Cyberchase

Cyberchase is an American–Canadian[1] math, environmental sciences, and meteorology cartoon on PBS Kids. Cyberchase features Jackie, Matt and Inez (earth children) who use math and problem solving skills in a quest to save Cyberspace from an evil villain named The Hacker. The three are zapped into Cyberspace by Motherboard, the ruler of Cyberspace. Together with Motherboard's helper, Digit (a cyberbird), the three new friends compose the Cybersquad.

Each episode ends with a live-action For Real segment, hosted by young, comedic actors who explore the show's math topic in the real world. Cyberchase is created by Thirteen Education for WNET aka Channel Thirteen.

After the 5th episode of Season 8, Cyberchase went on hiatus. However, on April 3, 2013, it was announced on the official Facebook page that the show would return for a 9th season during the fall.[2]

On February 10, 2015, Gilbert Gottfried, the voice of Digit, announced that five new season 10 episodes were expected to be broadcast in the latter half of 2015.[3] In April 2015, the Cyberchase Twitter account retweeted a photo indicating that the season would focus on health, math and the environment.[4][better source needed]

In January 2017, it was announced that Cyberchase would be returning for an eleventh season, with 10 new episodes set to air later in the year.[5] In May, producer Kristen and director Mika answered questions about the show in a 19-minute video.[6]

Contents
[hide]
 * 1Series overview
 * 2Webisodes: 2001, 2003, and 2005
 * 3Season 1: 2002
 * 4Season 2: 2003
 * 5Season 3: 2004
 * 6Season 4: 2005
 * 7Season 5: 2006–07
 * 8Season 6: 2008
 * 9Season 7: 2009
 * 10Season 8: 2010
 * 11Season 9: 2013–14
 * 12Season 10: 2015
 * 13Season 11: 2017
 * 14Home media
 * 15References

Webisodes: 2001, 2003, and 2005
Preceding the televised animated episodes, in December 2001, three webisodes called "How It All Started" were added to the website. By 13 April 2003, the trilogy was expanded into "Web Adventures" with a 4th webisode called called NUMBERLESS PUDDLES![10] which had 20 panels.[11]
 * Webisode 1 had 11 panels.[7]
 * Webisode 2 had 13 panels.[8]
 * Webisode 3 had 13 panels.[9]

On 14 December 2005, a 5th webisode called HACKER JACK was added[12] which had 4 panels.[13]

The "Web Adventures" webisodes page was still up in December 2012,[14] but as of March 8, 2014,[15] it was changed into a redirect to the Math Games page introduced in 2011.[16]

Season 1: 2002
In the pilot episode "Lost My Marbles", Hacker infects Motherboard with a computer virus. At a library on Earth, while looking at a computer, Jackie, Matt, and Inez (who accidentally let Hacker unleash the virus by touching the computer map at the same time) are sucked through an interdimensional portal into Cyberspace. In their first adventure, they go to an island to rescue Dr. Marbles. In subsequent adventures, they return to Cyberspace to thwart Hacker's evil plans, which vary from ruining Motherboard to trying to take over a Cybersite. Throughout the season, the Cybersquad searched for a new encryptor chip for Motherboard. In episode 9, Buzz and Delete nearly retrieved the encryptor chip, but lost it in a dust storm, much to Hacker's discomfort. This is also the only season to use traditional cel animation, before switching to digital ink-and-paint which was used in Seasons 2-5, before finally switching to flash animation from the start of the sixth season to eleventh season.

Season 2: 2003
This season is a continuation of the same basic plot of season one. However, the focus on the search for the Encryptor Chip is shown less as the season deals more with a new scenario; each episode involving Hacker seeking to take over a cybersite or all of Cyberspace, or plot a nefarious scheme in which he is wreaking chaos and havoc somewhere. In addition, a continued appearance of Wicked, a witch from the cybersite Happily-Ever-After occurred, revealing her strong feeling towards Hacker, while Hacker only used her abilities as a witch to further his own evil tactics as seen in episode "The Wedding Scammer", although he did show mutual feelings towards her in "Harriet Hippo & the Mean Green", but once again, he became self-centered and cared less about her. In a way, the occurrences of "The Wedding Scammer" are the only of Wicked's evenings where she is successful with her affections. The character of Sam Vander Rom (Al Roker) is introduced in 204 and 208 and Erica Ram is introduced in 211, where she hosts Cyberscoop alongside him. In this second season, Hacker continues to run rampant, causing more chaos, and thus the Cybersquad returns to almost every Cybersite. The Wicked Witch also makes additional appearances. This is the first season to use digital ink and paint.

Season 3: 2004
In the third season, the kids meet Slider, a rebel-style skateboarder who lives in the cybersite Radopolis. He first appears in the episode "The Borg of the Ring" where he retrieved the Totally Rad Ring of Radopolis from Hacker. Once again and then a third time Hacker tries to take control of Radopolis, first by almost winning a competition, then by putting everyone except Digit, Slider, and the Cybersquad asleep so he fails. The kids are told his father, Coop, had abandoned him. Coop was on a distant cyber-planet, but the kids didn't know that yet. This season contains the first two-part episode of the series, "The Snelfu Snafu". While Slider was searching for his father, he stumbled across the location of the elusive encryptor chip. When he alerted the Cybersquad, they soon discovered it was in the hands of an auctioneer. The kids eventually earned enough snelfus (the Cyberspace term for dollars) to win it, but they discovered the chip was infected to drain Motherboard (which might be the reason that this one is orange and yellow, rather than dark pink and chrome as the old one had been), replacing her with Hacker. The kids were then placed in the dungeon at the new Hacker Control Central; when they escaped, they searched for the encryptor chip (because Motherboard was trapped in it). Upon finding it, they also rescued Dr. Marbles. However, when they attempted to put the chip in the circuits, the hardware rejected it because Hacker has corrupted it. Dr. Marbles was forced to reboot Motherboard destroying the chip in the process. This concludes the Encryptor Chip story-arc. Also, Hacker rejects Wicked, setting the stage for some of the future episodes.[17]

Season 4: 2005
The Cybersquad is at it again, and meets even more new allies like Fluff the Penguin (Austin Dilulio) (but still working with the old ones very closely). However, situations become more complicated now that Hacker is no longer the only villain attempting to rule Cyberspace. Now the Wicked Witch has been planning schemes of her own. On top of that, Hacker is now travelling all over Cyberspace to achieve missing pieces – and the Cybersquad soon learns that this may tie in with the disappearance of Slider's Dad He steals the Electric Eel of Aquari-yum as a power source, and the Pedestal of Penguia as a relay for the power-flow, and combines these items with other gizmos and gadgets to form the Transformitron, a device with the capability of transforming anyone into anything. After taking the NIC (Network Interface Card) from Slider's dad, Coop (Tony Hawk) and kidnapping Slider, the device was complete. However, the Cybersquad was able to thwart Hacker's plans again by dismantling the device so it could not be used again and allowing the effects of the Transformatron to wear off. This is the last season directed by Larry Jacobs, who had directed every episode up to this point.

Season 5: 2006–07
At long last, Slider's dad comes home. However, simply because many of the parts used on the Transformatron before disappear does not mean Hacker has given up on it, so now the Cybersquad will find themselves building, fixing, and inventing devices to stop Hacker from taking over. With the Transformatron still on the loose, meanwhile, Digit and the kids must dispose of the NIC card, the only power source to Hacker's machine. New villains Olga (Annika Walter) and the Trashinator (Phill Collins)

During the season, a special two-hour program, "Cyberchase: My Big Idea!" was broadcast. The program comprised episodes 64–67 shown sequentially, and was oriented on the theme of inventions. Each episode covered a different invention topic. The program was hosted by Bianca and Harry from Cyberchase For Real! and in between episodes, they talked about inventions that were made by kids, and showed clips of kids who had made inventions of their own.

This was the first season without Len Carlson as the voice of Buzz. Carlson died in 2006 and the episode "EcoHaven Ooze" is dedicated to him. This is the last season that is animated by Nelvana, before moving over to Flash animation by Title Entertainment, starting with season six.[citation needed]

Season 6: 2008
Finally the NIC card had been disposed of, which means that there are no more episodes involving the Transformatron. Unfortunately, Hacker hopes to expand his group of evil doers, now including Baskerville, Trashinator, and a gorilla named Tonga. With new allies for Hacker, the Cybersquad once again attempts to stop him. Meanwhile, love chaos ensues between Hacker and Wicked when Hacker starts to want Wicked back, but the Wicked Witch could want nothing more than to spit on him. Season 6 begins with two episodes such as, "Digit's B-Day Surprise" & "When Penguins Fly" and the kids have an idea to celebrate: a surprise party, but they pretend to forget all about his b-day (the day he was "booted" up). A disappointed Digit then runs into Hacker, who wants to reprogram him to gain access to Motherboard. Meanwhile, the kids have a chocolate Digit sculpture, and they need to cross the desert in order to get it to the party. Soon, they discover that dressing it with a wet cloth can get it there without melting it. This is the first season to use Flash animation.[citation needed]

Season 7: 2009
A lot may be going on in Cyberspace, but the Cybersquad shall continue to stop Hacker – even if it means dealing with terrible weather and using math knowledge to combat it. Season 7 starts with "Weather Watchers". It was launched April 21, 2009. There were four episodes about it. In the first two episodes, "For Real" segments included Janice Huff, a meteorologist with New York's WNBC-TV who played "Stormy Gale" in episodes 83–4.

Season 8: 2010
The Cybersquad now may face a huge challenge. Now Hacker may no longer be the only villain in Cyberspace. With a rejected ally of Hacker named Ledge (Alex Karzis) on the loose, things may not be as easy anymore. Season 8 premiered on July 2, 2010, with the Summer Challenge. Episode 93 introduced Ledge, the newest villain of Cyberspace. Ledge was originally a fan of Hacker and was to get himself a place on Hacker's side to help take over Cyberspace. He tries to do so by making a machine that can turn everyone in Sensible Flats into "Hackerized" versions of themselves. Though this seems to impress Hacker initially, the machine eventually gets unplugged by Inez, resulting an angry Hacker to cast Ledge away for his failure. This results with Ledge becoming Hacker's most dangerous rival. Aside from Ledge's failure, Hacker does not like Ledge because he heavily insults him and the possible fact that Ledge is less arrogant but more intelligent than Hacker, even though he is equally evil. The Cybersquad also does not like Ledge because of his deception that led almost all of them into danger in Sensible Flats he had caused by pretending to help them, as he thinks more wisely of his plans. It was then in episode 94, that Hacker and the Cybersquad were forced to work together to stop Ledge from stealing one of Hacker's previous inventions that can be used to help Motherboard, though the invention ends up being destroyed.

Though five additional episodes were announced,[citation needed] the following titles did not air: "The Dangerous CyberSpider", "DrainDroppers", "An Amazing Flying Shrew", "Hacker's Coin", and "Snowing in a Winter".[citation needed]

Season 9: 2013–14
On April 3, 2013, it was announced on the official Facebook page that the show would return for a 9th season.[citation needed]The season premiered November 4, 2013, after being on hiatus since 2010. Issues in development for episode 95 caused some versions of the aired episode to air with the title "placeholder" cards in place. e.g. act 1, act 2, and act 3. In this season, Harley, Alicia, and Harry (from For Real) now work at Camp Henry teaching 8-year-old kids about the environment. Season 9 was animated in Flash by Pip Animation in Ottawa.[19]

Home media
Between 2002 and 2005, five Cyberchase DVDs and VHS cassettes were released. The DVD titles each contained three episodes.

Codename Icky features the following episodes:[21] Totally Rad! features the following episodes:[22] Starlight Night features the following episodes:[23] The Snelfu Snafu features the following episodes:[24] EcoHaven CSE features the following episodes:[25]
 * "Codename Icky"
 * "Harriet Hippo & the Mean Green"
 * "Of All the Luck"
 * "Totally Rad!"
 * "The Borg of the Ring"
 * "Fortress of Attitude"
 * "Starlight Night"
 * "Snow Day to Be Exact"
 * "A Time To Cook"
 * "The Snelfu Snafu Part 1"
 * "The Snelfu Snafu Part 2"
 * "The Wedding Scammer"
 * "EcoHaven CSE"
 * "A Crinkle in Time"
 * "The Creech Who Would be Crowned"