Beakman's World
Beakman's World is an American educational children's television program. The program is based on the Universal Press Syndicate syndicated comic strip You Can with Beakman and Jax created by Jok Church. The series premiered on Wednesday, September 16, 1992, on TLC,[1][2][3] and on various other channels a few days later through syndication on 220 other channels.[2][3]
| Beakman's World | |
|---|---|
| Based on | You Can with Beakman and Jax by Jok Church |
| Presented by | Paul Zaloom |
| Starring | |
| Composers |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 91 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Mark Waxman |
| Producers |
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| Running time | 22 minutes |
| Production companies | |
| Release | |
| Original network | |
| Picture format | NTSC |
| Audio format |
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| Original release | September 16, 1992 – January 4, 1998 |
On September 18, 1993, it moved from national syndication to CBS's Saturday morning children's lineup. At the peak of its popularity, it was seen in nearly ninety countries around the world. The series was canceled in 1998.[4] Reruns returned to national syndication in September 2006, after which it was transferred to local stations such as KICU. The program's host, Paul Zaloom, still performs as Beakman in live appearances around the globe.
Summary
The program starred Paul Zaloom as Beakman, an eccentric scientist who performed comical experiments and demonstrations in response to viewer mail to illustrate various scientific concepts from density to electricity to flatulence. When his experiments were successful, he would often exclaim "Zaloom!" in a nod to his last name.
Over the years, Beakman was aided in his experiments by a female assistant just as in the comic strip on which it was based. The assistant's name changed throughout the show's run; for season 1, it was Josie (played by Alanna Ubach); for seasons 2 and 3, it was Liza (played by Eliza Schneider); and for season 4, it was Phoebe (played by Senta Moses). Beakman was also assisted by his "lab rat" Lester. In the pilot episode, Lester was a puppet, but in every subsequent episode he was simply a clueless, and crude man (Mark Ritts) in a tattered rat suit. In a running joke, it was sometimes implied that his character was actually supposed to be a rat, particularly in moments where he would appear to be in pain because someone was standing on his tail, because he was being tickled, something was on his prosthetic nose, etc. Just as frequently, however, he was specifically identified by himself and others as a guy in a rat suit, or as a serious actor with a bad agent. Frequently unwilling to help with challenges or other segments, Lester was often persuaded by Beakman with the promise of food.
Another occasional cast member is the unseen cameraman "Ray", who is played by prop-master Ron Jancula's hands. Ray assists Beakman by handing him various items, such as the "boguscope". It is suggested throughout the program that Ray has a crush on the show's unnamed make-up lady. Actress Jean Stapleton also appeared on the show as Beakman's mother, "Beakmom". In some of the skits during the show the character Professor I. M. Boring (also played by Paul Zaloom, in a dual role) makes appearances and talks about various science topics in the episodes.
Zaloom also appeared as various "guest scientists" and historic figures, such as Thomas A. Edison, Robert H. Goddard and Philo T. Farnsworth. When Senta Moses was added to the show's cast, the producers began to use a majority of the sound effects from the NBC game show Scrabble.
One segment of the show was the famed "Beakman Challenge". During this segment, Beakman would challenge Lester to do a stunt that illustrated a basic scientific feat. During the first season, virtually every challenge related to either air pressure or Bernoulli's principle. The show addressed this during the second season, by having Lester exclaim to Beakman (as he was explaining the science behind a trick) "AIR PRESSURE! IT'S ALWAYS AIR PRESSURE!" In later episodes, the rest of the cast would sometimes have their turn to perform a "Beakman Challenge" under their own name (e.g. "The Lester Challenge" or "The Liza Challenge", etc.) and challenge Beakman to accomplish the feat.
Before an experiment, the following verbal warning was given: "Any experiment performed at home should be done with adult supervision and all appropriate safety precautions should be taken. All directions should be followed exactly and no substitutions should be used." The same warning was given during the end credits.
At the beginning and end of the show, as well as before or after commercial breaks, the show featured short scenes portraying puppet penguins, Don (voiced by Bert Berdis) and Herb (voiced by Alan Barzman), at the South Pole watching Beakman's World on television. The penguins were named after Don Herbert, who starred as Mr. Wizard in Mr. Wizard's World. Mark Ritts (Lester) was also one of the puppeteers operating the penguins.
Beakman's World plays in weekend syndication in the United States and in several other countries. It is distributed by Sony Pictures Television in the U.S. and in other countries.
Episodes
Series overview
Season 1 (1992–1993)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [5][6] | Original air date [5][6] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Rain, Beakmania & Volcanoes" | September 16, 1992 (TLC)[1] September 19, 1992 (Syndication)[3] |
| 2 | 2 | "Gravity, Beakmania & Inertia" | September 26, 1992 |
| 3 | 3 | "Noises at Night, Beakmania & The Nose" | October 3, 1992 |
| 4 | 4 | "Blood, Beakmania & Dreams" | October 10, 1992 |
| 5 | 5 | "Leaves, Beakmania & Paper" | October 17, 1992 |
| 6 | 6 | "Soap, Beakmania & Auto Engines" | October 24, 1992 |
| 7 | 7 | "Electricity, Beakmania & Light Bulbs" | October 31, 1992 |
| 8 | 8 | "Sound, Beakmania & Explosions" | November 7, 1992 |
| 9 | 9 | "Refraction, Beakmania & Attraction" | November 14, 1992 |
| 10 | 10 | "Levers, Beakmania & Television" | November 21, 1992 |
| 11 | 11 | "Boats, Beakmania & Airplanes" | November 28, 1992 |
| 12 | 12 | "Bubbles, Beakmania & Feet" | January 23, 1993 |
| 13 | 13 | "Microscopes, Beakmania & Healing" | January 30, 1993 |
| 14 | 14 | "Scientific Method, Beakmania & Rainbows" | February 6, 1993 |
| 15 | 15 | "Vaccinations, Beakmania & Friction" | February 13, 1993 |
| 16 | 16 | "Thermodynamics, Beakmania & Pimples" | February 20, 1993 |
| 17 | 17 | "Fossils, Beakmania & the Human Voice" | February 27, 1993 |
| 18 | 18 | "Lungs, Beakmania & Telephones" | March 6, 1993 |
| 19 | 19 | "Tape Recordings, Beakmania & Force Vs. Pressure" | February 3, 1993 (TLC)[7] April 3, 1993 (syndication) |
| 20 | 20 | "Microwaves, Beakmania & Spiders" | April 10, 1993 |
| 21 | 21 | "Earwax, Beakmania & Rocket Engines" | February 17, 1993 (TLC)[8] April 17, 1993 (syndication) |
| 22 | 22 | "Ozone, Beakmania & Acid" | February 24, 1993 (TLC) April 24, 1993 (syndication) |
| 23 | 23 | "Plumbing, Beakmania & Roller Coasters" | March 3, 1993 (TLC)[9] May 1, 1993 (syndication) |
| 24 | 24 | "Bees, Beakmania & Earthquakes" | May 8, 1993 |
| 25 | 25 | "Reflection, Beakmania & Madame Curie" | May 15, 1993 |
| 26 | 26 | "Wheels, Beakmania & Finding Answers" | May 22, 1993 |
Season 2 (1993–1994)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [5][10] | Original air date [5][10] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 1 | "Submarines, Beakmania & Digestion" | September 18, 1993 |
| 28 | 2 | "Heart, Beakmania & Helicopters" | September 25, 1993 |
| 29 | 3 | "Batteries, Beakmania & Balloons" | October 2, 1993 |
| 30 | 4 | "Tunnels, Beakmania & Trains" | October 16, 1993 |
| 31 | 5 | "Bats, Beakmania & Energy" | October 30, 1993 |
| 32 | 6 | "Sky, Beakmania & Henry Ford" | October 23, 1993 |
| 33 | 7 | "Sound, Beakmania & Illusions" | November 6, 1993 |
| 34 | 8 | "Lightning, Beakmania & Bones" | November 13, 1993 |
| 35 | 9 | "Moon, Beakmania & Elevators" | November 20, 1993 |
| 36 | 10 | "Video Games, Beakmania & Teeth" | November 27, 1993 |
| 37 | 11 | "Check-Up Time, Beakmania & Oil" | December 25, 1993 |
| 38 | 12 | "Ben Franklin, Beakmania & Chemical Reactions" | February 5, 1994 |
| 39 | 13 | "Ants, Beakmania & Collisions" | February 26, 1994 |
| 40 | 14 | "Pain, Beakmania & Comets" | October 15, 1994 |
| 41 | 15 | "Hydraulics, Beakmania & Dinosaurs" | October 29, 1994 |
| 42 | 16 | "Electric Motors, Beakmania & Time" | December 3, 1994 |
| 43 | 17 | "Frogs and Toads, Beakmania & Polymers" | October 1, 1994 |
| 44 | 18 | "Money, Beakmania & Water Power" | November 12, 1994 |
| 45 | 19 | "Garbage, Beakmania & Meteorology" | November 26, 1994 |
| 46 | 20 | "Skyscrapers, Beakmania & Indicators" | November 19, 1994 |
| 47 | 21 | "Sharks, Beakmania & Einstein" | November 5, 1994 |
| 48 | 22 | "Mold, Beakmania & Caves" | April 16, 1994 |
| 49 | 23 | "Momentum, Beakmania & Cows" | September 24, 1994 |
| 50 | 24 | "Allergies, Beakmania & Codes" | October 8, 1994 |
| 51 | 25 | "Snakes, Beakmania & Seasons" | October 22, 1994 |
| 52 | 26 | "Tornadoes, Beakmania & Firefighting" | September 17, 1994 |
Season 3 (1995)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [5] | Original air date [5] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53 | 1 | "Seeds, Beakmania & Bridges" | October 7, 1995 |
| 54 | 2 | "Balance, Beakmania & Camouflage" | November 4, 1995 |
| 55 | 3 | "Carbon, Beakmania & Inventions" | October 28, 1995 |
| 56 | 4 | "Gyroscopes, Beakmania & the Heart" | September 23, 1995 |
| 57 | 5 | "Steel, Beakmania & Developing Film" | December 2, 1995 |
| 58 | 6 | "The Sun, Beakmania & Metamorphosis" | November 18, 1995 |
| 59 | 7 | "Vacuums, Beakmania & Weaving" | October 14, 1995 |
| 60 | 8 | "Snow, Beakmania & Natural Selection" | December 9, 1995 |
| 61 | 9 | "Alligators and Crocodiles, Beakmania & Robots" | November 25, 1995 |
| 62 | 10 | "Geysers and Hot Springs, Beakmania & Kidneys" | September 16, 1995 |
| 63 | 11 | "Sleep, Beakmania & Amplification" | September 30, 1995 |
| 64 | 12 | "Crustaceans, Beakmania & Bernoulli" | October 21, 1995 |
| 65 | 13 | "Islands, Beakmania & Energy" | November 11, 1995 |
Season 4 (1996–1998)
| No. overall | No. in season | Title [5][11] | Original air date [5][11] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 66 | 1 | "Sweat, Beakmania & Weighing a Car" | September 14, 1996[12] |
| 67 | 2 | "Migration, Beakmania & Living Space" | September 21, 1996 |
| 68 | 3 | "Bunsen, Beakmania & Sewage" | October 5, 1996 |
| 69 | 4 | "Cats, Beakmania & Dynamite" | November 8, 1997 |
| 70 | 5 | "The Mouth, Beakmania & Scale" | October 19, 1996 |
| 71 | 6 | "Catalysts, Beakmania & Aerosol Cans" | September 20, 1997 |
| 72 | 7 | "Rubber, Beakmania & Hair" | December 14, 1996 |
| 73 | 8 | "Camels, Beakmania & Density" | November 29, 1997 |
| 74 | 9 | "Boomerangs, Beakmania & Circus Science" | January 18, 1997 |
| 75 | 10 | "Elephants, Beakmania & X-Rays" | September 28, 1996 |
| 76 | 11 | "Skin, Beakmania & Oxygen" | November 30, 1996 |
| 77 | 12 | "Bread, Beakmania & Measurement" | November 16, 1996 |
| 78 | 13 | "Electromagnets, Beakmania & Senses" | November 9, 1996 |
| 79 | 14 | "Chimps, Beakmania & Eye Exams" | September 13, 1997 |
| 80 | 15 | "Magic, Beakmania & Cosmetic Chemistry" | December 28, 1996 |
| 81 | 16 | "Pigs, Beakmania & Sound Frequency" | September 27, 1997 |
| 82 | 17 | "Sunken Treasure, Beakmania & Archimedian [sic] Screw" | October 11, 1997 |
| 83 | 18 | "Whales, Beakmania & Optical Illusions II" | October 18, 1997 |
| 84 | 19 | "Sound Barrier, Beakmania & Healthy Living" | October 25, 1997 |
| 85 | 20 | "Polar Exploration, Beakmania & Circular Motion" | October 4, 1997 |
| 86 | 21 | "Dogs, Beakmania & Bio-Medical Engineering" | January 11, 1997 |
| 87 | 22 | "Human Growth, Beakmania & Solutions and Suspensions" | November 15, 1997 |
| 88 | 23 | "Action-Reaction, Beakmania & Talking Birds" | November 22, 1997 |
| 89 | 24 | "Protozoology, Beakmania & Movie Stunts" | December 6, 1997 |
| 90 | 25 | "Horses, Beakmania & Refrigerators" | November 1, 1997 |
| 91 | 26 | "Fingerprints, Beakmania & Flatulence" | January 4, 1998 |
Theme song
The Beakman's World theme song was composed by Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo fame. The Beakman's World theme is an amalgam of Zydeco and Synthpop. An accordion is used for its main riff. The song also prominently features a wide array of wacky sound effects.
Home media
On September 7, 2004, a DVD entitled The Best of Beakman's World was released.[13] This DVD is a direct transfer of the VHS tape of the same name, and features only experiments and segments taken from The Beakman Challenge. There have yet to be any full-episode releases on DVD.
All 4 seasons were available on Netflix with the exception of the following five episodes: 9 (1-9), 24 (1-24), 31 (2-5), 51 (2-25) and 66 (4-1), as noted in the chart above.[14] Their streaming license ended on September 30, 2014, and the content was removed from their site.[15] Beakman's World returned to television on MeTV beginning on October 2, 2016, showing two episodes every Sunday.[16]
Awards
Beakman’s World was nominated for and won numerous awards:
- Excellence in Media's Silver Angel Award (1993)
- International Monitor Award for Outstanding Audio Post Production (1993)
- Television Critics Association nomination for Outstanding Children's Program (1993)
- Ollie Award - American Center for Children's Television (1993)
- Parent's Choice Award for Outstanding Accomplishment in Children's Programming (1993)
- Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Live and Tape Sound Mixing and Sound Effects (1993–1994)
- CableACE Award for Best Children's Programming 7+ older (1994)
- International Monitor Awards for Best Achievement in Children's Programming and Best Audio Post *Production in Children's Programming (1994)
- Nominated for Seven Daytime Emmy Awards including Outstanding Children's Series (1995)
- Daytime Emmy Awards (2) for Outstanding Achievement in Live and Tape Sound and Sound Effects (1994–1995).
Exhibit
In 1998, the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal opened an interactive exhibit called Beakman's World On Tour, based on the television show. The 4,000-square-foot (370 m2) exhibits toured dozens of cities in the United States.[17]
References
- ^ a b "Adolescents and Up (Cable)". Kids. TV Guide. Vol. 40, no. 37. News America Publications Inc. 12 September 1992. p. 102. ISSN 0039-8543.
"Beakman's World. (The Learning Channel, Wednesdays, 8 P.M., also syndicated)
- ^ a b "Learning Channel to Share 'Beakman's World'". Broadcasting Television. Broadcasting & Cable (periodical). The Cahners Publishing Co. 13 August 1992. p. 17. ISSN 0007-2028.
the show (Beakman's World) debuts on The Learning Channel on Wednesday..." "during the week of Sept. 14", (Wednesday the 16th.)... "220 stations signed to carry the show
- ^ a b c . The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on 2012-10-26. Retrieved 2009-12-02.
- ^ Jensen, Elizabeth (30 September 2006). "For Quality TV, Mad Scientist Returns". NY Times. Retrieved 2012-03-22.
- ^ a b c d e f g h . tv.com. Archived from the original on 2009-12-24. Retrieved 2009-10-19.[better source needed]
- ^ a b "Beakman's World – Season 1 Episode Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2020-08-22.
- ^ Mendoza, N.F. (January 31, 1993). "What Becomes This Legend Most? Hard Work and Strong Determination". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
- ^ Mendoza, N.F. (February 14, 1993). "Disney's celebrity concert hopes to raise spirits and money for kids facing AIDS". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
- ^ Mendoza, N.F. (February 28, 1993). "HBO drives home the story of a teen and a mistake he'll never forget". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
- ^ a b "Beakman's World – Season 2 Episode Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2020-08-22.
- ^ a b "Beakman's World – Season 4 Episode Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 2020-08-22.
- ^ . Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 2012-10-26. Retrieved 2009-10-19.
- ^ Beakman's World - Best of Beakman's World, The DVD Information | TVShowsOnDVD.com 2007-10-30 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ http://www.netflix.com/Search?v1=beakman Netflix, Beakman's world - Show listings | www.netflix.com
- ^ "Netflix: Expiring Soon". Wordpress. 2014-09-23.
- ^ "For Quality TV, Mad Scientist Returns". MeTV.
- ^ Yeager, Connie (1998-03-02). . The Cincinnati Post. E. W. Scripps Company. Archived from the original on 2004-09-06.
External links
- Beakman's World at IMDb
- at the Wayback Machine (archived January 17, 1999)
- at the Wayback Machine (archived December 19, 1996) - CBS
- Church, Jok (2006-06-20). "Comics: Meet the Artist". The Washington Post. - Interview