History Series / SquareOneTV

* {{Microts}}: Zook & Alison's home planet of Neon uses "zots" to measure distance. When their uncle goes off to a store on Earth and ends up winning tickets to a concert, they must figure out how to convert zots to miles if they're to catch up with him while he's still there.[[labelnote:Answer]]3 zots = 1 mile[[/labelnote]]

* AffectionateParody: The show was almost entirely constructed of affectionate parodies presenting mathematical ideas - from sitcoms (such as ''[[Series/TheHoneymooners The Phoneymooners]]'', ''[[Series/FawltyTowers Nobody's Inn]]'', and ''[[Theatre/TheOddCouple The Odd Pair]]'') to game shows (''[[Series/WhatsMyLine What's My Number?]]'', ''[[Series/WheelOfFortune But Who's Counting?]]'', and ''[[Series/LetsMakeADeal Let's Do a Deal]]'') to science fiction (''[[Series/MaxHeadroom Fax Headfull]]'') to dramas and soap operas (''[[Series/GeneralHospital General Mathpital]]'' and quintessentially ''[[Franchise/{{Dragnet}} Mathnet]]'') to video games (''[[VideoGame/PacMan Mathman]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/QBert Pauline's Perilous Pyramid]]''), as well as most of the musical numbers.

Educational program from [[Creator/SesameWorkshop the Children's Television Workshop]], which originally ran on Creator/{{PBS}} from January 26, 1987 to November 6, 1992, with reruns airing until October 7, 1994. ''Square One Television'' was a half-hour sketch show which featured music videos, game shows, animations and parodies of other popular television programs designed to teach UsefulNotes/{{mathematics}} to children. Ironically, ''Square One Television'' was often criticized for being too entertaining. Some people just couldn't believe that it was really possible for something that children actually enjoyed watching to be educational. It is also notable for the large amounts of ParentalBonus (often coming in the form of [[ShoutOut shout outs]] to the UsefulNotes/UniversityOfMichigan, where many of the creators matriculated). A number of shorts were the earliest projects for [[WesternAnimation/{{Doug}} Jumbo Pictures]].

* {{Inflation}}: In "The Case of the Map with a Gap", Bronco tells the mathnetters about a treasure hidden by Saddleshore Capone in 1853. There were 15 bars of gold, and using the troy system of 12 ounces, multiplying that with 15 comes to 180. Multiplying that with how much each bar was worth at that time ($20) comes to $3,600. As of the filming of the episode, each bar was worth $500, which resulted in $90,000.

Educational program from Creator/SesameWorkshop, which originally ran on Creator/{{PBS}} from January 26, 1987 to November 6, 1992, with reruns airing until October 7, 1994. ''Square One Television'' was a half-hour sketch show which featured music videos, game shows, animations and parodies of other popular television programs designed to teach UsefulNotes/{{mathematics}} to children. Ironically, ''Square One Television'' was often criticized for being too entertaining. Some people just couldn't believe that it was really possible for something that children actually enjoyed watching to be educational. It is also notable for the large amounts of ParentalBonus (often coming in the form of [[ShoutOut shout outs]] to the UsefulNotes/UniversityOfMichigan, where many of the creators matriculated). A number of shorts were the earliest projects for [[WesternAnimation/{{Doug}} Jumbo Pictures]].

* RoadSignReversal: This is an important plot point in an episode of ''Mathnet''. George Frankly had two invitations to a mystery weekend at The Qualms, a quaint inn in the woods, where he would essentially be roleplaying as SherlockHolmes. While making their way there, he and partner Pat Tuesday fail to notice that the wind blew the sign in a different direction until later. [[spoiler:The butler informs them that they're not at the inn they thought they were, meaning that the kidnappings they thought were part of the roleplay are in fact real.]]

* ArcNumber: In Kate Monday / Pat Tuesday's voiceover narrations for ''Mathnet'', the times mentioned are always 43 minutes past the hour.

* ContentWarnings: Parodied at the beginning of re-packaged airings of ''Mathnet'', read by Joe Howard in character as George Frankly. For example, the following aired as an introduction to "The Calpurnian Kugel Caper":

* GoodForBad: The ''Mathnet'' episode "The Case of the Galling Stones" was about the leader of a small country who looted it's national treasure, a set of jewels, only for the country's government decide that the jewels should be in a museum, and not in the private collection of its monarchy. Said leader then made a set of fakes, and then went to jewelry stores swapping the fakes for real jewels.

* ByTheLightsOfTheirEyes: All that is seen of Dirk Niblick's mother is her silhouette and eyes.

Recurring animated segments featured Mathman (an affectionate parody of VideoGame/PacMan in a University of Michigan Wolverines helmet, who existed to demonstrate common mathematical errors, and who would be eaten by his nemesis, Mr. Glitch, in a truly freaky FamilyUnfriendlyDeath for getting answers wrong) and Dirk Niblick of the Math Brigade (a WesternAnimation/RogerRamjet-like character[[note]] Almost all of the creative personnel for the Dirk Niblick segments were ''Roger Ramjet'' alums, including writer Jim Thurman (who also did additional voices for both series), director Fred Crippen, and voice artists Gary Owens, Bob Arbogast, Joan Gerber, and Gene Moss.[[/note]] on the far shallow end of the BadassNormal scale, who uses his skills in math to help his friends and defeat scam artists). ''Every'' episode ended with part of a five-part "Mathnet" story (featuring a supposed "Mathnet" wing of the Los Angeles, and later New York, Police Department, whose members, Sgt. Kate Monday (later replaced by Sgt. Pat Tuesday) and Det. George Frankly, would use their skills in mathematics to solve crimes). "Mathnet" was particularly filled with Parental Bonuses (largely due to it being a parody of ''Franchise/{{Dragnet}}'') to the extent that collections of each serial were run in prime time on various PBS stations.

** In the ''Mathnet'' episode "The Problem of the Dirty Money", George was working undercover as a diner cook, and had to deal with a patron who didn't expect tax on his bill, snarling, "I didn't order tax on my hamburger, just ketchup!" Of course this was just an excuse to deliver some Educational Programming about tax and percentages. The bill wasn't that much bigger than he expected ($3.20, California sales tax at the time being 6.5%, vs. $3.00), but it was bigger.

* MoebiusNeighborhood: Averted; George Frankly and Dirk Niblick both have only one neighbor--but it's the same neighbor, Mr. Beasley.

** The first time was in "The Problem of the Trojan Hamburger", where the culprit faked his abduction in order to have an alibi while he stole the Dispear Diamond.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: In "The Case of Offthe Records", we never find out if the What musician's assailant was ever identified.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar:
** In the music video for "Graph of Love", the intro concerns a group of teenage girls noticing that a friend's relationship must've gotten serious, as there is a "diagram" in her purse.
** Part 5 of the ''Mathnet'' episode "The Trial of George Frankly", when the real George arrives at the courtroom, with just his undershirt and heart boxers, to expose the fake one.
--->"May it please the court! ''I'' am George Ernest Frankly, and I just came out of the closet!"
** In "Less Than Zero", on Stanley's second dive, he surfaces with his swim trunks on his head.

Educational program from Creator/SesameWorkshop, which originally ran on Creator/{{PBS}} from 1987 to 1992. ''Square One Television'' was a half-hour sketch show which featured music videos, game shows, animations and parodies of other popular television programs designed to teach UsefulNotes/{{mathematics}} to children. Ironically, ''Square One Television'' was often criticized for being too entertaining. Some people just couldn't believe that it was really possible for something that children actually enjoyed watching to be educational. It is also notable for the large amounts of ParentalBonus (often coming in the form of [[ShoutOut shout outs]] to the UsefulNotes/UniversityOfMichigan, where many of the creators matriculated). A number of shorts were the earliest projects for [[WesternAnimation/{{Doug}} Jumbo Pictures]].

** At the end of one Mathman sketch, after Mathman ate the wrong number and Mister Glitch ate him, Glitch hums the life-lost motif from ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBrothers''

* ChekhovsGun: In part one of the Mathnet story arc The View from the Rear Terrace, George gets Kate a model airplane, to help her cope with having a broken leg. In part five, [[spoiler: George talks Kate into using it to save her life]].

* GenreRoulette: "Wink, If You Think, I Stink", heard in "The Case of Offthe Record", shifts from standard rock to country to ''opera''.

*** In one Mathnet intro, Pat Tuesday mentions New Yorkers complaining because [[Theatre/PrincessIda they haven't anything to grumble at]].

* Personnel: Mostly, if not entirely limited to the principal ''Square One TV'' cast, and who held what position tended to vary by episode within shows. Most game shows were introduced in Season 2, and discontinued after Season 5.

* RecycledScript: There are a few different versions of the same basic skit in which someone is filming a commercial with a critical number, and the director repeatedly interrupts and tells the actor to use a different expression of the same number in the ad (decimal, fraction, or percent).