Square One
The Square One Logo
Genre	Educational
Starring	Reg E. Cathey Beverly Mickins Arthur Howard Larry Cedar Luisa Leschin Cynthia Darlow Cristobal Franco Beverly Leech Toni DiBuono Joe Howard (Full crew)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	230
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	PBS
Original run	January 26, 1987 – November 6, 1992
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Square One Television (sometimes referred to as Square One) was a children's television show produced by the Children's Television Workshop to teach mathematics and abstract mathematical concepts to young viewers. Image File history File linksMetadata Squareone_logo. ... Larry Cedar (born 6 March 1955) is an actor and a voice actor. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 26th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... November 6 is the 310th day of the year (311th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... A male Caucasian toddler child A child (plural: children) is a young human. ... A television program is the content of television broadcasting. ... Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Childrens Television Workshop (or CTW), is a non-profit organization behind the production of several educational childrens programs that have run on public broadcasting around the world (including PBS in the United States), as well as Noggin. ... Euclid, Greek mathematician, 3rd century BC, as imagined by by Raphael in this detail from The School of Athens. ...

Created and broadcast by PBS in the United States from 1987 to 1992, the show was intended to address the so-called "math crisis" among American schoolchildren. It has since been rated TV-Y7. The show was revived for the 1995-1996 PBS season as Square One TV Math Talk. Not to be confused with Public Broadcasting Services in Malta. ... This is a list of television-related events in 1987. ... This is a list of television-related events in 1992. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into articles entitled List of television rating systems, TV Parental Guidelines, Media content rating in country and Television content rating in country. ... This is a list of television-related events in 1995. ... This is a list of television-related events in 1996. ...

Square One was also shown on the U.S. cable television channel Noggin in syndication beginning in 1999, but was removed from its lineup along with other Children's Television Workshop shows on May 26, 2003. Coaxial cable is often used to transmit cable television into the house. ... Noggin is a cable television network in both the United States and United Kingdom. ... The year 1999 in television involved some significant events. ... Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Childrens Television Workshop (or CTW), is a non-profit organization behind the production of several educational childrens programs that have run on public broadcasting around the world (including PBS in the United States), as well as Noggin, a joint venture with Viacom... is the 146th day of the year (147th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 2003 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Sketches

Square One comprised short sketches that introduced and applied concepts in mathematics such as counting, combinatorics, vulgar fractions, estimation, probability, and geometry. The sketches featured regular characters and were mainly parodies of pop culture icons or popular television shows: Counting is the mathematical action of repeatedly adding (or subtracting) one, usually to find out how many objects there are or to set aside a desired number of objects (starting with one for the first object and proceeding with an injective function from the remaining objects to the natural numbers... Combinatorics is a branch of pure mathematics concerning the study of discrete (and usually finite) objects. ... In arithmetic, a vulgar fraction (or common fraction) consists of one integer divided by a non-zero integer. ... Estimation is the calculated approximation of a result which is usable even if input data may be incomplete, uncertain, or noisy. ... Probability is the likelihood that something is the case or will happen. ... Calabi-Yau manifold Geometry (Greek γεωμετρία; geo = earth, metria = measure) is a part of mathematics concerned with questions of size, shape, and relative position of figures and with properties of space. ...

• Music videos, similar to ones seen on MTV, used a particular subject in mathematics and taught the subject through song, including:

• "Count Each Fraction of Each Second We're Apart," a country song about fractions performed by The Judds.
• "Nine, Nine, Nine," a country music song demonstrating that the digital root of a multiple of 9 is 9,
• "Angle Dance," a song about obtuse and acute angles.
• "8% of My Love," a song about percentages, reminiscent of Bruce Springsteen's style.
• "Less Than Zero," a song about negative numbers
• "Patterns", about patterns that can be detected in society, performed by "Weird Al" Yankovic.

• Mathman, a parody of Pac-Man, helped viewers learn to recognize common mistakes while solving math problems, such as forgetting to carry a digit, or making errors with negative numbers.
• Pauline's Perilous Pyramid taught addition and subtraction with negative and positive numbers. It is reminiscent of Q*bert, except the pyramid is numbered with positive and negative numbers. Each time she jumped on a square, that number was added to her score. Her goal was to reach the top of the pyramid and keep her score between +25 and -25. She also was given one "zapper" which allowed her to change a positive to a negative or vice versa.
• Mathnet, a parody of Dragnet, was distinguished by its quirky scripts and guest stars. Each episode of Square One ended with a Mathnet segment, and each Mathnet story spanned five episodes. On a few occasions, all five segments of a story were aired back-to-back in prime-time specials on PBS.
• Late Afternoon with David Numberman, a parody of Late Night with David Letterman.
• Mathcourt, a parody of The People's Court, applied Mathematics to solve cases.
• General Mathpital, a parody of General Hospital.
• Dirk Niblick of the Math Brigade, an original idea, was distinguished from most of the other sketches in that it was animated.
• Zook & Alison, an animated segment featured in later seasons. In each episode, Uncle Wilt took some sort of trip to Earth without securing permission from his sister (whereupon she always cried, "FIND UNCLE WILT!") and Zook and Alison had to use mathematics to locate him and bring him home. In one episode they triangulate his location on a map using the clue that Wilt is "equidistant from Venice, Milan, and Florence." The segment was unique in that the characters and scenery were not colored in, but were multi-colored outlines against a solid black background.
• FAX HEADFUL, a computer animated addition to the final season, and a sendup of Max Headroom. FAX's monologues typically involved statistics and estimation, such as his musing on population density, or average yearly donut consumption.
• Nobody's Inn, a parody of Fawlty Towers. The main running gag is when someone tries to call the hotel, the owner will reply with "Nobody's Inn!", but the caller will mistakenly think he's saying "Nobody's in" to which the caller then says they'll call back later (thinking literally no one is at the hotel) and hang up.
• A segment called Oops!, in which someone would make an erroneous calculation or computation, after which would be shown a clip of a disaster from an old movie. The person would say "Oops" and correct the error. Then the announcer would say "Oops! has been brought to you by erasers. Don't make a mistake without one."
• Math-related magic tricks and performances by Harry Blackstone, Jr. Unlike most magic shows however, Blackstone does explain later how the trick works (usually how magic tricks work are top guarded secrets).
• Several parodies of game shows:
  • But Who's Counting? an original bearing some resemblance to Wheel of Fortune;
  • Let's Do a Deal, a parody of Let's Make a Deal;
  • What's My Number?, a parody of What's My Line?.
• Several mini-game shows using actual child contestants and awarding small prizes:
  • Piece of the Pie, a survey-based game show similar to Family Feud, using pie charts and teaching percentages;
  • Close Call, a game show about estimation, using "how many beans are in this big jar" type of questions, and bearing a similarity to The Price is Right.
  • Triple Play, a show teaching addition and multiplication;
  • But Who's Adding (Multiplying)?;
  • Square One Squares, a tic-tac-toe game similar to Tic-Tac-Dough; this later evolved into Square One Challenge, bearing a similarity to To Tell the Truth.

A music video (also video clip, promo) is a short film or video meant to present a visual representation of a popular music song. ... MTV (Music Television) is an American cable television network based in New York City. ... The Judds are an American mother/daughter country music duo of Naomi Judd and her daughter, Wynonna. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... It has been suggested that Repeated digital sum be merged into this article or section. ... Look up nine in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This article is about angles in geometry. ... This article is about angles in geometry. ... A pattern is a form, template, or model (or, more abstractly, a set of rules) which can be used to make or to generate things or parts of a thing, especially if the things that are generated have enough in common for the underlying pattern to be inferred or discerned... This article is about the musician himself. ... Mathman was a popular cartoon segment on the PBS show Square One TV. A parody of Pac-Man, Mathman was a fictional arcade game starring a character of the same name. ... In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... Pac-Man is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution by Midway Games in 1979. ... The current version of this article or section is written in an informal style and with a personally invested tone. ... Mathnet was a segment on the childrens television show Square One. ... Dragnet opening frame from the 1967 version. ... Prime time is the block of programming on television during the middle of the evening. ... Late Night with David Letterman was a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC hosted by David Letterman. ... Judge Joseph Wapner, who presided over cases from 1981 to 1993. ... General Hospital (GH) is the longest-running daytime American soap opera broadcast on the American Broadcasting Company television network. ... Dirk Niblick of the Math Brigade was an animated segment on the PBS television show Square One Television. ... Animation refers to the process in which each frame of a film or movie is produced individually, whether generated as a computer graphic, or by photographing a drawn image, or by repeatedly making small changes to a model (see claymation and stop motion), and then photographing the result. ... Venice (Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venezsia, Latin: Venetia) is a city in northern Italy, the capital of region Veneto, and has a population of 271,251 (census estimate January 1, 2004). ... This article is about the city in Italy. ... Florence (Italian: ) is the capital city of the region of Tuscany, Italy. ... It has been suggested that 20 Minutes into the Future be merged into this article or section. ... Fawlty Towers is a British sitcom made by the BBC and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975. ... A pencil eraser. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Harry Blackstone, Jr. ... In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... “Quiz show” redirects here. ... The daytime Wheel of Fortune was an American game show that aired on NBC from January 6, 1975 to June 30, 1989. ... Lets Make a Deal is a television game show which aired in various encarnations in the United States. ... Whats My Line? was a weekly panel game show originally produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. ... There are several uses of the word survey, relating to two primary meanings: land surveying; and statistical surveys of people or other items, such as animals, organisations, or messages. ... Family Feud is a television game show that pits two families against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey-type question posed of 100 people. ... A pie chart is a circular chart divided into sectors, illustrating relative magnitudes or frequencies. ... The Price Is Rights US 35th season logo. ... Tic-tac-toe, also called noughts and crosses and many other names, is a paper and pencil game between two players, O and X, who alternate in marking the spaces in a 3×3 board. ... Tic Tac Dough, billed as everybodys game of strategy, knowledge and fun, was an American television game show where contestants answered trivia questions to earn squares on a tic tac toe board. ... Nipsey Russell, Peggy Cass, Bill Cullen and Kitty Carlisle from the 1969-78 version. ...

Trivia

University of Michigan athletics

The number of references to the Michigan Wolverines that appeared in the show leaves little doubt that the people behind the show counted fans of the school among their ranks. In fact, executive producer David Connell and head writer Jim Thurman were both Michigan graduates. The University of Michigan features 24 varsity sports teams called the Wolverines, which compete in the NCAAs Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except mens ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association. ... The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (UM, U of M or U-M) is a coeducational public research university in the state of Michigan, and one of the foremost universities in the United States. ... David Connell (d. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

• The show would occasionally feature a segment about estimation in which a Michigan cheerleader would place a small object (e.g., a hamburger, a playing card, or a ping pong ball) in the corner of the playing field of Michigan Stadium. The viewer was then asked to estimate how many of the same object it would take to fill (or cover the playing field of) the stadium.
• Mathman was a walking green head in a Wolverines football helmet.
• In one Dirk Niblick segment, his mother posed a riddle about probability which mentioned a drawer full of maize and blue socks (Michigan's team colors are maize and blue).
• Another Dirk Niblick episode called "Do Not Fold, Spindle or Tape" had Dirk's old college friend Wrongway wearing a GO BLUE! shirt backwards. "GO BLUE!" is a phrase frequently used by Michigan athletics.
• In a number of Dirk Niblick mini-segments where he conversed with his mother on the phone, her "speech" was the University of Michigan's fight song.
• Among other sightings the Michigan logo, a member of a ship's crew during an episode of Mathnet set in Monterey, California, wore a cap commemorating Michigan's 1989 Final Four appearance in NCAA men's basketball.
• There were also a number of joking references to Michigan's longstanding cross-state rivalry with Michigan State University. Two examples, both from Mathnet, included a villain saying that he had flunked out of the University of Michigan and "had to finish at Michigan State," and another villain having attended "Michigan Agricultural College" (MSU's original name) in "West Lansing."
• Another episode of Mathnet involved the kidnapping of a rockstar for a ransom to rent the University of Michigan Marching Band to play a march written by the kidnappers.
• In another episode of Mathnet, a reference was made reflecting the rivalry between Michigan and The Ohio State University. While examining a list of bank accounts that had been robbed, the Ohio State Alumni fund was noted as having lost $136. When Kate Monday states, "At least they didn't get much," George Frankly replies, "What do you mean? They cleaned the whole thing out!"

Estimation is the calculated approximation of a result which is usable even if input data may be incomplete, uncertain, or noisy. ... Cheerleading is recreational activity and sometimes competitive sport involving organised routines including elements of dance and gymnastics to encourage crowds to cheer on sports teams. ... A hamburger (or simply burger) is a sandwich that consists of a cooked patty of ground meat that is fried, steamed, grilled, or broiled, and is generally served with various condiments and toppings inside a sliced bun baked specially for this purpose. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Regional competition level table tennis, showing table, net, and player getting ready to return the ball with a winning backhand topspin stroke. ... Michigan Stadium, nicknamed The Big House, is the football stadium for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. ... The University of Michigan features 24 varsity sports teams called the Wolverines, which compete in the NCAAs Division I and in the Big Ten Conference in all sports except mens ice hockey which competes in the NCAA D1 Central Collegiate Hockey Association. ... Group of men drilling in football helmets A football helmet is a protective device used primarily in American football and Canadian football which was created by Paul Brown. ... Probability is the likelihood that something is the case or will happen. ... The color maize, in the English language, usually refers to a color that is similar to yellow; it is named for the cereal of the same name - maize (or corn). ... Blue (from Old High German blao shining) is one of the three primary additive colors; blue light has the shortest wavelength (about 470 nm) of the three primary colors. ... A fight song is primarily a sports term, referring to a song associated with a team. ... Nickname: Location of Monterey, California County Monterey Government  - Mayor Chuck Della Sala Area  - City 30. ... Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area  Ranked 3rd  - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 770 miles (1,240 km)  - % water 4. ... The 1989 NCAA Mens Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of mens NCAA Division I college basketball. ... The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA, often pronounced N-C-Double-A or N-C-Two-A ) is a voluntary association of about 1,200 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States. ... Michigan State University (MSU) is a co-educational public research university in East Lansing, Michigan USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act. ... Ohio State University (OSU) is a coeducational public research university in the state of Ohio. ...

Connections to Other Media

• Cartoonist Jim Jinkins, popular for his show Doug, worked on the show doing animated shorts for the show.
• David Yazbek was a frequent writer during the first season. Yazbek is best known for writing the theme songs to Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? and Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego. Yasbeck later wrote the scores for the broadway shows The Full Monty and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Jim Jinkins is an American animator and creator of the animated Doug television series which was later the basis for a feature film. ... Doug is an American animated television series that originally aired on Nickelodeon, and starring a 6th grader named Douglas Yancey Funnie. ... Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? was a popular childrens television game show loosely based off the computer games of the same name created by now defunct Brøderbund Software. ... Where in Time Is Carmen Sandiego was a U.S. game show, loosely based off the computer game of the same name. ... This article is about the film. ... Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a 1988 comedy film directed by Frank Oz and starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine as the con artists of the title. ...

Sources of Funding

Among the funders of Square One were

• The Carnegie Corporation of New York (1987-1991)
• The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (1987-1990)
• The U.S. Department of Education (1987-1988)
• The National Science Foundation (1987–1992)
• The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (1987-1992)
• IBM (1987)
• Viewers Like You (1989-1992)
• Ford Foundation (1985-1993)
• Intel (1992)

The National Science Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting were the only permanent funders for Square One. IBM funded the show for season 1 only, and Viewers Like You funded the show for seasons 1 and 2 only. Public Television Viewers. The Carnegie Corporation was founded by the will of Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. ... The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is a foundation endowed with wealth accumulated by the late Andrew W. Mellon. ... The United States Department of Education was created in 1979 (by PL 96-88) as a Cabinet-level department of the United States government, and began operating in 1980. ... The logo of the National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. ... The Corporation for Public Broadcasting logo, used from 1969 to 2002. ... IBM redirects here. ... Viewers Like You message during a broadcast of an Elmos World holiday special. ... The Ford Foundation is a charitable foundation based in New York City created to fund programs that promote democracy, reduce poverty, promote international understanding, and advance human achievement. ... Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC, SEHK: 4335), founded in 1968 as Integrated Electronics Corporation, is an American multinational corporation that is best known for designing and manufacturing microprocessors and specialized integrated circuits. ... IBM redirects here. ...

External links

• SquareOneTV.org - Fan page with show history and context
• TV Tome: Square One - Show trivia and cast information
• Square One & Mathnet video clips
• Square One TV at the Internet Movie Database