Cyberchase (2002-2009)

Inez, Jackie, and Matt on Cyberchase. (Photo: PBS)

Starring: Christopher Lloyd, Gilbert Gottfried, Philip Bosco

Cyberchase is an animated series produced for PBS stations that teaches mathematical concepts as it entertains. As the title might imply, Cyberchase is set in the world of cyberspace, which is maintained and protected by the kindly Motherboard, a computer with a commitment to keeping cyberspace healthy and orderly. At some point in the past, Motherboard -- presumably with the help of the somewhat humanoid Dr. Marbles, a scientific genius -- banished a being known as Hacker to exile in the farthest reaches of cyberspace. (At that time, she also gained a well-meaning, if occasionally dense, cyberbird known as Digit, who used to work for the evil Hacker.) Hacker is the antithesis of Motherboard and desires chaos over order, and his ambition is to dethrone Motherboard and make cyberspace over in his chaotic image. Escaping from his imprisonment, he launches a virus at Motherboard that Marbles contains, but not before it damages her encryptochip. Thus begins a quest to restore Motherboard to her fully functioning self, while, at the same time, battling Hacker. To do this, three Earth kids -- Matt, Jackie, and Inez -- are periodically brought to cyberspace, where their courage, brains, and intuition are constantly called upon. The kids, along with Digit and Marbles, travel to a variety of cybersites, such as the Western-themed Sensible Flats, the horrific Castle Blanca, and the undersea Aquarium, where they utilize basic math to solve the problems at hand. Aimed at children aged eight to 11, Cyberchase also features a stand-alone, live-action segment called For Real, in which a teenaged girl or boy reinforces the concept discussed in the animated segment. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide