Cyberchase (seasons 9-present)

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Cyberchase
These seasons were hacked when they talk about environmentalism rather than math.
Genre: Action
Adventure
Science fiction
Comedy
Educational
Running Time: 23 minutes
Country: United States
Canada
Release Date: January 21, 2002 - present (overall)
November 4, 2013 - present (seasons 9-present)
Network(s): PBS Kids
Created by: Sandra Sheppard
Distributed by: PBS Distribution
Starring: Jacqueline Pillon
Novie Edwards
Annick Obonsawin
Gilbert Gottfried (seasons 1-13)
Ron Pardo (seasons 14-present)
Christopher Lloyd
Len Carlson (seasons 1-5)
Philip Williams (seasons 5-15)
Robert Tinkler
Seasons: 8
Episodes: 67


"Cyberchase is one of the most outstanding educational programs I've ever watched, and it's something I've grown up with since I was a child. However, when I saw many of the latest episodes, I've discovered that the series has jumped the shark. It no longer has enough compelling storylines, focuses too much on environmentalism, and the series no longer carries the original appeal it had in the old days for a wide range of audiences. The villainous Hacker also got reduced to that of a mere mischief maker, no longer being the threatening tyrant he was in classic episodes. With how long the show's been going, I can't help but wonder when Motherboard is ever going to be cured of her virus."

— CreativityAgent99 on DeviantArt


Cyberchase is an ongoing Canadian-American animated television series that aired on PBS Kids and is produced by Nelvana in seasons 1-5 then was produced by Canada-based Title Entertainment Inc. in seasons 6-present. The show represents that math is everywhere.

While the show was well-received during seasons 1-5 (2002-2007) and mixed-to-positive reception during seasons 6-8 (2007-2010). Seasons 9-onwards (2013-present) received a more divisive reception; however, there are still some people who enjoy these seasons.

Plot

After being warped into Cyberspace from a library computer, Jackie, Matt and Inez, along with a wacky cyberbird named Digit, become the Cybersquad. With live hosts Bianca and Harry, the team must protect Motherboard from the evil Hacker who wants to rule Cyberspace. Using gadgets and following clues, the team solves math mysteries and any other problem that comes their way.

Hacked Qualities

  1. While not as bad as other shows that went into seasonal rot, the main problem with these seasons is that it lacks the same charm that the first 5 seasons had, and to a lesser extent, seasons 6-8.
    • For reasons that protecting the environment is important, PBS changed the subject from math to ecology and learning about the environment, which is completely off-topic of the show.
      • On the topic of that, the environmental/health teaching feels forced and commentary-like. To be fair, that's usually inevitable when you make a show that teaches about environmental things, but still.
  2. Quantity Over Quality: Like with PBS' other long-running animated series, even though it was good the whole way through and has hardly declined in quality, it lasted for way too long, especially for a plot-driven show, having a total of 15 seasons, 148 episodes, and a lifespan of 22 years so far. While it sounds like a good idea to keep the show going on, it's more likely that the show may risk being canceled before the conclusion than ever end.
  3. The writing has downgraded from being clever, fun, and interesting to boring, bland, lackluster and sometimes even nonsensical at times as for some weird reason, robots can age in Cyberspace even though robots are ageless and remain the same and don't change at all.
  4. The four main characters, while still likable, became bland and uninteresting.
    • Jackie is no longer a drama queen, Matt no longer jumps into conclusions without thinking, Inez is no longer overly precise, and Digit isn't as funny as he was before. These would've been fine if they were part of some character growth arcs, but they're not. This just makes the characters feel dull and soulless.
    • Potentially interesting characters like Ledge were sidelined, and replaced by Zusk in Season 12, who only exists to be "hip" with the kids since he's a popular online figure.
    • The "Cyberchase for Real" segments removed Bianca and Harry in Season 12 and replaced them with kids. The wacky antics Bianca and Harry would get into were dropped and instead focused on a basic moral.
    • Like with the last two seasons of The Fairly OddParents, the later seasons also introduced pointless characters that no one asked for like Harmony, who's apparently Hacker's niece even though it was never established that he had a niece in the earlier seasons and Brigit, Digits cousin even though in the earlier seasons, Hacker only build Digit and no other robots (before he created Buzz and Delete), making the show break it's own continuity and just comes to show how much the writers just don't care anymore.
  5. Hacker is less feared by the characters in the show as everyone is less afraid, which makes him less entertaining than he was before. He also feels like a watered-down comic relief B-plot character most of the time. In the earlier seasons, Hacker may have been comedic and goofy at times, but he was still powerful and threatening too actually proactive in the story.
  6. A lot of mediocre or sometimes bad episodes like:
    • An Urchin Matter (which was a weak way to begin season 9 and started the downfall of the series)
    • Trash Creep
    • A Recipe for Chaos
    • A Seedy Business
    • Parks and Recreation
    • Bottled Up (a mediocre way to end season 10)
    • Creech's Creature Quandary
    • A Murky Mystery in Mermaidos
    • Plantasaurus!
    • Invasion of the Funky Flower
    • The Migration Situation
    • Back to Canalia's Future (a lousy way to end season 11)
    • Space Waste Odyssey (considered to be where the show completely jumped the shark and also started season 12 on a disappointing note)
    • Hacker Hugs a Tree
    • Missing Bats in Sensible Flats
    • A Camping Conundrum
    • Journey of a Thousand Food Miles (a bad way to end season 12)
    • Duck Stop (which started season 13 on a bad first impression)
    • The Great Outdoors
    • Coral Grief
    • Hacker's Bright Idea
    • The Lilting Loons
    • Traffic Trouble
    • A Garden is Born (a bland way to end season 13)
    • Clean-Up on Isle 8 (not a good way to start season 14)
    • Trees, Please
    • Weather or Not (the two-part special that was a mediocre send off to season 14)
    • If You Can't Stand the Heat (a boring way to start season 15)
    • The Heat Beneath Your Feet (a terrible way to end season 15, and arguably the worst episode of the whole show)
  7. The six-part minisode series titled The Belly Bowl and The Big Night were both boring.
  8. The flash animation for seasons 10-present is pretty cheap looking, and a pretty big downgrade when compared to the traditional hand-drawn animation from the first 5 seasons. You can tell PiP Animation Services isn't even trying with the flash animation for these seasons. Even the flash animation from seasons 6-9 looked better than this.
    • While the flash animation for seasons 6-9 isn't perfect, the character movements were at least still passable and more fluid at times, and not that stiff.
    • The character movements in seasons 10-present are too stiff, lackluster, and slow-paced compared to the previous seasons.
  9. Lack of serialization: The plot of curing Motherboard's virus is also forgotten, which was the reason why the three kids get into Cyberspace to begin with, due to this, every episode serves as nothing but filler regardless of quality.
  10. Misleading show title: Despite the show's title being "Cyberchase", it's not about chasing AT ALL, unless you count one of the theme song's lyrics saying "The chase is on", which must've represented the CyberSquad looking for and stopping Hacker, but it's outdated due to the serialization being forgotten starting in these seasons.
  11. A lot of the new Cybersites feel lazy. The plots that involve them are just situations. You could replace everything cyberspace with real-world stuff, and nothing would change. Why Ecotopia? We already have EcoHaven!
    • Most of the designs for inhabitants of new Cybersites also feel lazy and repetitive. They're robots that also look like humans.
  12. Out of all these seasons, season 10 is arguably the worst due to it being mostly boring, the animation becoming worse, the lack of serialization, every episode serving as nothing more than filler regardless of quality as stated in HQ#9, the pacing becoming much slower, and focused on healthy eating, instead of math, or even the environment, of all shows.

Qualities That Will Beat Hacker at His Game

  1. Even though they switched the subject to ecology and learning about the environment, they can occasionally go back to math, here or there.
    • To be fair, most of the math topics were already covered and sometimes blended nicely into the environmental morals.
  2. Out of all these seasons, season 9 may not be as bad due to the flash animation being better than the later seasons and still focused on the Motherboard story arc, but that's not saying much since it’s still not as good as the first 5 seasons, and to a lesser extent, seasons 6-8, and also kickstarted the show learning more about the environment instead of math.
    • The switch to widescreen in season 10 is also good, despite the awful animation.
  3. There are still some decent or even good episodes, such as:
    • Going Solar
    • The Cyberchase Movie (which ended season 9 on high regards and is considered to be the best episode from these seasons)
    • Fit to Be Heroes (a decent way to begin season 10)
    • Watts of Halloween Trouble (a good Halloween special and started season 11 on a good start)
    • A Reboot Eve to Remember (a great New Year's Eve special)
    • Housewarming Party
    • A Renewable Hope
    • Giving Thanks Day
    • Composting in the Clutch
    • Buzz and the Tree
    • Hacker's Birthday Bash
    • A Berry Special Mother's Day (a decent Mother's Day special)
  4. The voice acting is still good, especially from Christopher Lloyd and Gilbert Gottfried, the latter who unfortunately passed away before he could finish his role as Digit.
    • Ron Pardo is an amazing replacement for Digit.
  5. Some funny moments here and there, like some of the slapstick and lines from Digit and Hacker.
  6. Despite being a lot blander and more uninteresting, Matt, Jackie, Inez, and Digit are still likable characters.
    • While the new characters in seasons 13, 14 and 15 are also uninteresting, they’re also pretty likable.
    • Same thing can be said for Hacker as he can regain some of his original charm.
    • Buzz and Delete are still their likable selves as they didn't get dumbed down like the rest of the characters.
  7. Some episodes can still teach some good messages.
  8. The Cyberchase for Real segments were still decent, until season 12.

Reception

Despite still being well-received with parents and kids, the show's later seasons have been criticized by critics and fans alike for focusing more on environmental lessons instead of math, the animation becoming worse and worse, characters are a lot duller, and focusing less on the Motherboard story arc.

Trivia

  • This is the third longest running show on PBS Kids behind Sesame Street and Arthur.
    • As of February 2022, the show is now the second longest running PBS Kids show, ever since Arthur has ended.
  • Christopher Lloyd and Gilbert Gottfried later worked together on the 2009 adaption of Jack and the Beanstalk.
  • There was a long hiatus between seasons 8 and 9, lasting three years (2010-2013).

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