The Most Underrated PBS Kids Show

When I was a kid living without cable, my absolute favorite TV show was ZOOM! on PBS Kids. It was always my favorite part of the day getting to watch the show, and then recreate the games and activities in real life with my family afterward. Some of my best memories from childhood are related to this show. Let's check it out.

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0:00 ZOOM!
6:30 Trying some Zoomer stuff
11:23 This show was important

[DJColdCutz_]

I remember sending in a “recipe” I made up in the hopes that it would make it on the show… Basically “mix peanut butter and chocolate chips together, put it in the freezer, and then eat it.” It was the most creative thing I could come up with. They never got around to putting in into the show, unfortunately.

[Legozachk]

As a young child, I used to count time in “Zoom episodes.” On long car trips, my parents would say “We are three episodes of Zoom away.”
This is a real thing from my life.

[Kalaloo]

I remember a girl got featured on Zoom for making comics about a girl and her flamingo. That inspired me to draw comics when I was little. I went to an art college and a bunch of my friends knew exactly the same episode. Maybe it inspired them, too. Now I work in animation and totally credit Zoom for getting me started.

[wildboywifey]

Everytime I see anything made with latex, my mind immediately says "Zoey from Zoom can't touch that because she's allergic". That one episode where she could only watch/referee a game involving latex balloons really got a grip on my brain and hasn't let go. It's a core memory, idk.

[georginatoland]

Original Zoom watcher here. And yes, it was the one thing I was crazy for on TV. The reboot happened when my husband worked for PBS. Happy to hear that it made a positive impression on you. ❤️

[skinsey]

One thing I'll never ever forget about the show was that Zoe was allergic to latex. She always had to remind us that she couldn't participate in anything that had to do with balloons lol

[djsartstudio]

Zoom was the Pinterest for us 90s kids...and was totally underrated. Also, Did anyone get confused when everyone first started using zoom video calls? "Zoom?! oh I love that show!" LOL

[ZeldaAndIkeLove]

PBS should bring this show back, imagine Zoom during the peak of the pandemic

[cellini]

As a PBS kid I loved this show! Fetch with Ruff Ruffman was another one of my favorites. I just loved shows with kids being creative and playing games, doing crafts, and solving challenges. We need more shows for kids like that again!

[douglaseby]

Thanks For bringing this back! There was a zoom episode where they made these candy mice, using candy cherries, a hershey's kiss, almonds and frosting. My mom watched it with me and we made them for Christmas. It became a tradition we did every year.

Well when i became an adult i continued making them out of tradition. My mom passed away in January of this year, and Im going to continue this tradition. You really sent me down memory lane. Thank you.

[kitpigeon]

for those of you wondering, during the hair dryer part scott said:
"the other day i downloaded this game called lawnmower simulator, and i'm kind of addicted to it."

[TimHam]

A children's museum near us had a "Zoom Discovery Center" exhibit growing up, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that my siblings and I BEGGED our parents to take us for weeks. When we finally did go, it was like we were going to Disney with how excited we all felt. It ended up just being a bunch of hands on science activities and crafts from the show, but as a kid it was amazing! Big "core memory" moment right there

[elephamoose]

My friend Taylor (whom I met as an adult) was a cast member on the show and it's really interesting to hear her talk about her time there. She remembers loving her co-stars and producers, but also being sad when she was recast after a couple of seasons.

[ASHE_ATTACC]

i grew up with PBS kids too, and honestly Arthur and Word Girl were my two favs
I remember Word Girl had a resurgence recently, and ppl agreed the show was more entertaining than educational, they managed to integrate education rly well

[BouncyKnight]

Fun fact: my dad loved watching Zoom with me, and we would sometimes speak ubbi dubbi talk with each other. The funniest times were when we were on vacation or something, and be talking complete gibberish with each other to annoy my mom, and she wouldn't believe we could understand each other (which most of the time we weren't even actually saying anything) and on the spot we would come up with a story about what we were talking about. Good times man. Good times.

[JHenmanMusic]

As someone whose dream job all through elementary school was to become a "Zoomer", it makes me so happy to see this show get the limelight it deserves. Caroline was my first crush as a kid, and I was so excited to see her on nearly every season. It was far and away my favorite TV show growing up and I still have fond memories looking back at it today.

[zinja]

I grew up mostly without cable, and Zoom was EVERYTHING.

[catalystcomet]

I had a really, really rough childhood and it resulted in me developing what's called a dissociative amnesia up until around the age of 12. I know people say that they have a hard time remembering their childhood, but I literally only remember little tiny flashes and a lot of it isn't good. I go to therapy twice a week and even with the work, the vast majority of reclaimed memories are various forms of abuse I begin to endure before I could even crawl. But just now, at 34 years old, I experienced more good memories in a single moment than I've ever remembered in all of my childhood combined.

I loved Zoom, and while I never forgot that, I also couldn't really remember it either. But as I watched this video, I was able to remember doing the silhouette thing, I remember making that crap you just made, I remember something to do with boxes and I remember trying to keep an egg from breaking with some supplies like straws and rubber bands and bubble wrap. I remember the special class that they put me in for smart kids which made no sense to me because every other kid was rich, I was the only poor kid. I loved that class. It was zoom but in school, and I got to do it twice a week for an hour and a half. It was incredible. It was all puzzles and inventions and riddles and I remember the name of my teacher in that class, Mrs. Dotty Berg, and the fact that she had big giant bunions just like my Nanu, and I remember the kind school counselor who passed away from cancer, playing checkers with her, I remember running outside and the sunshine after lunch, I remember the monkey bars hurting my hands but me trying to do it anyway, I remember swinging higher than I've ever swung in my life, I remember sitting down on the blacktop and feeling the sting in my nerves when I rolled on a pebble with my knee. I remember how cold the air was when we would have to run laps first thing in the morning. I remember my gym teacher. I remember being really good at dodgeball even though I was the smallest girl in class. I remember laughing and being picked. I remember wanting to do gymnastics more than anything in the world, but discovering that it was also my greatest fear. I remember laughing so much. I remember belly laughs, giant belly laughs that made my face hurt.

There's so much more. I have tears in my eyes. I hope I never forget this.

I know it wasn't your intention, but I guess it just want to say that we never know the impact we have on others and how much that might go on to affect not only them but so many others that they go on to interact with. I'm certain this will affect my ability to be a more playful mom. Thank you @ScottCramer

[PJCE]

i remember in my city this show started at 3:30 and i got out of school at 3:20 and i would RUN SO FAST home to make it in time and not miss anything. such a great show.

[evelynisland]

I was totally all about pbs but I never heard about zoom. I was all about cyber chase, ruff ruffman, and between the lions. I recently showed between the lions to my younger sister and she absolutely loved it. Almost as much as when I showed my younger siblings rolie polie olie. Old kids shows were the best.