History Series / BeakmansWorld

* IconicItem: Who else but Beakman wears a fluorescent green labcoat? Okay, [[{{MST3K}} other than]] ''[[{{MST3K}} him]]''...

-->'''Phoebe''': The Ron Glass of you bet your...bass!

-->'''Lester''': Answer! BatMan tells him.

A Saturday morning kids' ScienceShow based on an award winning comic strip, BeakmansWorld was a fast-paced romp through many scientific questions, some of which are considered gross, like "How is snot formed?", "What is vomit?", and "Why do we fart?" (which aired on the series finale).

* BrooklynRage: [[PunnyName Art Burn]]

* DelusionsOfEloquence: Art Burn: "Yo! Welcome to mah humble commode!" Lester a little: "I'm a victim of circumnavigational evidence!"

* DontTryThisAtHome: Rarely; most experiments could be done at home if done as instructed and with parental supervision, and indeed, were often designed and were encouraged to be done by the children who watched the show.

* {{Flanderization}}: Lester was originally just a [[ClassicallyTrainedExtra trained actor with a bad agent]], but later became much more disgusting and obtuse.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: It wouldn't be a 1990s kids' show without this trope, and, since it explored a lot of biological subject matter (such as the formation of vomit, snot, urine, and flatulence), there was a lot of ToiletHumor as well.
** Herb: "Turn Beakman on." Don [sensually]: "I love you, Beakman." Lester the Rat was shown on the phone to an unidentified female telling her that "I can keep the nose on if that's what you like..."

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Herb: "Turn Beakman on." Don [sensually]: "I love you, Beakman." Lester the Rat was shown on the phone to an unidentified female telling her that "I can keep the nose on if that's what you like..."
** While pretending to be a Dingo in a segment about dogs, Lester pulls off a pun that can be considered literally getting crap past the radar:
--> '''Lester''': *holds a basket of berries* And these are my ''dingo berries''.

** Roy G Biv is quite obviously TheStoner. Pointed out in his second appearance, when he admits that his memories of his last visit were pretty hazy, and Beakman notes afterward that they were lucky he even found his way to the lab.

A Saturday morning kids' ScienceShow based on an award winning comic strip, BeakmansWorld was a fast-paced romp through topics germane to any kid's lives, like "How is snot formed?" and "Why do we fart?" (The latter was saved for the very last episode).

The show lasted from September, 1992 to March, 1997. A total of three-and-a-half seasons' worth of shows stretched out to a full five seasons, first on TLC, then on CBS. The show has also run in syndication (first before moving from TLC to CBS, then more recently starting in 2007, with the short-lived Creator/{{BKN}} syndicating it for a few years starting in 1999), as well as Spanish-dubbed reruns on Univision's kids block, ''Planeta U''. Zaloom himself still plays Beakman in live shows, including in places like Brazil and Mexico, where Beakman's popularity is [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff through the roof]].

The show lasted from September, 1992 to March, 1997. A total of three-and-a-half seasons' worth of shows stretched out to a full five seasons, first on TLC, then on CBS. The show has also run in syndication (first before moving from TLC to CBS, then more recently starting in 2007), as well as Spanish-dubbed reruns on Univision's kids block, ''Planeta U''. Zaloom himself still plays Beakman in live shows, including in places like Brazil and Mexico, where Beakman's popularity is [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff through the roof]].

* EyeCatch: the robotic-voiced bumpers, which, sadly, are not to be found on Netflix's copy (though, oddly, the {{BKN}} EyeCatch is on most of the first season copy.)

* [[HumansAreTheRealMonsters Humans Are the Real Disgusting Animals]]: The final "THOSE DISGUSTING ANIMALS!" named humans as the most disgusting animals of all.

* ActorAllusion: One of Beakman's occasional exclamations was "Zaloom!"
** A last-season segment on sound frequency had a Blues Brothers motif. Senta Moses (aka Phoebe) got her start in movies as a dancing extra in ''TheBluesBrothers''.

* DawsonCasting: Averted with Josie (Alanna Ubach was 16) and Liza (Eliza Schneider was 17), and played straight with Phoebe (Senta Moses was 23).
** Well, their ages are never given, we just assume, since they're all [[TeensAreShort much shorter than Beakman]].

* HeyItsThatSound: Apparently, the crew were avid ''Series/{{Scrabble}}'' fans. (Producer Marijane Miller was a [[http://vimeo.com/6659238 contestant]] on ''Scrabble''.)
** You might note the similarities some of the background music has to that of ''{{Rugrats}}''. Denis Hannigan and Rusty Andrews composed background music for both shows.
* HeyItsThatVoice: Don Penguin's voiced by Alan Barzman, who also did the Energizer Bunny commercials ("They keep going and going and...")

* IAmNotSpock: Paul Zaloom's ''other'' main job is as a political puppeteer...and those shows are very much not safe for kids...

* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: Unlike most examples, it's been played enough times that there are plenty of tapes to be circulated, plus Netflix now offers the (almost) entire series.

* MissingEpisode: Or, missing segment. In the Beakmania segment in the "Camels / Density" episode, depending on the version, you either get a "Doctor & Meekman" segment on strep throat, or a "Wide Beak-World of Sports" segment explaining how Michael Jordan can look like he's defying gravity. Syndicated reruns give the former; the Netflix version has the latter.
** Speaking of Netflix, five episodes haven't been uploaded there for whatever reason. They include two Josie episodes (Refraction-Magnets and Bees-Earthquakes), two Liza episodes (Bats-Energy and Snakes-Seasons), and one Phoebe episode (Sweat-Weighing a Car).

* NoBudget: Three actors (and rarely some extras) and a bunch of simple props. Of course, that means the do-at-home experiments fit right in.

* ScienceMarchesOn: While the science in the shows is still completely accurate, some facts have been revised(for example, Pluto's not a planet anymore). The last episode of the first season is also [[HilariousInHindsight hilarious in hindsight]] for this reason: in it, Beakman establishes an empirical process for the kids to answer any science question they have. The steps involved are:
** '''1)Formulate a Precise Question''',
** '''2)Home Resources''' (dictionaries and encyclopedias ''in print''),
** '''3)Phone Tips''' (calling a related expert on the topic) and
** '''4)Field Research''' (going to a library or other institution of learning). \\
Step 1 pretty much stays the same, but it's mindblowing how the Internet has rendered the three other steps, if not obsolete, at least inconvenient.
** In their second segment on optical illusions (focusing on 3-D pictures), they repeatedly make mention of recording the show so you can have more time to see the picture...via VCR. Now, you can just pause your Netflix playback.
** In general, the only science-y things that are obsolete since the show first aired (1992-1996) are a few of the world records (tallest building, tallest rollercoaster, shortest adult). Oh, and of course [[PlutoIsExpendable Pluto being a planet]]. Otherwise, the science is still very sound.

* ThrowItIn: It appears the general rule of the director is "If what's shot is funnier than what's scripted, go with it." It seems this was largely a one-take show (and some of the screw-up first takes were thrown in as well, like Liza's cockroach freak-out.)

* UnCanceled: CBS shut the lights out after 65 eps, but fan outcry got it back; this was the reason for the second SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute above.

* WikiWalk: Beakman was ahead of his time: in the episode where he gives the process to look for answers(see ScienceMarchesOn) he also mentions how looking for research on one topic can lead you to learn about other topics, a perfect definition of a WikiWalk years before wikis even existed.

The structure of the show was pretty controlled for being so chaotic. Each episode started with TheTeaser, in which South Pole penguins Don and Herb (a ShoutOut to Mr. Wizard, aka Don Herbert) turned on the show after some witty hijinks. The first act focused entirely on one question(or, less often, a series of questions revolving around a single topic). The second act was Beakmania, a rapid-fire run through many short questions, followed by a longer skit with a fun experiment or The Beakman Challenge. The third act was much like the first, focusing on another single question. TheTag gave the viewer one more piece of information, then ended with Don and Herb turn off Beakman after some witty hijinks.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Beakman was not quite as successful as similarly-themed ''Series/BillNyeTheScienceGuy''... in the USA, that is. But in Brazil and Mexico, Beakman was a hit, while Nye was completely ignored.

The show starred Beakman, played by puppeteer Paul Zaloom, as he answered questions from viewers with a zany tower wig and a green lab-coat. Helping him on his quest for science is guy-in-a-rat-suit (and resident skeptic who would be a DeadpanSnarker if he weren't wrong all the time) Lester (played by the late puppeteer Mark Ritts), and the lovely young female assistant, of which there would eventually number three (Alanna Ubach as Josie; Eliza Schneider as Liza; and Senta Moses as Phoebe).

The show lasted from September, 1992 to March, 1997. A total of three-and-a-half seasons' worth of shows stretched out to a full five seasons, first on TLC, then on CBS. The show has also run in syndication (first before moving from TLC to CBS, then more recently starting in 2007), as well as Spanish-dubbed reruns on Univision's kids block, ''Planeta U''.

* AnimeHair: Beakman: "SPACKLE! And plenty of it!"
** In the hair segment, Beakman reveals that the big ol' tower o' hair is not his real hair...revealing that his "real hair" is actually a big red clown fright wig--I mean, 'do.

** "*pointing to Russia* Aha! I think I've just discovered [[WhereInTheWorldIsCarmenSandiego where in the world Carmen Sandiego is]].... *squishes and flicks "Carmen" off globe*"

* EyeCatch: the robotic-voiced bumpers

* ShownTheirWork: But of course, as you can't very well teach science without knowing about it (and props to science consultant Al Guenther for aiding the cast in this.) Notably, the movie stunts segment featured a vignette featuring stuntmen Chuck Picerni, Jr. and KaneHodder (yes, ''[[Franchise/FridayThe13th that]]'' Kane Hodder), who helped coordinate and do the stunts shown.

* FootFocus: Usually it's [[FetishRetardant Lester's feet]]...but not always...