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

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."