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Square One TV Trivia Quiz

In the mid-1980s, a math show for kids called "Square One TV" debuted on public television. The intelligent and witty show earned fans among teachers, parents and kids alike. Here's a quiz about the classic.

A multiple-choice quiz by neon000. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
neon000

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
250,241

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
266

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. One of the show's stock characters was a little video game-like figure, who cropped up on screen between the major skits. The narrator gave him instructions, and off he went: he solved problems of logic, geometry and the like.

What was his name? Hint

Exponent Boy

Numero

Mathman

Divisor

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. A famous magician was the host of a recurring segment on the show. In a typical clip, he used card tricks to show kids how to master the rules of probability.

Who was the illusionist? Hint

Harry Blackstone

David Copperfield

David Blaine

Lance Burton

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Another staple of the show was a spoof 'detective show' segment that aired at the end of episodes. It starred two officers who used the principles of mathematics to solve crimes.

What was this feature? Hint

The Bloodhound Gang

Mathnet

Math Cops

Law and Order and Number Theory

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Parody music videos cropped up on the show as an offbeat way to help kids memorize facts and theories.

A song from the first season advised people to do a series of odd physical demonstrations, so as to learn an important feature of geometry.

"Next hang a friend from the ceiling / If he loves you, I know he won't care..."

What was the song? Hint

Angle Dance

Eight-Sixteenths of His Love He Pledged to Me

Nine, Nine, Nine

Eight Percent of My Love

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Music artists also appeared on the show as guest stars. One of these was rapper Kurtis Blow.

What song did he perform? Hint

Combinatorics

Tesselations

The Numbers

Sign of the Times

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. In the skit called "Fractions," Larry Cedar promised to bring his friend something if the man could figure out the correct answer to a problem.

What was this item? Hint

A walkie-talkie

A mirror

An air horn

A bottle of water

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Rap group the Fat Boys also appeared on the show. Their first such guest spot was in the first season.

What song did they sing? Hint

Ghost of a Chance

Apple Rap

Square Rap

One Billion Is Big

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Sea explorer Jacques Gustave, a mock-up of real oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, appeared in a skit which demonstrated the principles of navigating by triangulation. Gustave and his team traveled by way of submarine.

He shouted a phrase as a baffling command to one of the crew members.

What was it? Hint

Tabac!

Le croissant!

Fromage!

Eclairs!

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. A mock game show on 'Square One' patterned itself after 'Jeopardy!' It featured actors, not real contestants, but it did drill them on clever math problems.

What was the name of this skit? Hint

But Who's Counting?

Wheel of Mathematical Fortune

Number Family Feud

Fraction Pyramid

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. One character, a member of the Math Brigade, was referred to in his theme music as 'a hero and what a guy.'

Who was he? Hint

Dirk Niblick

Frank Denominator

Lou McQuadrilateral

Eddie Algebra

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Mathman

Little Mathman roamed the between-skit graphics and sought out the answers to the problems given to him by the narrator. His goal could be anything from finding the area of a shape, to eating only prime numbers out of a group, and so on. The narrator would dare viewers to see if they could get the answers before Mathman.

2. A famous magician was the host of a recurring segment on the show. In a typical clip, he used card tricks to show kids how to master the rules of probability. Who was the illusionist?

Answer: Harry Blackstone

Blackstone would demonstrate how ordinary things like dice functioned according to a system of odds. His cameo usually aired toward the end of an episode.

Answer: Mathnet

The segment opened with the classic theme music from "Dragnet." Detectives Kate Monday and George Frankly pieced together clues with the help of geometry, multiplication and so on.

4. Parody music videos cropped up on the show as an offbeat way to help kids memorize facts and theories. A song from the first season advised people to do a series of odd physical demonstrations, so as to learn an important feature of geometry. "Next hang a friend from the ceiling / If he loves you, I know he won't care..." What was the song?

Answer: Angle Dance

"Do a circular turn on your toes / In disguises no one knows." Catchy song.

Larry Cedar, Beverly Mickens and several other actors comprised the mock music group Plane Geometry.

5. Music artists also appeared on the show as guest stars. One of these was rapper Kurtis Blow. What song did he perform?

Answer: The Numbers

"Eight, nine, ten, and don't forget eleven / The numbers, the numbers," went the tune written for the show.

In real life, Kurtis Blow had hit singles with "Basketball" and "The Breaks."

6. In the skit called "Fractions," Larry Cedar promised to bring his friend something if the man could figure out the correct answer to a problem. What was this item?

Answer: A mirror

"And I will bring you a mirror." This line is an improvised bit in the middle of the song.

Larry drove his friend nuts with a series of questions about fraction problems. When the other man needed a little time to think, Larry broke out into crazy dance moves.

The show often parodied videos on MTV, and viewers could note a similarity between this segment and the Michael Jackson hit "Billie Jean," among others.

7. Rap group the Fat Boys also appeared on the show. Their first such guest spot was in the first season. What song did they sing?

Answer: One Billion Is Big

"One million is big, / one billion is bigger. / One thousand times one million, / that's one billion."

The group appeared on the show several times over the course of the years. Another song they performed was "Burger Pattern."

8. Sea explorer Jacques Gustave, a mock-up of real oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, appeared in a skit which demonstrated the principles of navigating by triangulation. Gustave and his team traveled by way of submarine. He shouted a phrase as a baffling command to one of the crew members. What was it?

Answer: Fromage!

It means "Cheese!" in French.

The Gustave character is a ludicrous parody of the real Cousteau, complete with a beret, thin, curly mustache and exaggerated accent.

9. A mock game show on 'Square One' patterned itself after 'Jeopardy!' It featured actors, not real contestants, but it did drill them on clever math problems. What was the name of this skit?

Answer: But Who's Counting?

This segment debuted in the first season. The guests didn't always get the answers, but they always learned something.

10. One character, a member of the Math Brigade, was referred to in his theme music as 'a hero and what a guy.' Who was he?

Answer: Dirk Niblick

He was an animated character who had to solve logic problems.

Source: Author neon000

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ladymacb29 before going online.
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