Square One TV

Ah, "Square One TV" - easily one of the most clever children's shows ever made. Parodying pop culture WHILE teaching math to children? People had good ideas back in the eighties.

Mathman and Mathnet were cool as hell. I liked the first "Kate" better, though.

Square one simply rocked :) It was held together by a lot of silliness but that's ok. Mathman (pacman-like cartoon) ruled and was my favorite part of the show :) I was less fond of many of the game shows, especially "piece of the pie". Production was best during the first season, though later seasons had gems like "Nobody's Inn", a parody of John Cleese in "Faulty Towers" and nearly as well done :)

The show presented an enjoyable solution to a serious problem: teaching kids how to do math and to think logically. It filled each half hour with sketches, game shows, music videos, comedy routines, and sporting events which parodied everything from "Let's Make a Deal" to "Who's On First" to "The Honeymooners." I've even used Tony and the Togas' "The Mathematics of Love" in a talent show! Each episode of Square One TV would conclude with arguably the most popular segment of the series, a police satire entitled "Mathnet." Using "...logical, step by step problem solving," Kate and George would always get their man, woman, or gorilla over the course of the week. Square One TV was a fantastic show that was so much fun to watch, you almost forgot you were learning math. As for the people who wanted tapes of the shows, sorry but I erased mine years ago.

I remember watching this show and its spin off Mathnet. The Mathnet segment was my favorite. I waited through the other parodies just to watch that sketch. I also remember the magician who had the audience pick any number, then through a series of calculations would show that everyone would have the same answer. I hate doing math, but I did those "tricks" every time to see if he was right. My parents are teachers and loved watching the show along with me. It was a great show for parents and kids because if the kids didn't get the parodies, they got the math knowledge and parents watched just for the laughs. they should bring the show back.

Having seen so many of the videotapes I erased of Square One TV, I feel like such a dummy for not keeping them. The show has been gone for 10 years, and no network in my area is showing reruns of the episodes. PBS won't even air Mathnet either!

Square One TV was an amazing and fun show for the young and the old. It was more than just a math show. It also had tongue-in-cheek music videos ("Less Than Zero" is one of my favourites), David Numberman, Dirk Niblick, Piece of the Pie...and of course, MATHNET! I couldn't really decide if I liked the early ones (in LA with Kate Monday) or the later ones (in NYC with Pat Tuesday) better. But each show was quite fun! Some fans of action movies, however, probably wouldn't like Mathnet because George and Kate/Pat used calculators instead of guns. Boy, taking a stroll down Memory Lane makes me hyper!

Still, I wish PBS would quit hiding this show in the vaults, and, if they won't license it to another company, just release it on DVD. I'd buy all the episodes! Because my videotapes (if any) are wearing out, and I'd love to have a piece of my early years back again!

If anybody out there from PBS is reading this, I hope they understand my plea!