Popular Mechanics for Kids (1997)
Popular Mechanics for Kids is an educational Canadian television series based on Popular Mechanics magazine. It was notable for starting the careers of both Elisha Cuthbert and Jay Baruchel. 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 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, and eventually Vanessa Lengies. The show was filmed primarily in Montreal, Quebec, and is currently distributed on VHS / DVD by Koch Vision.
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Episode 1 - North Pole
Release Date: 1998-09-06Huskies used in near the North Pole. The enjoyment of Igloo Building, about Northern Cuisine, and how Ice Cream is created.
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Episode 2 - Whodunnit!?
Release Date: 1998-09-13Find out the Crime at the Crime scene, the use of spy gear, and spy gadgets. How a polygraph is used to detect most of the ones that did the crime.
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Episode 3 - Gross Out
Release Date: 1998-09-20Digestive system, disgusting things, snot, and recycled pet-food.
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Episode 4 - Ocean Adventures
Release Date: 1998-09-27Sugar Cube Subs, Shark-diving, and about Icebergs
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Episode 5 - Police Force
Release Date: 1998-10-04Car Chases, ManHunting, thief proofing bikes, and about guns.
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Episode 6 - Sports
Release Date: 1998-10-11The art of goaltending in hockey, snowboarding physics to help to snowboard better, How surfing is done on the waves, and running.
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Episode 7 - F.X.!
Release Date: 1998-10-18Sound FX, visual effects, martial arts fights, and zoetropes.
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Episode 8 - Earth Power
Release Date: 1998-10-25Making Tornadoes from Charlie's explanation, Twister the ride, and how Volcanoes are created.
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Episode 9 - Talk To Animals
Release Date: 1998-11-01Acting dogs, dolphins, and dog obedience.
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Episode 10 - After Dark
Release Date: 1998-11-08Sleep science, Neon signs, The Bat House and how to hunt down bats for research.
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Episode 11 - Emergency Rescues
Release Date: 1998-11-15Baywatch, hostage rescues, avalanche rescues, and survival in the woods.
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Episode 12 - Under The Big Top
Release Date: 1998-11-22Clowning around, circus school, and how juggling is done.
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Episode 13 - Zero Gravity
Release Date: 1998-11-29Star observatories, Tower of Power, and hardsuits.
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Episode 14 - Swamps And Gators
Release Date: 1998-12-06Tadpoles, Feeding alligators, the swamps and everglades.
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Episode 15 - Trucks
Release Date: 1998-12-13Big rigs, cleaning trucks, mining trucks, and how gears work on a bicycle.
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Episode 16 - Boom!
Release Date: 1998-12-20Quarry explosions, exploding cars, fireworks, and bag-bomb.
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Episode 17 - The Fastest
Release Date: 1998-12-27Donovan Bailey, the RamJet which is faster than a quick jet, F-18's, and rocket balloons.
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Episode 18 - Greatest Hits
Release Date: 1999-01-03Martial Arts Effects, Free flying, Goaltending in the hockey, and the creation of your own snot.
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Episode 19 - Creepy Crawlers
Release Date: 1999-01-10Leeches, cockroaches, bees, and bug hunting.
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Episode 20 - Monster Machines
Release Date: 1999-01-17Elisha is on an adventure in the sky on the C-5 Galaxy, while Tyler goes test out the car-crushing dinosaur, the Megasaurus. Elisha explains about one of the best Monster Trucks, Big Foot while Charlie does his experiment on force.
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Episode 21 - How Do They Do That?
Release Date: 1999-01-24It's Magic, including the magic of television. But first, Elisha goes on an expedition on discovering, locating, and digging out traces of dinosaurs. While this is happening, Charlie explains how to put an egg into a jar that has an opening which has a smaller circumference that the egg can not go through as normal. Tyler is learning some new tricks from the Harlem Globetrotters, and he plays a game, two on two while Elisha is learning a magic trick from a magician, the table salt shaker trick.