Monday, May 19, 2008

Sid the Science Kid comes to PBS in September

"Jim Henson's Sid the Science Kid", the latest television venture from The Jim Henson Company, is set to debut on PBS on Monday, September 1, 2008 as part of the PBS Kids programing block (check your local listings for details). "Sid the Science Kid" is a curriculum-based television show aimed at 3-6 year-olds; the series uses comedy to promote science-readiness by introducing the basic concepts, vocabulary and skills that children will encounter in their early science experiences.

"Sid the Science Kid" celebrates children's natural curiosity and explores the "why?" questions of their everyday lives. The show features an energetic and inquisitive five-year-old Sid, who tackles the ideas that preschoolers find fascinating (such as: why bananas go bad, how a juice box straw work, and how birds fly?). Each episode follows Sid as he searches for the answers to his many questions along with the help of his classmates and friends (Gabriela, Gerald, and May), his teacher (Susie), his mom and dad (Alice and Mort), his grandma, and even his baby brother (Zeke). The show encourages children to explore the foundations of science through the world they encounter every day, making science an inviting adventure focused on real life, close-to-home topics.

The series is created using the Henson Digital Performance Studio, a groundbreaking new technology that allows performers to puppeteer and voice digital puppets in real time. This way of creating animation, gives a unique organic and spontaneous feel to the characters and interactions.

Fans will be able to explore even more with Sid on the Internet through a brand-new website set to launch at the same time as the broadcast series. Sid and his friends will host the vibrant new "Sid the Science Kid" website on pbskids.org starting in September. The site will feature three discovery zones: "The Super Fab Lab" at Sid’s school, the playground, and Sid's kitchen. Each zone will host numerous games that encompass the series' curricular themes. The site will also feature a child-friendly video player that will let visitors watch clips from the show – including songs, sketches and real-world segments. The website will officially premiere on Labor Day 2008 – although sneak preview of the site is expected to run in July 2008.

I will be sure to keep you updated as more information regarding the production and premiere of this exciting new show surfaces.



View Episode Listing

27 comments:

Vaughn Michael said...

I hate to be negative but this looks really dumb, they should have done this with puppets. ugh

frogboy4 said...

I actually like it. I still prefer the original Sid design and what I had imagined his voice and personality to be, but I get the appeal of this character. I prefer puppets too, yet this is a great opportunity to experiment. I think it has potential.

Anonymous said...

I think it looks great! I can't wait to see the show and the whole cast in action.

But if you do think the show looks "dumb", how would them doing this with puppets make it less dumb? If in fact the writing is bad, the songs are lame, and the characters are weak, I don't think the fact that it's computer pixles rather than felt & foam (or paint & cels, or clay, or anything else) automatically makes the quality any better or worse.

I think this this show has a lot of potential and I'm not going to pre-judge the writing or characters before really seeing them in action. I'm excited and can't wait to see Henson's further exploration of this new tool.

Vaughn Michael said...

It would look less dumb because the jaw wouldn't move like it was broken or made of jelly.
This isn't Sid the Spooble kid.
I don't mind the other show henson does with cgi the Scrumps.
I also don't care very much for the characters voice.
We've seen Hensons cgi quite a few times and it's really not progressed at all.
And we have seen this guy in action watch the clip.
It's the problem I have with mot low budget cgi things they go for the look it's a cartoon it can jiggle and wiggly and dance and sing.
How about some texture, and give it a life and not be so hollow and empty of a character.
Boy I miss the old days when charcters where creative and not all alike.

And there's really no need for anyone to get up in arms seriously I'm just one man with one opinion, that no one usually cares for anyway.

Anonymous said...

My immediate reation was exactly the same. "They should have done this with puppets."
But I understand the limitations of puppets overtime. The voices change if someone leaves the cast; and there are limitations of moving in space if they are hand puppets not people dressed in costumes.

Anonymous said...

Ok, this got my 3 year old daughter's attention! Ever since they started up the commercials, she has been asking to see "Sid the Science Kid." That is a big sentence for a 3 year old, but she asks about him all the time. So... we recorded it on the DVR & it is her new favorite. If you have kids interested in learning, this could be a good fit for them. It says it is for 3-6 year olds, so everyone on here saying it's dumb... shame on you unless you are in the appropriate age bracket. I
f you are a 3-6 year old and on here typing on this website, then no wonder you think it's dumb, you are obviously a 3-6 year old child genius! Get on down the road to Harvard and quit picking on Sid.
Jim Henson's creations are wonderful!

mlamp said...

I hope someone affiliated with the show reads this. My 4 year old son loves the show. I however have issue with the kids calling the teacher "Suzi". It does not show respect. The should be addressing her as "Miss Suzi" or "Miss Jones". I do not know any early development teachers that allow students to call him/her by their first name.

Anonymous said...

My son is 4, has only watched two of the episodes on PBS (one of them twice :-) AND HE LOVES IT. We usually get out the same items they are talking about on the show that day, ex. Magnifying Glass (didn't have one that day, so we pretended to have one), Ruler. And the rest of the day we practice what he's learned. It is a great learning show. I too was put off by them calling the teacher "Suzie", with no title. It just seems odd. It has some catchy tunes like "I'm lookin' for my friends, I'm lookin' for you!" LOL
Full of fun stuff even for the adults watching!

Anonymous said...

I have a two daughters, ages 2 and 5. They love this show. The 5 year old especially loves it and thinks Sid is hilarious. I try to give them mini science lessons often, which is perfectly complemented by the show. For those who said the show is "dumb" - come on, you have to judge things by their target audience. Sid the Science Kid isn't aimed at middle or high schoolers. The science content is kept simple enough for young kids to understand the concepts, not just blank it out and only retain the dance moves. I personally love the way the characters move, and I think they're much more interesting than puppets. A little more realism in the faces would be OK, but once again remember who the show is intended for. I also wish the teacher was called "Ms. Susie" or something slightly more formal than just her first name. Overall I enjoy the show along with my kids, and I hope the producers keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

This show is a big disappointment.
Too much singing and the songs teach nothing. The only exception is when the teacher sings which is also unnecessary. Very little time is spent on the actual subject.

All of the characters are highly annoying, especially the "cool" grandmother. The teacher can't seem to figure out what her accent should be and finally they address her by her first name. What respect is there in that?

STSK holds my 18 month olds attention for about 4 minutes. She grins at the commercials for it, but the actual show is boring to her. Conversely, SuperWhy! has her attention from start to finish as does World World.

They waste far too much time goofing off in this show and not enough time teaching. I'm surprised considering this is from the Henson's.

Anonymous said...

My kids love this show. they just turned 3 and 5 yrs old. My 5 yr son LOVES it. He already is singing the songs and using what he has learned in conversations and during everyday. This is a great show. Two things: Teacher should be Miss Suzi or Miss jones. and her songs are a little hard to folow. The animation looks a little weird to me but it would have lost more with puppets. And bottom line the kids love the show!! We are sooo GLAD that PBS airs this show.

Anonymous said...

I think the characters look and act creepy. The hair is especially disturbing. (Anyone else read the short story, "Shambleau" by C.L. Moore?)

I generally prefer kids shows focused on science and learning because they are not as condescendingly moralistic as the "Jimmy learns to share" type shows (of which Clifford is a "good" example). Even though this show is science oriented, it manages to feel condescending as well.

On the other hand, I think it's cool they call their teacher "Suzi." The teachers at my kids' preschool all go by their first names, and I think it fosters an atmosphere of cooperation and equality, rather than authoritarian divisions.

As science shows go, we vastly prefer Zula Patrol. I don't feel like it insults my kids' intelligence, unlike Sid.

Anonymous said...

Not only does my 3 yr. old daughter LOVE STSKid - but I do too!!

She has a natural curiosity about everything and this show has given us the opportunity to interact with each other to learn about serious, silly, fun and many 'why?' things.

This show (and pbs website) has also given us a lot of simple, hands-on ideas on how to explain the reason behind many of previously mentioned questions. And these are concepts that we can use and talk about throughout the day and week!

STSKid has created a sweet curiosity for my daughter by using positive themes, animation, family, friends that aren't just like you but don't play on sterotypes, music, common kid questions, Grandma remembers when stories, real footage, and the upbeat idea of "I learned something new today!"

The only question I have about the show is... what does Dad do? Is he a Handyman/Mr. Mom?

Thank you to all the people involved in this great new program that actually teaches children - and parents - that science is pretty COOL!

Sincerely,
De and Deanna (who loves her mom - her mom is cool... : )

Anonymous said...

My 18 month and I fell on this show during the hurricane while we were at a Hotel. We just HAD to DVR it when we got home! She LOVES this show.

My husband and I are both teachers and I have actually put a few of the episodes on DVD to show a high school science class. It is WAY above the targeted audience, but even the high school kids liked it (go figure).

My child LOVES the songs and my husband and I usually sing along.

I would agree with another comment that they probably should have had the kids address the teacher as Ms. Suzzie instead of by her first name, but if that is the only complaint then its not that huge of a deal.

GREAT job Henson's Thanks

Anonymous said...

The teacher's accent drives me absolutely INSANE!!! It changes all the time, throughout each show. ARGH. Especially between the cartoon part and the real-life classroom videos they insert. (which make my child wander by the way)

I love the fact that this is a portrait of a real family...interracial couple, Mom drops him off at school on the way to work, Grandma picks him up. Grandma always has a different genre of music blasting in the car when he gets in, before she turns it down to talk with him about school. They use the Internet to answer questions (sort of...but nice try anyway!) Dad seems to be a stay-at-home dad...awesome! There's a baby brother who is not annoying. Sid is high-energy and one of his classmates is even more so, and that is accepted as "OK."

I do not like the part of the show when the kids say, "and now, it's time for Suzie to siiiing!" Because, ok, we were in reality, in a seemingly realistic preschool classroom, now we're not...kids would not do that in a classroom. There has got to be a better way to introduce Teacher Suzie's songs. Which are not that bad actually. Except, again, for the phony now-ya-hear-it-now-ya-don't accent.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...My granddaughter and I enjoy watching this show. She is 15 months and it gets her attention. As she ages I hope we can do the experiments and talk about things Sid and his friends are doing. As a retired teacher I do wish the children would call the teacher at least Miss Suzie. This shows more respect and gets children ready for what they will need to do when they go to school

Anonymous said...

My 11 year old son is a Spongegbob fanatic! But after watching Sid just a couple times, this has fast become one of his favorites! You may wonder why an 11 yr. old likes it,so just let me add,he has Autism. And it keeps him laughing and asking questions! We love it!! :)

Anonymous said...

My kids love it and I guess I'm still on the fence. It bothers me that the don't address the teacher as Miss suzi, or her last name.
However, I do like the interracial family concept.

Anonymous said...

My son is only 9 months old and loves this show. I am not saying that this is a show for babies, but if you are open minded, there is a great message behind every show.

AmandaJ said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
AmandaJ said...

We have 4 children ages 5mo.-7yrs. and as homeschooling parents, we appreciate Sid the Science Kid! Like PP mentioned, I too wish the teacher would be addressed with more respect, such as "Miss Suzie", but for us this is another learning opportunity about the world we live in. "Not everyone has the same values we do... but we have these values because..." Also, as mentioned in PP, I agree that it is not completely realistic, but its t.v. Personally, we love the songs. The teachers may not do this in real life, but it’s a fun and memorable way to learn as well as an entertaining part of the show. Our 2 1/2 yr old is not as enthusiastic about the show as the older children. She is not the target audience yet though, so I think this is to be expected. You wouldn't judge an outfit poorly for being too big or too small for your child if it wasn't their size. This show is aimed at 3-6 yr olds, this needs to be kept in mind. Our preschooler and 1st grader, however, LOVE the show and it teaches the lessons so well, it actually compliments their text books! After we watch the show, we then proceed to do any of the “hands on” activities the character students did and then we complete the complimenting worksheet provided in my children's work books. Sid has become a big part of our day and has turned dry text book learning into a colorful, musical, highly anticipated fun time of learning. Thank you so much for encouraging a scientific mind set in the thinking of our young children!

family#1 said...

My daughter 9, son 14, myself 37, daddy 31. We all love the show. We sing a long. We have no complaints. If they address the teacher by her first name, so what. It is trying to show how comfortable they can be with each other and even though there is still the respect. Yes, nowadays they can do that because everyone's too busy doing other things and not trying hard to educate their children at home also. They think "send them to school and let the teachers and principals deal with them". When my son was in preschool they called the teacher by her first name. I didn't think anything bad about it. It just makes the students feel more comfortable and still the respect was there. Amazing. We really enjoy this program.

family#1 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
whatacrok said...

Teacher Suzy's accent is grating on the nerves! And what about the grandma's laugh? Is this how they depict older people? As for calling teachers by their first name, well the reason they don't do it in public schools is to teach respect for adults. I guess that philosophy is going down the drain.1

Anonymous said...

my son is barely 6 months and he jumps constantly in his jumper to it! he loves sid and all the songs :) i like it too :ox but i agree about calling the teacher suzie.. doesnt show much respect.. i still love the show for my son... and yes suzies accent is annoying along with grandmas laugh

Black Matt said...

What do teachers call students to show respect? Sid is a great show. The animation was a little floaty at first, but it improved. CGI is just modern puppetry, for modern kids.

lisa said...

Hi my name is lisa I'm 24 and I love watching sid the science kid I want to no what channel that new sid the science kid comes on No School Singalong Special? is the channel 21 or channel 9.