Tag Archive for Social Media

Square One TV and Mathnet – Part One: The Heavy Hitters

Before We Begin…

The original Square One TV cast.
The original Square One TV cast. Source: Sesame Workshop

On this day approximately 1 billion seconds ago (that’s 32 years, in case you didn’t know, and no I’m not trying to be exact on the math), Square One TV premiered on PBS. It seemed like the perfect time to finally start this little series of show-related blog posts.

2019 also marks 50 years since Sesame Workshop (once known as Children’s Television Workshop) began their legacy of remarkable kids’ educational programming that continues to this day. Like many of you, I cut my teeth on shows like Mister Rogers, Sesame Street, 3-2-1-Contact, The Electric Company, and of course, a little show called Square One Television. I could carry on about all of these shows, but you’re only here for SQTV, am I right? It’s why I’m here, so I guess that’s why you are. 😉

A quick side note: God knows I’ve dropped the ball in maintaining the Mathnet site – I KNOW I should overhaul it, really I should. Yet, it’s become something of a relic, a piece of early internet design and technology. So, while I mighta/shoulda/coulda fix it up someday, it’s such a gem in its untouched state, right? But, that’s a post for another time.

Diamonds in the Rough – The Big Time Coverage

SQTV Satin Jacket
A rare and precious find – a Square One TV jacket. You don’t want to know how much I paid for this…

The point of these upcoming posts is to gather all the modern-day media coverage for the show. While articles don’t come up often, when they do, fans crawl out of the woodwork and get nostalgic all over social media, usually in waves as different people find them over time. Maybe you missed them the first time around, heck, those of us who have followed the fandom for 30+ years now may have missed a few, too. So, let’s take a look at the most high-profile media sources who have given their props to the show. I’ll go in the order they came out.

Mental_Floss

Remember Square One?

The site for geeks, dorks, nerds, and everyone in-between. Looks like these guys may have struck first, back in June of 2013. Maggie Ryan Sanford included several videos from YouTube in this Square One TV/Mathnet coverage (some of which may or may not still be online).

Vox Media

The originals.
LA Mathnet Cast – Source: Getty Images

9 Facts Only Mathnet Fans Will Care About

Let’s play “What Do We Know?” This article by Phil Edwards came out a few years back – May of 2015 to be exact, but it still makes the rounds on social media, and it’s a fun little read. Gobble up these nerdy facts about your favorite math detectives and impress/scare your friends.

Vulture

Adam Conover
Comedian Adam Conover/TruTV

The 90s Kids’ Shows That Informed Adam Conover’s Comedy the Most

This one picked up some buzz (pun intended) just before the next article, back in late November of 2018. Erik Abriss’ interview with Adam Conover touches on the 90s shows that influenced his comedy work: Beakman’s World, Bill Nye the Science Guy, and Square One TV.

BuzzFeed

This 80s PBS Show Made it Cool to Love Math

This is the most recent one from December of 2018, and with BuzzFeed being the major player they are in the media, it got a lot of attention on Twitter. Major major props to Anne Helen Peterson for this one. Some nice mathematics of love for Square One and Mathnet as a whole.

Closing Thoughts

You don’t have to comment here or even acknowledge my efforts, just share and enjoy and put a bug or two in the ears of those you know (especially those who might have connections, if you know what I mean). And do keep checking back, because I promise at some point I will have some real gems to share in the form of cast pictures, printed articles, and collectibles I’ve found along the way. And there will be more parts including interviews, podcasts, blog posts, and other items of interest.

Giving Props Where They’re Due…

A big thank you to the fellow fans who helped me dig up these links – I wouldn’t know where to find them all without your help! Gayle G., Lori J., Heather J., Lauren HS, and Brian H.

Props to these diehard fans who also help to keep these efforts going: April S., Von T., Anton S., Philip H., Christopher M., Sonia L., and Viewers Like You!

Coming to NYC: A Square One TV/Mathnet 30th Anniversary Tribute Show!

Hey, Square One TV/Mathnet fans! 2017 marks 30 years since Square One Television first debuted on PBS! My, how time flies, eh? There’s so much that’s been going on within the fandom over the years that I need to take some time to point out all the amazing projects and social media posts I’ve found, although today, let’s just focus on this upcoming event.

The PIT’s Square One TV/Mathnet 30th Anniversary Tribute Show! Happening in NYC at the People’s Improv Theatre on Thursday, January 26, 2017 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $5 – call ahead to reserve yours!

Square One TV 30th Anniversary Tribute Event

This is totally a dream fan project of sorts, so grab your 80s fashions and travel back in time, mathematics-style! One of the performers is an old Mathnet fandom friend of mine (hi, Heather!), so please do go and support all the hard work and talent behind this special event!

But Who’s Going?

Will I be there? I wish! Although if anyone attends and grabs video, pictures, etc., feel free to post here and/or share online! Go! Make me jealous! Maybe if it goes over well, they’ll do future performances…you never know!?!?! (PSST! Rumor has it some former cast members, writers and crew may also be in attendance.) I have been fortunate enough to keep in touch with many of the actors and behind-the-scenes crew over the years, so if anyone has a chance to meet any of them in person, tell them hello and shake their hands for me!

Connect With Fellow Fans!

The fan base has sort of migrated throughout social media over the years, starting on Usenet back in the late 90s, but for the time being, Facebook is the place to find many fans. Here are a few Square One TV-related groups/pages where you can post memories, pictures, stories, etc., at that:

Square One TV Page on Facebook (Like the page; it seems to be a semi-official one.)

Mathnet – “To Cogitate and to Solve” (Public group)

Square One TV Math Fans (Closed group – request to join!)

Should any video and pictures materialize from the event, I’ll update this post to reflect it!

Enjoy! And until next time, “May the Math Be With You!

HBO Go: What’s SHE In?

Holy cow, it’s been awhile since I last posted, as in last year, but I’ve been quite busy doing the whole artist thing (go check out my Etsy shop if you’re interested in a sampling of the many things I’ve been working on), but I have a fun(ish) post to share today.

Last week, some new ads for HBO Go were suddenly stirring up quite the buzz on social media, featuring an “Awkward Family” watching some rather saucy scenes together from shows like Girls, True Blood, and Game of Thrones. My first exposure (pun intended) to this ad campaign was on my Facebook timeline, via a Time Magazine link. I noticed right away in the preview images one of the actors looked very familiar…

Where have I seen her before...hmm...

Where have I seen her before…hmm…

After checking out the ads, I knew why; the mom is played by Toni DiBuono, best known as Pat Tuesday, Mathnet.

By far the most popular of the seven clips, already reaching over 1 million views on YouTube since they debuted on April 21st, is one in which Toni doesn’t even speak – her facial expressions say it all. She walks in as her commercial son is watching True Blood.

WARNING – potentially NSFW video clip follows – click play at your own peril!

HBO Go Awkward Family Viewing from SS+K on Vimeo.

Hilarious, and effective. The rest of the ads are equally funny, and awkward, and Toni appears in 5 of the 7 ads. Go check them all out, and let’s hope we’ll see Toni in more stuff in the near future – hey, maybe they’ll spin this family off into their own series, or do some more ads!

Given the success of these ads, I’m thinking it might be a good time to do a follow-up interview/Q &A with Toni, so if anyone out there has questions about what she’s doing now, or anything not covered in Maia Weinstock’s great 2012 conversation with Ms. DiBuono (aka, Mrs. Michael McGrath), comment here!

By the way, if you have anything you’d like to shout at me on Twitter – I tend to retweet and comment about things on Mathnet/Square One TV when I find them, I can be found @JillthePillNet, though I do occasionally share and talk about other random things as well, so fair warning. 😉

Preparing to Launch.

Hello! Consider this my August/September post, because I’ve been a busy bee as of late!

While I have been working on various projects for others this year, I have also been slowly tinkering away at getting my own “brand,” if you will, up and running as well. Just a few more details left to finish – the fun, business-side of things: loading up the online shop, writing up product descriptions and going over shop policies, making sure everything works properly, etc.. Yes, this means finally, for those who have been wondering when it’d happen, I have actual products in my hands, and just in time for those who might want to buy a few things as holiday gifts. You only have a few months left! 😉

It always feels good to be productive working for others, but it’s definitely another challenge altogether when it’s your own brand identity, that’s for sure. I am such a stickler for quality when it comes to my own work, though I am learning to go with the flow and not worry too much about perfection, focusing more on the art and craft of making each creation my own. I hope this will reflect in the works I will be selling – I’ve taken advantage of working outside on beautiful sunny days, and toiled into the wee hours over the past several months, and I feel like I have works of art people will really like. The hardest critic to please, as always, is the inner critic of the artist themselves, so you know if I’m content with my work, that’s saying something. I have learned and grown creatively, not just emotionally, and I am eager to share the fruits of my labor. Here’s a little sneak peek at a couple sticky note designs that will be available at launch (click the image to embiggen):

Sticky note design preview.

Tell someone to “stick it” with these notes! 🙂

My illustrative style is more on the cutesy side, although I am capable of doing sophisticated designs if people are interested. Being a smartass-at-heart, I can’t help being a little sarcastic and having fun with these initial designs, something you will definitely see regularly in my “Zom-Bee” creations. So, hang in there, it’s almost ready (I really mean it this time!), and if you have ideas of things you’d like to see, leave a comment here or drop me a note. 😀 You can “like” the page on Facebook, and comment there, too.

I’ve plugged it before, but in case you didn’t know, the design site can be found on JillthePill Design – that’s where you’ll be able to find a portfolio of my work, hire me to work on your own projects (I specialize in print design, but I can do more than that, just ask), and buy my creations as well. It’s not 100% ready, so just drop your E-mail into the form on the landing page there, and you’ll be notified when it launches – if you need incentive, I’ll be rewarding early adopters with a discount code!

Thanks for tuning in; things are getting exciting here! -Jill 🙂

P.S. – Here is a shameless plug for one of my client projects – my mom is also about to launch her fine jewelry design shop and site, VerLen & Sydney. It’s still in landing page phase as well, but you can sign up for updates, and “like” her page on Facebook, too. Thanks! 🙂

To My Friends and Acquaintances Due East…

Hey, friends (and acquaintances), and all those dealing with Hurricane Sandy right now. How’s it going? Yes, I know, it’s a bit uneasy out there right now. Please be safe, and know that the rest of the world is ready to help if you need us, even if we can only offer positive thoughts right now.

I send out a giant virtual hug with comforting thoughts of kittens (or your preferred cute, cuddly animal), chocolate and rainbows!

To those of us not directly affected by Sandy, remember, chances are someone you know will be dealing with this in some way, and in a major way, at that. You can text REDCROSS to 90999 to pledge your help now (it’s applied to your phone bill). Check up on friends and loved ones, or have them do so when they can (by social media, text, or whatever is at the ready). We may need to be patient, but let’s lend a hand, because if we were in their situation, we’d appreciate the thoughts and support, too. 🙂

This is no small storm that people are going to be forgetting anytime soon, so while this may all sound cheesy and simplistic, I’m trying to get my thoughts across as best I can given the situation.

We are here for you, guys! Take care!

With Love from the West Coast, and the Rest of the World. 

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