# Beakman's World

Beakman's World is an American educational children's television program. The program is based on the Universal Press Syndicate syndicated comic strip You Can with Beakman and Jax created by Jok Church. The series premiered on Wednesday, September 16, 1992, on TLC, and three days later on September 19, began a concurrent run in weekly syndication on 220 television stations across the United States through an agreement with Columbia Pictures Television Distribution (whose indirect successor, Sony Pictures Television, currently maintains domestic and international distribution rights to the series).
On September 18, 1993, it moved from national syndication to CBS's Saturday morning children's lineup. At the peak of its popularity, it was seen in nearly ninety countries around the world. The series was canceled in 1997. Reruns returned to national syndication in September 2006, after which it was transferred to local stations such as KICU. The program's host, Paul Zaloom, still performs as Beakman in live appearances around the globe.

## Summary

The program starred Paul Zaloom as Beakman, an eccentric scientist who performed comical experiments and demonstrations in response to viewer mail to illustrate various scientific concepts from density to electricity to flatulence. When his experiments were successful, he would often exclaim "Zaloom!" in a nod to his last name.
Over the years, Beakman was aided in his experiments by a female assistant/co-host just as in the comic strip on which it was based. The assistant changed throughout the show's run; for season 1, it was Josie (played by Alanna Ubach); for seasons 2 and 3, it was Liza (played by Eliza Schneider); and for season 4, it was Phoebe (played by Senta Moses). Beakman was also assisted by his fake lab rat Lester. In the pilot episode, Lester was a puppet, but in every subsequent episode he was simply a clueless, crude man (Mark Ritts) in a tattered rat suit. In a running joke, it was sometimes implied that his character was actually supposed to be a rat, particularly in moments where he would appear to be in pain because someone was standing on his tail, because he was being tickled, something was on his prosthetic nose, etc. Just as frequently, however, he was specifically identified by himself and others as a guy in a rat suit, or as a serious actor with a bad agent. Frequently unwilling to help with challenges or other segments, Lester was often persuaded by Beakman with the promise of food.
Another occasional cast member is the unseen cameraman "Ray", who is played by prop-master Ron Jancula's hands. Ray assists Beakman by handing him various items, such as the "boguscope". It is suggested throughout the program that Ray has a crush on the show's unnamed make-up lady. Actress Jean Stapleton also appeared on the show as Beakman's mother, "Beakmom". In some of the skits during the show the character Professor I. M. Boring (also played by Paul Zaloom, in a dual role) makes appearances and talks about various science topics in the episodes.
Zaloom also appeared as various "guest scientists" and historic figures, such as Thomas A. Edison, Henry Ford, Robert H. Goddard and Philo T. Farnsworth. When Senta Moses was added to the show's cast, the producers began to use a majority of the sound effects from the NBC game show Scrabble.
One segment of the show was the famed "Beakman Challenge". During this segment, Beakman would challenge Lester to do a stunt that illustrated a basic scientific feat. During the first season, virtually every challenge related to either air pressure or Bernoulli's principle. The show addressed this during the second season, by having Lester exclaim to Beakman (as he was explaining the science behind a trick) "AIR PRESSURE! IT'S ALWAYS AIR PRESSURE!" In later episodes, the rest of the cast would sometimes have their turn to perform a "Beakman Challenge" under their own name (e.g. "The Lester Challenge" or "The Liza Challenge", etc.) and challenge Beakman to accomplish the feat. When Eliza Schneider joined the cast for season 2, she would get her own segment in the middle of each show called "Those Disgusting Animals" where Liza would showcase small animals such as slugs or mosquitoes.
Before an experiment, the following verbal warning was given: "Any experiment performed at home should be done with adult supervision and all appropriate safety precautions should be taken. All directions should be followed exactly and no substitutions should be used." The same warning was given during the end credits.
At the beginning and end of the show, as well as before or after commercial breaks, the show featured short scenes portraying puppet penguins, Don (voiced by Bert Berdis) and Herb (voiced by Alan Barzman), at the South Pole watching Beakman's World on television. The penguins were named after Don Herbert, who starred as Mr. Wizard in Mr. Wizard's World. Mark Ritts (Lester) was also one of the puppeteers operating the penguins.
The show's theme song and incidental music was composed by Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh and Denis M. Hannigan. The Beakman's World theme is an amalgam of Zydeco and Synthpop, uses an accordion for its main riff and prominently features a wide array of wacky sound effects. (Mothersbaugh and the show's production designer, Wayne White, had previously worked in the same roles on Pee-wee's Playhouse which also aired on CBS.)

## Episodes
### Series overview

| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released |
| 1 | 26 | 26 | September 16, 1992 (1992-09-16) | May 22, 1993 (1993-05-22) |
| 2 | 26 | 26 | September 18, 1993 (1993-09-18) | December 3, 1994 (1994-12-03) |
| 3 | 13 | 13 | September 16, 1995 (1995-09-16) | December 2, 1995 (1995-12-02) |
| 4 | 26 | 26 | September 14, 1996 (1996-09-14) | December 6, 1997 (1997-12-06) |

### Season 1 (1992–1993)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
| 1 | 1 | "Rain, Beakmania & Volcanoes" | September 16, 1992 (1992-09-16) (TLC) September 19, 1992 (1992-09-19) (syndication) |
| 2 | 2 | "Gravity, Beakmania & Inertia" | September 26, 1992 (1992-09-26) |
| 3 | 3 | "Noises at Night, Beakmania & The Nose" | October 3, 1992 (1992-10-03) |
| 4 | 4 | "Blood, Beakmania & Dreams" | October 10, 1992 (1992-10-10) |
| 5 | 5 | "Leaves, Beakmania & Paper" | October 17, 1992 (1992-10-17) |
| 6 | 6 | "Soap, Beakmania & Auto Engines" | October 24, 1992 (1992-10-24) |
| 7 | 7 | "Electricity, Beakmania & Light Bulbs" | October 31, 1992 (1992-10-31) |
| 8 | 8 | "Sound, Beakmania & Explosions" | November 7, 1992 (1992-11-07) |
| 9 | 9 | "Refraction, Beakmania & Attraction" | November 14, 1992 (1992-11-14) |
| 10 | 10 | "Levers, Beakmania & Television" | November 21, 1992 (1992-11-21) |
| 11 | 11 | "Boats, Beakmania & Airplanes" | November 28, 1992 (1992-11-28) |
| 12 | 12 | "Bubbles, Beakmania & Feet" | January 23, 1993 (1993-01-23) |
| 13 | 13 | "Microscopes, Beakmania & Healing" | January 30, 1993 (1993-01-30) |
| 14 | 14 | "Scientific Method, Beakmania & Rainbows" | February 6, 1993 (1993-02-06) |
| 15 | 15 | "Vaccinations, Beakmania & Friction" | February 13, 1993 (1993-02-13) |
| 16 | 16 | "Thermodynamics, Beakmania & Pimples" | February 20, 1993 (1993-02-20) |
| 17 | 17 | "Fossils, Beakmania & the Human Voice" | February 27, 1993 (1993-02-27) |
| 18 | 18 | "Lungs, Beakmania & Telephones" | March 6, 1993 (1993-03-06) |
| 19 | 19 | "Tape Recordings, Beakmania & Force Vs. Pressure" | February 3, 1993 (1993-02-03) (TLC) April 3, 1993 (1993-04-03) (syndication) |
| 20 | 20 | "Microwaves, Beakmania & Spiders" | April 10, 1993 (1993-04-10) |
| 21 | 21 | "Earwax, Beakmania & Rocket Engines" | February 17, 1993 (1993-02-17) (TLC) April 17, 1993 (1993-04-17) (syndication) |
| 22 | 22 | "Ozone, Beakmania & Acid" | February 24, 1993 (1993-02-24) (TLC) April 24, 1993 (1993-04-24) (syndication) |
| 23 | 23 | "Plumbing, Beakmania & Roller Coasters" | March 3, 1993 (1993-03-03) (TLC) May 1, 1993 (1993-05-01) (syndication) |
| 24 | 24 | "Bees, Beakmania & Earthquakes" | May 8, 1993 (1993-05-08) |
| 25 | 25 | "Reflection, Beakmania & Madame Curie" | May 15, 1993 (1993-05-15) |
| 26 | 26 | "Wheels, Beakmania & Finding Answers" | May 22, 1993 (1993-05-22) |

### Season 2 (1993–1994)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
| 27 | 1 | "Submarines, Beakmania & Digestion" | September 18, 1993 (1993-09-18) |
| 28 | 2 | "Heart, Beakmania & Helicopters" | September 25, 1993 (1993-09-25) |
| 29 | 3 | "Batteries, Beakmania & Balloons" | October 2, 1993 (1993-10-02) |
| 30 | 4 | "Tunnels, Beakmania & Trains" | October 16, 1993 (1993-10-16) |
| 31 | 5 | "Bats, Beakmania & Energy" | October 30, 1993 (1993-10-30) |
| 32 | 6 | "Sky, Beakmania & Henry Ford" | October 23, 1993 (1993-10-23) |
| 33 | 7 | "Sound, Beakmania & Illusions" | November 6, 1993 (1993-11-06) |
| 34 | 8 | "Lightning, Beakmania & Bones" | November 13, 1993 (1993-11-13) |
| 35 | 9 | "Moon, Beakmania & Elevators" | November 20, 1993 (1993-11-20) |
| 36 | 10 | "Video Games, Beakmania & Teeth" | November 27, 1993 (1993-11-27) |
| 37 | 11 | "Check-Up Time, Beakmania & Oil" | December 25, 1993 (1993-12-25) |
| 38 | 12 | "Ben Franklin, Beakmania & Chemical Reactions" | February 5, 1994 (1994-02-05) |
| 39 | 13 | "Ants, Beakmania & Collisions" | February 26, 1994 (1994-02-26) |
| 40 | 14 | "Pain, Beakmania & Comets" | October 15, 1994 (1994-10-15) |
| 41 | 15 | "Hydraulics, Beakmania & Dinosaurs" | October 29, 1994 (1994-10-29) |
| 42 | 16 | "Electric Motors, Beakmania & Time" | December 3, 1994 (1994-12-03) |
| 43 | 17 | "Frogs and Toads, Beakmania & Polymers" | October 1, 1994 (1994-10-01) |
| 44 | 18 | "Money, Beakmania & Water Power" | November 12, 1994 (1994-11-12) |
| 45 | 19 | "Garbage, Beakmania & Meteorology" | November 26, 1994 (1994-11-26) |
| 46 | 20 | "Skyscrapers, Beakmania & Indicators" | November 19, 1994 (1994-11-19) |
| 47 | 21 | "Sharks, Beakmania & Einstein" | November 5, 1994 (1994-11-05) |
| 48 | 22 | "Mold, Beakmania & Caves" | April 16, 1994 (1994-04-16) |
| 49 | 23 | "Momentum, Beakmania & Cows" | September 24, 1994 (1994-09-24) |
| 50 | 24 | "Allergies, Beakmania & Codes" | October 8, 1994 (1994-10-08) |
| 51 | 25 | "Snakes, Beakmania & Seasons" | October 22, 1994 (1994-10-22) |
| 52 | 26 | "Tornadoes, Beakmania & Firefighting" | September 17, 1994 (1994-09-17) |

### Season 3 (1995)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
| 53 | 1 | "Seeds, Beakmania & Bridges" | October 7, 1995 (1995-10-07) |
| 54 | 2 | "Balance, Beakmania & Camouflage" | November 4, 1995 (1995-11-04) |
| 55 | 3 | "Carbon, Beakmania & Inventions" | October 28, 1995 (1995-10-28) |
| 56 | 4 | "Gyroscopes, Beakmania & the Heart" | September 23, 1995 (1995-09-23) |
| 57 | 5 | "Steel, Beakmania & Developing Film" | December 2, 1995 (1995-12-02) |
| 58 | 6 | "The Sun, Beakmania & Metamorphosis" | November 18, 1995 (1995-11-18) |
| 59 | 7 | "Vacuums, Beakmania & Weaving" | October 14, 1995 (1995-10-14) |
| 60 | 8 | "Snow, Beakmania & Natural Selection" | December 9, 1995 (1995-12-09) |
| 61 | 9 | "Alligators and Crocodiles, Beakmania & Robots" | November 25, 1995 (1995-11-25) |
| 62 | 10 | "Geysers and Hot Springs, Beakmania & Kidneys" | September 16, 1995 (1995-09-16) |
| 63 | 11 | "Sleep, Beakmania & Amplification" | September 30, 1995 (1995-09-30) |
| 64 | 12 | "Crustaceans, Beakmania & Bernoulli" | October 21, 1995 (1995-10-21) |
| 65 | 13 | "Islands, Beakmania & Energy" | November 11, 1995 (1995-11-11) |

### Season 4 (1996–1997)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original release date |
| 66 | 1 | "Sweat, Beakmania & Weighing a Car" | September 14, 1996 (1996-09-14) |
| 67 | 2 | "Migration, Beakmania & Living Space" | September 21, 1996 (1996-09-21) |
| 68 | 3 | "Bunsen, Beakmania & Sewage" | October 5, 1996 (1996-10-05) |
| 69 | 4 | "Cats, Beakmania & Dynamite" | November 8, 1997 (1997-11-08) |
| 70 | 5 | "The Mouth, Beakmania & Scale" | October 19, 1996 (1996-10-19) |
| 71 | 6 | "Catalysts, Beakmania & Aerosol Cans" | September 20, 1997 (1997-09-20) |
| 72 | 7 | "Rubber, Beakmania & Hair" | December 14, 1996 (1996-12-14) |
| 73 | 8 | "Camels, Beakmania & Density" | November 29, 1997 (1997-11-29) |
| 74 | 9 | "Boomerangs, Beakmania & Circus Science" | January 18, 1997 (1997-01-18) |
| 75 | 10 | "Elephants, Beakmania & X-Rays" | September 28, 1996 (1996-09-28) |
| 76 | 11 | "Skin, Beakmania & Oxygen" | November 30, 1996 (1996-11-30) |
| 77 | 12 | "Bread, Beakmania & Measurement" | November 16, 1996 (1996-11-16) |
| 78 | 13 | "Electromagnets, Beakmania & Senses" | November 9, 1996 (1996-11-09) |
| 79 | 14 | "Chimps, Beakmania & Eye Exams" | September 13, 1997 (1997-09-13) |
| 80 | 15 | "Magic, Beakmania & Cosmetic Chemistry" | December 28, 1996 (1996-12-28) |
| 81 | 16 | "Pigs, Beakmania & Sound Frequency" | September 27, 1997 (1997-09-27) |
| 82 | 17 | "Sunken Treasure, Beakmania & Archimedian [sic] Screw" | October 11, 1997 (1997-10-11) |
| 83 | 18 | "Whales, Beakmania & Optical Illusions II" | October 18, 1997 (1997-10-18) |
| 84 | 19 | "Sound Barrier, Beakmania & Healthy Living" | October 25, 1997 (1997-10-25) |
| 85 | 20 | "Polar Exploration, Beakmania & Circular Motion" | October 4, 1997 (1997-10-04) |
| 86 | 21 | "Dogs, Beakmania & Bio-Medical Engineering" | January 11, 1997 (1997-01-11) |
| 87 | 22 | "Human Growth, Beakmania & Solutions and Suspensions" | November 15, 1997 (1997-11-15) |
| 88 | 23 | "Action-Reaction, Beakmania & Talking Birds" | November 22, 1997 (1997-11-22) |
| 89 | 24 | "Protozoology, Beakmania & Movie Stunts" | December 6, 1997 (1997-12-06) |
| 90 | 25 | "Horses, Beakmania & Refrigerators" | November 1, 1997 (1997-11-01) |
| 91 | 26 | "Fingerprints, Beakmania & Flatulence" | January 4, 1997 (1997-01-04) |

## Home media

On September 7, 2004, a DVD entitled The Best of Beakman's World was released. This DVD is a direct transfer of the VHS tape of the same name, and features only experiments and segments taken from The Beakman Challenge. There have yet to be any full-episode releases on DVD.
All 4 seasons were available on Netflix with the exception of the following five episodes: 9 (1-9), 24 (1-24), 31 (2-5), 51 (2-25) and 66 (4-1), as noted in the chart above. Their streaming license ended on September 30, 2014, and the content was removed from their site. Beakman's World returned to television on MeTV beginning on October 2, 2016, showing two episodes every Sunday.

## Awards

Beakman's World was nominated for and won numerous awards:
* Excellence in Media's Silver Angel Award (1993)
* International Monitor Award for Outstanding Audio Post Production (1993)
* Television Critics Association nomination for Outstanding Children's Program (1993)
* Ollie Award - American Center for Children's Television (1993)
* Parent's Choice Award for Outstanding Accomplishment in Children's Programming (1993)
* Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Live and Tape Sound Mixing and Sound Effects (1993–1994)
* CableACE Award for Best Children's Programming 7+ older (1994)
* International Monitor Awards for Best Achievement in Children's Programming and Best Audio Post *Production in Children's Programming (1994)
* Nominated for Seven Daytime Emmy Awards including Outstanding Children's Series (1995)
* Daytime Emmy Awards (2) for Outstanding Achievement in Live and Tape Sound and Sound Effects (1994–1995).

## Exhibit

In 1998, the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal opened an interactive exhibit called Beakman's World On Tour, based on the television show. The 4,000-square-foot (370 m$^2$) exhibits toured dozens of cities in the United States.