Note: The numbers enclosed in (parentheses) indicate the earliest episode of the regular Square One TV series in which a given segment appeared, if known.

Math Talk for Teachers: An Introduction

This episode consists entirely of a Buster- and Maria-narrated promotion of the series and curriculum, with testimonials from actual teachers.

Note: Ends with "adult" PBS ident of the period instead of the "children's" version (with the barking dog) found on numbered episodes.

Math Talk for Families

As with "Math Talk for Teachers," this episode was devised to introduce the show. However, it is structured similarly to a numbered episode, with Buster and Maria receiving phone calls from parents supervising their childrens' homework and a representative selection of segments appearing elsewhere in the series.

• Music Video: Kid 'n Play - "Rules of Thumb" (501)
• "Your Map:" Film with a father and son riding in a car (102)
• General Mathpital: Patient with assymetriosis (Abridged; 405)

Note: Also ends with the "adult" PBS ID.

101

Buster and Maria respond to a call by Sammy from Sioux City about probability.

• Wheel O Chance (111)
• But Who's Counting?: Whatsina Name vs. O. My Word (304)
• Square One Challenge: Adin and Cynthia judge Cris and Cynthia (Heads or Tails) (423)
• Cartoon: Heads or Tails on a football field; "Probability, another division of mathematics" (413)

102

Buster locks Maria in her dressing room. Sylvia reprimands Buster on the phone for not showing up to break a cracker.

• Line Graph commercial (126)
• Music Video: "Eight Percent of My Love" (107)
• Square One Challenge: Christopher and Jeanette (communicating by sign language) judge Beverly and Cris (Temperatures) (307)
• Whither Weather (Average Snowfall) (114)

Note: Uses an alternate opening sequence without the "wad of paper moving through the phone cord" animation.

103

Buster repeats Maria. They discuss polls and surveys in spite of the lack of calls, and at the end of the show Buster admits that he left the Math Phone off the hook.

• Zagursky for Mayor poll (142)
• Mathcourt: Biased coffee break survey (529)

104

Buster reads fan mail, leading into a show about surveys.

• Callous: J.B. wonders why the people of Grasshopper Gulch won't buy his gumdrops (3 parts; 158)
• Fax Headfull: Baseball stats and left-handedness (515)

105

Buster is twitchy because of inferences about bed-making. The pair receive a call by Teresa from Toledo.

• Fax Headfull: Presidential election statistics and height (506)
• Square One Challenge: Shilpa and Jonathan judge Luisa and Arthur (Graphs and spinner) (326)
• Late Afternoon with David Numberman: Reggie Perfecta and the 3-minute mile (518)

106

Buster reminds viewers that they're in for an "average" show, and takes a call by Bernie from Bismarck.

• Fax Headfull: Average of foods consumed per year (503)
• Square One Challenge: Teddy and Loretta judge Luisa and Beverly (Average height of Minnesota Munchkins) (439)
• Mathcourt: Better baseball team; Cubs vs. Rubs (517)

107

A salesman calls up and offers Buster and Maria whole-wheat encyclopedias. They also receive a call from Sandy from Sandusky; Dirk Niblick, Wallace Beasley, and George Frankly's neighbor.

• Lt. Dirk Niblick and the Math Brigade: Mr. Beasley buys 96 hot dogs to obtain a common denominator (2 parts; 328)
• Common Multiple Man (121)

108

Buster and Maria introduce a show about one million and other large numbers. Bill from Billings gives a call.

• David Numberman: Gloria Johnson, billionaire waitress (514)
• Music Video: "Infinity, There Is No End" (302)
• Fax Headfull: Population of the world (510)

Note: Uses the alternate opening sequence.

109

Buster introduces the show. Lucy from Long Island calls about combinatorics.

• Combinatorics commercial (with Dweezil) (110)
• The Adventures of Superguy: Water works leaks; picking a cape combo (2 parts; 110)
• Square One Challenge: Randy and Shannon judge Cris and Beverly (Combinations of T-shirts and shorts) (416)

Note: Uses the alternate opening sequence.

110

Buster thinks zero is the lowest number. Stanley O'Toole calls Maria, and they both educate Buster about negative numbers.

• Music Video: "Less Than Zero" (103)
• Square One Challenge: Sarah and Craig judge Cris and Luisa (Dropping temperature) (333)
• Postive vs. negative blobs: -3 + 5 = 2 (121), -9 + 4 = -5 (131), -3 + 3 = 0 (154).
• Pauline's Perilous Pyramid (507)
• Mathman: 7 + p < 7 (with Glitch playing instead) (237)

Note: Uses the alternate opening sequence.

111

Buster finds an old newspaper in the bottom of his cage and learns that Archduke Ferdinand has been assassinated. Sandy from San Diego calls, and they proceed in talking about rulers.

• Oops!: Ruler measurement (104)
• Nobody's Inn: Measuring carpeting on the steps (516)

112

Buster considers Maria a fiend after trying to mow her yard. They reply to a call from Little Aussie from Little Aussippi about the same subject.

• Daddy Knows Different: Rusty is paid to mow the lawn (2 parts; 123)
• Mathcourt: Lawn area dispute (406)

Note: Uses the alternate opening sequence.

113

Buster is unusually animated. He and Maria take a call by Laura from Los Angeles and discuss perimeter.

• Oops!: Adding up the perimeter (117)
• Area/Perimeter comparison animation voiced by Jim Thurman. This segment never appeared on 'regular' Square One TV.
• The Math Mimes (117)
• General Mathpital: Doubling a rectangle's area (515)

114

Buster is preoccupied with losing weight. He plans on attending a formal dance at the BSCC with Sylvia, but underestimates the scale of the map.

• National Geometric: Jacque Jeausteau's submarine almost hits an iceberg on a map while in search of the Giant Squid (114)
• "Your Map:" Film with a father and son riding in a car (102)
• Frank Lloyd Wrong constructs a building at the wrong scale (104)

Note: Uses the alternate opening sequence.

115

Buster has been using the Math Phone to order pizza, and needs to estimate the amount of pizza to order. He and Maria take a call by Yertle from Myrtle Beach.

• Music Video: Kid 'n Play - "Rules of Thumb" (501)
• Close Call: Morgan vs. Brandin vs. Natasha (Estimating the number of letters on the page of a book; estimating the number of oranges used to fill eight pitchers; estimating the number of chicks in a pen) (334)

Note: Uses the alternate opening sequence.

116

Buster and Maria introduce the show with greetings in many languages. They respond to Winnie from Winnona and discuss symmetry.

• Mathman: Symmetrical Polygons (230)
• Animation with origami-like triangle folding and patterns (171)
• General Mathpital: Patient with assymetriosis (405)
• Square One Challenge: Teddy and Loretta judge Luisa and Beverly (Paper folding) (439)

117

Buster feels sick with three symptoms. Maria suggests that he may have triangleitis. They proceed in discussing triangles, and answer a call from Bill from Williamstown.

• General Mathpital: Turning a line segment into a triangle (510)
• Lt. Dirk Niblick and the Math Brigade: Mr. Beasley's delivery service (2 parts; 419)

118

Buster is bored from a lack of calls, so he starts selling rectangular pizzas through the Math Phone. They respond to a call by Pepper from Salt Lake.

• Mathman: Rectangles (202)
• Square One Challenge: Tong Yi and Adrian judge Arthur and Cris (Slicing tetrahedrons). This segment never appeared on 'regular' Square One TV.
• Lt. Dirk Niblick and the Math Brigade: Dividing land at the Verboserosa (3 parts; 414)

119

Buster fills out a math camp questionaire, and confesses to forgetting parts of math. Reba from River Edge calls, and they talk about prime numbers and geometry.

• Callous: Designing a box for Callous Candy Company's 101st anniversary (120)
• Mister Bland Builds His Dream House (124)

Note: Uses the alternate opening sequence.

120

Sharon from Sheffield asks Buster "Math Whiz Extrordinaire" about triangular and square numbers, but they both find themselves at a loss.

• Masterworks Theatre: Invading castle walls with the Trojan Pie (118)
• Square and triangular number addition animation. This segment never appeared on 'regular' Square One TV.
• The Wild, Wild World of Sports You've Never Heard Of: The Champion Handshaking Contest (111)

Square One TV

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©2006-08 Andrew Turnbull.
Last update September 8, 2008.