Mathnet

In 6th grade in 1997, on Fridays we would watch Mathnet. It was always fun but plenty educational! As a student math was always the easiest when it was made fun, and that is exactly what this movie did for us. Quite frankly, the Mathnet series actually inspired my class to do our homework, because we weren't allowed to watch it unless the whole class did their homework. It was always a treat when we got to watch these movies. There aren't many good math movies (as I know now because I am studying mathematics)so it is amazing that Mathnet is so interesting. When the teacher who used them retired, he took the tapes with him and now Indiana is Mathnetless which it a pity!

I first saw this show as a young elementary school student, and I loved it then for its entertaining abilities and mystery qualities. Having taped some episodes when I was a child, I ran across them as an adult and I found them equally as delightful for their witty puns and found myself cracking up at the zany humor. These shows contain humor that is most certainly geared for adults (i.e. Nick and Nora Chuck - play on an old radio show Nick and Nora Charles) and thus succeeded in capturing the attention of both adults and children at the same time.

Mathnet had about the best production values I have ever seen on a kids' show. Nearly everything was shot on location rather than on cheap-looking sets, and they used as much natural light as possible. (It made the rest of Square One TV, the kids' math show where Mathnet first appeared, look really, really cheesy in comparison.) Also, and I'm not 100% sure on this, but it looked like they shot it on film stock, rather than videotape. And, of course, unlike a lot of kids' shows that do location shoots, this was actually filmed in Los Angeles and, later, New York (rather than Toronto or Vancouver) and they show a lot of the famous landmarks, like the Hollywood sign.

Simpsons fans will also recognize Yeardley Smith, the voice of Lisa Simpson (who really does speak like Lisa in real life), in one of the earliest Mathnet stories.

I watched this when I was a kid, and the fact that I'm writing a review for it now that I'm a grown woman is testimony to it's impact and success as a TV show and educational device.

The stories were captivating to a young audience, and cleverly promoted an interest in learning. It's role in the show Square One was brilliant as well, encouraging kids to keep up with every episode and learn even more. At the end of each program, it was like saving the best part for last.

"The stories are fake but the problems are real." I hope there is something equally engaging and educational when I have my own kids.

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.