| Sid the Science Kid | |
|---|---|
Sid the Science Kid Title Card |
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| Also known as | Jim Henson's Sid the Science Kid |
| Genre | Children's Educational television series |
| Created by | The Jim Henson Company |
| Voices of | Drew Massey Julianne Buescher Victor Yerrid Alice Dinnean-Vernon Donna Kimball |
| Opening theme | Sid the Science Kid |
| Ending theme | Sid the Science Kid (instrumental) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 63 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Brian Henson Lisa Henson Halle Stanford Bradley Zweig |
| Producer(s) | Chris Plourde |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | PBS |
| Original run | September 1, 2008 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Dinosaur Train |
| External links | |
| Website | |
| Production website | |
Sid the Science Kid is a half-hour PBS Kids series that debuted on September 1, 2008. The computer generated show is produced by Jim Henson Productions and then-PBS member KCET in Los Angeles, California using the Henson Digital Puppetry Studio. The show is produced by motion capture which allows puppeteers to voice digitally animated characters in real time.[1] Production began in the fall of 2008 with 42 half-hour episodes of Sid the Science Kid having been ordered. The series debuted on PBS Kids on September 1, 2008,[2] with a two-year on-air commitment.[3] The original working title for the series was "What's the Big Idea?" and the central character, Sid, was originally named Josh.[4]
As of January 1, 2011, KOCE, the current primary PBS member for the Los Angeles area, now co-produces the show after KCET disaffiliated with PBS at the end of 2010.
Contents |
The main character in the show is Sid, an "inquisitive youngster" who uses comedy to tackle questions kids have about basic scientific principles and why things work the way they do. He tries to answer questions and solve problems with the help of his classmates (May, Gerald, and Gabriela), Teacher Susie, and his family (his mother Alice, his father Mort, his Grandma and his baby brother Zeke). In "Hello Doggie", Sid's Grandma adopts a dog from the animal shelter (which she names Philbert).
The conceptual content of Sid is based in national science learning standards, cognitive learning theory, and on the preschool science curriculum, Preschool Pathways to Science.[5]
Each week's episodes are built around a single scientific theme or concept. The first week (episodes 1 - 5) focus on scientific tools and concepts (such as charts, observation, estimation, and measuring). The second week (episodes 6 - 10) focuses on changes and transformation (including decay, growth, freezing and melting, and the effects of heat). The third week (episodes 11 - 15) focuses on the senses (including touch, smell, sight, and hearing). The fourth week (episodes 16 - 20) focuses on health. The fifth week (episodes 21 - 25) focuses on simple machine. The sixth week (episodes 26 - 30) focuses on backyard science. The seventh week (episodes 31 - 35) focuses on the human body. The eighth week (episodes 36 - 40) focuses on weather. The Friday shows are designed to review, reinforce and summarize the central concept of the week.
One recurring segment, "Good Laughternoon", features the kids opening panels in a brightly-colored playground structure and telling jokes. The format and set borrow heavily from the closing "joke wall" of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and "locker jokes" from You Can't Do That on Television, but for a pre-school audience and Sid would end the segment by saying, "Now that's funny!" along with a pre-recorded laughter from his toy microphone. Other recurring segments include "What's the big idea?", a problem that Sid has with anything that has to do something with the problem; Breakfast Time, when either Alice or Mort teaches Sid something that has anything to do with the problem; The Sid Survey, the segment where Sid asks questions to May, Gerald, and Gabriela; Rug Time, where Sid shows his friends and his teacher something with the problem; The Super Fab Lab, where the scientists do the lab along with live-action class; Playtime;Singing with Susie;Backseat Driving with Grandma; Scientist in the House!, when Sid solves the problem and/or plays with his family; and "Sid's Super-Duper-Ooper-Schmooper Big Idea!", where Sid would think about what will he do to solve a problem like the one he had from each episode. Sometimes, Sid would have his play date with Gabriela or May after school making it "2 Scientists in the House!".
He is about 4 years old (then he turned 5 in the episode "I Want Cake") and wants to be a scientist when he grows up. Sid is the most practical character on the show and is often portrayed as a very supportive friend. His special item is a toy microphone with four different colored electric buttons. When pressed, the blue button plays the recorded laughter of people, the yellow button plays the recorded applause, the red button may be unknown what it does, but the white button records echoes. He wants to know "everything about everything". He enjoys singing and dancing as well. He is a well-noted observer, and possibly the brightest of the group. His daily activities consist of playing in his room, coming up with a question-asking people about his question, studying his question in school, going home, and presenting his 'Super-duper-ooper-schmooper Big Idea!' Sid's mother is of African descent and his father grew up Jewish as noted in the Hanukkah/Christmas/Kwanzaa episode. He is voiced by Drew Massey.
Gabriela is also 4 years old, and the most composed character of the group. Unlike her friends, Gabriela is the most sensible character and often comes up with the most reasonable jokes during Good Laughternoon. She is the most authoritative figure of the quartet, often being the leader of the group activities. She is usually the one to propose playing Pretend, always opting to be the mommy. She is believed to have climbed higher on the jungle gym than anyone else of the group, and can allegedly read. Sometimes she comes over to Sid's house to have a play date with him. Voiced by Alice Dinnean-Vernon.
May is Sid's glasses-clad Chinese friend, marked by her striped stockings and fairness. May is 4 years old and the most sentimental character of the group. She is very polite and is characterized by her charming, courteous ways. May often sympathizes with everyone and everything, appreciating even inanimate things like decayed pumpkins and brown, mushy bananas. In the eponymous episode as Sid asks whether she would ever eat a mushy banana, she replies, "Aw, he probably thinks no one likes him. Yes! Yes I would definitely eat him and be his friend!" In The Perfect Pancake when Sid recalls his father's burnt pancakes, she suggests that the oven might be angry. May has a Manx cat called Mooshu. While her conduct is quite silly at times, May is exceptionally smart, often performing at peak excellence in school. Voiced by Julianne Buescher.
Gerald is Sid's airhead, vivacious good friend. He is 4 years old and distinguished by an unusual tuft of hair on his head and remarkably reddened skin. He often stalls at the start of Rug Time, attempting a very appreciated light-humored gig. He has a dog, a Jack Russell terrier called Chester. He is a very valued character of the quartet, perhaps the most vivid character of the group, often being the life and soul of activities. A running gag is that he is always trying to be funny, but fails miserably. Voiced by Victor Yerrid.
Susie is the teacher at Sid's school. She begins the day with "Rug Time," where she summons the children to sit in a circle and asks them if they have anything to share with the class or talk about (usually the topic brought up is what was discussed during "Sid's Survey" and what Sid was thinking about earlier in the day). She conducts the experiments with her class. She sings to the children during the "Singing With Susie" segment at the end of the school day. Voiced by Donna Kimball.
Tools and Measurements
Changes and Transformations
Senses
Health
Simple Machines
Backyard Science
The Body
Weather
Force and Motion
Light and Shadow
Environmental Systems
Technology and Engineering
Specials
PUPPETEERS
(first-named puppeteer voices character unless marked otherwise)
MOTION-CAPTURE PERFORMERS
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