Zoom (1999 TV series)


Zoom is an American live-action children's entertainment series for ages eight and up, created almost entirely by children. It originally aired on PBS from January 4, 1999 to May 6, 2005. It was a remake of the 1972 TV series of the same name. Both versions were produced by WGBH-TV in Boston. Zoom also aired on the Canadian version of Discovery Kids.

Description

Zoom made a comeback in 1999 in largely the same format, with many of the same games and continued to feature content and ideas submitted by viewers. This second Zoom series ran for seven seasons, each featuring seven children—32 in total—called "Zoomers". It completed taping a pilot episode in September 1995 with a different cast, which was circulated among funders by early 1997 and aired on television in November of that year. The show had auditions for its eighth season but on December 9, 2004, it was announced that the show had been cancelled after seven seasons. The cancellation was blamed on the rising competition of kids TV, which resulted in a dramatic drop in ratings for the show. The series finale aired on May 6, 2005 on most PBS member stations, without any reference of the show’s ending. Reruns aired on some PBS stations until 2006 or 2007, when the show was pulled from the PBS lineup entirely.

Season overview

Cast members

ZOOMCast member 1Cast member 2Cast member 3Cast member 4Cast member 5Cast member 6Cast member 7
Pilot EnidMarcusHayleyEsther MiraDanielGeorginaChad Nelson
Season 1 Zoe CostelloJared NathanKeiko YoshidaPablo Velez, Jr.Alisa BesherDavid ToropovLynese Browder
Season 2 Ray MacMoreCaroline BotelhoClaudio JimenezAlisa BesherJessica "Jessie" OgungbaderoKenny YatesZoe Costello
Season 3 Frances DomondKenny YatesRachel ReddEric RollinsKaleigh CroninKevin "Buzz" BarretteCaroline Botelho
Season 4 Aline BartaGarrett DiBonaRachel ReddMatthew "Matt" GornsteinEstuardo AlvizuresKaleigh CroninCaroline Botelho
Season 5 Caroline BotelhoAline BartaEstuardo AlvizuresGarrett DiBonaMichael "Mike" HansenKortney SumnerElena "Shing Ying" Shieh
Season 6 Michael "Mike" HansenKortney SumnerFrancesco TenaCara HarveyKyle LarrowMaya MoralesElena "Shing Ying" Shieh
Season 7 Nick HenryTaylor GarronFrancesco TenaNoreen RajaEmily MarshallKyle LarrowElena "Shing Ying" Shieh

Segments

  1. Zoom Theme Song
  2. Fannee Doolee Chant
  3. Z-Mail

    Merchandise

Although the complete series was never released in any format, four videos were released based on the show:
  1. Party with Zoom
  2. The Zoomers Video Special: The Making of ZOOM!
  3. Zoom: America Kids Respond
  4. Zoom: America's Kids Remember
Additionally, a two-disc set with four full episodes plus various footage from all six seasons of the 1970s version was released on October 28, 2008.
Four books by Amy E. Sklansky compiled from material submitted by viewers were published by Little, Brown and Company:
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