''Cyberchase'' is an

animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...

science fantasy file:Warhammer40kcosplay.jpg, Cosplay of a character from the ''Warhammer 40,000'' tabletop game; one critic has characterized the game's setting as "action-oriented science-fantasy." Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction ...

children's television series Children's television series (or children's television shows) are Television show, television programs designed specifically for Child, children. They are typically characterised by easy-going content devoid of sensitive or adult themes and are ...

that airs on

PBS Kids PBS Kids (stylized as PBS KIDS) is the branding used for nationally distributed children's programming carried by the U.S. public television network PBS. The brand encompasses a daytime block of children's programming carried daily by most PBS ...

. The series centers around three children from Earth: Jackie, Matt and Inez, who are brought into Cyberspace, a digital universe, in order to protect it from the villainous Hacker ( Christopher Lloyd). They are able to foil Hacker's schemes by means of problem-solving skills in conjunction with basic

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

, environmental science and wellness. In Cyberspace, they meet Digit (

Gilbert Gottfried Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried (February 28, 1955 – April 12, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian and actor, best-known for his exaggerated shrill voice, strong New York dialect, his squint, and his edgy, often-controversial, sense of humor. Hi ...

for the first thirteen seasons, later Ron Pardo as of the fourteenth), a "cybird" who helps them on their missions. ''Cyberchase'' was created by Sandra Sheppard and premiered on

on January 21, 2002. In 2010, after season 8, ''Cyberchase'' went on hiatus, but it returned in 2013 for a ninth season, followed by a tenth season in 2015, an eleventh season on October 23, 2017, and a twelfth season on April 19, 2019. A thirteenth season was announced on October 19, 2020, and premiered on February 25, 2022. A fourteenth season premiered on April 21, 2023. A fifteenth season premiered on April 27, 2024.

Plot

Motherboard A motherboard, also called a mainboard, a system board, a logic board, and informally a mobo (see #Nomenclature, "Nomenclature" section), is the main printed circuit board (PCB) in general-purpose computers and other expandable systems. It ho ...

is the "brain of the giant computer system that oversees all of Cyberspace". Her technician computer scientist, Doctor Marbles, kept her functioning properly until his assistant, The Hacker, turned against them. Marbles drained Hacker's battery and banished him to the Northern Frontier, where he formulated a plan to launch a

computer virus A computer virus is a type of malware that, when executed, replicates itself by modifying other computer programs and Code injection, inserting its own Computer language, code into those programs. If this replication succeeds, the affected areas ...

that would attack Motherboard. When Jackie, Matt and Inez interact with a

library A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...

map in the real world, they accidentally allow Hacker access to Motherboard and she becomes infected with the virus. The kids are brought into Cyberspace and join forces with Digit, a creation of the Hacker who escaped his control. Together they protect the world from the Hacker and his clumsy, accident-prone assistants, Buzz and Delete, until they can recover the Encryptor Chip, a device stolen by Hacker that can nullify the virus and bring Motherboard back to full strength. Cyberspace consists of planet-like bodies called Cybersites, with each site having a theme such as

Ancient Egypt Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...

, the

American frontier The American frontier, also known as the Old West, and popularly known as the Wild West, encompasses the Geography of the United States, geography, History of the United States, history, Folklore of the United States, folklore, and Cultur ...

Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

and amusement parks. These sites represent the diversity of websites on the Internet and reflect the many ecosystems and neighborhoods of Earth. The Cybersquad travels to many of these locations in order to protect them from Hacker and each inhabited Cybersite has a unique type of Cybercitizen they interact with.

Characters

CyberSquad

* Jackie (voiced by Novie Edwards) is a Jamaican-American girl who loves to keep things neat and organized in order to figure things out. Jackie's biggest pet peeve is slimy and icky stuff like bugs and many other "gross" things. Like Inez, she was very fond of Slider. In a running gag in Seasons 1 & 4, Jackie freaked out when in crisis, pacing for 2 or 5 seconds while trying to figure out a solution, saying "Make room, I gotta pace!" * Matt (voiced by Jacqueline Pillon) is an

Irish-American Irish Americans () are Irish ethnics who live within in the United States, whether immigrants from Ireland or Americans with full or partial Irish ancestry. Irish immigration to the United States From the 17th century to the mid-19th c ...

boy who likes skateboards and collecting things. He is impulsive, impatient, tells jokes and has a great interest in sports. He has a pig named Sherman on his family's farm. Matt's backpack contains his many yo-yos, which he is very good at using and often plays with one whenever he is thinking hard about something. He frequently calls Inez by the nickname "Nezzie", much to her annoyance. It is also shown he can be quite protective of her at times. * Inez (voiced by Annick Obonsawin) is a Hispanic American girl who has an excellent vocabulary for which the others often tease her. Despite being the youngest human member of the gang, she is the smartest one. Whenever she is thinking up a solution, Inez has a habit of doing headstands to help her concentrate. * Digit, nicknamed Didge by various people and Didgey by Delete, (voiced by

in seasons 1–13 and Ron Pardo in seasons 14–present), is a "cybird" (

portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

of "

cyborg A cyborg (, a portmanteau of ''cybernetics, cybernetic'' and ''organism'') is a being with both Organic matter, organic and biomechatronic body parts. The term was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline.doppelgänger A doppelgänger ( ), sometimes spelled doppelgaenger or doppelganger, is a ghostly double of a living person, especially one that haunts its own fleshly counterpart. In fiction and mythology, a doppelgänger is often portrayed as a ghostly or p ...

, Widget. He can turn his beak into just about anything and bends it on occasion. He also can disguise his voice very well.

Villains

* Hacker, also known as The Hacker, (voiced by Christopher Lloyd), is an self-centered

mad scientist The mad scientist (also mad doctor or mad professor) is a stock character of a scientist who is perceived as "mad, bad and dangerous to know" or "insanity, insane" owing to a combination of unusual or unsettling personality traits and the unabas ...

bent on conquering or creating ultimate chaos for Cyberspace, but he is almost always thwarted by the CyberSquad. Hacker was originally created by Doctor Marbles to assist Motherboard, but he rebelled and was exiled to Northern Frontier. Nevertheless, he does have the potential to become good again, as shown in a pair of episodes where he became a peaceful artist and when he helped the CyberSquad protect the trees in the Northern Frontier. He has a pair of cyborg lackeys, Buzz and Delete, whose reliability is quite variable; sometimes, he gets very peeved when he has to do things himself as Buzz and Delete cannot. * Buzz, nicknamed "Buzzy", (voiced by

Len Carlson Len Carlson (September 2, 1937 - January 26, 2006) was a Canadian voice actor who voiced various characters on many animated television series from the 1960s to the 2000s, an occasional live-action TV actor, and a Kraft Canada TV pitchman during ...

in seasons 1–5, and Philip Williams in seasons 6–15), is one of Hacker's henchmen. Buzz is a small spherical cyborg with a large mouth and scrawny limbs. Buzz seems to think he is a big tough guy; however, he can be kind at times and loves doughnuts. In later seasons, he and Delete have been on friendlier terms with the CyberSquad, occasionally joining their team to solve problems. * Delete, nicknamed "DeeDee", (voiced by

Robert Tinkler Robert Tinkler is a Canadian voice actor who provides voices for a number of cartoons and anime shows. He voiced Max in '' The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police'', Delete in the children's animated series ''Cyberchase'', Pelswick Eggert ...

), is one of Hacker's henchmen. Delete is skinnier and taller than Buzz. Delete is loyal to Hacker for the most part but has occasionally helped the CyberSquad. Unlike Buzz, who is rougher around the edges, Delete is softer and more vulnerable to trickery and deceit. He cares deeply for three things; Buzz, whom he has a brotherly friendship with, his desired pet bunny George, and Zanko, his fairy borg father. In later seasons, he and Buzz have been on friendlier terms with the CyberSquad, occasionally joining their team to solve problems.

"Cyberchase For Real"

* Harry Wilson (played by Matthew A. Wilson) is a character in the "For Real" segment. He often dresses in a nerdish style and wears horn-rimmed glasses and Converse shoes. In many of the segments, he is easily determined and free spirited yet rather careless, which usually costs him his current job. He is also very creative and thought out when he encounters a problem. * Bianca DeGroat (played by herself) is a character in the "For Real" segment of the series. She often uses the original plot to solve everyday real world problems. As a character, she is rather absent-minded, arrogant and self-centered and does not think before she acts. She is seen to get carried away very easily. * Booker Jones (played by Carter Jones) * Courtney Chu (played by herself)

Team Motherboard

* Motherboard (voiced by Kristina Nicoll) is the benevolent ruler of Cyberspace and mentor to the CyberSquad. Her former assistant was Hacker who put a computer virus in her, but because her firewall was not fully uploaded before the virus hit, she was only left weakened. The CyberSquad tries to recover the Encryptor Chip and keep Motherboard safe from Hacker. * Dr. Marbles (voiced by Richard Binsley) is a smart and brilliant

mechanic A mechanic is a skilled tradesperson who uses tools to build, maintain, or repair machinery, especially engines. Formerly, the term meant any member of the handicraft trades, but by the early 20th century, it had come to mean one who works w ...

who serves Motherboard. He is responsible for creating Hacker to help and defend Motherboard, although Hacker would later rebel against Motherboard and try to destroy her. A guilty Marbles would then downgrade Hacker's power and banish him to the Northern Frontier for his misdeeds, right after Hacker vowed to return to finish Motherboard and Marbles off before conquering Cyberspace. * Widget (voiced by

) is a miniature doppelgänger of Digit and can even be stored in his chest. His hat, tail feathers and bow tie are not screwed on properly. He is younger than Digit and helps him when it is necessary. * Teeny Weeny "TW" Parallini (voiced by Isabel de Carteret) is a young

parallelogram In Euclidean geometry, a parallelogram is a simple polygon, simple (non-list of self-intersecting polygons, self-intersecting) quadrilateral with two pairs of Parallel (geometry), parallel sides. The opposite or facing sides of a parallelogram a ...

who is not scared of Hacker and, despite the fact that her mother would not let her help the CyberSquad, she does help them find her uncle, Diamond Joe. * Fluff (voiced by Austin Dilulio) is a

penguin Penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds from the family Spheniscidae () of the order Sphenisciformes (). They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is equatorial, with a sm ...

that plays

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

, which is hard in Cyberia. He is logical and does not buy into advertisements. Fluff is determined to follow in his father's footsteps and make his family proud. * Creech (voiced by Sugar Lyn Beard) is the young ruler of the Cybersite, Tikiville. She became the apparent Big Kahuna after competing in a race with other Tikiville-inhabitants as well as Hacker. Creech is in some ways similar to Inez, helping the two to become friends easily. Both have a fairly similar outlook: optimistic until something goes completely wrong and they both have a large vocabulary. She also is the person in charge of Tikiville's Egg of Benedicta. * Jules (voiced by Miklos Perlus) was first seen as a cave guard in the episode, "Crystal Clear" and is a good friend of the Cybersquad, but is often timid. He appears again in the episode, Jimaya Jam, where Hacker tricks him into pressing the nose of the Jam Master, causing Matt, Jackie, Creech and himself to get sucked into the chamber of Jimaya. He is often trying to find a job, but Hacker continuously tries to ruin it for him. * Slider (voiced by Tim Hamaguchi) is a serious and

James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He became one of the most influential figures in Hollywood in the 1950s, despite a career that lasted only five years. His impact on cinema and popular culture was p ...

-style 13-year-old

skateboarder Skateboarding is an action sport that involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry job, and a method of transportation. Originating in the United Stat ...

in Radopolis who builds and repairs skateboards and bikes. Since season 3, he has been a recurring character in the series. According to Slider, his father Coop had abandoned him when he was younger because Hacker had hunted Coop for many years. However, in the episode "Measure for Measure" he finds out that his father abandoned him to protect him and to make sure Hacker does not get an interface card that would allow Hacker to transform into whatever he wishes. If such were to happen, Hacker could cause immense chaos and even rule Cyberspace.

Minor and guest stars

''Cyberchase'' has had many guest stars over the years, including

Jasmine Guy Jasmine Chanel Guy (born March 10, 1962) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and director. She portrayed Dina in the 1988 film ''School Daze'' and Whitley Gilbert-Wayne on the NBC ''The Cosby Show'' spin-off '' A Different World'', which or ...

Tony Hawk Anthony Frank Hawk (born May 12, 1968), nicknamed Birdman, is an American professional skateboarder, entrepreneur, and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse. A pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding, Hawk completed the first docume ...

, Al Roker and Geoffrey Holder. These guest stars appear as citizens of Cybersites, villains, animals, friends or rulers of the site.

Episodes

Cyberchase For Real

Each ''Cyberchase'' episode is followed by "Cyberchase For Real", a live-action educational supplement linking concepts learned in the show to real life experiences. The actors Bianca DeGroat and Matthew A. Wilson (known as Harry Wilson on the show) are in their 30s, but amusingly act in a manner similar to the age of the target audience. "For Real" is produced by

WNET WNET (channel 13), branded on-air as Thirteen (stylized as THIRTEEN), is a primary PBS member television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey, United States, serving the New York City area. Owned by The WNET Group (formerly known as the Educ ...

in and around

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

after production is completed on the animated segments. These "For Real" segments are broadcast exclusively on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

where the program runs longer and fills the time gap where there might be breaks for "commercials". Some "For Real" segments can also be viewed online. In 2012, " Oh Noah", shorts that teach kids to speak Spanish, were used instead of re-running the "For Real" segments. The "For Real" segment returned in season 9. Beginning with Season 11, DeGroat and Wilson were joined by Courtney Chu, who plays Harry's niece, and Jaden Michael, who plays Bianca's nephew. In later seasons, they assume the role of host for the live-action segments, along with other children, including Violet Tinnirello as Alex.

Development

Conception

''Cyberchase'' was conceived in 1999 as an educational show that aims to show kids that math is everywhere and everyone can be good at it. The series encourages viewers to see, think, and do mathematics in their world. The show and supporting activities have been designed to support math education and reflect the curriculum standards of the

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Founded in 1920, The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) is a professional organization for schoolteachers of mathematics in the United States. One of its goals is to improve the standards of mathematics in education. NCTM holds an ...

. The show's philosophy is to foster enthusiasm for math, to model mathematic reasoning, to help children improve their problem-solving skills and to inspire all children to approach math with confidence and a "can-do" attitude. Later seasons place less emphasis on math and more on environmentalism and wellness. For example, in season 11, the theme of episode 2 is

habitat fragmentation Habitat fragmentation describes the emergence of discontinuities (fragmentation) in an organism's preferred environment (habitat), causing population fragmentation and ecosystem decay. Causes of habitat fragmentation include geological proces ...

, episode 3 is about the effects of temperature on marine ecology, and episode 4 discusses using plants to improve

indoor air quality Indoor air quality (IAQ) is the air quality within buildings and Nonbuilding structure, structures. Poor indoor air quality due to indoor air pollution is known to affect the health, comfort, and well-being of building occupants. It has also be ...

Production

Originally, Thirteen produced the show in partnership with Ontario-based Nelvana Limited for

. It aired on PBS Kids since 2002, and on V-me (dubbed in Spanish) and

PBS Kids Go! PBS Kids Go! was an American educational television brand used by PBS for programs aimed at school-age children ages 6 to 8, in contrast to the preschool target demographic of PBS Kids. Most PBS member stations aired the PBS Kids Go! block o ...

from 2004 to 2013. Cyberchase has been animated by Pip Animation Services Inc. since season six; Right Path Pictures did post-production, and Curious Pictures did the original character design. Twelfth Root Music produces the sound track for Cyberchase. Thirteen/WNET New York and Nelvana Limited produced the first five seasons, while Thirteen, in association with Title Entertainment and WNET.ORG, produced seasons six and on. Seasons 1 to 5 used traditional animation, while the sixth season onward used Flash animation.

Broadcast syndication

The show was syndicated worldwide to countries like the United Kingdom until 2004.

Brand extension

There are two apps that ''Cyberchase'' has released to date: # Cyberchase 3D Builder # Cyberchase Shape Quest

Reception

Critical response

On the site ''

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an American nonprofit organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

'', the show was rated four out of five stars. The reviewer, Joly Herman, commented that "the adventures aren't scary, violent, or sexually inappropriate" but "require fortitude and brain power". Proposed discussion points sprouting from the series include "Can your child take the skills learned in each episode and figure out how to apply it to everyday life?" Herman noted that the only downside was that the adventures did not take place in the "real world" but added that the "For Real" segments solved this problem. Carey Bryson of ''

About.com Dotdash Meredith (formerly The Mining Company, About.com and Dotdash) is an American digital media company based in New York City. The company publishes online articles and videos about various subjects across categories including health, hom ...

'' gave the show a rating of four out of five stars. Bryson noted that the series' explanations of "simple mathematical idea are "usually explained well and woven throughout the story in a fun and interesting way". The review commended the series for its accessibility: "Children can easily learn from the example in the cartoon story" and praised the "Cyberchase For Real segment that follows each episode". Citing an example from the series using codes, Bryson explained how the show could be used to expand upon the curriculum: "Not only did er five-year-oldlearn about codes, but she also got in a ton of spelling practice". Bryson commended the series: "Educationally, ''Cyberchase'' delivers".

Awards

''Cyberchase'' has been nominated for five Daytime Emmys and won in 2007 in the Outstanding Broadband Program category. ''Cyberchase'' also won a CINE Golden Eagle in 2006. : Frances Nankin, Sandra Sheppard, Ellen Doherty, Jill Peters, Bob Morris, Suzanne Rose, Michelle Chen, Elizabeth Hummer, Arash Hoda, Anthony Chapman, David Hirmes, Bianca DeGroat, Matthew A. Wilson, George Arthur Bloom
: Sandra Sheppard, Frances Nankin, Ellen Doherty, Jill Peters, David Hirmes, Kelly Lafferty, Michelle Chen, Tanner Vea, Bob Morris, Matthew A. WilsonAwards for "Cyberchase"
''The Internet Movie Database''. Accessed September 24, 2012.
: Sandra Sheppard, Frances Nankin, Ellen Doherty, David Hirmes, Tanner Vea, Denyse Ouellette, Gilbert Gottfried, Phil Williams, Robert Tinkler
: Frances Nankin, Sandra Sheppard, Jill Peters, Marj Kleinman, Ellen Doherty, Kristin DiQuollo, Michelle Chen

References

External links