Popular Mechanics for Kids
Based on the famous magazine, this series takes young viewers on a ride to some of the world's most exciting places where they get a first-hand look and feel of what it takes to operate everything they see. Featuring Jay Baruchel and Elisha Cuthbert.
- 1997-2005
- 4 seasons
- Discovery Toons
- Documentary, Family
- TV-Y
Based on the famous magazine, this series takes young viewers on a ride to some of the world's most exciting places where they get a first-hand look and feel of what it takes to operate everything they see. Featuring Jay Baruchel and Elisha Cuthbert.
Season 1 Episode Guide
23 Episodes 1997 - 2005
Episode 1
Underground
Sat, Sep 20, 1997 22 mins
Episode 1 - Underground Co-hosts Jay and Elisha go on a mysterious and eerie exploration to where the sun don't shine - underground! Elisha goes on a dark adventure into subway tunnels after closing to see where the trains sleep. Jay visits Boston to witness a massive construction project designed to move a raised highway underground. Charlie does a cool experiment to demonstrate hydraulics.
Episode 2
Submarines
Sat, Sep 27, 1997 22 mins
Diving down under to discover the universe's coolest submarines. Jay and Elisha find subs you paddle, subs going to Jupiter, and even the world's largest 15-story submarine.
Episode 3
Hollywood FX
Sun, Sep 21, 1997 22 mins
Demonstrations of Saloon brawls, information on how fake blood is made, gun fights and boat chases.
Episode 4
Zoos
Sat, Oct 11, 1997 22 mins
Episode 4 - Zoos Co-hosts Elisha and Jay take a walk on the wild side at some of the world's coolest zoos and biodomes! At the Montreal Biodome, they explore a deep, dark jungle that turns out to be a man-made tropical forest built to provide animals with an environment as close to their natural habitat as possible. Jay becomes an honorary vet for the day and Elisha bathes an elephant!
Episode 5
Cool Cars
Sat, Oct 18, 1997 22 mins
Our adventurous co-hosts go on a power trip to check out the coolest cars around...from monster trucks and solar cars to cars that drive by themselves.
Episode 6
Coasters
Sat, Oct 25, 1997 22 mins
Episode 6 - Rollercoasters Co-hosts Jay and Elisha ride some of the most frightening roller coasters in the world! Elisha searches for the most thrilling coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain. They climb the tracks with a mechanic to check for cracks, loose bolts and other hazards. Jay learns how centrifugal force makes a coaster work and that he will be weightless for six seconds!
Episode 7
Sports
Sat, Nov 1, 1997 23 mins
Build your own skateboard ramp and shoot hoops with NBA Rookie of the year!
Episode 8
Garbage
Sat, Nov 8, 1997 23 mins
Episode 8 - Garbage Jay and Elisha plug their noses and take a trip into the smelly world of garbage! Elisha visits a recycling center in California and sorts paper, bottles and cans, and bales them for shipping. She then finds herself knee-deep in mud, feeding pigs while Jay is at Fresh Kills Landfill, waist-deep in garbage.
Episode 9
Boats
Fri, Apr 22, 2005 23 mins
A very special boy, David McPhee, gets to go on a "really big boat!"
Episode 10
Big Buildings
Sat, Nov 22, 1997 23 mins
Join Elisha and Jay as they go on a building (and demolishing!) adventure when they must face any fear of heights.
Episode 11
Aircraft Carrier
Tue, Apr 26, 2005 23 mins
Episode 11 - Aircraft Carriers Co-hosts Jay and Elisha set to sea on the most dangerous 4.5 acres on earth... an aircraft carrier! They spend three days aboard the USS Eisenhower, and learn that an aircraft carrier is a floating city! It carries up to 6000 people and 100 airplanes. There's a TV station, a jail, a library, even a barbershop! Elisha drives the carrier and Jay helps land a plane.
Episode 12
Electricity
Sun, Nov 23, 1997 23 mins
Episode 12 - Electricity Co-hosts Jay and Elisha get charged up for one shocking adventure after another! At the Boston Museum of Science they create an indoor electrical storm to learn what causes lightening, work on live wires and learn how electricity can help save someone having a heart attack. Jay builds a windmill and our co-hosts learn how an electron microscope works.
Episode 13
Food
Tue, Jun 7, 2005 23 mins
Episode 13 - Food Production Co-hosts Jay and Elisha learn where our food really comes from. Jay creates a Ben and Jerry's flavor. On a request from Hillary Clinton, Elisha and Jay teach children to avoid food poisoning and contamination. They visit a gourmet chef who cooks a healthy meal - pasta with mealworms and chocolate-covered crickets for dessert!
Episode 14
Fire
Sun, Dec 7, 1997 23 mins
Episode 14 - Emergency This is hot! Co-hosts Elisha and Jay explore the work of emergency teams - firefighters, airplane crash crews and water bombers. They visit a burn-building where fire fighters train for infernos. Jay handles a water hose, and Elisha watches as a water bomber scoops water from lakes to drop on out-of-control runway fires. They learn expert safety tips in case of a fire.
Episode 15
Aquariums
Sat, Feb 14, 1998 23 mins
Episode 15 - Aquariums On this whale of a show co-hosts Elisha and Jay explore Monterey Bay aquarium to learn about the care and feeding of whales, sea lions and other denizens of the deep. Elisha becomes a medical assistant and brushes a sea lion's teeth (bad breath!), Jay watches scuba divers as they clean a shark tank and they visit an aquarium with a window as large as a railway car.
Episode 16
Toys and Games
Sat, Feb 21, 1998 23 mins
Episode 16 - Toys and Games Co-hosts Elisha and Jay visit the Lego factory and help build a life-sized model racecar. Next they explore some of the best selling toys in history - Frisbee, Slinky, Teddy Bears, and Play-Doh. At Nintendo they watch game counselors answer questions from callers stumped by the hottest games of all - video games. Elisha and Jay have the time of their lives!
Episode 17
Spaceships
Sat, Feb 28, 1998 23 mins
Jay and Elisha blast off for outer space and get a rare space program experience.
Episode 18
Androids and BOTS
Sun, Jan 4, 1998 22 mins
Jay and Elisha explore the hightech world of robots.
Episode 19
Greatest Hits #1
Sun, Jan 11, 1998 23 mins
Episode 19 - Best Of An episode with all of the grossest, scariest and most exciting moments of past shows as our co-hosts, Jay and Elisha, travel the continent to learn how things work. They fight fires, visit sewers, eat bugs, and drive monster trucks. Amazing, embarrassing and entertaining adventures, full of action, learning and fun (including a trip to the White House). Unforgettable fun!
Episode 20
Money
Sun, Jan 18, 1998 23 mins
Episode 20 - Money Co-hosts Elisha and Jay show us what makes the world go round - money. Elisha acts as a stockbroker for a day; Jay works the floor of the Stock Exchange (where he wears platform shoes to ensure that he will be seen). Later he visits the mint where he pours a million dollars worth of gold bars and he is given the chance to keep a bar worth $150,000 - if he can pick it up!
Episode 21
Fly
Sun, Jan 25, 1998 23 mins
Episode 21 - Air Transportation In this episode on air transportation co-hosts Elisha and Jay really take flight. In an accident simulator Elisha experiences conditions one would face in an airplane crash landing and learns how to exit a burning plane. Jay visits a jet engine factory and climbs into an F-18 jet.
Episode 22
Music Scene
Mon, Jun 20, 2005 22 mins
Boogie into the world of music as Jay and Elisha learn how to 'scratch' like a professional DJ.
Episode 23
Fly at Your Own Risk
Sat, Sep 19, 1998 22 mins
Elisha literally flies in a vertical wind tunnel.