Real Wheels

''Real Wheels'', also known as ''There Goes A...'', ''Live Action Video for Kids'', and ''Dream Big'', is a live-action series of children's educational videos for ages 3–8 that features a specified vehicle and the different jobs it has along with real people who work the job which requires the vehicle. Each episode focuses on a different vehicle, though one episode is reserved for Santa Claus and another for roller coasters. Episodes 1-4, 10, and 21-24 are hosted by Dave Hood, episodes 5-9 and 11-17 are also hosted by Dave Hood, with Becky Borg as co-host, and episodes 18-20 are hosted by David Sidoni.

''Real Wheels'' aired in broadcast syndication (alternating with KidVision series ''A Day With'') during the 1996–97 television season under the umbrella title ''Dream Big'', distributed by Litton Syndications. The series was syndicated to public television stations by American Public Television from 2003 to 2010.

Premise

At the beginning of each episode, Dave (and Becky) introduce(s) himself/themselves to the audience as (insert job title) Dave (and (insert job title) Becky)) and say(s) he/they is/are pretending to be (a/an) (insert job title)(s) so he/they and the audience can learn about the episode's subject vehicles.

In a typical episode, Dave (and Becky) talk(s) about how the vehicles work, their purposes, their history, and talk to people who work in their fields. Comedic segments are also shown in a typical episode, such as antics between Dave and Becky, Dave making a mistake and saying his catchphrase, "I shouldn't have done that!", and Dave and Becky getting into trouble and Becky asking Dave her catchphrase, "What's the moral of this story?".

At the end of each episode, Dave (and Becky) persuade(s) the audience to visit their local library, or the place based on the subject vehicles' episode to learn more about them. Sometimes, Dave (and Becky) or someone who works in the subject vehicles' fields discuss(es) safety with the audience.

Locations

The majority of the episodes were filmed on location in Southern California at locations such as Union Station, Ontario International Airport, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Six Flags Magic Mountain, the Metro Headquarters Building, the Getty Museum and Camp Pendleton. They were occasionally filmed at places like the Kennedy Space Center, the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum, and the USS ''Kitty Hawk''.

List of episodes

Rockin' Real Wheels

A spin-off known as ''Rockin' Real Wheels'' was also released featuring songs about the specific types of vehicles featured in the main series. There are four episodes in this series.

That's How They Do It

The first two episodes were originally released as part of the ''Thinking Kids'' series, and were re-released on DVD in 2002.

DVD releases

The "Real Wheels" series has also released a series of DVD, each usually containing two episodes as well as a blooper reel, interactive glossary, and other special features. The DVDs are usually titled as "Adventures", with three episodes sharing a theme among their featured vehicles. A spin-off called "Rockin' Real Wheels" was also released featuring songs about a specific type of vehicle. All episodes except for Here Comes a Roller Coaster, There Goes Santa Claus and Santa Songs, were featured on DVD.

"Adventures" DVDs

1. Truck Adventures

There Goes a Fire Truck, There Goes a Garbage Truck, and There Goes a Truck.

2. Mega Truck Adventures

There Goes a Bulldozer, There Goes a Monster Truck, and There Goes a Tank.

3. High Speed Adventures

There Goes a Race Car, There Goes a Motorcycle, and There Goes a Spaceship.

4. Travel Adventures

There Goes a Train, There Goes a Plane, and There Goes a Bus.

5. Land, Sea, and Air Adventures

There Goes a Boat, There Goes the Mail, and There Goes a Helicopter.

6. Tractor Adventures

There Goes a Tractor, There Goes a Dump Truck, and There Goes a Farm Truck.

7. Rescue Adventures

There Goes a Rescue Hero, There Goes a Police Car, and There Goes a Rescue Vehicle.

8. Rockin' Real Wheels

Train Songs, Bulldozer Songs, and Fire Truck Songs.

Live tour

From 2001-2004, there was a live tour entitled, "Real Wheels Live". It starred Dave Hood that featured him doing magic tricks and had audience participation stunts. Before the show, there were vehicles that the audience would touch and look at.

References

{{Former PBS Kids original programming

1990s American children's television series
2000s American children's television series
1990s preschool education television series
2000s preschool education television series
1993 American television series debuts
2004 American television series endings
American preschool education television series
Direct-to-video television series
First-run syndicated children's television series
PBS Kids shows