Line #42 Series/ThreeTwoOneContact


1	[[quoteright:304:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/321_Contact_9817.jpeg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:304:"Let's make contact!"]]
3
4	->''"3! 2! 1! Contact is the secret, is the moment/When everything happens!"''\
5	--Opening theme
6
7	This Creator/{{PBS}} series, created by the [[Creator/SesameWorkshop Children's Television Workshop]], was the CTW's 1980s attempt to engage young viewers in science, the same way ''Series/TheElectricCompany1971'' previously tried to engage young viewers in reading and how ''Series/SquareOneTV'' would later attempt to engage young viewers in mathematics. The original series lasted from January, 1980 to November, 1988. Edited versions of older episodes were broadcast to 1992.
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9	To that end, ''3-2-1 Contact'' took the equivalent format of ''Series/SesameStreet'' and adjusted it for a preteen audience with comedy sketches, cartoons as well as demonstrations of scientific principles not only on the set, but also in filmed segments in which the hosts went around America to explore interesting things about science.
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11	However, the most popular section was "The Bloodhound Gang'', about a private detective agency staffed primarily by [[KidDetective kids]] due to the seemingly perpetual absence of their boss, Mr. Bloodhound. In a world where [[AdultsAreUseless nearly every adult other than the arresting police officers appears to be a gullible idiot]], the young sleuths find themselves busting frauds and other nonviolent crimes all around them with their knowledge of science - and, in one episode, communication. (In one episode, the Gang visits a diner and the waitress appears able to read minds... until TheReveal, which shows that it was all due to non-verbal hand signals used commonly by diner staff.)
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13	The show also had a tie-in magazine which ran about ten years longer than the original series, although it became rechristened as ''Contact Kids'' near the end of its publication run.
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15	Nothing to do with [[Film/{{Contact}} the 1997 movie with Jodie Foster]]. The rock/hip-hop band "Music/BloodhoundGang" did [[{{homage}} get their name from here]], however.
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17	In 1992, a new spin-off series debuted as ''3-2-1 Classroom Contact''.
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19	----
20	!!Tropes featured include:
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22	* AttackOfThe50FootWhatever: The show [[SquareCubeLaw explains why]] giant insects a la ''Film/{{Them}}'' are simply not possible.
23	* AnimateInanimateObject: {{Lampshaded}} in an animated sequence by a chart questioning the smugness of a "smart" scientist explaining human speech.
24	-->'''Chart:''' Dumb.
25	-->'''Scientist''': What?
26	-->'''Chart''': Dumb. Charts can't talk. (chart comically rolls up)
27	* BalloonBurstingBird: The tie-in magazine would publish computer games written in BASIC to run on your computer during TheEighties. One of the games, called "Pop!", carried an illustration of a computer blowing bubble gum and spotting a bird ready to [[BubbleGumPopping pop the bubble]].
28	* CosmeticHorror: From Marc's point of view, this is PlayedForLaughs and for [[EdutainmentShow edutainment]] purposes when he has makeup applied to show how he would look as an elderly man.
29	* MickeyMousing: The 83-86 version of the intro does this.
30	* RandomTransportation: A regular feature in the magazine based on the show was "The Time Team" stories, in which modern teenagers Sean and Jenny have a hand-held "tachyon machine" that transports them to various locations in time. However, they can't predict where the machine will take them, and it has to recharge before they can reactivate it to go back home.
31	* ReCut: A condensed version of the series, titled ''3-2-1 Classroom Contact'', was produced in 1992, after the original series was dropped from syndication.
32	* {{Retool}}: The first version was of three college-age kids and a fancy college study house, then there was a second version with younger kids in a plain basement playroom. The show was retooled a second time in 1986 (season 5), being hosted by David Quinn and taking place mainly on-location.
33	* SesameStreetCred: The first version had short spots of various stars and media characters explaining various scientific facts.
34	** And yes, Big Bird did appear once.
35	* TitleThemeTune: ''3! 2! 1! Contact is the secret, is the moment...''
36
37	----
38	!!The Bloodhound Gang sub-show has its own tropes:
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40	* AdultsAreUseless: Outside of the arresting police officers, most of the honest adults are gullible idiots.
41	* CatchPhrase: Whenever the gang gets a call at the office, they answer the phone with "Whenever there's trouble, we're there on the double. Mr. Bloodhound isn't here."
42	* {{Gaslighting}}: "The Case of the Cackling Ghost" was discovered to be primarily this.
43	* TheGhost: Mr. Bloodhound, the team's employer, is never seen. Even in the episode where he's kidnapped.
44	* IconicOutfit: Vikki's red windbreaker.
45	* InvisibleWriting: In "The Case of the Secret Message," the Gang find a stolen purse that contains a seemingly blank piece of paper. The Gang suspects invisible ink, so they set out to discover how to reveal the message. They eventually discover that the invisible ink was concentrated salt water, which is revealed when a soft graphite pencil is rubbed over the writing.
46	* KidDetective: The staff of the Bloodhound Detective Agency is primarily this.
47	* ScoobyDooHoax: The Bloodhound Gang exposed a few of these.
48	* ShowWithinAShow: "The Bloodhound Gang."
49	* UndercoverCopReveal: In "The Case of Princess Tomorrow," one of a group of gamblers turned out to be a bunco squad cop who was investigating the titular character, who was promoted as a psychic.
50	* YouMeddlingKids: The captured villains often ask, "Who are these meddling kids?"

Context Series / ThreeTwoOneContact