Popular Mechanics for Kids

Popular Mechanics for Kids

Opening logo
Starring
Country of origin Canada
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 4
No. of episodes 102
Production
Producer(s) Jonathan Finkelstein
Running time 30 minutes (approx.)
Broadcast
Original channel Global TV
Original run 7 September 1997 – 12 February 2001

Popular Mechanics for Kids (sometimes abbreviated to PMK) was an educational Canadian television series based on Popular Mechanics magazine. It was notable for starting the careers of Elisha Cuthbert, Jay Baruchel and Tyler Kyte. The show's purpose was to teach viewers how things work. It was awarded the Parents Choice Award in 2003, and was nominated for the Gemini Awards.

The series aired on Global TV from 1997 to 2001, and re-runs of the show continued to air on many channels until 2008. It aired on BBC Kids and Discovery Kids until December 31, 2009. After the closure of Discovery Kids Canada, BBC Kids stopped airing re-runs in all countries except Canada. The reruns on BBC Kids in Canada ended on May 14, 2011. As of 2013 re-runs of the show continue to air on Knowledge Network. Along with Cuthbert and Baruchel, the cast included Charles Powell nicknamed "Charlie" for the series, Tyler Kyte (who replaced Jay in the second series), and eventually Vanessa Lengies.

The show was filmed primarily in Montreal, Quebec, and is currently distributed on VHS / DVD by Koch Vision.

Episode Overview

The show starts off with an overview of the episode. One of the hosts (Elisha, Tyler, Jay, and later Vanessa) then starts his or her first experience on the show (amusement park, snowboarding, surfing, motorbiking, visiting a science museum, etc.) The other host then goes on a different one. Throughout the first two adventures, short, educational segments are shown.

Later, another segment is shown, called Charlie's Experiment / Tip. It is much longer than the mini segments shown throughout the show, and it involves Charlie demonstrating an experiment. Sometimes he answers frequently asked questions about related science topics. At the start of season 3, one of the hosts (mostly Vanessa) would go on a third adventure. After some more real life examples are shown, the two hosts then conclude the show, saying, "See you next week."

Popular Mechanics for Kids cast
Popular Mechanics for Kids cast

Cast

Segments

Episodes

Season Episodes Originally aired (Canadian dates)
Season premiere Season finale
1 25 September 7, 1997 February 8, 1998
2 25 September 6, 1998 January 24, 1999
3 20 September 5, 1999 January 30, 2000
4 6 January 7, 2001 February 12, 2001

DVDs

A number of VHS copies (and later, DVD's) have been released by Koch Vision and E1 Entertainment.

Popular Mechanics for Kids DVD Box Set
6 DVD box set

References

    External links