The show's revamped logo.
Status: Partially Lost
Zoom was a live-action children's series that aired from January 4th, 1999 to May 6th, 2005, produced by WGBH (now GBH) that aired on PBS. It was a revival of another live-action series of the same name that aired from 1972-1978. The show is in the same vain as other popular children's shows that aired on PBS like Sesame Street and The Electric Company, but its cast is made up of kids ages 8 and up and perform various activities like games, plays, poems, songs, and would occasionally start conversations on various topics like prejudice and hospitals, with most topics being submitted by the home audience. The revival became a ratings winner for PBS and switched to the channel's children's block "PBS Kids" halfway through the show's first season. The revival lasted 7 seasons with 200 episodes (outliving its precursor in episode length), ending in May 2005 due to poor ratings.[1]
Availability
The revival only saw four home media releases in the form of four VHS tapes that were released between 1999 and 2002. After PBS Kids stopped rerunning the show in 2007, a large majority of the show's run has never been seen since and is mostly lost.
As of October 2024, all episodes from seasons 2-7 and 21 episodes from season 1 have been found and uploaded online. 14 from the first season were uploaded onto YouTube by user ZOOMFan1 and 7 more by Evan's Media Archive.
As of October 2024, the missing episodes from season 1 are 113-127, 129 and 131-133. (128 also isn’t available in its entirety, but the majority of it, including pretty much all the stuff exclusive to the episode, is available in multiple parts from a screen recording.)
GBH Boston currently doesn’t have the rights to share or release the episodes, meaning the only chance of finding them is on VHS recordings from when they aired on TV. And despite the best efforts of fans, recordings of these episodes have proven virtually impossible to find. (This is likely in part due to the fact that they were last broadcast in early 2002.)
Clips from some of the episodes have been found, however. Below is a list of known found and lost segments from the missing 20 episodes.
ZOOMsci
Season & Episode
|
Name
|
Status
|
S1 E5 |
Mystery Seeds |
Found
|
S1 E13 |
Color Symphony |
Lost
|
S1 E14 |
Balloon Cars |
Lost
|
S1 E15 |
Baking Soda Vinegar Boat |
Found
|
S1 E16 |
Windmills |
Found
|
S1 E17 |
Newspaper Chair |
Found
|
S1 E17 |
Moldy Soup |
Found
|
S1 E18 |
Cantilever |
Found
|
S1 E19 |
Egg Drop |
Found
|
S1 E20 |
Glider |
Lost
|
S1 E21 |
Compost & Biodome |
Lost
|
S1 E22 |
Rocking Structure |
Found
|
S1 E23 |
Playing Card Structure |
Lost
|
S1 E24 (?) |
Waterwheel |
Lost
|
S1 E25 |
Crazy Straw Bridge |
Lost (archived)
|
S1 E25 |
Germinator |
Found
|
S1 E26 |
Baking Soda Submarines |
Found
|
S1 E27 |
Naked Egg Drop |
Found (Poor-Quality)
|
S1 E28 |
Junk Boats |
Found (poor quality)
|
S1 E29 |
Newspaper Tower |
Found
|
S1 E31 |
Salt Pendulum |
Lost
|
S1 E32 |
Marshmallow and Toothpick Shapes |
Lost (archived)
|
S1 E33 (?) |
Strongest Shape |
Found (Poor-Quality)
|
ZOOMdo
Season & Episode
|
Name
|
Status
|
S1 E5 |
String Sculpture |
Found
|
S1 E13 |
Rainstick |
Found
|
S1 E14 |
Permanent Sand Castle |
Found
|
S1 E15 (?) |
Comic Book File Box |
Lost
|
S1 E15 |
Flipbook |
Found
|
S1 E18 |
Marble Painting |
Found
|
S1 E18 |
Straw Painting |
Found
|
S1 E18 |
String Painting |
Found
|
S1 E19 |
Gum Wrapper Chain |
Found
|
S1 E20 (?) |
Serpent Tie Creature |
Lost
|
S1 E25 |
Friendship Bracelet |
Lost (archived)
|
S1 E26 |
Ping Pong Paddles |
Found
|
S1 E27 |
Pantyhose Face Doll |
Lost (archived)
|
S1 E28 |
Papier-Mache Bowl |
Found (poor quality)
|
S1 E32 |
Papermaking |
Found
|
S1 E33 |
Yarn Doll |
Lost
|
Café ZOOM
Season & Episode
|
Name
|
Status
|
S1 E16 |
ZOOMspread |
Found
|
S1 E19 |
Homemade Pretzels |
Found
|
S1 E20 |
Yogurt Parfaits |
Lost
|
S1 E21 |
Tortilla Sandwiches |
Lost
|
S1 E23 |
Baked Apples |
Found
|
S1 E24 |
Peanut Butter Treats |
Lost
|
S1 E26 (?) |
Apple Triangles |
Lost
|
S1 E26 |
Fabulous Fruit Kabobs |
Lost
|
S1 E29 |
Calzone |
Lost
|
S1 E31 (?) |
Bagel Faces |
Lost
|
ZOOMalong
Season & Episode
|
Name
|
Status
|
S1 E13 |
Paper Worm |
Found
|
S1 E16 |
Door Trick |
Found
|
S1 E18 (?) |
Arm Trick |
Lost
|
S1 E21 |
Cup Game with Words |
Lost
|
S1 E24 |
Gravity |
Lost
|
S1 E25 |
Penny Pinch |
Lost (archived)
|
S1 E29 |
The Flying Trick |
Lost
|
S1 E33 (?) |
Hoop Glider |
Found
|
Unknown |
Walking Through Paper |
Lost
|
ZOOMgames
Season & Episode
|
Name
|
Status
|
S1 E13 |
Dr. Pretzel |
Lost
|
S1 E14 |
The Cup Game |
Partially Found
|
S1 E15 |
Cracker Whistle |
Found
|
S1 E16 |
Feelings |
Found
|
S1 E16 |
Beetle |
Found
|
S1 E16 |
Octopus Tag |
Found
|
S1 E17 |
Concentration I |
Found
|
S1 E18 |
Walk On Knees |
Found
|
S1 E19 |
Head Ball Race |
Found
|
S1 E20 |
Turkey Chase |
Lost
|
S1 E21 (?) |
Toe-to-Toe |
Lost
|
S1 E23 (?) |
Balloon Bounce On Head Relay |
Lost
|
S1 E24 |
Funny Bones |
Lost
|
S1 E25 |
Shoe Relay |
Lost (archived)
|
S1 E26 (?) |
Pile Up |
Lost
|
S1 E26 |
Ping Pong Circle |
Found
|
S1 E27 |
Staring Contest |
Found (Poor-Quality)
|
S1 E27 |
Down Down Baby |
Lost (archived)
|
S1 E27 |
Back-to-Back Dash |
Lost (archived)
|
S1 E28 |
Water Balloon Toss |
Found (poor quality)
|
S1 E28 |
Compound Words |
Found (poor quality)
|
S1 E29 |
Bubble Race |
Lost
|
S1 E31 |
Wink (1 | 2 | 3) |
Found (Poor-Quality)
|
S1 E32 |
Quack-a-Dilly |
Lost (archived)
|
S1 E32 |
Lemon Roll Race |
Lost (archived)
|
Unknown |
The Wind Blows |
Lost
|
Zingers
Season & Episode
|
Name
|
Status
|
S1 E5 |
Hands Up! |
Found
|
S1 E13 |
Knot Zinger |
Found
|
S1 E14 |
Psychic Zinger |
Found
|
S1 E15 |
Sock Zinger |
Found
|
S1 E16 |
"Guess What" Zinger |
Found
|
S1 E17 |
Card Trick I |
Found (Listed as "Card Trick 2")
|
S1 E17 |
Body Zinger |
Found
|
S1 E18 |
Headstands |
Partially Lost (Poor-Quality)
|
S1 E18 |
Homonyms II |
Found
|
S1 E19 |
Sucking Lemon Wedges |
Found
|
S1 E20 |
Step Through Your Hands |
Lost
|
S1 E21 (?) |
Run, Rabbit, Run |
Lost
|
S1 E22 |
Sour Candies |
Partially Lost (Poor-Quality)
|
S1 E22 |
Word Game |
Found
|
S1 E23 |
Balloon Bouncing |
Found
|
S1 E25 |
Toe Writing |
Lost (archived)
|
S1 E26 |
Card Trick II |
Found (Part 2 is Listed as Part 1)
|
S1 E27 |
How Low Can You Go? |
Lost (archived)
|
S1 E29 (?) |
Group Juggling |
Lost
|
S1 E31 (?) |
Connect Nine Dots |
Lost
|
S1 E36 |
Shoelace Zinger |
Found
|
Unknown |
Draw Your Name On Your Forehead |
Lost
|
Unknown |
Name 10 Body Parts Using 3 Letters |
Lost
|
ZOOMplayhouse
Season & Episode
|
Name
|
Status
|
S1 E13 |
Trouble In Candy Kingdom |
Found
|
S1 E15 |
Where's Your Homework? |
Found
|
S1 E19 |
The Present |
Partially Lost
|
S1 E20 (?) |
The bus ride play |
Lost
|
S1 E21 |
Little Red Riding Hood: An Ubbi Dubbi Fairy Tale |
Lost
|
S1 E22 |
The Fortune Teller |
Found
|
S1 E24 |
"Hot Dog Experiment" |
Lost
|
S1 E29 |
The Sweet Roll |
Found (Poor-Quality)
|
S1 E31 (?) |
The Greek Gods play |
Lost
|
Ubbi Dubbi Skits
Season & Episode
|
Name
|
Status
|
S1 E5 |
Singing Voice |
Found
|
S1 E14 |
Ring Pop |
Lost
|
S1 E15 |
Giant Pencil |
Found
|
S1 E17 |
Weather Report: Earthquake |
Found
|
S1 E18 |
Jokes |
Found
|
S1 E19 |
Chips and Dip |
Found
|
S1 E20 |
Peanut Butter |
Lost
|
S1 E23 |
Keiko the Magician |
Lost
|
S1 E24 (?) |
Weather Update: Sun |
Lost
|
S1 E25 |
Remote |
Lost (archived)
|
S1 E26 |
Row, Row, Row Your Boat |
Lost
|
S1 E28 |
Spot the Dog II |
Found (poor quality)
|
S1 E31 |
Jared the Chef: Toast |
Found (Poor-Quality)
|
S1 E33 |
Jared the Chef: Chocolate Milk |
Lost
|
ZOOMChats
Season & Episode
|
Name
|
Status
|
S1 E15 |
Embarrassing Moments |
Found
|
S1 E17 |
Friends |
Found
|
S1 E18 |
Boys and Girls |
Found
|
S1 E23 |
Meeting New People |
Lost
|
S1 E25 |
Cheating |
Lost (archived)
|
S1 E26 |
Peer Pressure |
Found
|
S1 E32 |
Popularity |
Found
|
S1 E33 (?) |
Sports |
Lost
|
ZMails
Season & Episode
|
Name
|
Status
|
S1 E16 (?) |
Unknown |
Lost
|
S1 E19 |
Unknown |
Lost
|
S1 E21 (?) |
With Keiko, David, Jared and Pablo |
Found
|
S1 E22 |
With Lynese, Pablo, Keiko and Alisa |
Found
|
S1 E27 |
With Lynese, Zoe, Alisa and Keiko |
Lost (archived)
|
S1 E29 (?) |
Unknown |
Lost
|
Miscellaneous
Season & Episode
|
Name
|
Status
|
S1 E22 |
Zoe's Flea Circus |
Found
|
Gallery
Stills (Season 1)
Alisa introducing the Cup Game (114)
Cracker Whistle Continued (115) (?)
Serpent Tie Creature (120) (?)
Ubbi Dubbi Peanut Butter (120)
The bus ride play (120) (?)
Pantyhose Face Doll (127)
Mystery Seeds ZOOM Sci Report (127)
Water Balloon Toss Round 2 (128)
Water Balloon Toss Round 3 (128)
Alisa introducing The Flying Trick (129)
Pablo making Calzone (129)
Pablo eating Calzone (129)
Zoe in Group Juggling (129) (?)
David in Group Juggling (129) (?)
Marshmallow and Toothpick Shapes (132)
Quack-a-Dilly Continued (132)
Lemon Roll Race Continued (132)
Behind the Scenes (Season 1)
Compost and Biodomes (121)
Little Red Riding Hood: An Ubbi Dubbi Fairy Tale (121)
Ubbi Dubbi Weather Update: Sun (124) (?)
Alisa messing up in Apple Triangles (126) (?)
Row, Row, Row Your Boat in Ubbi Dubbi (126)
Pablo making Bagel Faces (131) (?)
Pablo trying to eat Bagel Faces (131) (?)
Run, Rabbit, Run (131) (?)
The Greek gods play (131) (?)
Ubbi Dubbi Chef: Chocolate Milk (133)
Alisa messing up in Pinwheel Cookies (unaired)
Draw Your Name on Your Forehead
Name 10 Body Parts Using 3 Letters
Pictures (Season 1)
Serpent Tie Creature (120) (?)
Tortilla Sandwiches (121)
Playing Card Structure (123)
Peanut Butter Treats (124)
Friendship Bracelet (125)
Apple Triangles (126) (?)
Fabulous Fruit Kabobs (126)
Comic Book File Box (unaired)
Glamorous Glitter Eggs (unaired)
Marshmallow Mountain (unaired)
Pinwheel Cookies (unaired)
Stained Glass Cookies (unaired)
The website image for zebra cake (likely taken from a different cafe, as Zoe didn’t make the zebra cake)
Stills (Season 2)
Purple Cow (version 2) (unaired)
Behind the Scenes (Season 2)
Season 1 and 2 Cast (239)
Stills (Season 5)
Great Moments in Ubbi Dubbi History: Cave People
Behind the Scenes (Season 5)
Great Moments in Ubbi Dubbi History: Cave People
See Also
Zoom
Bumpers
PBS
PBS Kids
References