Return of PBS Show Comes ‘Zoom’-ing to a New Generation

In a time when a mouse was just a rodent, only spiders hung out in Web sites and polyester--in eye-clashing combinations of brown, orange, green, purple and yellow--became a hot fashion statement, “Zoom” zoomed into the cultural consciousness of kids and parents alike, quickly becoming one of PBS’ biggest hits of the ‘70s.

On Monday, “Zoom” returns to PBS with a lot less polyester and a new definition of “interactivity,” always a signature of the show, whose content from the beginning has been kid-generated. It’s also designed to give post-”Barney” grads, whose options in educational entertainment currently plummet between ages 6 and 11, a live-action afternoon show tailored specifically for them.

That’s not to say that fans of the ‘70s version--with its “Ubbi Dubbi” speak, a singable ZIP Code (“ohh-two-oone-three-four”), peppy kids in rugby shirts and 10,000 fan letters a week--won’t recognize the ‘90s edition.

“We’re targeting children today, not their parents,” said executive producer Kate Taylor, head of children’s programming at PBS affiliate WGBH in Boston. “But if we are able to fulfill that first mission, and at the same time provide the old Zoomers with some nostalgia, we make an effort to go in that direction.”

The new show, like the original, features seven high-octane kids, none of them actors, hanging out, telling jokes, reading poems, putting on skits and whipping out crafts and snacks. Among the new elements within the show, however, are kid-friendly science experiments. Math, science and problem-solving are a major focus, encouraged by a $1.6-million grant from the National Science Foundation.

The not-so-serious universal language of “Zoom,” “Ubbi Dubbi”-speak (just insert an “ub” in front of each vowel sound) remains. But the theme song bops to new hip-hop rhythms, and lyrics inviting viewers to contact the show have been rewritten for a “z-mail” (e-mail) generation. And those striped rugby shirts? They’re history: Cast members wear jeans or overalls, T-shirts and pullovers.

For Taylor, who worked on the original show as editor of viewer submissions, the big question was whether a ‘90s audience would relate to the format.

“In the ‘70s, [“Zoom”] was probably on the fast-paced side,” she said. “But against the backdrop of current programming, we’re actually slower-paced than a lot of contemporary television. We were a little concerned about this, because we wondered if children now would want to hang with segments that took the time to really show a process from beginning to end.”

The “Zoomalong” segments, for instance, feature the cast doing scientific problem-solving--from viewer suggestions--and are shown in real time. In one experiment, the kids were asked to create a 10-second timer using paper towel rolls, marbles, tape and stairs. “Zoom” shows the trial-and-error part of the process, with no MTV-style quick cuts to the finish line.

Taylor also feared that “Zoom’s” core audience might have “grown beyond being interested in seeing other real kids, or were they more interested in seeing the idols and stars that they’re now bombarded with.”

However, focus groups conducted after the pilot first aired two years ago indicated that kids were intrigued by the pace and content of the show. In fact, many of the ideas incorporated into the early episodes of the new series came from those sessions, as well as a Web site that kids were encouraged to contribute their ideas to and youth organizations the producers talked with.

“That tells me kids are ready to kind of peel off a little of the slickness and fast pace and razzle-dazzle of a lot of television,” said Taylor, “and be with a show that respects their intelligence and teaches them how to do something.”

Not surprisingly, one thing kids have always liked about “Zoom” is that all the material on the show is kid-powered. The “Zoom” creative process begins in living rooms, kitchens and classrooms all across the country. It’s just that now ideas come not only over the transom via mail but also from the show’s Web site and the home videos kids are creating and sending in.

“The thing that was so cool about the first ‘Zoom’ was the fact that it was so kid-based,” said John Wilson, PBS vice president of programming scheduling. “They contributed to every inch of it, in front of the camera and with kids sending in recipes, crafts and cool things to do. Now, because of the ability to interact through the Web site, e-mail and plain old postcards . . . technology has caught up with the premise.”

But “Zoom” producers haven’t forgotten that there will be kids in the audience who don’t have a computer or Internet access at home. “That’s one of the reasons we’re keeping the snail mail alive,” Taylor said. “But we also feel that being Internet-savvy is an important skill for kids to learn, so when we mention our Web site on the show, we’ll say, if you don’t have access at home, go to the library or ask a teacher.”

While producers found that the love of jokes and games, messy recipes and creative activities among ‘90s kids was fundamentally the same, there was one key difference that Taylor decided to integrate into the show.

“Kids are much more conscious of community service and participation now [such as] environmental cleanups, helping people less fortunate, that kind of thing,” she said. Each day, “Zoom” will feature a “Zooma cum laude” kid, honoring “a kid who has been nominated by another kid, who has done something really terrific in their community,” said Taylor.

The return of “Zoom” represents more than just another new show on the PBS schedule. It also refocuses attention on an age group that has been underserved on public television since the days of the first “Zoom.”

“This represents a great new entree into PBS [for school-age kids],” Wilson said. “Now that they’ve graduated from preschool programs, they can return to PBS.”

Though producers don’t expect many of the 20- and 30-year-olds who watched as kids to check out the new “Zoom” on a regular basis, they have been careful to keep the original audience in mind.

“When you do run across someone who remembers it,” Taylor said, “they really remember it. It’s sort of branded into their soul, and that’s going to help [the new “Zoom”] get some visibility.”

* “Zoom” airs on KCET, Mondays through Fridays, 3:30 p.m.