Buzz
If phrases like “Turtle Power,” “Toontown,” or “Do it, Rockapella” make your heart race, chances are you got your early education from a show called Square One Television. For many of us, it aired every day after school, right before Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?, and taught us everything from prime numbers to the Fibonacci sequence, all through funny skits, mock game shows, and (of course) music videos. Watch and learn, kids:
Airing from 1987 to 1992, Square One might seem a bit outdated and maybe even a little cringy to today’s fast-paced internet generation, but it was packed with––hey, this next clip has Vanessa Huxtable in it!
Another familiar face: Reg E. Cathey, the tall bass who would later become known as Mayor Carcetti’s political aide Norman Wilson in The Wire and Freddy the BBQ guy in House of Cards (aka real-life Game of Thrones). Here, he’s in an early role within the judicial system, which probably influenced his portrayal as tough prison boss Martin Querns on Oz.
Much like its sibling show Sesame Street, Square One attracted some of the biggest stars of its time. There was even a special Square One edition of Video Jukebox, where we get to hear MTV’s own Downtown Julie Brown joke, “Is Math important? Bobby McFerrin thinks it is...”
Square One Video Jukebox Highlights:
Bobby McFerrin with “Wanna Be” (“You’ve Got to Know Math”):
The Fat Boys with “One Billion”—just one of three Square One tracks, including “Burger Pattern” and “Working Backwards”:
Regina with “Combo Jombo,” a song all about “combinatorics” (a term that might not have been used since):
The Jets: “Infinity” explores the concept of what is and isn’t infinity. (Hint: “There is no end.”)
Weird Al Yankovic with the catchy and appropriately obnoxious tune “Patterns.”
Like any great variety show, Square One had recurring characters like Math Man and the Dudley Do-Right-like Dirk Niblick of the Math Brigade. But it’s likely most fondly remembered for its weekly show-ending serial, a Dragnet parody titled “Mathnet.”
“The story you’re about to see is a fib. But it’s short,” began each episode, narrated by Sgt. Pat Tuesday and her partner George Frankly, two mathematicians who somehow received guns, uniforms, and a whole NYC office, courtesy of the U.S. government. Their motto: “To cogitate and solve.” Their seal, featuring a compass and various arithmetic symbols, can be seen here with (Nerd Alert) Lego versions of Sgt. Monday and George.
Courtesy of Flickr user pixbymaia
Fans pay a special tribute to "Mathnet" on what was once a very cutting-edge website, where you can browse archived descriptions of every Square One episode, including detailed breakdowns of every "Mathnet" episode. “Warning: This page contains SPOILERS.” Don’t miss an interview with the actor who played George, along with his reel, hopefully outdated address, and contact info if you’re interested in hiring him.
Or if bigger stars are still crunching your numbers, "Mathnet" knew them first:
In “The Case of the Unnatural,” character actor Paul Dooley does his usual blue-collar boss role, while John Sayles plays the troubled baseball player Lefty Cobb (hitting homers at 13:13).
In “The Problem of the Missing Monkey,” Yeardley Smith plays a young animal lover, not unlike Lisa Simpson, who defends Grunt, a gorilla accused of multiple counts of petty theft (at 20:22).
No list of ‘90s character actors would be complete without Wayne Knight, shown here as the fast-talking Peter Pickwick. Spoiler alert: he’s the one who did it. Or is he...? (Catch him at 33:14 and again biking at 36:13.)
And Weird Al is the only star to cross over between Square One and "Mathnet" in “Off the Record.” Kids of the ‘90s certainly knew what they liked.
With all those stars involved, did Square One succeed in its mission to make math fun and cool...? Well, according to a 1990 educational study that tested kids on their retention after watching Square One, “Results showed that more than half the children realized that learning math and having fun were not mutually exclusive.”
Remember?! If Square One made an impact on you, you can keep counting on their Facebook fan page. Or sign the Guest Page! Remember those Guest Pages?
