Design Squad
Encyclopedia
Design Squad is a PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....

 reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...

 series geared towards middle and high-school children, where they design whimsical machines in order to win an Intel college scholarship worth $10,000. The show is produced by WGBH
WGBH-TV
WGBH-TV, channel 2, is a non-commercial educational public television station located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WGBH-TV is a member station of the Public Broadcasting Service , and produces more than two-thirds of PBS's national prime time television programming...

.

Hosts

Nate Ball
Nathan Ball
Nathan "Nate" Barker Ball works as a host on the PBS Kids show Design Squad. Ball has appeared in an episode of Myth Busters, a History Channel special on Batman technology, in an insurance advertisement, and in a FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman season 4 episode.He holds two degrees in mechanical...

 and Deanne Bell
Deanne Bell
Deanne Olivia Bell is an American television personality known for PBS's Design Squad, Discovery Channel's Smash Lab, and National Geographic's "The Egyptian Job". She is currently a co-host for DIY Network's "Money Hunters" and ESPN's "Rise Up".Bell is originally from Palm Bay, Florida. In...

 are real engineers and the co-hosts of season 1. Deanne did not return for Season 2 leaving for the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...

 program Smash Lab
Smash Lab
Smash Lab is a reality television series that premiered on December 26, 2007, on the Discovery Channel. The idea of the show is to take everyday technology and test it in "extraordinary ways."-Cast:...

, leaving Nate as the sole host of the show.

Teams

There are two teams. Season 1 had a Red Team and a Blue Team. Season 2 has a Green team and Purple team. Season 3 has a mix team of from Season 1 & Season 2. In this show, the whole team wins.
The team members switch from one episode to the next, so the teams never stay the same.

Season 1 Episodes

  1. "The Need for Speed" – A professional racecar builder challenges the teams to convert kiddie toys into motorized dragsters.
  2. "Rock On" – The teams compete to create original musical instruments-one stringed and one percussive-for Off White Noise, a local band. The instruments are put to the test when Off White Noise rocks out at the Middle East nightclub.
  3. "Skunk'd" – When a guy named Skunk comes looking for a bike bizarre enough to impress the members of SCUL (Subversive Choppers Urban Legion), well, you give him what he wants. The rubber really hits the road when DS parades their newly created choppers (bikes) on a SCUL mission.
  4. "DS Unplugged" – The teams take a crash course in pre-industrial building techniques, as they compete to build 20-foot bridges—without the aid of power tools, forklifts, or ... flushable toilets. It's a show for the (Middle) Ages!
  5. "Got Game" – Challenged to come up with a way to cover all the angles of a basketball game via remote-controlled cameras, the teams dive into action and compete to prove who's got (the whole) game!
  6. "A Collective Collaboration" – The teams set their sights on designing the most durable, portable and low cost peanut butter making machines for a women's collective in Haiti. Powered by human hands and inspiring to the human heart, DS shows that engineering really can change lives.
  7. "Just For Kicks" – The challenge: design a REVOLUTIONary device that automatically feeds a stream of balls to Michael Parkhurst, a professional soccer player with the New England Revolution. Here's one Design Squad's episode that's sure to be a ball.
  8. "Functional Fashion" – It's a marriage of high tech and haute couture (well, sort of!) as the teams compete to see who can design the best dual-purpose clothing. Join DS on the runway as the garments/gadgets make their fashion debut.
  9. "Batter Up" – How to make a perfect pancake? The DS teams seek the right ingredients for a machine that will cook, flip, and serve up delicious flapjacks at the flick of a switch. The winning machine is put to the (taste) test at a busy diner.
  10. "Pumped" – An 11-foot tall water slide will be a cool addition to the community pool—once there's a pump to deliver the water. See which invention makes the biggest splash with YMCA campers.
  11. "Blowin' In The Wind" – The teams tap into their inner artists as they compete to design and build wind-powered kinetic art from recycled materials. The winning sculpture is put on display at the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park in Lincoln, Massachusetts.
  12. "Bodies Electric" – DESIGN SQUAD-ers take a shine to hip-hop artist Wyatt Jackson when they try to create a sound and light show triggered by Jackson's moves and grooves. In a live performance, it's DS night at the Strand Theatre!
  13. "Winner Takes All" – The season concludes when Continuum (a design consultancy) asks the DS teams to develop and test a "summer sled" for retail giant L.L. Bean. It's a bumpy, downhill slide to the finish line!

Season 1 Points

Before the finale
Name Points
Noah 0 100, 100 100, 200 30, 230 100, 330 100, 430 100, 530 0, 530 100, 630 0, 630 100, 730 70, 800
Natasha 100 50, 150 100, 250 30, 280 100, 380 100, 480 100, 580 100, 680 100, 780 0, 780 0, 780 30, 810
Krishana 0 50, 50 100, 150 70, 220 0, 220 100, 320 0, 320 100, 420 0, 420 100, 520 100, 620 70, 690
Michael 100 50, 150 100, 250 70, 320 0, 320 100, 420 100, 520 0, 520 100, 620 100, 720 0, 720 30, 750
Kim 100 100, 200 100, 300 70, 370 0, 370 0, 370 100, 470 100, 570 0, 570 0, 570 100, 670 30, 700
Tom 0 50, 50 100, 150 70, 220 100, 320 0, 320 0, 320 0, 320 0, 320 100, 420 100, 520 70, 590
Joey 100 100, 200 100, 300 30, 330 100, 430 0, 430 0, 430 0, 430 0, 430 100, 530 0, 530 30, 560
Giselle 0 100, 100 100, 200 30, 230 0, 230 0, 230 0, 230 100, 330 100, 430 0, 430 0, 430 70, 500


In Week 2, there were 3 band members that picked 3 out of 4 instruments. Each instrument picked was 50 points.

In Week 3, the Judges thought both teams made excellent bikes and gave both teams 100 points.

In Week 4, the Judges thought both teams worked very hard and didn't want winner take all. Because the Red Team needed extra help to finish they split the points 30(red)/70(blue).

In Week 12, Wyatt Jackson (Judge) enjoyed Blue team's performance. However, he also enjoyed Red Team's Light Show, so they split the points 30(blue)/70(red).

In most challenges, each person in the winning team will receive 100 points, the other team 0 points.

Season 2 episodes

  1. "Cardboard Furniture" – Sit back and relax as the Design Squad teams create innovative, yet practical cardboard furniture for the home goods superstore IKEA. Furniture shoppers take a seat in the judges' chair to decide the season premiere's winning team.
  2. "PVC Kayak" – Jump on board as King Island Alaskan native Sean Gallagher challenges the Design Squad teams to build ten-foot kayaks using traditional design but with non-traditional materials.
  3. "Green Machines" – The teams go green as they work with the Food Project, an organization that creates social change through sustainable agriculture. Two young Food Project volunteers challenge the teams to design a compost lifter for their urban farm.
  4. "Gravity Bikes" – Watch the Design Squad teams go head to head as they build high-speed gravity bikes for Gravity Sports International champion Tom Whalen.
  5. "Water Dancing" – Dancer and performance artist Lisa Bufano, a bilateral leg and finger amputee, challenges the teams to build specialized prostheses for an underwater performance.
  6. "Backyard Thrill Ride" – The teams bring the adrenaline rush of an amusement park ride to the backyard of 13-year-old Andreas Hoffman.
  7. "Big Bugs" – The teams build wooden arthropods for an artist.
  8. "Aquatic Robotics" – Dive deep as the teams build a robot that would float on a river-only for tourists and their guides-if they're sailing on a river.
  9. "Band Cam" – Fly high with the Design Squad as they build a flying digital camera for a live concert of African band Zili Misik.
  10. "No Crying in Baseball" – Come along as the Design Squad builds an onion-grinding machine for a guy who sells hot dogs.
  11. "Hockey Net Targets" – Get a hockey puck as the teams build targets for hockey goals.
  12. "Offroad Go-Karts 1" – It's part 1 of the season finale as the teams try to build offroad go-karts.
  13. "Offroad Go-Karts 2" – It's Dewey versus Leah in a race for the college scholarship as the final episode of Season 2 makes the teams test their go-karts.

Season 2 Points

In most challenges, each person in the winning team will receive 100 points, the other team 0 points.
Name Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Weeks 12/13 Total
Dewey 0 100, 100 0, 100 100, 200 100, 300 100, 400 100, 500 0, 500 100, 600 100, 700 0, 700 0, 700 700
Deysi 100 0, 100 100, 200 0, 200 100, 300 0, 300 0, 300 0, 300 0, 300 100, 400 100, 500 100, 600 600
Tomas 100 100, 200 100, 300 0, 300 0, 300 100, 400 100, 500 0, 500 0, 500 0, 500 100, 600 0, 600 600
Nick 100 0, 100 0, 100 0, 100 0, 100 100, 200 100, 300 0, 300 100, 400 0, 400 100, 500 0, 500 500
Leah 100 100, 200 100, 300 100, 400 0, 400 0, 400 0, 400 0, 400 100, 500 100, 600 100, 700 100, 800 800
Jason 0 0, 0 100, 100 100, 200 100, 300 100, 400 100, 500 0, 500 0, 500 0, 500 0, 500 100, 600 600
Kim 0 100, 100 0, 100 100, 200 100, 300 0, 300 0, 300 0, 300 0, 300 100, 400 100, 500 100, 600 600
Trejonda 0 0, 0 0, 0 0, 0 0, 0 0, 0 0, 0 0, 0 100, 100 0, 100 0, 100 0, 100 100

  • In Week 8, neither team was able to complete the task, so no points were awarded.
  • Trejonda had the dubious distinction of earning no points until Week 9. As she herself said in the intro to Week 4, "Right now, I feel like the jinx. You know, at first, I thought it was the Green Team title that was the reason I was losing, but now I feel like 'If Trejonda's on your team, you're going to lose.
  • Leah won the season and a $10,000 scholarship from the Intel Foundation.

Season 3 Cast

  • Ana
  • Annelise
  • Juan
  • Lindsey
  • Wes
  • Zach
  • Wes won the college scholarship after 10 episodes, three of which ("Water Rescue", "sNOw Problem", and the finale "Escape from Misery Island") were two-part.

Presence in Brazil

The show premiered in Brazil through the educational channel Futura name at the end of August, and airs every Monday at 10pm. They are currently in season 2.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK