7 September 1997 (1997-09-07) – 8 October 2000 (2000-10-08)
Popular Mechanics for Kids (sometimes abbreviated to PMK) is a Canadian educational television program based on the Popular Mechanics magazine. [1] The program aired on Global TV from 1997 until 2000, with re-runs airing on BBC Kids Canada until its closure in 2018. [2] Original cast included Elisha Cuthbert, Jay Baruchel, Tyler Kyte, Vanessa Lengies, and Charles Powell.
Overview
The intent of Popular Mechanics for Kids was to teach children how things work. Episodes covered a wide range of topics, including animals, body systems, amusement parks, electricity and airplanes.[3]
Each episode was led by hosts Jay (early), Elisha, Tyler and Vanessa (later), who would embark on adventures around the world which relate to the central theme of each episode. Sketch comedy segments were incorporated to balance out the educational content.
"Mechanix with Nix and Tix" (usually shortened to just "Nix and Tix") was an animation segment that used slapstick comedy to help further educate and entertain the viewers about the episode's theme.[4][5]
During the segment "Charlie's Experiment/Tip", actor Charles Powell would answer questions, teach, and demonstrate an experiment related to the topic of the episode. It was common for real children to participate and ask questions in this segment, but in later seasons, only Powell was included. Powell, being the only recurring adult character in the show, would often serve as a mentor for the audience and hosts, teaching concepts such as fire and personal safety.
In 1997, the cast, crew and production team embarked on a three-day filming expedition aboard the USS Eisenhower in Virginia, to capture footage for an upcoming episode centered on aircraft carriers.[6]
The show aired in syndication in the U.S. (including Hearst-owned television stations),[10][11] before moving to Discovery Kids on Saturday mornings by the program's final season in 2000.[12] Repeats of the show continued to air on many channels until 2008. Re-runs were aired on BBC Kids and Discovery Kids in Canada until December 31, 2009. After the closure of Discovery Kids in Canada, BBC Kids stopped airing repeats in all countries (except Canada). The repeats on BBC Kids in Canada ended on May 14, 2011. As of 2013 repeats of the show continue to air on Knowledge Network. In the U.S., the show can currently be streamed on Tubi and The Roku Channel.
