The Voyage of the Mimi
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The Voyage of the Mimi was a thirteen-episode educational television program depicting the crew of the Mimi exploring the ocean and taking a census of humpback whales. The show was created by the Bank Street College of Education in 1984 to teach middle-schoolers about science and mathematics in an interesting and interactive way, with a memorable theme song and where every lesson related to real world applications.
Every episode was a completely educational learning episode, and the viewers were taught something scientific relating the previous plot episode of the show. For example, an episode's plot would be about obtaining drinkable water and over the course of the episode, the viewer would also be given lessons about condensation, heat, and the three states of matter. Each lesson had accompanying student and teacher handouts or worksheets.
The Voyage of the Mimi starred a young Ben Affleck as C.T. Granville, and Peter Marston as his grandfather Captain Granville. Marston was a scientist at MIT during the production of the program and used to own the actual ship, the Mimi.
There was a second series produced, The Second Voyage of the Mimi, where the two Granvilles, along with other archaeologists, searched for a lost Mayan city, and uncovered a conspiracy along the way.
The Voyage of the Mimi series received harsh criticism from Neil Postman in his book Amusing Ourselves to Death. Postman's book spoke of the negative effects of America's television culture both in society and education practice.
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[edit] Mimi (ship)
The Mimi is a French-built sailboat, originally constructed in 1931 as a whaling vessel. It was purchased in the early eighties by series' star Peter Marston and was kept moored in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Besides its appearances on the TV show, it went from city to city and acted as a tourist attraction in places such as Salem, Massachusetts, Boston, and other cities.
Marston retained ownership of the vessel until 1999, when the boat was sold to new owners. The Mimi is currently owned by Michael Spurgeon and is presently docked in Boston.
[edit] Cast
Ben Affleck ........................ C.T. Granville
Peter Marston .................... Captain Granville
Edwin De Asis ................... Ramon Rojas
Victoria Gadsden ............... Anne Abrams
Mark Graham .................... Arthur Spencer
Judy Pratt ......................... Sally Ruth Cochran
Mary Tanner ...................... Rachel Fairbanks
[edit] Episode list
- All Aboard
- Setting Sail
- On the Shoals
- Counting Whales
- Going Fishing
- Home Movies
- Fastening On
- Tracking the man
- Shipwrecked
- Making Dew
- The Feast
- Rolling Home
- Separate Ways.
