Original title
Megamaths
Released
9/16/1996
Origin country
GB
Genre
Family
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
4
Number of episodes
18
Megamaths is an Educational programme about Maths that originally aired on BBC2 between 1996 and 2001. Each episode was 20 minutes long and was written by Maths Television Presenter Simon Davies. Other people that have been in the series are Liz Crowther and Annee Blott. Between 1996 and 1999 it was presented in a castle where there were the four card suites and jokers. There were two gargoyles at the front of the castle who spoke in rhyme. After megamaths ran for 3 series they decided to stop the castle idea and two presenters presented in a studio.
This season is comprised of ten episodes focusing on multiplication. Each episode opens and ends with the episode's table being chanted, and the Joker (played by Jenny Hutchinson) introduced it in rhyme while speaking directly to the audience (she would also welcome teams of schoolchildren who came to visit the castle and give them advice as they took part in mathematical challenges). The two gargoyles, Gar (male) and Goyle (female), also made observations on the mathematical happenings in the castle then summarized what its residents learned near the end of each episode (the week's table would also be displayed on the portcullis as it lowered), and the castle pets, Brimstone the dragon and Digit the kitten (who were drawn by Bevanfield Films in this series), had their own adventures below stairs in the cellar. This series was originally aired on Mondays as part of the BBC's schools programmes strand, then entitled Daytime on Two, at 9:40am.
This episode introduces the concept of the times sign for multiplying, and the two times table. To celebrate the invention of the times sign by the Kings, the Queen of Spades makes a two times table banner in their new counting house for the Two cards. Suit Animation - 6 Spades - 3 x 2, 2 x 3, 6 x 1
The pack of playing card characters on Table Mountain dance and sing their way through the five times table. As usual, the Jack of Clubs is found wanting in his mathematical skills, and the Queen of Spades works out the wages for the number five cards.
The Ace of Diamonds has to do some fast thinking when the Kings demand more buttons on their waistcoats, and the Queen of Diamonds works out the cost of them.
The Queen of Hearts gets more than she bargains for when she tries to buy something to wear for her husband, the King of Hearts, but finds that the 3 cards' stall at the courtyard sale only sells things in sets of 3. The King of Hearts in the counting house with the help of the Jackie of Spades works out how much the number cards raised in the courtyard sale. The 7 cards raised 21 pennies for the castle cleaning department and the 8 cards raised 24 pennies for the castle garden.
The lively series to help children learn their tables continues with the six times table. A soup for six poses some problems for the Jack of Clubs.
The series to help children learn their tables features the nine times table. Interesting number patterns emerge at the Queen of Diamond's birthday party.
The series to help children learn their tables continues with the four times table. The carpenter's workshop is the scene of the drama as the four kings' demands for chairs and tables requires some quick mental arithmetic.
The Jackie of Diamonds and the 8 cards are trying to make a multiple pie – all the ingredients must be in multiples of 8. But the 8 of Diamonds is ill and the Ace of Diamonds from Ace Catering is sent to take her place, with disastrous results. The Jackie of Diamonds asks the King of Hearts in the counting house if he with the help of the Jackie of Spades could make a chart showing all the multiples of 8.
Series helping children learn their times tables. The absence of the seven times table banner in the counting house causes problems.
The castle residents are off on holiday, but it is going to take some big multiplication to work out how much of everything they need to take with them. So the Jack of Clubs speaks to the King of Hearts who is at the counting house with the Jackie of Spades through the speaking tube if he could use the Times Machine. The Ace Mechanic of Spades fixes the Times Machine for the King of Hearts and he uses it to multiply for the 3 cards 420 by 4 packed lunches. But then the Times Machine is soon destroyed for good after the King of Hearts gets carried away and tries to multiply 5,000,000 by 50,000,000,000.
The second series, which was produced in 1997 after the BBC's corporate change (as evidenced by the then-new BBC logo at the end of each episode), comprised five episodes focusing on money to particular amounts. Each episode opened with an auction where the royals bid each other up to that week's money amount, and this series also saw the arrival of a new Joker played by former Children's ITV host Gareth Jones (but while the original Joker possessed the ability to appear and disappear by snapping her fingers, he did not possess any magical powers). Brimstone and Digit also underwent a redesign in this series by new animators Tony Garth Films Ltd, and their appearance was significantly different to how they had originally appeared for the first series (as they looked more comical). This series and the next two were originally screened on Tuesdays as part of the newly renamed Schools Programmes strand at 11:15am.
The King of Hearts spends all his different coins of 20p at the Ace Launderette while cleaning the Queen of Hearts' silk handkerchief.
The King of Spades is the highest bidder at the Ace Auction and wins a magnificent rickshaw from China for 50p, but it turns out to be more trouble than it is worth when Ace Clamper gets involved.
The third series, which was again produced in 1997 after the BBC's corporate change (as evidenced by the then-new BBC logo at the end of each episode), comprised five episodes focusing on division by particular amounts. Each episode featured a quintet of acrobats who would repeatedly rearrange themselves to show how division was related to multiplication, and because this series was aired directly after the second one, they could have been seen as one series until they were issued as separate Video Plus Packs (reflecting that they were not).
The Kings play football, and must work on their division as well as their footballing skills.
The fourth series, which was produced in 1998 (and the last to be set at the castle on Table Mountain), comprised five episodes focusing on units of measurement. Brimstone and Digit also underwent a second redesign for their final series by second new animators Blue Sunflower Animation, but their appearance was only slightly different to how they had appeared for the second and third series.
It is Sports Day, and everyone is fed up of the King of Diamonds always winning. Will this year be different? This episode explains centimetres.
The King of Spades wants a groovy new tunic for speech day, as this year his theme is how to look cool. But he does not know the first thing about units of measurement. This episode explains millimetres.
Ace Painters and Decorators demonstrate different types of rulers as they help the King and Queen of Diamonds redecorate. This episode explains metres.
The Aces organize a surprise treasure hunt for the royals, which will test their measuring skills. This episode explains kilometres.
The Kings and Queens prepare for their holidays. The Kings must measure their suitcases, and the Queen of Spades must work out the distance they all have to walk on their hiking trip.
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