Popular Mechanics for Kids

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Popular Mechanics for Kids
Popmechanics.jpg
Opening logo
Directed byJean-Louis Cote, Serge Marcil, Zsolt Luka, Sid Goldberg
Starring
Country of originCanada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons4
No. of episodes72
Production
ProducerJonathan Finkelstein
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesGlobal Television Network
Hearst Entertainment
DistributorHearst Entertainment
Release
Original networkGlobal TV
Original release7 September 1997 (1997-09-07) –
8 October 2000 (2000-10-08)

Popular Mechanics for Kids (sometimes abbreviated to PMK) is a Canadian educational television program based on Popular Mechanics magazine. The program aired on Global TV from 1997 to 2000. It was notable for starting the careers of Elisha Cuthbert, Jay Baruchel, Tyler Kyte, and Vanessa Lengies. The show's intent was to teach viewers how things work. It was awarded the Parents Choice Award in 2003, and was nominated for the Gemini Awards.

Along with Elisha Cuthbert and Jay Baruchel, the cast included Charles Powell, nicknamed "Charlie" for the program, Tyler Kyte (who joined the show in the second season), and eventually Vanessa Lengies.

Overview[]

The program starts off with an overview of the episode. The hosts (Elisha, Tyler, Jay, and later Vanessa) then start their adventures on the show (amusement park, snowboarding, surfing, visiting a science museum, etc.) Throughout the adventures, short, educational segments are shown.

In the segment "Charlie's Experiment / Tip", host Charlie, and sometimes the other hosts, demonstrate an experiment. He sometimes answers frequently asked questions about related science topics. At the start of season 3, one of the hosts (usually Vanessa) would go on a third adventure. The show then comes to a close, with the co-hosts saying "See you next week!".

There have been four VHS videos called "How Do They Build?", hosted by a boy named Mike and a miniaturized man named Pop.[1]

Segments[]

  • Maniac Brainiac
  • Cool Tool
  • Charlie's Experiment/Tip
  • Mechanix with Nix and Tix, later known as just Nix & Tix
  • Action!
  • Coming Up on PMK
  • Rewind
  • Fast Forward
  • FACTory
  • Under the Hood
  • Gear Gutz
  • Sparks
  • System Error
  • eXtreme

Episodes[]

Main article: List of Popular Mechanics for Kids episodes
Season Episodes Originally aired
(Canadian air dates)
Season premiere Season finale
1 22 September 7, 1997 (1997-09-07) February 8, 1998 (1998-02-08)
2 22 September 6, 1998 (1998-09-06) January 24, 1999 (1999-01-24)
3 22 September 5, 1999 (1999-09-05) January 30, 2000 (2000-01-30)
4 6 September 3, 2000 (2000-09-03) October 8, 2000 (2000-10-08)

Cast[]

Popular Mechanics for Kids cast
Popular Mechanics for Kids cast

Production[]

The show was filmed primarily in Montreal, Quebec. The show was produced by Global TV Network and Shaw Media in Canada, Hearst Entertainment in the United States, and finally TVA International in Canada for the final episodes in 2000.

Broadcast[]

The series aired in syndication in the United States,[2][3] before moving to moving to Discovery Kids on Saturday mornings by the program's final season in 2000.[4] Re-runs of the show continued to air on many channels until 2008. It piloted on BBC Kids and Discovery Kids in Canada until December 31, 2009. After the closure of Discovery Kids Canada, BBC Kids stopped airing reruns in all countries except Canada. The reruns on BBC Kids in Canada ended on May 14, 2011. As of 2013 re-runs of the show continue to air on Knowledge Network.

Home media[]

A number of VHS copies (and later, DVDs) have been released by Koch Vision and E1 Entertainment.

  • Slither and Slime and Other Yucky Things
  • Radical Rockets and Other Cool Cruising Machines
  • Rip Roaring Rollercoasters and All Access to Fun
  • Gators, Dragons and Other Wild Beasts
  • Super Sea Creatures and Awesome Ocean Adventures
  • Lightning and Other Forces of Nature
  • X-Treme Rides
  • Roller Coasters
  • Firefighters and Other Lifesaving Heroes
  • Zoos
  • Garbage
  • Popular Mechanics For Kids: 4 DVD Box Set
  • Popular Mechanics For Kids: 6 DVD Box Set
  • Popular Mechanics For Kids: The Complete First Season
  • Popular Mechanics For Kids: The Complete Second Season
  • Popular Mechanics For Kids: The Complete Third Season
  • Popular Mechanics For Kids: The Complete Fourth Season
  • How Do They Build Bridges
  • How Do They Build Skyscrapers[1]
  • How Do They Build Tunnels[1]
  • How Do They Build Spaceships[1]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Popular Mechanics". Hearst Magazines. September 1997.
  2. ^ Ed Kirchdoerffer (December 1, 1996). "Hearst gives kids the tools". Kidscreen. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  3. ^ "Kids Don't Like 'Broccoli Television'". Los Angeles Times. January 14, 1998. Retrieved 2021-03-14.
  4. ^ Kathryn Shattuck (March 4, 2001). "FOR YOUNG VIEWERS; Scaling the Heights and Widths of the Unknown". The New York Times. Retrieved 2021-03-14.

External links[]

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