 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Beakman's World
- Syndicated
- Genre: Educational
Common Sense Media says
Madcap science show makes learning a thrill.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that while it makes science entertaining, this show also dives headfirst into all things disgusting. Bodily function jokes are part of the fun, as are entire segments devoted to topics like sewage treatment, snot, and head lice. The requisite "don't try this at home" line precedes many of the experiments, but some kids still might be tempted, for example, to drop a cat upside down to see if it will land on its feet. Remind them not to.
What's the story?
The Emmy Award-winning BEAKMAN'S WORLD is a science show featuring a wacky professor (Paul Zaloom) who's devoted to answering his viewers' questions about the physical world. With the help of the obnoxious Lester the Rat (Mark Ritts) and one of three dizzy female assistants, Beakman takes viewers on a trivia-packed thrill ride, unraveling everyday mysteries such as what makes fire and what causes those creaky noises in the night. For Beakman, no question is too stupid or too gross to answer -- "Snot is your friend," he says in one episode, and to explain, he enters a larger-than-life-sized nasal passage dressed in a yellow biohazard suit and emerges covered in slime and debris. In another truly gag-worthy segment about sewer systems, Beakman asks viewers to rise for the "National Sewage Anthem." With his electric-shock hairdo poking above the rim of a toilet bowl, he and his assistant Phoebe sing a song about conserving and caring for our water supply.
Is it any good?
Despite its sometimes-crude antics, Beakman's World is packed with educational value and positive messages -- the squeamish should simply take cover. The pace is lightning-fast and might lose the youngest viewers, but older kids are sure to love the action (explosions! smashing tomatoes!). They might even learn something from Beakman's silly impersonations of historical figures like Alfred Noble and Robert Bunsen, and it's so alive with energy that it continues to feel fresh. The series uses every tool imaginable to illustrate concepts and keep things exciting, and there are nonstop sound effects, animation, slow-motion replays, and gratuitous burp and fart jokes (kids love 'em).
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how science plays a part in our everyday lives. What questions do you have about how the world works? What is it about science that makes Beakman so excited? Why do some kids think science is boring? Parents can help kids formulate their own questions to send to Beakman, or help them find out the answers on their own via the Internet or a trip to the library.
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
Kid, 12 years old
November 27, 2008
AGE
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many ads
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| Topics: | science and nature |
| TV rating: | TV-Y7 |
| Network: | Syndicated |
| Cast: | Mark Ritts, Paul Zaloom, Senta Moses |
| Genre: | Educational |
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