3-2-1 Contact

A cult serial treasure of the 80s that connects education with fun in a very charming way and thus tackles the important task of showing young people that the acquisition of knowledge is a great good that can be very fulfilling and enjoyable. Iconic backdrops, likeable characters and actors, funny ideas and well-chosen knowledge transfer make this series a little treasure. It's just sad and not a good sign of the times that such productions have no place on TV today.

In one very memorable episode of the 1980 season, one of the girls (I think it was Trini) went to a KISS concert to get a little behind the scenes introduction in how all the sound equipment was put together. They then played part of the concert. I was watching this episode with my friend and just as they were playing the concert, his dad walked in and got all upset that we were watching junk on TV. He didn't listen when we tried to explain that it was an educational program on PBS, and he forced us to turn it off!!!

The main difference between the first season and later seasons is that the original 321 Contact gang was composed of 2 girls and 1 guy, while later seasons saw the inclusion of a wise-crack prone kid. Thus, while the first season had a Three's Company vibe to it, later episodes had more of a Scrappy Doo vibe that got a little annoying.

I don't know that they ever made new Bloodhound Gang episodes. I kind of remember seeing the same ones over and over again even during the newer episodes.

I saw probably the entire first season and I agree the show gradually became a little stale in following years.

Of course there was the bouncy theme song with a disco vibe, that included lines like "Contact/ it's the reason/ it's the moment/ when everything happens./ Contact.../ Let's make contact." Sounds vaguely like a proposition. Making science sexy, maybe. Someone should record a club remix.

Part of the footage that played along with this (aside from a Saturn V lift-off, an arc lamp, and I think an earth-mover) was of a frog wiping spittle off its eye in slow motion. This made me gag, especially since it came right before a slobbering infant. Of all the stock footage available, they chose two cuts with saliva to illustrate the wonders of the natural world.

All in all, it was a pretty good show. I didn't care for the fictional segment ("The Bloodhound Gang"), and I was embarrassed by its theme song.

It is probably difficult to make a show like this, since the children with an interest in science probably know a lot of the basics already, yet the ones with only a passing interest are the real target audience, since the makers wanted more to instill curiosity than to inform. There is no way this show could be considered to teach with any degree of rigor. It was essentially a succession of appealing or curious images that could be easily explained, with a sort of Encyclopedia Brown show tacked on.

I remember that show when I was in Kindergarten. I tried so hard to search it on the web! I wasn't sure the whole name. I am so glad I finally found it! Too they don't play reruns of kids shows like they do with grown up shows. Maybe they think kids now days would not watch them. They don't make many kids shows like this anymore. Unfortunately, there its possible that kids now days, (with media like video games and fast paste shows) don't have the attention spans they do today. Maybe shows like this would help. I remember the song, "Contact, its when everything happens!" I remember learning how they milk cows, other than squeezing the utters! It was such a fun and educational show. Many shows to day, just lack intelligence and are not educational at all. Well unfortunately all good shows have to end at some points but I wonder why they show reruns of grown up shows and not kids shows! It is fortunate that at least good kids shows like "Barney and Friends," "Seasame Street," and "Blues Clues" exist. I wonder if I could get 321 contact on tape somehow. Not that I would watch it as an adult but when I have kids I would probably buy it, or buy it for a gift.

3-2-1 Contact (1980-1992) was a fun show that I watch for a few years when I was a kid. The concept of the show was two girls and a guy talking about science and making it fun. There was also a cheesy mystery short thrown in. It was a continuing serial that featured a group of young sleuths who went around solving real easy problem solving cases. I stopped watch the show after 1983. But during the first three seasons I sure did have a lot of fun watching this show. I saw some later episodes but it just wasn't the same. I'll always have my memories.

A P.B.S. children's program.