Created by The Jim Henson Company Opening theme Sid the Science Kid | Written by Bradley Zweig | |
Also known as Jim Henson's Sid the Science Kid Genre Children's television seriesEducation Starring Drew MasseyJulianne BuescherVictor YerridAlice Dinnean-VernonDonna Kimball | ||
Sid the Science Kid is an American half-hour CGI animated series that aired on PBS Kids from September 1, 2008 to March 25, 2013, with a total of 68 half-hour episodes produced over two seasons. The computer generated show is produced by The Jim Henson Company 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. 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 along with Martha Speaks on September 1, 2008, with a two-year on-air commitment. The original working title for the series was "What's the Big Idea?" and the central character, Sid, was originally named Josh.
Contents
KOCE, the current primary PBS member for the Los Angeles area, began co-producing the show after KCET disaffiliated with PBS on December 31, 2010.
24-hour preschool channel Sprout began airing Sid the Science Kid on March 25, 2013.
Premise
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 – voiced by Tara Strong, motion captured by Misty Rosas).
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.
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, the Groaning Wall from Square One TV, 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!"
Characters
Sid (motion captured by Misty Rosas, voiced by Drew Massey) 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 makes a cow noise, and 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.
May (motion captured by Dana Michael Woods, voiced by Julianne Buescher) is Sid's glasses-clad friend, marked by her striped stockings and fairness. She is shown to have terrible eyesight and in one episode makes a parody of Velma Dinkley in Scooby-Doo. She is 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.
Gerald (motion captured by Alon Williams, voiced by Victor Yerrid) is Sid's airhead, vivacious friend. 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.
Gabriela (motion captured by John Munro Cameron, voiced by Alice Dinnean-Vernon) is most composed character of the group. She is Sid's best friend. 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 can allegedly read. Sometimes she comes over to Sid's house to have a play date with him. She has an older brother named Mateo.
Susie (motion captured by Sonya Leslie, voiced by Donna Kimball) 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.
Mort (motion captured by John Munro Cameron, voiced by Victor Yerrid) is Sid's father.
Alice (motion captured by Sonya Leslie, voiced by Alice Dinnean-Vernon) is Sid's mother who drives him to school each day. Alice is a web site designer and children's computer game developer (Episode 58 "The Amazing Computer Science Tool!). Her name is probably an allusion to her voice actress.
Grandma (motion captured by Dana Michael Woods, voiced by Julianne Buescher and Donna Kimball) is Sid's paternal grandmother, she likes to tell Sid stories about herself when she was younger while driving home from school.
Dr. Rosalinda Cordova (motion captured by Michelan Sisti, voiced by America Ferrera) is a research scientist at the Science Center that the children often visit, and the mother of Gabriela. She helps to explain the various exhibits at the center and how they relate to the school lessons the children are having. On occasion, she will visit the children in their schoolroom and teach alongside Teacher Susie. She is very proud of her daughter Gabriela.
Zeke (motion captured by Alon Williams, voiced by Donna Kimball) is Sid's baby brother, he's 10 months old.
Season 1 (2008–2009)
Tools and Measurements
1. The Sticker Chart (charts) September 1, 20082. The Rolie Polie (observation/magnification) September 2, 20083. Enough with the Seashells! (estimation) September 3, 20084. The Whale Episode (nonstandard measurement) September 4, 20085. Super Science Tools! (Tools and Measurements Review) September 5, 2008Changes and Transformations
6. My Mushy Banana (decay) September 8, 20087. My Shrinking Shoes (growth) September 9, 20088. My Ice Pops (reversible transformation/Ice) September 10, 20089. The Perfect Pancake (irreversible transformation/Heat) September 11, 200810. No More Changes! (Changes and Transformations Review) September 12, 2008Senses
11. The Itchy Tag (texture/touch/feel) September 22, 200812. What's That Smell? (smelling) September 23, 200813. Grandma's Glasses (sight/vision) September 24, 200814. Too Much Noise! (hearing) September 25, 200815. All My Senses (Senses Review) September 26, 2008Health
16. A Brush With Teeth (dental hygiene) October 20, 200817. I Want Cake (healthy food groups) October 21, 200818. The Big Sneeze (germs) October 22, 200819. Must See TV (exercise/fitness) October 23, 200820. Sid's Health Day (Health Review) October 24, 2008Simple Machines
21. The Broken Wheel (wheels) February 9, 200922. My Slide (inclined planes) February 10, 200923. Sid's Amazing Invention (levers) February 11, 200924. The Tree House (pulleys) February 12, 200925. Climb, Ignatz, Climb! (Simple Machines Review) February 13, 2009Backyard Science
26. Hello, Doggie! (animal communication) February 16, 200927. Home Tweet Home (animal homes) February 17, 200928. The Dirt on Dirt (dirt/soil/mud) February 18, 200929. Don't Forget the Leaves! (leaves) February 19, 200930. The Bug Club (Backyard Science Review) February 20, 2009The Body
31. Special Mom Day Meal (stomachs) May 4, 200932. I Have Muscles Where? (muscles) May 5, 200933. Sid's Amazing Lungs (lungs) May 6, 200934. How Did My Dog Do That? (bones/skeletons) May 7, 200935. Now That's Using Your Brain (brains) May 8, 2009Weather
36. Sid's Rainy Play Date (rain/thunder/lighting) September 14, 200937. Special Sunny Dad Day (sun/hot) September 15, 200938. Sid's Holiday Adventure (snow/cold/ice) September 16, 200939. The Wind Did It (wind) September 17, 200940. Sid the Weatherman (Weather Review) September 18, 2009Season 2 (2010–2012)
Force and Motion
43. Slide to the Side (friction) October 4, 201044. That's the Way the Ball Bounces (elasticity) October 5, 201045. Ignatz's Inertia (inertia) October 6, 201046. Sid's Super Kick (force) October 7, 2010Light and Shadow
47. Let There Be Light (light) November 8, 201048. Discovering Darkness (dark) November 9, 201049. Shadow Smile (shadows) November 10, 201050. A Rainbow Every Day! (rainbows) November 11, 2010Environmental Systems
51. Where Did The Water Go (water) April 18, 201152. Clean Air (Air/Trees) April 19, 201153. Reused Robot (Recycling/Trash) April 20, 201154. Save the Stump (Habitats) April 21, 2011Technology and Engineering
58. The Amazing Computer Science Tool! (computers) December 6, 201159. The Big Cheese! (research) December 7, 201160. Sid Wings It! (Wings) December 8, 201161. Sid Engineers a Solution (engineering) December 9, 2011Living Things
64. Sids Pet Project (pets/responsibility) January 23, 201265. Sleep? Who Needs It?! (sleep) January 24, 201266. Seed the Science Kid (seeds/life cycles) January 25, 201267. The Reason Sid's Sneezin (allergies) January 26, 2012Specials (2009–12)
41. Getting A Shot: You Can Do It! (vaccination) October 26, 200942. No School Sing-Along Special (Sing-Along) June 21, 201055. Sid's Backyard Campout (Camping) June 20, 201156. Halloween Spooky Science Special (Halloween: Spiders/Bats/Skeletons/Cats) October 17, 201157. I Want to Be a Scientist! (Wildlife biologist/Robotics engineer/Chemist/Astronaut) December 5, 201162. Get Up and Move! (Body Movement) January 6, 201263. Rock n Roll Easter (Rocks) April 3, 201264. There's a Spooky Bat (Halloween) October 1, 2012Movie
Movies (2013) Sid the Science Kid: The Movie premiered on March 25, 2013.
Awards
"Save the Stump!" won in the Children's Programming category Saturday at the 26th Genesis Awards, presented by the Humane Society of the United States. Additionally, the series has received a total of six Daytime Emmy Award nominations and a TCA Award nomination.