Square One TV

Square One TV was a live-action series produced by Children's Television Workshop that ran on PBS from 1987 until 1994. The program was an attempt to counteract the "math crisis" affecting the nation's 8- to 12-year olds utilizing a variety format of sketch comedy, cartoons, MTV music videos, serials and game shows. Production was spearheaded by the original Sesame executive producer Dave Connell, and his longtime Sesame associate, the series head writer Jim Thurman; they both assumed the titles of Senior Producer. During its production run of five seasons and 230 episodes, the series won five Daytime Emmy Awards. Reruns were seen from 1999-2003 on Noggin.

Muppet Mentions

 * In the first season episode #172, originally broadcast May 5, 1987, series cast members Arthur Howard and Larry Cedar portray Bert and Ernie in the Sesame Street parody "Caraway Street." Ernie asks Bert for five dollars to buy a puppy, but Bert uses rounding and a calculator to show that maintaining a puppy will cost over four hundred dollars in one year.  Ernie then asks him if he can borrow four hundred dollars.  This parody is notable because it occurs in an official CTW production, and similar to The Bert and Ernie Christmas Special.


 * In the Mathnet serial "The Problem of the Missing Monkey," the gorilla activist Jane Rice-Burroughs (played by Yeardley Smith) carries a Sesame Street tote bag bearing an illustration of Cookie Monster.


 * The camera pans by Kermit the Frog's caricature at Sardi's, in the Mathnet serial "The Case of the Unkidnapping."

Connections

 * Cynthia Darlow was a member of the cast
 * James Earl Jones played Chief Thad Greene on Mathnet
 * Savion Glover performed a music video called "Tappin' Out The Rhythm"
 * Alan Muraoka appeared in a sketch as a TV chef baking a popover
 * Leonard Jackson played Col. Wiggins in Mathnet's "The Case of the Mystery Weekend"
 * Betty Buckley played Sally Storm in Mathnet's "The Case of the Mystery Weekend"
 * Paul Dooley played Casey Bengal in Mathnet's "The Case of the Unnatural"
 * John Moschitta, Jr. filmed two insert segments and played Johnny Dollar in Mathnet's "The Case of the Purloined Policies"
 * Gary Owens was the voice of Dirk Niblick of the Math Brigade
 * Marv Albert recorded a voiceover for a segment
 * Debbie Allen filmed a segment
 * Julius Erving filmed a segment
 * Ben and Jerry made a cameo appearance
 * Tempestt Bledsoe performed the music video "Time Keeper"
 * Bobby McFerrin performed the music video "Wanna Be"
 * Downtown Julie Brown filmed inserts and hosted the special Square One Video Jukebox
 * "Weird Al" Yankovic performed the music video "Patterns" and played Murray the Mouth in Mathnet's "Offthe Record"
 * Gregory Hines performed the music video "That's Math" and filmed a PBS promo
 * Kid 'n Play performed the music video "Rules of Thumb"
 * Christopher Cerf wrote and composed songs for the series
 * Sarah Durkee wrote and composed songs for the series
 * David Yazbek wrote and composed songs for the series
 * Buzzco Associates, Inc. produced the animated series Zook & Alison
 * Ted May was Director (in Season 2)
 * Ken Diego directed some segments (in Season 5)
 * Frank Biondo operated the Camera (in Season 2)
 * Nat Mongioi was the Set Decorator
 * Dick Maitland did the Sound Effects
 * John Tierney was the Editor
 * Jim Jinkins was Graphics Director (1987-90)
 * Joel Schneider was Director of Content
 * Gerald S. Lesser was Chairman of the Advisory Board