.

I know Mathnet was based from Dragnet. Since Mathnet uses math and logic to solve crimes, I wonder if the show Numb3rs got the idea from Mathnet.

'Mathnet' was a pretty good way of getting kids to think about practical applications of math. It also simplifies mathematical equations to show that math doesn't have to be so overwhelming, especially when dealing with geometry and algebra.

A parody of the detective series, 'Dragnet,' the detectives would embark on an investigation during each episode which required math to solve the crime. I remember it being pretty predictable when I got older, but then again, this was just a show for young kids, as was the rest of PBS's 'Square One'.

The show had a lot of familiar faces, both noteable celebrities as well as some of the main cast who still bounces around in minor television roles these days. One viewer had commented on the production values of the show, as it was usually shot on location and with film stock rather than videotape. PBS did pump money into this little show, and I think they came up with a good educational show.