Beakman's World
Beakman's World
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Beakman's World is a fantastic educational series that teaches kids about scientific concepts from dinosaurs to sound frequency and everything in between. Each episode focuses on two or three concepts, which are explored through video footage, experiments, and models that illustrate the topics on a grade-schooler's comprehension level. The cast often reminds viewers of safety protocols like wearing protective gear and cautions them against replicating experiments without a parent's help. Gross-out humor and topics like pimples, snot, and, yes, farts are fair game in this show, likely to the delight of its young audience.
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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 disgruntled Lester the Rat (Mark Ritts) and one of three dizzy female assistants played by Alana Ubach, Eliza Schneider, and Senta Moses, Beakman takes viewers on a trivia-packed thrill ride, unraveling everyday mysteries such as what makes fire and what causes creaky noises in the night. For Beakman, no question is too stupid or too gross to answer, as evidenced by topics like snot, flatulence, and sewage.
Is It Any Good?
This series does a masterful job of blending entertainment and quality content for kids. It won't be hard to tempt kids' interest, thanks to the wacky star's natural charisma and the show's unique approach to teaching kids about science. The pace is lightning-fast and might lose the youngest viewers, but older kids are sure to love the action (explosions! smashing tomatoes!). Zaloom uses every trick in the book -- from costumes and accents to slapstick comedy -- to keep kids' attention, all with the goal of imparting on them a wealth of fascinating scientific knowledge that will change how they look at the world around them.
Grown-ups will like Beakman's World nearly as much as their kids will, with the possible exception of those squeamish segments that delve into body topics like the origins of flatulence and the make-up of earwax. Of course these gross-out bits are bound to thrill grade-schoolers, and you can't deny that even they offer worthwhile information about some pretty intriguing topics. The bottom line? This is one of those rare shows that entertains, teaches, and inspires kids, all within the confines of worry-free, age-appropriate content and a ton of fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how science plays a part in our everyday lives. What questions do you have about how the world works after watching Beakman's World? What is it about science that makes Beakman so excited?
Kids: How can you apply your new knowledge to experiments of your own? What safety measures should you take in running these experiments?
Expand on the discoveries made in the show. Choose a topic to explore as a family. What resources do you have access to for information? Can you observe the process or subject in action?
How does Beakman's World inspire curiosity? Why is this an important character strength?
TV Details
- Premiere date: September 18, 1992
- Cast: Mark Ritts, Paul Zaloom, Senta Moses
- Network: Syndicated
- Genre: Educational
- Topics: STEM, Science and Nature
- Character Strengths: Curiosity
- TV rating: TV-Y7
- Last updated: February 28, 2022
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