Beakman's World

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.