Crashbox (HBO Family)

CRASHBOX, part of HBO Family's after-school lineup, is an animated interactive series that provides brain food for grade-schoolers by engaging them in fun, fast-paced games. Each challenge tests viewers' skills or knowledge in areas such as math, history, grammar, culture, and more. Presented by eccentric characters that are brought to life through stop-motion animation, the games take place against a curious backdrop of robots and mechanical arms that perform various tasks. Each time a new game begins, a robotic arm inserts a different computer chip into a square slot -- kind of like the brain switching gears to go from one subject to the next. The games -- of which there are 14 different types -- include "Skeleton Crew," in which Captain Bones from a pirate ghost ship helps children "bone up" on their math skills; "Poop or Scoop," in which viewers are challenged to separate animal-related fact and fiction; and "Dirty Pictures," in which a maid dusts off a portrait bit by bit while another character gives clues about the famous historical figure hidden underneath. At the end of each episode, a brief review session reminds viewers of what they learned.

A truly educational show, Crashbox is a parent's dream: The time your child spends playing these brain-tickling games is anything but wasted. Despite two minor quibbles -- the characters' speech is sometimes hard to understand, and the complete lack of live humans as "teachers" feels a bit odd for some reason -- the lively characters are quite funny and entertaining and make learning a pleasure.

It's even likely that adults watching the show with their children will learn a thing or two (or more) and be amused by the whimsical presentation of the games. Crashbox's unique cyber-backdrop keeps it current, a nice counterbalance to what some may consider a rather dated and eccentric animation style.