Whiz Kids (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Whiz Kids is an American action/adventure
Adventure (genre)
The adventure genre, in the context of a narrative, is typically applied to works in which the protagonist or other major characters are consistently placed in dangerous situations...

 television series which aired on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 for one season (18 episodes) during the 1983-1984 television season. The show follows the adventures of a group of four teenagers — Richie, Alice, Hamilton and Jeremy — who are amateur computer experts and detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...

s. The series was inspired by the feature film WarGames
WarGames
WarGames is a 1983 American Cold War suspense/science-fiction film written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes and directed by John Badham. The film stars Matthew Broderick and Ally Sheedy....

.

Initially, Whiz Kids aired Wednesday nights, but it began airing Saturday nights on January 7, 1984, replacing Cutter to Houston
Cutter to Houston
Cutter to Houston is an American medical drama that aired on CBS from October 1 to December 31, 1983. The series was created by Sandor Stern.-Synopsis:...

.

Cast and characters

Role Actor
Richie Adler Matthew Laborteaux
Matthew Laborteaux
Matthew Laborteaux is an American actor who has starred in television and film. He is perhaps best known for portraying the character Albert Quinn Ingalls on the hit NBC series Little House on the Prairie from 1976 to 1983....

Alice Andrea Elson
Andrea Elson
Andrea Elson is an American actress. She is best known playing the role of Lynn Tanner on ALF. She had also previously played in the 1983 show Whiz Kids with Matthew Laborteaux where she played the character Alice Tyler.-Career:Her first television role was as Alice Tyler on the series Whiz Kids...

Hamilton Parker Todd Porter
Jeremy Saldino Jeffery Jacquet
Lew Farley Max Gail
Max Gail
Maxwell Trowbridge "Max" Gail, Jr. is an American actor who has starred in stage, television, and film roles. He most notably portrayed the role of Detective Stan "Wojo" Wojciehowicz on the television sitcom Barney Miller....

Irene Adler Madelyn Cain
Cheryl Adler Melanie Gaffin
Police Detective Lt. Quinn A Martinez
A Martinez
Adolfo Larrue Martinez, III , better known as A Martinez, is an American actor and singer with roles in the daytime soap opera Santa Barbara and the primetime dramas L.A. Law and Profiler.-Early life:...

Miss Vance Linda Scruggs

Synopsis

Richie Adler (Matthew Laborteaux
Matthew Laborteaux
Matthew Laborteaux is an American actor who has starred in television and film. He is perhaps best known for portraying the character Albert Quinn Ingalls on the hit NBC series Little House on the Prairie from 1976 to 1983....

) lives with his mother and sister; his parents are divorced, and his father works overseas, often in the Middle East, as a telecommunications engineer/consultant to several firms located there. Richie is an advanced computer user with cutting edge skills. Presumably he has inherited these abilities as well as most of his computer equipment from his father. He acquires obsolete equipment that was scheduled to be scrapped and sends it to Richie. He even sends a programmable robot, Herman. Richie collects this equipment and connects and assembles it to form RALF, his pet name for his computer system. RALF has multiple components and capabilities, including a camera which produces a primitive facial identification system.

Richie and his friends come across mysteries which they (mainly Richie) attempt to solve using his computer skills with RALF's power. Guidance is often provided by newspaper reporter Farley (their mentor). The cases often involved money-hungry criminals working inside business or government who would assault and murder people to cover-up their deeds. There were also a few episodes involving spies of the Soviet Union.

Lew Farley (Max Gail
Max Gail
Maxwell Trowbridge "Max" Gail, Jr. is an American actor who has starred in stage, television, and film roles. He most notably portrayed the role of Detective Stan "Wojo" Wojciehowicz on the television sitcom Barney Miller....

) is a reporter for the fictional newspaper the LA Gazette (although on the first episode the reporter is named Gallagher and he is played by Michael Horton
Michael Horton (actor)
Michael "Mike" Horton is an American character actor and voice over artist most remembered for his long-running role as Jessica Fletcher's nephew, Grady Fletcher, on the television series Murder, She Wrote...

). Many of his stories are exposé
Expose
Expose, exposé, or exposed may refer to:-Technology:* Exposé , a window management tool for Mac OS X** Exposé clone, computer software which mimics the Mac OS X feature-Music:...

s of crime and corruption. He is well connected and seems to know everyone from gangsters to beat cops to a mysterious patriarch. He has a cantankerous but mutually beneficial relationship with Lieutenant Quinn (A Martinez
A Martinez
Adolfo Larrue Martinez, III , better known as A Martinez, is an American actor and singer with roles in the daytime soap opera Santa Barbara and the primetime dramas L.A. Law and Profiler.-Early life:...

) who is head of the detective unit, and also married to Farley's sister. Farley was a Vietnam-era
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

 anti-war protester who was jailed and beaten on occasion during marches. He was inspired to journalism by a woman whose death he investigates in "The Wrong Mr. Wright".

Farley is somewhat technologically capable (carrying around one of the first laptops ever sold, a Gavilan SC
Gavilan SC
The Gavilan SC was an early laptop computer, and was the first ever to be marketed as a "laptop".The brainchild of Gavilan Computer Corp. founder Manuel Fernandez, the Gavilan was introduced in May, 1983, at approximately the same time as the similar Sharp PC-5000...

), but he relies on Richie for complicated technical help. He warns the Whiz Kids of danger and helps them when they get in over their heads with criminal elements or with the government. He is often the first person they call when they are in trouble, and Richie's mother leans on him as well.

In most episodes, the three groups — the police (mostly led by Quinn), the media (usually Farley), and the Whiz Kids — wind up all contributing to cracking a case and in bringing the criminals to justice. Their relationship is often conflicted, as Quinn must keep Farley from getting too much insider information, while Farley and Quinn must keep the kids out of danger. However, each case is never solved by one group alone, and they are all usually forced by circumstance to work together, each drawing on their own particular strengths.

Richie's father is a telecommunications engineer who often works abroad and is mostly absent. He does drop in town occasionally, however. He is well connected in high level Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

 political circles, something that Richie's mother alludes to and uses. Richie's mother and father are divorced, but their relationship is portrayed as still positive and friendly. She also keeps his name and refers to herself as Mrs. Adler. She says that she thinks his job-required traveling is what led to their divorce.

Richie's mother is somewhat strict and does not allow his genius level abilities to influence her duty as a mother. She makes him clean up the messes he and his buddies cause with their various hijinks, and she does not let him shirk his schoolwork, chores, or other responsibilities. (Nor does his teacher: in "Red Star Rising", their being applauded by the CIA does not get three of them off the hook for not completing a homework assignment - Alice is spared, since she actually did it!) Richie's little sister Cheryl provides comic relief
Comic relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.-Definition:...

 in most episodes, but she does have a few important scenes of insight or family drama.

There is a slight love triangle
Love triangle
A love triangle is usually a romantic relationship involving three people. While it can refer to two people independently romantically linked with a third, it usually implies that each of the three people has some kind of relationship to the other two...

 between Richie, Ham, and Alice. Alice is a bit of a hacker
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...

 herself, but she receives little respect or extra attention from Richie, which bothers her greatly. Ham really likes Alice, but she (for the most part) does not return his attentions.

On the whole, the teens do not get a whole lot of character development. Most of the episode time is taken dealing with the complicated plots, criminals exposition, Lew and Quinn, chase scenes, and hacking scenes (which are almost totally focused on Richie). However Jeremy is shown to be rather clever in his own right and the kids are involved in many activities, including go-kart
Go-kart
thumb|A [[Kart racing|racing kart]] at the [[Commission Internationale de Karting|CIK-FIA]] European Championship 2008A go-kart is a small four-wheeled vehicle...

 racing, sports, ballet, and music. There is also a bit of a conflict between Richie and the others, as he can sometimes be domineering or arrogant, although they typically reconcile.

Music

While electronic musical pieces make up the background music for the show, a number of riffs are based on classical music. The main theme is an arrangement of the first movement of Mozart's Piano Concerto #21 in C Major
Piano Concerto No. 21 (Mozart)
The Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major, K. 467, was completed on March 9, 1785 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, four weeks after the completion of the previous D minor concerto.- Structure :There are three movements....

, and excerpts play throughout the series. Rossini's overture from the Barber of Seville is also used repeatedly Tschaikovsky's 'Love Theme' from Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet (Tchaikovsky)
Romeo and Juliet is an orchestral work composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It is styled an Overture-Fantasy, and is based on Shakespeare's play of the same name. Like other composers such as Berlioz and Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky was deeply inspired by Shakespeare and wrote works based on The...

is used in Episode 17 to cue Richie's romantic involvements.

Technology featured in the show

There are lots of old machines from the past (especially the 1970s and 1980s) that act as props in the show. Several of the manufacturers are listed in the credits. Some machines included:
  • The Gavilan
    Gavilan SC
    The Gavilan SC was an early laptop computer, and was the first ever to be marketed as a "laptop".The brainchild of Gavilan Computer Corp. founder Manuel Fernandez, the Gavilan was introduced in May, 1983, at approximately the same time as the similar Sharp PC-5000...

     portable computer
  • A Heath
    Heathkit
    Heathkits were products of the Heath Company, Benton Harbor, Michigan. Their products included electronic test equipment, high fidelity home audio equipment, television receivers, amateur radio equipment, electronic ignition conversion modules for early model cars with point style ignitions, and...

     Hero
    HERO (robot)
    HERO is the name of several educational robots sold by Heathkit during the 1980s. The Heath Company began the HERO 1 project in October 1979. The first units were available in 1982. Models included the HERO 1, HERO Jr., and HERO 2000. All three were available as kits, or for more money,...

     robot kit
  • Apple II
    Apple II
    The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...

  • Apple IIe
    Apple IIe
    The Apple IIe is the third model in the Apple II series of personal computers produced by Apple Computer. The e in the name stands for enhanced, referring to the fact that several popular features were now built-in that were only available as upgrades and add-ons in earlier models...

  • IMSAI PCS 80/30
  • A code machine that is described as an Enigma Machine
    Enigma machine
    An Enigma machine is any of a family of related electro-mechanical rotor cipher machines used for the encryption and decryption of secret messages. Enigma was invented by German engineer Arthur Scherbius at the end of World War I...

  • A Dynalogic Hyperion
  • TRS-80 Model 100


Several pioneer companies of the personal computer industry were listed in the credits as providing technical support. Some are still around (as of 2010) but many have disappeared. They included:
  • Apple Computer
    Apple Computer
    Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers. The company's best-known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad...

  • Autodesk
    Autodesk
    Autodesk, Inc. is an American multinational corporation that focuses on 3D design software for use in the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media and entertainment industries. The company was founded in 1982 by John Walker, a coauthor of the first versions of the company's...

  • Bytec Comterm, Inc.
  • Computer Components Unlimited
  • Heath/Zenith Data Systems
    Zenith Data Systems
    Zenith Data Systems was a division of Zenith founded in 1979 after Zenith acquired Heathkit, which had, in 1977, entered the personal computer market. Headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan, Zenith sold personal computers under both the Heath/Zenith and Zenith Data Systems names...

  • Heath Co.
  • Hitachi
    Hitachi
    Hitachi is a multinational corporation specializing in high-technology.Hitachi may also refer to:*Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan*Hitachi province, former province of Japan*Prince Hitachi and Princess Hitachi, members of the Japanese imperial family...

     America, Inc.
  • Microbot, Inc.
  • Magnavox
    Magnavox
    Magnavox is a US electronics company founded by Edwin Pridham and Peter L. Jensen, who invented the moving-coil loudspeaker in 1915 at their lab in Napa, California. They formed Magnavox in 1917 in order to market their inventions....

     Co.
  • Photonics Technology
  • RadioShack
    RadioShack
    RadioShack Corporation   is an American franchise of electronics retail stores in the United States, as well as parts of Europe, South America and Africa. As of 2008, RadioShack reported net sales and operating revenues of $4.81 billion. The headquarters of RadioShack is located in Downtown...

  • Action Computer Enterprises, Inc
  • Televideo Systems, Inc.
    Televideo
    TeleVideo Corporation is a U.S. company that achieved its peak of success in the early 1980s producing computer terminals. TeleVideo was founded in 1979 by K. Philip Hwang, a Utah State University graduate born in North Korea who had run a business producing CRT monitors for arcade games since 1975...

  • ATARI home computer division
    Atari 8-bit family
    The Atari 8-bit family is a series of 8-bit home computers manufactured from 1979 to 1992. All are based on the MOS Technology 6502 CPU and were the first home computers designed with custom coprocessor chips...

  • GRiD Systems (probably GRiD Systems Corporation
    GRiD Systems Corporation
    GRiD Systems Corporation was founded in January, 1979 by John Ellenby, who left his job at Xerox Parc and joined Glenn Edens, Dave Paulsen and Bill Moggridge to form one of Silicon Valley's first stealth companies...

    )
  • Proton Corporation
  • Tycom Corporation
  • Office Systems by Xerox Corp
  • Xerox
    Xerox
    Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...

     Electro-Optical Company and Interlisp
    Interlisp
    Interlisp was a programming environment built around a version of the Lisp programming language. Interlisp development began in 1967 at Bolt, Beranek and Newman in Cambridge, Massachusetts as BBN LISP, which ran on PDP-10 machines running the TENEX operating system...

    -D
  • Mattel Electronics
  • CTT Data Systems
  • Dale Wilson / Code Right
  • Paul Lutus
    Paul Lutus
    Paul Lutus is a computer programmer and former NASA designer. Before becoming a software author, Lutus designed electronics for the NASA Space Shuttle and created a mathematical model of the solar system that was used by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory during the Viking Mars mission...

     / Insoft Inc. (Lutus is also credited with GraForth graphics)
  • Commodore Business Machines


Activities included things like war dialing
War dialing
War dialing or wardialing is a technique of using a modem to automatically scan a list of telephone numbers, usually dialing every number in a local area code to search for computers, Bulletin board systems and fax machines...

 (one kid even mentions WarGames), editing hexadecimal
Hexadecimal
In mathematics and computer science, hexadecimal is a positional numeral system with a radix, or base, of 16. It uses sixteen distinct symbols, most often the symbols 0–9 to represent values zero to nine, and A, B, C, D, E, F to represent values ten to fifteen...

 machine code
Machine code
Machine code or machine language is a system of impartible instructions executed directly by a computer's central processing unit. Each instruction performs a very specific task, typically either an operation on a unit of data Machine code or machine language is a system of impartible instructions...

 in a hex editor
Hex editor
A hex editor is a type of computer program that allows a user to manipulate the fundamental binary data that makes up computer files. Note that computer files can be very small to very large...

, brute force password cracking
Password cracking
Password cracking is the process of recovering passwords from data that has been stored in or transmitted by a computer system. A common approach is to repeatedly try guesses for the password...

, denial-of-service attack
Denial-of-service attack
A denial-of-service attack or distributed denial-of-service attack is an attempt to make a computer resource unavailable to its intended users...

s, , facial recognition
Facial recognition system
A facial recognition system is a computer application for automatically identifying or verifying a person from a digital image or a video frame from a video source...

, speech recognition
Speech recognition
Speech recognition converts spoken words to text. The term "voice recognition" is sometimes used to refer to recognition systems that must be trained to a particular speaker—as is the case for most desktop recognition software...

 and speech synthesis
Speech synthesis
Speech synthesis is the artificial production of human speech. A computer system used for this purpose is called a speech synthesizer, and can be implemented in software or hardware...

, image enhancement, social engineering
Social engineering (security)
Social engineering is commonly understood to mean the art of manipulating people into performing actions or divulging confidential information...

, and even computer dating. In almost every episode, the kids (sometimes at the instigation of Farley) perform what would be considered serious criminal acts within a few years of the show airing (if not during its airing); the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act is a law passed by the United States Congress in 1986, intended to reduce cracking of computer systems and to address federal computer-related offenses...

 was first passed in 1984. They also sometimes doubt the ethics of their activity.

Another notable feature that dates the show is that characters frequently hit the 'off button' to instantly turn off their machines, often to hide what they were doing. Modern computers typically do not have a power-interrupting on/off switch but instead the 'power' button hooks into operating system software, which asks the user if they want to quit or not, or possibly puts the machine in sleep mode
Sleep mode
Sleep mode refers to a low power mode for electronic devices such as computers, televisions, and remote controlled devices. These modes save significant electrical consumption compared to leaving a device fully on and idle, but allow the user to avoid having to reset programming codes or wait for a...

.

RALF

RALF itself (or 'himself' as Richie's friends call it) is a conglomeration of different machines and special effects work.

In Episode 11, Richie complains that a potential RALF-substitute does not have a disk drive, 42k, interrupts, or error correction, implying RALF has at least these (In episode 17 Richie says that RALF "is a 64k home-brew computer"). A collection of 5.25 inch floppy disks can be seen in several episodes. RALF also has a modem
Modem
A modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data...

.

RALFs speech synthesis capabilities are displayed in several episodes. The pilot also shows a digital camera and a bitmapped color graphics display.

Episodes

>
# Title Directed by Written by Guest stars Original air date

Award nominations

Year Award Result Category Recipient
1984 Young Artist Awards Nominated Best New Television Series
-
Best Young Actress in a New Television Series Melanie Gaffin
Best Young Actor in a New Television Series Todd Porter
Best Young Actor in a New Television Series Matthew Laborteaux
Best Young Actor in a Comedy Series Jeffrey Jacquet

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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