8 /10 1 Votes
7.4/10 TV Opening theme "Danger Ahead" Final episode date 23 October 1992 Number of seasons 5 | 8.6/10 Genre Crime-Drama First episode date 26 January 1987 Network PBS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Developed by Janette WebbGeorge E. Swink Written by David D. ConnellJim Thurman Directed by Charles S. DubinJames F. GolwayKarl EpsteinJesus Salvador TreviñoBill Schreiner Starring Beverly Leech (1987–1990; 19 episodes)Joe Howard (1987–1992; entire series)Toni DiBuono (1991–1992; 11 episodes)James Earl Jones (1987–1988, 1991; 5 episodes)Emilo Del Pozo (1990–1992; 16 episodes)Mary Watson (1987–1990; 13 episodes)Bari K. Willerford (1990–1992; 16 episodes) Program creators Jim Thurman, David D. Connell Cast Joe Howard, Yeardley Smith, John Sayles Similar Square One Television, Dragnet, Sesame Street, The Electric Company, Teeny Little Super Guy |
Mathnet the trial of george frankly
Mathnet is a segment on the children's television show Square One Television.
Contents
- Mathnet the trial of george frankly
- Mathnet the problem of the missing monkey
- Premise
- Characters
- Los Angeles cast
- New York City cast
- Guest stars
- Math and science
- Development and Production
- Home video release and reruns
- References
Mathnet the problem of the missing monkey
Premise

Mathnet is a parody of Dragnet, in which the main characters are mathematicians who use their mathematical skills to solve various crimes and mysteries in the city. Each segment of the series aired on one episode of Square One, a production of the Children's Television Workshop aimed at teaching math skills to young viewers. Five segments made up an episode (one for each weekday), with suspense building at the end of each segment.

Both Mathnet and Square One went off the air in 1994 (it was rerun until then after the final 1992 season was completed), reappearing from 1999–2003 on the cable television network Noggin, a joint venture of Nickelodeon and CTW. However, only 65 episodes were leased by the Noggin network. Mathnet segments also aired on Phred on Your Head Show (one of Noggin's original programs).
Characters

Los Angeles cast

New York City cast

Guest stars
A number of well-known actors made guest appearances on this show. Among them were

In addition, real life L.A.P.D. officers Sam Salazar and Steve Fellman have also appeared as themselves, as did head writers David D. Connell and Jim Thurman as various characters.
Math and science
Real principles of math and science and mathematical tools used by the detectives to solve crimes include:

Development and Production

After a successful first season, production began on six new episodes for the second season. By the time production ended on the third season and its six episodes in 1989, Beverly Leech (Kate Monday) left, and was replaced by a new character named Pat Tuesday, played by Toni DiBuono. Production on the first six episodes with the new character commenced in 1990, and ended in 1991, in time for Square One TV's fourth season. Production on the final season and its five episodes began taping in 1991, and the last episode aired in 1992.

During production, the background music also changed. Originally, it had a synth score. But gradually, as the series progressed, it was replaced with an orchestral score.
The building where Mathnet was filmed in Los Angeles is located on 6045 York Boulevard. It now houses a museum about the LAPD.
Home video release and reruns
In 1991, GPN released five episodes from the first two seasons on VHS ("The Problem of the Missing Baseball", "The Trial of George Frankly", "The Problem of the Dirty Money", "The Case of the Missing Air", and "The View from the Rear Terrace").
Around the same time, select PBS stations combined parts of an episode to air in primetime. This was done primarily for seasons 3-5 (New York City era), although at least one omnibus from the Leech era was also broadcast. These versions were re-edited so that they would come in at just under an hour long, featured other segments from Square One TV as "commercials", and newly created end credits, among other differences. Two of the primetime airings were also commercially released as VHS tapes from Republic Pictures in 1992 ("Despair in Monterey Bay" and "The Case of the Unnatural").
A Mathnet comic briefly appeared in 3-2-1 Contact magazine.