1264 – Whiz Kids Pilot
Les Petits Genies will deliver this bedtime story that will lull you like a gentle rain.
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Episode 1264 – Whiz Kids Pilot
[START OF RECORDING]
SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s time for the podcast that’s here to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff so you could fall asleep, to be your friend in the deep, dark night, to ease you into dreamland, and keep you company. I think I already said that. Something…this show is really repetitive, by the way. If you’re new, so glad you’re here. This is a podcast that takes some getting used to. It is very different but it’s very…it’s well-intentioned.
It might not meet your expectations and it might not work for you, but the whole idea is I take your mind off of stuff by telling you a story and never getting to the point, rambling on and on and on so that you could get the rest you need, ‘cause most people that listen to this show, sleep has never come easy, or people are going through a tough time. It could be physical sensations, it could be thoughts, it could be feelings, but it’s really hard to stop those, in my experience, and to just take my…my family used to always say, well, why don’t you stop thinking about stuff and just go to sleep? I said…at this point I just laugh at that kind of stuff. But when I was a kid, at first when it started happening, I was like, wow, this really is not good because they don’t even understand. If I could just stop thinking and go to sleep, I would do that.
This podcast does something different that I learned from listening to comedy radio, which it just takes your mind over here to where I am, where you have no stakes. I’ll be doing all the rambling. I’ll be doing…but I’m here for you, to keep you company. So, if you’re new, just see how it goes. It takes some getting used to. It’s a different show. But I really, genuinely hope it can work for you like the people it has for a while, or while you’re getting through whatever it is you’re getting through right now. What to expect is we got some support coming up — that’s great because you can listen to the ad-supported feed for free — then there’s a long, meandering intro which is meant to ease you into bedtime. It’s not part of the support.
You don’t want to miss out on it unless you’re a regular listener and you kinda already figured out how you like to listen to the show, 'cause it’s…it helps people get ready for bed and eases you into bedtime. Then there’s some support, then there will be a bedtime story. Tonight we’ll be looking at a pilot episode of an eighties’ TV show about…Whiz Kids, and it was out there. This was something I watched 'cause we were kinda waiting to do any new content because of the strikes, so this…I don't know even when this episode will come out, but it was a doozy, man. So, then…and there’s some thank-yous at the end. So, that’s the structure of the show, and I’m really glad you’re here. I work really hard. I yearn and I strive. Thanks…oh, thanks so much for coming by, and thanks for supporting the show, my bore-friends.
INTRO: [INTRO MUSIC] Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press Play. I’m gonna do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake, whether that’s thoughts, things on your mind that you’re thinking about, thoughts from the past, the present, the future, feelings, like anything emotionally coming up for you related to those thoughts or feelings that are just there, it could be changes in time or temperature or routine, it could be traveling or visiting or you could have guests, maybe you work a different schedule, maybe you’re just going through something.
Whatever it is, the reason I run through all that stuff isn't to really remind you of what it is that’s keeping you awake, but to remind you that you’re not alone, that there’s tons of people listening right now, including myself, who can relate to how you feel around bedtime, and I might even be able to relate to how you feel at bedtime or relate to how you feel when you can't sleep. I’m pretty sure I can connect to that stuff because I know how it feels. I’ve been there, and even if I don’t have an ability to relate to whatever it is you're going through right now, there’s enough people listening that right now as I’m saying this, someone is listening somewhere in the world who understands, and they are leaning in right now because they’re paying attention, because they heard this one time…the first, second, third, fourth, fifth time they listened, and then they…it clicked for them.
They said, wow, finally somebody else is out there, and I can kinda feel their presence even though it’s in a non-traditional way, because they understand how I feel and how it’s not easy. It’s intense. They, just like Scooter who’s talking right now knows, I deserve a good night's sleep. I deserve a bedtime I don't need to dread, a bedtime I could look forward to. Sometimes people cry. I’m not just saying that. You don’t have to, but sometimes there’s some serious relief there because you’re not alone. That’s the most important part about the show, is to just let you know that and to maybe let it sink in, and for a lot of people, yeah, maybe it takes a while or maybe you just feel it on the surface, or maybe you just need a bedtime friend and a distraction and something fun, and that’s what we mostly do.
But just see how it goes, 'cause once you get the rest you need on a regular basis, if you have a wind-down routine or a bedtime routine and this show is a part of it, hopefully your life becomes more manageable, your bedtime isn't something you dread, and you could be out there flourishing, 'cause that’s important to the world. How does the show work, though? Well, I send my voice across the deep, dark night. I use lulling, soothing, creaky, dulcet tones, pointless meanders, and superfluous tangents. So, I go off-topic, then I’ll get mixed up, then I’ll forget what I was saying and I’ll say…I’ll double back, there will be a lot of filler words, missed opportunities…holy cow. There will be plenty…but they won't be missed. Forgettable opportunities I forgot about will be what it’ll be like.
I mean, no offense to the show, this…Whiz Kids, 'cause I know whenever I was watching it, I wasn’t retaining enough to remember it very well, but I can remember the main characters. I just remember a sense of watching the show, but I didn’t remember any of the details. Holy mackerel. That’s kinda how Sleep With Me will work, but in a much shorter span. Like, tomorrow you’ll be at breakfast; you’ll be like, I don't know what he was talking about. He was talking about something. Cheez Whiz? Whiz cheese? I don't know. Whiz or without? Whiz or without you? I don't know. Something. Whizzer? Whizzy-woo? Whizzy-wig? So, I don't know, what was my point? Oh, pointless meanders and superfluous tangents…it means I’m gonna go off topic, I’m gonna get mixed up.
The other thing — and I mentioned this earlier — is this show does take some getting used to for the majority of listeners. I’m pretty sure it’s over a million times people have said to me, oh boy, did I not like this podcast when I first listened, but then I listened again, and then on the third try I realized, oh, I was waiting for…the magic, it’s like it already…it never happened and it already happened at the same time. I was waiting for something to start or for something reasonable to start unfolding, but it was already unfolding below me. So, it just takes some tries to get used to that, 'cause I can't even explain what the…I can't even explain it coherently, obviously, and I’ve only made about…nearly 1,300 episodes at this point. So, yeah, it’s…it takes a little while to explain it.
But so, just give it a few tries and see how it goes. You got nothing to lose. If you already…I mean, I’d say if you already loathe me, you should check out sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou, but I would say you got nothing to lose. We have nothing to gain by you listening to more than one episode, because our shows are all based on direct response. So, you could listen to a couple episodes. ‘Cause a lot of people that pay for the podcast now said…they used words stronger than ‘loathe me’, and then it worked for them. But just see how it goes. We do have sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou set up. It’s a website where…it has other sleep podcasts and stuff, and that…a lot of that stuff works for people, or they supplement. They listen to multiple shows. So, just see how it goes.
Yeah, 'cause this show is very different. One part that’s different is it’s a podcast that you just barely listen to as opposed to a normal podcast that you pay attention to or any audio that…it’s kind of like background noise, which is a lot of my experience with audio. Before podcasts, it’s like, I would put stuff on and be barely paying attention 'cause I just liked having some other presence there that I could tune in and out of, whether it was sports radio or baseball games or other people just talking about stuff. I wasn’t giving it my full attention. So, Sleep With Me, it’s encouraged. I’m here not to get your full attention, but the irony is that I’m not here to put you to sleep, either.
I’ve been making the show over ten years and kinda built up this idea and it’s gotten more and more momentum of sleep audio and sleep…to put people to sleep and stuff like that, but this show actually doesn't put you to sleep. I’m here to keep you company and distract you, take your mind over here while you fall asleep. You don’t have to listen to me but you could listen to me and there’s no pressure to fall asleep at all, and that is key for a lot of people because the shows are over an hour so you don’t have to worry about when you’re gonna fall asleep, but if you can't sleep, I’m here to the very end. I know the people that are listening who can't sleep at all or who are having a hard day and just needed a break, or it’s the middle of the day and they’re just lying down for a rest…I’m here to keep them company and I’m here to keep you company whether you’re listening or not.
Because they’re listening, you don’t have to listen. I don't know. I’m more here to be your companion, your friend that you called, your TV on in the other room, your bore-friend, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your bore-bud, your bore-bestie, your neigh-bore, your Borbie, your bores, your bore…Borbie, your bore-bruh, your bore-friend. I don't know, your bore-cuz, your bore-sib. I’m on-call. Call me when you want. Call me when you need. I’ll be barely…I’ll be going on my way, but it’ll be a meandering way. He’s like…he doesn't know where he’s…I’ll be…I’m kinda on my way, but I’m stopping here, then I’m gonna look at that over there, then I’m gonna go over there, then I’m gonna quote a song from three years ago, then I’m gonna keep thinking about that song.
I say, maybe you shouldn’t call…I’m on my way; just don’t call me again. Then I’ll say, wait a second, what was I think…? Yeah, so that’s what a bore-friend does, keeps you company and is a bit goofy. What else do you need to know…is the structure of the show. The show’s structure is very intentional and it is adjustable, and it’s become more and more adjustable over the years. But for most people, the way they experience the show is through the ad-supported feed linearly, but that’s just most people, so…and that’s how we’re able to distribute it and help a lot of people fall asleep, people that can't afford to support the show directly or people that just enjoy that experience. But you can adjust the show, too. Yeah, I admit it’s a bit of a tight rope to walk, is how do we benefit the most people?
So, this is just what we’ve learned over the years of making the show. So, the show starts off with a greeting; friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. That way you feel seen and welcomed in. You say, I might check that show out. I don't know, but I’ll give it a few tries. I heard him say, yeah, give it a few tries. Then there’s support so paying for the podcast is optional, then there’s a long, meandering intro, about twelve to twenty minutes long, where I go on and on and on trying to explain what the podcast is. It is separate from the support. The intro is designed so you get an idea of what the show is like if you’re new, so that it’s very familiar if you’re a regular listener but it’s different every time if you’re a regular listener, because otherwise I could just do something way more efficient, but it wouldn’t work.
Because for me, the things that keep me up at night are very adjustable to whatever strategy I use. So, I have to find new ways…it’s just like, oh, this is familiar but it’s…I don't know what he’s gonna talk about next. I did not expect him to start quoting lyrics from songs from three years ago that are pretty sweet, but he did. I say, thank you. But so…did I just have some sort of positive interaction with myself there live on the mic related to pop music? Okay, so then…what was I…? Now I’m so distracted. I guess that was a self-congratulatory moment. Oh, but the intro goes on and on and on because for most listeners, it’s a buffer or a wind down between the day or the evening and going to sleep. It eases you into bedtime.
So, while 2% of listeners fall asleep and 2% of listeners skip the intro, most people are winding down, getting ready for bed, in bed getting comfortable, or doing a chill activity. You should think about trying it. It’s no pressure, but this is what’s been shown to work. Maybe doodle, maybe foam-roll, maybe lie on the floor, pet your pets, blow kisses to your fishes, whatever it is; knitting, hooking, point…whatever, whatever that kind of other stuff is. Staring at the ceiling; that’s one of my top-ten activities, especially in the evening. Groaning, kissing your…dipping your elbows in milk — probably better off not doing that in your room, but that’s one of the imaginary activities I recommend — kissing your shoulders or your biceps, anything just to kinda help ease you into bedtime, and the intro helps facilitate that, ideally.
So, you could skip it but if you’re new, give it a few tries and just see how it goes, because that is what’s been…changed my relationship with sleep; not just making this podcast, but having a reliable routine. It doesn't work all the time, but it works a lot of the time. Then there’s support after the intro, then tonight it’ll be a recap and a re-describing of the pilot episode of Whiz Kids, and it’s not about kids using the restroom outdoors or whatever. It’s not that, just in case anybody’s wondering, ‘cause when I said it out loud…it’s about kids that are super smart. You could see…really, there’s a lot of bike-riding.
The copy I watched was not very good quality, but you could kinda see…I don't know if the Duffer Brothers watched Whiz Kids 'cause I think they’re a little young, which makes it even cooler, that somehow there’s this archetypal thing…but it doesn't matter. I’ll talk about it in a really boring way. Then there’s some thank-yous at the end. So, that’s the structure of the show. That’s why I make the show. Just see how it goes. I’m so glad you’re here. I work really hard. So do a team of people, because we really believe and yearn and strive to help you fall asleep. So, thanks again for coming by, and here’s a couple of ways we’re actually able to do this for you for free twice a week.
Alright everybody, this is Scoots here, and this may be a one-off episode unless it’s very…like, so popular that people…the people that subscribe to the show at Sleep With Me+ let me know and we could do this as a regular series, but it would take a lot. I’m trying to think how this came to my bubble…to my attention, but I’m just gonna do the pilot episode of a TV show that came out in the eighties called Whiz Kids. It might even take two episodes to do it. Let me give you some info from Wikipedia so that you have an idea, 'cause I don't even…I don't…when it came out or anything. It’s a science-fiction television series; aired on CBS from 1983 to 1984, and it was the same team that made Simon and Simon.
So, I had a vague memory of seeing the show, which makes sense 'cause I would have been too young to watch it. So, maybe it got…was on reruns or something? There was eighteen episodes, one season. Let me tell you, this show has some archetypal things. So, if you did decide to watch this…well, that’s the only downside that I’ll explain in a minute. But it…you…it’s challenging to try to find it even though…so, you can't watch it because it is owned by a company that has its own streaming service — 'cause I tried to find it on YouTube — but they had made it…they said, hey, we own this content. But you can't watch it on their streaming service. But that doesn't mean it won't happen. But there is a French version, so there’s the good news.
I was able to watch a VHS English version, but that was not great. So, it was cancelled after one season, eighteen episodes. W-H-I-Z Kids. They said, hey, how about a show with new technology? A interesting premise; teenage computer geniuses. There was a popular movie that had come out in 1983, but people…that’s what people put on it, but actually, the producers, they came up with it in ‘81 when the computer was Times…Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. 2020 interview; it was about…Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys concept…pitched in ‘82, then the computer aspects…and it was gonna be on…head-to-head with 60 Minutes to appeal to a juvenile audience. They said, okay, let’s do it. The pilot was $2 million.
High-school-age characters…we wanted them at a age…it would be fun to watch them grow if the ship…the show was successful. They wanted to…they hired technical advisors to make cutting-edge technology, how it was depicted. The stories are human-centered. Then the…what is this? It was screened and they didn’t like…oh, they didn’t want any hacking to go on. So, they had to make a lot of changes. So, they found different ways…and the teens needed a moral compass. This was the eighties, for sure. Not allowed…teens are not allowed to access classified information. So, a little eighties…making it…whatever. So, I remember this show and I remember it fondly. I don't know how many episodes I saw, but enough that when I saw all the main characters, I felt a fondness for them from the past.
So, that’s my first observation. I don't think I was watching it in ‘83 or ‘84 'cause, again, I would have been too young. It would have been…even 8:00 p.m. would have been…yeah, I wouldn’t have been awake. So, at some point in my life, I saw this and maybe I saw it again when I was in my…somewhere between sixteen and twenty-four, and I was…it was 4:20 p.m. when I was watching it, but I don't have a memory of that. But it just seems like the kind of thing that at 4:20 p.m. I would have been watching and giggling…and then also…then going on a deep descent into the past and comparing myself to the characters or whatever. But so, it’s a…basically, it’s a very different show, and I only watched the pilot.
Tonally…and I think I talked about this in the intro; I definitely think it’s too old of a show or too…or vintage for the Duffer Brothers to have ever seen it. But so, that’s when I say it’s archetypal or has archetypal elements, 'cause the archetypal elements that you see in that Duffer…Odder Things and stuff and other…Goonies or whatever, are in this show. This show is pre-Goonies, definitely pre-Duffer Brothers. Let’s see, let’s look up Duffer Brothers. What do you think, the Duffer Brothers are…what are their…their vintage is, what, ‘85, maybe? ‘90? It’s spelled with a U, though, Scoots. That’s just my typing, not my spelling. Duffer Brothers… ‘84, man. I am good. Sometimes I’m good.
So, yeah, the Duffer Brothers did not see this show unless they were watching it…maybe they were watching it as ten-year-olds when I was watching it as a twenty-year-old. So…okay, so, any other things I’m supposed to be covering here? Okay, well, let’s say you wanted to watch this. I would recommend…so, I’m gonna be watching a version of it I had to track down. It seems like it’s a digitized version, but it’s the French version of the show, which obviously works because I don't need audio for this recording portion. The French title of the show is Les Petits Genies. So, ‘the small geniuses’, I guess. I don't know if it has…how many episodes it has on here. I mean, if you speak French…it has twelve out of, what, eighteen or twelve episodes? Oh, 'cause there was no English DVD release. Okay. Interesting.
So…wow, so we’re getting interesting stuff here. Okay, so, the show is called Whiz Kids. My only other observation is tonally you could see how…is in the same genre…and you could see, I guess, how it was on mainstream TV that there was some changes made, but not with the pilot, because the pilot is tonally…it really tonally shifts a lot, which is amazing, where you get…you’re thinking…I don't know if you’ve ever watched…let’s see how I can talk about…one of the biggest influences for Sleep With Me, David L…and I don't know if you’ve ever watched David L’s weather reports or…what are they? Lottery ball picks…or, of course, his body of work. But there’s just elements in this where you’re like, am I watching…?
But it shifts to freshmen…I’m guess eighth-grade freshmen in high school, a younger sister, and then going into this world, but…I don't know. So, it’s…makes for quite a ride, man. Also, we get…one of our favorite actors, Jonathan Banks, is in this playing Jonathan Banks…up until the end, a Jonathan Banks character. So, I was like…multiple times, I just put ‘mic’. So, one by one…oh, Episode…Season 1, Episode 1. So, when I watched it in English, it was off of a VHS, so it was not very good. You have Richie, Hamilton, Jeremy, Alice, and Cheryl, the kid’s sister, and then Gallagher. But on the French DVD version, they have a little teaser. Then, the music on this show is very good. Then, yeah, there’s this company, Nascorp…so, even if you want to look it up on YouTube, that is on YouTube, just the theme music. It’s very cool.
But yeah, the one Lynchian thing or one of the Lynchian things…or Lost; it also reminded me of Lost…is in the…so, there’s really cool elements to the show, and I guess I can see how the network…it was…I guess the show, in some sense, wasn’t able to define itself. So, I don't know if in later episodes they’re able to lean into this idea of Nascorp running everything. But I think it’s cool, personally, and it reminds me of stuff I really like. So, yeah, one by one, VHS, Cheryl, kid’s sis…there’s a reporter, Gallagher, which I guess in the…now that everything has to be ‘no hacking allowed’, according to the Wikipedia article, maybe there was other authority figures that helped the youth. But it starts out with…let’s see.
So, the…right now they’re doing the thing. Les Petits Genies…and we see some fish, some fractal art…we got Max Gail. I don't think Max is in the first episode, though. Oh, there’s…oh my goodness, there might be more than one reporter. Interesting. But yeah, they start to show. Richie is the one…the main character, and he’s turning on his computer stuff. Then we got…Hamilton is the cool cat. He’s kind of got this jock type…he’s flexing his muscles. Then we’ve got Jeremy. Jeremy’s popping a wheelie on his bike, running for office or volunteering as someone running for office, then we have Alice, who…she’s playing the cello, doing ballet. Then we have Cheryl, the younger sister. Cheryl…keep out…her arms are crossed. Avec Martinez…so, these are the other people that…huh, I wonder if this is the same pilot I watched.
One of the characters has been entirely removed from this. I’m not joking. So, there was a reporter character named Gallagher. Okay, but this is what I saw so far; so, a cab turns on a corner, takes a right — it seems like it’s Los Angeles — and pulls up to a detection center. Detection…I thought it was a defection center when I saw it. That was my note. Somebody gets out of the cab. She crosses the street. She’s looking at a building, goes through a gate…oh, there’s…oh, it’s a building to get well. Then the camera starts to go right, and we see it’s run by the Nascorp. So, the first thing…then we have a character…she’s looking in the mirror and she’s taking care of somebody that she cares for. She says, huh, I love you. Then we see that there’s a two-way mirror, and we see Mike. Mike is a doctor.
Then there’s the hospital manager, mystery Jon bands…I don't know what that is. Thirty years gone? Good use of silence with this, 'cause they’re proposing all these ideas. Mystery…mystery…? Oh, so there’s mystery…there’s a mystery here playing out. But yeah, they have really good use…they’re preparing for some…they’re up to something, these two, the head of the facility and Mike, who’s the doctor, Jonathan Banks. They can't agree; he’s like, I need you…we need more time. We need to go faster, whatever. Then we get a sky shot. Oh, that’s not quite yet. They go in and Mike’s like, okay, well, I’m gonna be up to some…I want to do a couple…I want to find out some things, so let me be charming here. If we could have this guest…why don’t you stay here as our guest, too?
So, she says, okay, I guess I’ll stay here as a guest since I’m already caring for my family member. Then we get a shot of this park and neighborhood from the sky, and it’s a helicopter shot but it looks like a drone shot. We’re seeing all the guest performers. Let’s see, are we…when are we gonna see it? Jonathan Banks; there it is. James Whitmore Jr.…Don Dubbins…okay, so we see…this, I think…honestly, I’m almost positive, is the Universal Studios tour. Yeah, it is, 'cause we’re seeing…maybe not. There’s some bungalows that look like they’re in one of the scene…Western scenes from Universal Studios, but it might not be. It’s tough to tell. I think I know everything, but it’s just an act. This episode was directed by Corey Allen. So, we see three kids on bikes on a ridge. They’re happy. Oh boy, are they.
Jeremy’s smiling. They’re all smiling, biking in slow motion, BMX biking. The Joy of Biking; that is what this sequence could be called. Then they go through some old fences and stuff. Yeah, three kids on a bike, very happy montage; that’s exactly what I wrote. Then Cheryl and the dog are following them. They say, Cheryl…this is old Mrs. Harrison’s house. Mrs. Harrison’s house? What about the junkyard, man? They’re cracking jokes about Cheryl and junkyards, and then we get another…then they’re biking in slow motion again. Cheryl’s watching them. She’s got…she’s sitting up on the fence. So, I guess they’re right on the property line. Maybe they dared each other to go onto the property to go to the junkyard? We see the house in the background. Oh yeah, they’re popping wheelies.
There’s all junk, construction equipment…now there’s a road, but they get busted by somebody…a construction worker for Nascorp. So, then the guy from Nascorp says, Mrs. Harrison doesn't live here anymore. They say, we’re doing construction. Cheryl’s dog finds something to snack on, and they say, that’s a surprise. The kids kinda say, we don’t like the way you’re talking to us, authority figure, so they bike off. Then they go to where Cheryl’s made…her dog says, I found some snacks. So, they say, hey Cheryl, what’s going on? She says, well, it’s part of a mystery. We’re gonna be…this is a mystery. There’s really great music. So, this is kinda the first setting of like, okay, something’s up here, something different, because it’s…yeah, it’s gonna be…then we have another sequence of the kids.
Very archetypal; the kids riding bikes over hills, up streets. Great shots. The dogs run with them. I don't see Cheryl. But they go back to the computer lab. The kid starts firing up his computer stuff. He’s happy. Oh boy, he must be rich 'cause his…he has a huge pool, too. So…I mean, maybe it’s…it’s…kinda looks like an apartment complex. But he literally has his own computer room. I’m not trying to say perjoratively rich. Just like, I would be…I wouldn't be on my computer; I’d be in the pool, but that’s his choice. His computer already has face-ID. So, it starts to do face-checks on the boys after he fires it up, all three boys. Let’s see…yeah, so it’s checking the boys. First you gotta put a bunch of disks in. It takes a little while to get a computer started back then. So, it has to do…the image recognition program’s starting up.
So, it scans them. He’s very proud of his computer room. Then they’re like, what’s the deal, dude? He goes, okay, we gotta get some remote access. The Los Angeles Gazette…Gallagher is the reporter. There used to be this term, Kilroy. I don't know what it is. I guess I could look that up, too. Okay, I guess Kilroy…it used to be…it was a meme. It used to be ‘Kilroy was here’. It started with graffiti and doodles. Yeah, he’s got…he’s logging in as Gallagher. I guess it went from being in the real world to the online world at some point. Oh yeah, 'cause it could have been…it was a meme that…is there actually someone named Kilroy that’s a super spy? So, then we have Gallagher at work. He’s trying to…he’s seeing the kids are logged in on his computer.
We go back to the construction site and we see that this developer was…so, there’s a developer on the phone with the construction site. It’s also the guy that was running the place of rest where everybody was getting well, and he’s overlooking this development. He’s like…he’s patting his head. You don’t twirl your moustache in the eighties; you pat your head. But he says, this actually works out perfect for me. Jackpot. Then their kids are with the reporter. The reporter is reporting on this mystery. Thirty years ago…kids and the reporter…Shirley Harrison…and so, they say, okay, there’s actually some kind of story here. There’s also the construction guy. We have a cool fade effect coming up.
But they’re like, okay…oh yeah, we zoom in on the construction guy, somebody else, and then it fades from somebody else to…back where Mike’s in charge, future Mike. We see that the person from the cab is now staying there helping…instead of…is being cared for at the same place like somebody she was visiting was being cared for. Then we go back, and the main kid whose name I can't even remember is asleep at his computer. He’s in his pajamas. I guess it’s morning. He slept there all night. His mom says, it’s time for school, hun. She seems very nice. Then we get a title…oh, then we see…high school Alison, title survey…great graphics…no chase. No change? So, the kid’s doing…he’s got some sort of…he’s got some kind of data mining going, but he leaves. Maybe he’s not in his pajamas.
Then we see their high school; very modern. By eighties’ standards, ultra-modern. Maybe we’re at the computer lab? What do we got here? There’s a door. Library in use periods two…oh, computer class. Oh, Alison sees them. They’re using the librarian’s computer to do research, and they’re using a…oh, great graphics. Yeah, they’re looking at maps and titles and deeds. Yeah, Alma Harrison owns that. She’s owned it since 18…or August 1903. Last appraised; 1977. $1.3 mil for the land. So they’re like, wait a second, maybe this mystery has to do with the land and transfer of deeds. Alison says, why don’t you look it up there? Whatever. They brainstorm together. Why not…why don’t we go ask someone, a human being? Then the bell rings, so they all run off. Then school’s out. They run into Alice again.
There’s bikes music, and then they say, well, maybe you’d like to come with us, Alice. Oh yeah, she’s getting her bike. She’s unlocking her bike. They’re coming to her bike. Their bikes are parked in the same spot, but they don’t know how to handle it, right? They’re just freshmen. So, they finally say, Alice, maybe you’d like to join us. The guy with the muscles does that, though. I forgot his name, too. But, whatever, it’s not super important. But yeah, they say, okay. Then he falls down because he’s…hadn’t unlocked his bike. Then we see another Nascorp sign, so we get the sense that Nascorp runs everything, which was kind of one of these things back in the day. They’re at Nascorp headquarters or something, 'cause we see multiple signs. Yeah, it’s a very modern campus.
It’s actually kinda Brutalist architecture, but for back then, modern. Then we see the developer inside, and they’re like, wait, they’re going to meet with the developer. So, yeah, they are, and they’re asking about…hey, what’s this development? We’re doing a report, by the way. Meanwhile, the kid…one of the kids gets on the guy’s computer by the Kilroy fake password. He’s like, keep it distracted. Oh, it doesn't work. Password fails. They say, okay. Yeah, this is interesting. Tell us more about this development. They’re all watching. The guy’s really excited about it. Say, oh yeah, this is a great opportunity for everybody. It could be Harrison Hills, three plans…it’d be really nice playing…oh, soft hacking, I saw. Yeah, they say, well, what about that other land? Doesn't somebody own it?
Oh yeah, but it’ll be default on the taxes, so we’ll be the highest bidder. Then his kids leave. The construction guy is there. Of course he recognizes the kids. He says, those are those meddling kids. They say, okay, we gotta find everything out we can about these kids, then. We need to know everything. Then we have a pay phone sequence where all the kids are on pay phones trying to do research to find the original title owner. So, not exactly riveting stuff except for a sleep podcast; you know, title…transfer of titles. I don't even really know what a title is. Proof of ownership, I guess? ‘Cause I have a title for my car. But the kids find her and then they hop on the bus. They go…and they say, oh, no visitors today. There’s theme music…but then the kids, they’re like, well, we’re gonna sneak in, then.
So, Alison pretends to be a fake nurse. Then they’re like, 211 or 240? Huh. Okay. They get confused because there’s two different numbers. Then they run into somebody else who’s actually trying to be helpful. She goes, oh, no, no, she’s in 240. Maybe you had your people mixed up, but she’s resting. Then we have more bike-riding with ominous music. But we go back to the computer clubhouse, and Alison’s like, oh, well, I guess this is it 'cause you guys are in your own club, huh? They say, no…well, we didn’t say you can't join our club. You just have to pass the initiation. So, Ralph is the name of the computer. Ralph asks her name; Alice. Not Alison, Drew. She talks to the computer and she says…she uses the nerd word, but they go, we’re not nerds. We’re hackers. Welcome to our club.
Alice, Tyler, Lazenby…maybe Lazenby is the computer expert as Nascorp? I don't know. But we find out that ninety-four-year-old Mrs. Harrison went…she headed out from Earth farm to big farm, but she’s not the person who took the bus who was still there visiting her, who was still there sleeping. Then they go to the reporter who’s like, yeah, there’s a big story here. It’s not the one you got. It’s a 1950’s mystery…saves them seven years. This whole property is worth so much money. They say, well, what if we make sure we know who everybody is? Isn’t there technology nowadays for us to do that? We have to prove who is who is who. So, then they do…they search a database. We actually get to see some computerized…some high-tech computer…what do you call them?
Newspaper layouts. So, they search the database with Ralph, and then we see there’s even a Nascorp food service that runs the vending machines, 'cause the vending machine doesn't even work right. Then our lead character is home. His mom says, are you gonna join us for dinner? No. Did you do your homework? Yes. Did you do your chores? Yes. Mom, mom…well, how about…can you bring me dinner, mom? So, the mom is supportive of her son’s interests, and he’s got a computer arm that kinda feeds him dinner or dessert. So, it looks like he’s having millionaire shortbread. Okay, then we go back to another building, a permit building, I think. They know the kids’ there, 'cause they’re point…wagging their fingers at them. Everybody seems cross. Oh, maybe he needs help. Oh, it’s the school office, the principal’s office.
People are DM…they’re sending him DMs on the computer. So, high-tech stuff. Clear phone line override…so, he can have his computer Ralph call the school and then take over the school phones and DM him. But he’s only using it for good. I think this sequence was cut out of the one…I didn’t see this, but I could see how it plays out. 32967…one match; Labreya. Now the kids are all riding their bikes, and we see the woman sleeping. She is a Harrison, right? Also, Mike goes to the developer. He’s like, I don't like this anymore, man. I want out of this. ‘Cause Mike’s like, we’re over big-farming, man. He goes, well, some people big-farm faster than others. He’s like, I don't know.
We even see that the car insurance…oh, so, we start to see the reach of the Nascorp…'cause I think Richie’s parents or somebody parents…is there a character named Richie? They’re like, Nascorp called. Our car insurance has been cancelled. Okay, then we go to Shirley Harrison’s room. Slade and…oh, then we get this Jerry Cruncher situation. So, they’re like, okay, I’ll take care of the kids. They call up this dude, Slade, who’s their fixer. They go, Slade, we’ve got a Jerry…it’s Jerry Cruncher time. That’s a deep cut, anybody that gets it. But they say, we need you to look around for some stuff, Jerry-Cruncher style. The kids are also doing some Jerry-Cruncher-style stuff, just digging in the dirt. Nascorp runs it, even the place where you least…where you leave your stuff behind when you go to visit the big farm.
Seventy-seven bucks a month they were paying for their car insurance, Richie’s family, 'cause he doesn't drive yet, though. I guess that’s not bad, comparatively, if you don’t have a teenager driving. I don't think my insurance would be that much more. Okay, so then they run into Cheryl and the dog 'cause they’re sneaking out. Don’t tell mom. Open sesame…empty. But yeah, they’re trying to sneak around and uncover stuff that we need…they need to prove things. So, they’re digging in the dirt like that song, and it turns out Cheryl’s there and Alison. Cheryl wants to go home, so they say, okay. Labreya…run by Nascorp. Then I think the kid…the good-looking kid is…the kid with the muscles is like, I’ll take Alice and Cheryl home. Then Slade appears and says, I’m gonna take care of everybody else.
He says, I don't have…I’m not gonna have any trouble with it, either. Then we go to a place like they used to have back in the day, where they say, hey…like Springfield on The Simpsons. So, he takes the kids to Springfield, a place like Springfield, but he just gets the two boys; what, Jeremy and Richie, I think. He says, yeah, I’m gonna bring you here. I got the construction guy and the developer. He says, let’s just leave these guys here. Don’t cause us any more trouble. But it’s like…it actually just looks like a office building downstairs or something. Also, Richie has one…what are those called, Docksiders? What are those…? Boat shoes. He finds a computer in storage. Then we get this transcendent music. The monitor is the computer. It’s huge. It has coaxial cables, I think, but he needs to run a password-breaker.
He writes his own code to break the password so he can log into the computer and the network, which I guess technically, depending on what their rules were…you’re just creating a program to plug in different passwords, right? He’s already at BB something when it gets the right password. Then he turns the air conditioning off and the heater on, then the sprinklers on, shuts down the telephone systems, then there’s more music. The model gets ruined, and there’s…just because of rain and too much heat, there’s total chaos. Right now he’s programming his password-cracker. Everything…the elevator shuts down because of the sprinklers. The developer gets on there. Hacking in the rain, man. BB…okay, we’re almost there. BBLH…it’s the last thing I saw. I guess that worked.
The kids don’t show up to school, so that’s when everybody else knows something’s up. So, A, BBB, BBD, BBFH…rejected, rejected. Password rejected. BBOQ or OR, or QR. Triple B QR or triple B OR. Oh, I just missed it. Oh, you can go back fifteen seconds, right? Yeah. Then Richie DMs the whole school after he hacks everything in the building. So, he sends the entire school a DM back when there wasn’t such a thing, or an IM, I guess, even when there wasn’t such a thing as IM. Password accepted. Bingo, buddy. BBBOR…and the kid with the muscles, he says, we’ll take my brother’s car. Funky one way or another…8-bit music…bad driving on the freeway…too slow. Kids get out on the run…Nascorp Hollywood sign…so, the kids even fire-hose…'cause they’re trying to get away, and then they fire-hose the people chasing them.
Then Mike gets busted by the reporter and he says, what’s your name, Rapunzel? What, did we just get busted by a bunch of high-school students? They pause on computer coupons? I don't know what that says, so let’s go through it. Okay, right now we’ve got the guy calling the reporter saying, back off, man. Then the phones go out. The developer, he’s trying to hang up the phone. Then the heater’s on and then it starts…none of the phones are working. People are like, I can't do my job without a phone. Then the sprinklers go on. People are literally running around like they’re in the musical Wicked, but that doesn't even…that was not even real, anyway. So, they’re like…Jeremy tries to cover the computer so they can finish hacking.
But otherwise, people are literally…that work in this building are running into each other, and this model is so poorly-made that it just melts and falls apart in the rain. So, you should have had more budget there. For some reason, the people that are there to respond are driving up the staircases 'cause I guess it’s not accessible any other way. They’re even climbing and stuff. It literally is like…the entire company melted down because the heat and sprinklers. The one developer is like, I gotta get my model glue. He rushes to the elevator, pushes everybody out of the way, and of course gets stuck on the elevator. Then he’s really irritable. Of course the phone doesn't work. Then a sprinkler goes on, so that’s a typical…it can't get any worse, can it?
Richie’s still…it’s funny that they couldn't have the kids…who wouldn’t allow the kids to be…hack anything, but they could use a computer in the pouring rain. So, then they get into the place where the woman…Shirley is. She was born in 1921. No, that’s not right, 'cause she would be sixty-something, right? Twenty plus six…no…yeah, eighty. So, now they’re checking somebody else. The computer doesn't work anymore, so they have to get out of the room. The reporter, he gets a DM, and…Room 211; get over there. Oh, and we do have the Kilroy meme…or meme thing. Also…oh, the message went to the school and every computer at the school and the…yeah, the newspaper. So, that’s when they take the car. They run down the stairs, Alice and Mr. Handsome. I don't know what to call him.
He gets his brother’s keys. I guess his brother must be a senior or something. He’s got a nice car, but obviously his younger brother’s not a very good driver. Everybody laughs. This scene is in Clueless, 'cause I just watched it. So, he tries to get on the freeway going too slow, probably the same freeway. He’s gotta get…build up his experience, I’d say. So, they’re not going fast enough. This shot is definitely in LA, 'cause we can see a couple landmarks. They’re trying to get out of the room that they’re…they were stuck in, and actually, somebody finds them and is like, hey, we’re…I’m happy to help you. Then everybody’s running around. Okay…that’s when the construction worker sees the two boys and the developer. They say, come on, grab those kids. So, that’s when they make their move.
They go to the Hollywood Nascorp sign and then they use a fire hose to hose everybody that’s chasing them, and they hose down the Nascorp sign. Yeah, everybody’s running around a bit and thinking they’re gonna put a stop to it, but they’re not. Actually, it was very foamy and the kids are laughing hysterically, so they must have been having fun or they’re just really good at acting. A lot of high-fiving that goes on in the eighties’ shows, too. They take Nascorp corporate bikes to get around campus, which is…I don't know. But this is such a great digital addition. The reporter pulls up at the place for care. The reporter’s running. He runs in the gate, runs up the staircase…the kids are on their bikes, the Nascorp bikes, ten-speeds.
The high school…the other two…Alice and the guy, they just park on the side of the road with the brother’s car just as the ten-speeds from Nascorp are arriving. Everybody’s…the reporter’s running to the bedroom, but they’re like…another person that was in on it is trying to stop him. She says, see? The room is empty. There’s nothing going on here. That’s when all the kids arrive. So, they have her, and they say, there’s something going on here. Everybody has their hands on their hips, everybody. The other woman says, aren’t you…? The nurse says, aren’t you looking for the lady down the hall? So, she totally ruins the surprise. Oh, she’s in the hot-tub room. So, we go down to the hot-tub room, and Mike is down there. Mike’s like, okay, well…and then Mike tries to run away, 'cause they say, you’re a part of this.
He goes…and two of the kids jump on him and they fall into the hot tub. It’s like a small-pool-size hot tub. That’s it for Mike. He’s like a wet noodle or something. But that’s it. The case is solved. This was a title-holder, basically. Yeah, Mike’s totally…but also what’s funny is that just somehow it’s all resolved. Even though the sprinklers are still on at the corporate center, the reporter goes there as everybody’s getting their consequences, doing…trying to do interviews. He says, let me take your picture. Case closed. Nice job, kids. Get in the picture. It was kinda cute. That’s…it freezes at the end of the four kids, and then it goes to a thing. Let’s see what the headline is. Nascorp exec, two others busted. They were up to no good. That one’s…yeah, the Los Angeles Gazette, published daily.
But I don't know, I think…here’s what I like about the show; good casting, I like the Nascorp mystery, and again, it just has these interludes of bike-riding. There’s a lot of joy in this one, and I don't know what…I don't know if I could watch this…I can't watch it in French 'cause I don't speak French and there’s no subtitles. There may be other low-quality VHS duplicates out there, but that’s hard to watch, you know? But yeah, let me know what you think. The reason we did this one-off episode was the strikes have ended, but I just want to make sure I had a non…just another material to have recorded in case we needed it, you know? So, yeah, that’s it. Thanks for joining us here on Whiz Kids, a one-off. Thanks, and goodnight, everybody.
[END OF RECORDING]
(Transcription performed by LeahTranscribes)
-
Whiz Kids
Cheese Whiz
https://www.foodandwine.com/news/not-so-american-history-cheez-whiz
https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2015/01/cheese-cheez-whiz/
https://www.mashed.com/139639/the-untold-truth-of-cheez-whiz/
Whiz Kids
https://www.marshmyers.com/rabbit-hole-whiz-kids.html
https://screenrant.com/hack-the-planet-10-ways-hollywood-hacking-differs-from-real-life/
https://www.coresecurity.com/blog/tired-hacking-tropes-tv-shows-and-movies
Time Person of the Year
https://time.com/5047813/person-of-the-year-history/
Kilroy
https://taskandpurpose.com/history/the-story-of-kilroy-and-why-he-was-there/
https://www.wbur.org/endlessthread/2021/10/01/memes-kilroy
DOWN TO BUSINESS
Btw, this show is really repetitive
I promise this show is well-intentioned
A pilot episode about 80’s whiz kids
Deep Dark Night United
n/a
PLUGS
Orlando Park Stop Fundraiser; Sleep With Me Plus; Sleep Phones; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; NAPAWF; Anti-Racism Resources; Ukraine Relief; Crisis Textline
SPONSORS
Claritin; Dusker; Helix Sleep; Odoo; Air Doctor Pro; AquaTru; Zocdoc; Progressive
INTRO
Maybe you’re just going through something
You’re not alone
Somebody is out there
Sometimes people cry
Sometimes there’s serious relief
Forgettable Opportunities I Forgot About
I don’t remember the details of watching Whiz Kids, but I remember the feeling of watching the show
Whiz or Whiz-out You
A lot of people have stronger than loathed me
I’m here not to get your full attention
I’m here to be your TV on in the other room
I’m on call, but don’t call me again
Well, even I wasn’t expecting to quote a song from 3 years ago
I guess that was a Self-Congratulatory Moment
Blow some kisses to your fishes
Staring at my Ceiling is one of my Top 10 Bedtime Activities
Don’t dip your elbows in milk in your bedroom
A description of the pilot of “Whiz Kids”
I’m not sure if the Duffer brothers watched Whiz Kids or not
STORY
This might be a one-off episode unless it’s really popular
How did this come to my attention?
The pilot of an 80’s show Whiz Kids
I have vague memories of seeing this show
This has some real archetypal things
It’s hard to find online
The parent company doesn’t have it on its streaming service
Canceled after one season
A show with new technology and teenage geniuses
In 1981 when Time said the computer was the Person of the Year
Teens are not allowed to access Classified Information
I felt fondness for these characters in the past
I must have seen this in re-runs
I used to watch this at 4:20pm
What vintage are the Duffer Brothers?
A French version of the show
Les Petits Genets
There was no English DVD release
The pilot changes tonally all the time
This feels very David L
Jonathan Banks is in this!
Richie, Hamilton, Jeremy, Alice, and Cheryl
NASCORP
The theme music is on YouTube
Some fish and fractal art
Hamilton is flexing his muscles
Jeremy is running for office
Alice does cello and ballet
Cheryl, the younger sister
Is this the same pilot I watched?
A character has just been removed
A cab pulls up to the Detection Center
A business run by the NASCORP
Mike is a doctor
These 2 are up to something
Why don’t you stay here as a guest too?
I’m almost positive this is the Universal backlot
3 kids are biking on a ridge happily
Cheryl and the dog are following them
Old Ms. Harrison’s House
Biking in Slow Motion again
They’re doing construction in Ms. Harrison’s House now
Shady Construction
Something is up here
Back to the computer lab
Man, this kid must be rich – he has his own computer room and a pool
His computer already has Face ID
They have to get in touch with the reporter Gallagher
What does Kilroy mean?
An early meme
Back to the construction site
You don’t twirl your mustache in the 80s, you pat your head
Doing some research on Ms. Harrison
They’re doing research on the computer library
Some intense land transfer / deed research
School’s out and they run into Alice again
Alice is unlocking her bike
They don’t know how to handle this mystery
NASCORP runs everything
A very modern campus
They distract one of the developers so someone can try to hack
“We’re doing a report on this development”
Construction guy recognizes those meddling kids
A pay phone sequence
What even is a title?
They find Harrison and try to sneak in to the hospital
Alice / Allison(?) pretends to be a nurse
Harrison is resting in 240
Back to the computer clubhouse
They welcome Allison into their club
We’re not nerds, we’re hackers!
Ms. Harrison headed to the Big Farm, but she’s not the person in the hospital
This also connects to a 1950s history
How can we confirm these identities?
Some hi-tech computer newspaper layouts
NASCORP even runs the vending machines!
Is that millionaire’s shortbread??
People are sending this kid DMs on the computer
That’s hi tech stuff!
I didn’t see this sequence the first time
Mike doesn’t want to be part of this NASCORP conspiracy anymore
NASCORP cancels one of their car insurance policies
Call in Slade to deal with this Jerry Cruncher style
Richie’s family now has to deal with not have car insurance
Cheryl and the dog are sneaking out
They’re snooping and digging in the dirt
La Brea is run by NASCORP!
Slade is going to take care of all these kids
He takes the kids to Springfield
Slade takes Richie and Jeremy to be held
Richie is wearing docksiders?
Richie breaks into the computer network
He turns the AC off, the heat on, the sprinklers on, and the elevators off
Hacking in the rain
The kids don’t show up to school
Let me see what this password is
Richie DMs the entire school
Funky “One Way Or Another”
Mike gets busted by the reporter
Did we just get busted by a bunch of high schoolers?
People are running around like they’re in Wicked
This design model just falls apart in the rain
This company just melts down when the heat and sprinklers go on
It’s amazing this hacked computer stays on in the rain
Let’s see if Harrison is the real Harrison!
They message the school and the newspaper
They take Jeremy’s brother’s car
This scene is straight up ripped from Clueless
Not driving fast enough on the freeway
This was definitely shot in LA
The developer goes to grab those kids
They use a fire hose to hose all the people chasing them
The kids are having a lot of fun doing this
There’s a lot of hi-fiving
Using NASCORP bikes around campus
Reporter pulls up
Showing up to the hospital
Everyone has their hands on their hips
Down to the Hot Tub Room
Mike is subdued in the hot tub
The case is solved!
Everything is resolved…kind of
Case closed! Nice job, kids!
NASCORP is busted!
I like the casting
I like the NASCORP mystery
There’s a lot of joy in this
I don’t know if I can watch more of this in French
Let me know what you think
SWM+ THANKS
Lorelai, Michelle, Ted, Skay, Rafi, Robert, Charlotte, eElen, Robert O, Sheila, Caitlin, Paul, Laura, Deborah, Lois-Anna, Janine, Katherine, Caitlin, David, Jessica, Lakeisha, Patricia, Lindsay, Nathan, Steph, DJ, Dennis, Susan, Lee, Kim
SUMMARY:
Episode: 1264
Title: Whiz Kids Pilot
Deep Dark Night United: n/a
Plugs: Orlando Park Stop Fundraiser; Sleep With Me Plus; Sleep Phones; Rusty Biscuit Links; Emily Tat Artwork; NAPAWF; Anti-Racism Resources; Ukraine Relief; Crisis Textline
Sponsors: Claritin; Dusker; Helix Sleep; Odoo; Air Doctor Pro; AquaTru; Zocdoc; Progressive
SWM+ Thanks: Lorelai, Michelle, Ted, Skay, Rafi, Robert, Charlotte, eElen, Robert O, Sheila, Caitlin, Paul, Laura, Deborah, Lois-Anna, Janine, Katherine, Caitlin, David, Jessica, Lakeisha, Patricia, Lindsay, Nathan, Steph, DJ, Dennis, Susan, Lee, Kim
Notable Language:
- Forgettable Opportunities I Forgot About
- Whiz or Whiz-out You
- Self-Congratulatory Moment
- NASCORP
Notable Culture:
- Whiz Kids
-
- “With or Without You” – U2
- “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” – Lil Nas X
- The Duffer Brothers
- Wikipedia
- Simon & Simon
- Goonies
- Stranger Things
- Otter Things
-
- Les Petits Genets
- David Lynch
- The Kilroy Meme
- Brutalist architecture
- Millionaire’s Shortbread
- The Simpsons
-
- “One Way Or Another” – Blondie
- Wicked
- Clueless
- SAG-AFTRA / WGA Strikes
Notable Talking Points:
- Maybe you’re just going through something
- You’re not alone
- Somebody is out there
- Sometimes people cry
- Sometimes there’s serious relief
- Forgettable Opportunities I Forgot About
- I don’t remember the details of watching Whiz Kids, but I remember the feeling of watching the show
- Whiz or Whiz-out You
- A lot of people have stronger than loathed me
- I’m here not to get your full attention
- I’m here to be your TV on in the other room
- I’m on call, but don’t call me again
- Well, even I wasn’t expecting to quote a song from 3 years ago
- I guess that was a Self-Congratulatory Moment
- Blow some kisses to your fishes
- Staring at my Ceiling is one of my Top 10 Bedtime Activities
- Don’t dip your elbows in milk in your bedroom
- A description of the pilot of “Whiz Kids”
- I’m not sure if the Duffer brothers watched Whiz Kids or not
- This might be a one-off episode unless it’s really popular
- How did this come to my attention?
- The pilot of an 80’s show Whiz Kids
- I have vague memories of seeing this show
- This has some real archetypal things
- It’s hard to find online
- The parent company doesn’t have it on its streaming service
- Canceled after one season
- A show with new technology and teenage geniuses
- In 1981 when Time said the computer was the Person of the Year
- Teens are not allowed to access Classified Information
- I felt fondness for these characters in the past
- I must have seen this in re-runs
- I used to watch this at 4:20pm
- What vintage are the Duffer Brothers?
- A French version of the show
- Les Petits Genets
- There was no English DVD release
- The pilot changes tonally all the time
- This feels very David L
- Jonathan Banks is in this!
- Richie, Hamilton, Jeremy, Alice, and Cheryl
- NASCORP
- The theme music is on YouTube
- Some fish and fractal art
- Hamilton is flexing his muscles
- Jeremy is running for office
- Alice does cello and ballet
- Cheryl, the younger sister
- Is this the same pilot I watched?
- A character has just been removed
- A cab pulls up to the Detection Center
- A business run by the NASCORP
- Mike is a doctor
- These 2 are up to something
- Why don’t you stay here as a guest too?
- I’m almost positive this is the Universal backlot
- 3 kids are biking on a ridge happily
- Cheryl and the dog are following them
- Old Ms. Harrison’s House
- Biking in Slow Motion again
- They’re doing construction in Ms. Harrison’s House now
- Shady Construction
- Something is up here
- Back to the computer lab
- Man, this kid must be rich – he has his own computer room and a pool
- His computer already has Face ID
- They have to get in touch with the reporter Gallagher
- What does Kilroy mean?
- An early meme
- Back to the construction site
- You don’t twirl your mustache in the 80s, you pat your head
- Doing some research on Ms. Harrison
- They’re doing research on the computer library
- Some intense land transfer / deed research
- School’s out and they run into Alice again
- Alice is unlocking her bike
- They don’t know how to handle this mystery
- NASCORP runs everything
- A very modern campus
- They distract one of the developers so someone can try to hack
- “We’re doing a report on this development”
- Construction guy recognizes those meddling kids
- A pay phone sequence
- What even is a title?
- They find Harrison and try to sneak in to the hospital
- Alice / Allison(?) pretends to be a nurse
- Harrison is resting in 240
- Back to the computer clubhouse
- They welcome Allison into their club
- We’re not nerds, we’re hackers!
- Ms. Harrison headed to the Big Farm, but she’s not the person in the hospital
- This also connects to a 1950s history
- How can we confirm these identities?
- Some hi-tech computer newspaper layouts
- NASCORP even runs the vending machines!
- Is that millionaire’s shortbread??
- People are sending this kid DMs on the computer
- That’s hi tech stuff!
- I didn’t see this sequence the first time
- Mike doesn’t want to be part of this NASCORP conspiracy anymore
- NASCORP cancels one of their car insurance policies
- Call in Slade to deal with this Jerry Cruncher style
- Richie’s family now has to deal with not have car insurance
- Cheryl and the dog are sneaking out
- They’re snooping and digging in the dirt
- La Brea is run by NASCORP!
- Slade is going to take care of all these kids
- He takes the kids to Springfield
- Slade takes Richie and Jeremy to be held
- Richie is wearing docksiders?
- Richie breaks into the computer network
- He turns the AC off, the heat on, the sprinklers on, and the elevators off
- Hacking in the rain
- The kids don’t show up to school
- Let me see what this password is
- Richie DMs the entire school
- Funky “One Way Or Another”
- Mike gets busted by the reporter
- Did we just get busted by a bunch of high schoolers?
- People are running around like they’re in Wicked
- This design model just falls apart in the rain
- This company just melts down when the heat and sprinklers go on
- It’s amazing this hacked computer stays on in the rain
- Let’s see if Harrison is the real Harrison!
- They message the school and the newspaper
- They take Jeremy’s brother’s car
- This scene is straight up ripped from Clueless
- Not driving fast enough on the freeway
- This was definitely shot in LA
- The developer goes to grab those kids
- They use a fire hose to hose all the people chasing them
- The kids are having a lot of fun doing this
- There’s a lot of hi-fiving
- Using NASCORP bikes around campus
- Reporter pulls up
- Showing up to the hospital
- Everyone has their hands on their hips
- Down to the Hot Tub Room
- Mike is subdued in the hot tub
- The case is solved!
- Everything is resolved…kind of
- Case closed! Nice job, kids!
- NASCORP is busted!
- I like the casting
- I like the NASCORP mystery
- There’s a lot of joy in this
- I don’t know if I can watch more of this in French
- Let me know what you think