3-2-1 Contact (1980–1992) User Reviews

Something like that is missing in today's times

[patrickfilbeck · 8/10 · 3 November 2021]

A cult serial treasure of the 80s that connects education with fun in a very charming way and thus tackles the important task of showing young people that the acquisition of knowledge is a great good that can be very fulfilling and enjoyable. Iconic backdrops, likeable characters and actors, funny ideas and well-chosen knowledge transfer make this series a little treasure. It's just sad and not a good sign of the times that such productions have no place on TV today.

Good show which is very educational

[Catherine_Grace_Zeh · 8/10 · 3 November 2007]

I used to watch this show when I was a little girl. When I think about it, I remember it pretty well. However, I remember the opening sequence and theme song pretty well. If you ask me, it was a good show which is very educational. In addition to that, everyone is an excellent reporter. My favorite episode is the one about Ryan White. I hope this show stays on PBS for years to come. Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that I'll always remember this show in my memory forever, even though I haven't seen every episode. Now, in conclusion, if it lives on in reruns after it finishes its run on PBS, I hope that you catch it one day before it goes off the air for good.

Mr. Bloodhound Isn't Here

[colparker · 11 April 2003]

Like the rest of the users, I watched the entire first season (probably while killing time, waiting for "Battlestar Galactica '80" to start) and then more or less lost interest. Even at 7 I remember thinking it was cool that Marc had this cool apartment/clubhouse that he got to share with two chicks. The fact that they mostly just hung out, doing strange science experiments, didn't phase me a bit. I guess that's just what a guy does with two chicks in their clubhouse. Unlike some of the other users, I really liked the Bloodhound Gang. I remember one episode in particular where they investigate a ghost at some old lady's house. Turns out her creepy son was doing it in order to get her to sell the place so he could pay off his gambling debts - not bad for a kids show. Plus, the ghost itself was really friggin' scary - it cackled and wiggled and, to be honest, scared the crap out of me. Turns out the son created the ghost by - and here comes the sciency aspect of the mystery - catching moths using pheromones and then illuminating the wriggling moths with a spotlight, creating the illusion of this amoeba-like squirming ghost. He also played creepy cackling music on his tape player for added effect. All in all the whole process seemed a little laborious, but then I guess it wouldn't have fit the show if they didn't get a chance to discuss moth pheramones. I also remember another bloodhound episode where this guy claimed someone had stolen his priceless grandfather clock. In reality, he wrapped it in plastic and dumped it in his well with the intention of using bags of salt to float it to the top so he could retrieve it after he collected the insurance money. Like one person said, very Encyclopedia Brown. Anyhow, great show and don't kid, that theme song rocked. Although the frog and baby were, admittedly, a bit gross.

I loved the Bloodhound Gang

[[e-mail] · 10/10 · 7 April 2010]

The best part about the show 3-2-1 CONTACT was the part featuring the Bloodhound Gang - Vicki, Richardo and Skip - who always solved cases using science with the aid of their mentor, the mysterious James Bloodhound, the owner of the Bloodhound Detective Agency where they worked. I loved the antics of Richardo in particular, as he wanted to be a magician and loved performing magic tricks. Last year, I looked up the show at this site and discovered the actor playing Richardo was dead and that I had outlived him by more than twenty years! My favourite episode was the one featuring Sally Starfire, an actress who was supposedly haunting her mansion, whose contents were being itemized by her brothers; the gang was called in by Sally's niece and were able to clock her "husband" - Texas Worthington Beauregarde III - as having walked a long distance even though he was supposed to have broken his leg and required a wheelchair to move. Tex is revealed to be Sally, who is in fact alive. This bizarre turn of events, meant to explain the photograph of the ghost taken earlier by Sally's brother, was probably a replacement for the original ending which was scrapped before the actual production of the story began (because Tex and Sally are portrayed by the same person), because Sally's death is carefully described by Tex in the first or second part of the story and her escape from death is never explained properly to the viewer.

Great Show!!

[coldcrushd · 10/10 · 30 July 2006]

I spent a "few" days at home playing hooky, watching 3-2-1-Contact, trying to ease my guilty conscience. Having fun and getting my learn on... watching some pretty hot girls too. I've seen many shows that were like it but I haven't seen a show yet that had the educational value of 3-2-1-Contact with as cool a multiracial cast. They were the first show I can remember that didn't play the minorities like second class citizens or goofy sidekicks chiming in every now and then to make the Caucasian actors seem cooler or more intelligent or focal. They had some pretty girls to and if my memory serves me they were right up there with fine Maria from Sesame Street. The show was really fun though and I remember each segment clicked. Unlike some shows (even Sesame Street) who have 1 or 2 different segments that are cool and then 1 or 2 that miss each and every segment of 3-2-1-Contact fit right in and was equally looked forward to.

The greatest PBS Kids live-action series from the 1980s!!

[stephenchase-63504 · 10/10 · 9 February 2021]

The greatest episode involves rocket ships, real and toy-based!!!

Who in the world remembers.....

[nappydreadz-1 · 10/10 · 16 November 2007]

The guys in black tights with the toilet paper face and the camera head??? The toilet paper face guy had rolls for eyes, nose and mouth. He would show you what he was thinking or feeling by yanking on different rolls. He'd cry by pulling the rolls where his eyes were. I'm going freaking crazy because nobody remembers this stuff. This was a big part of my childhood and I feel like I would't be as unique and twisted if I hadn't seen this show. Does anyone remember them? Am I insane? If someone/anyone can find pictures, I would be indebted forever!!!!! My wife is only 26 and she doesn't believe they ever existed. Please feel free to send them to [e-mail]

One of my favorite shows growing up.

[SiKnight · 24 April 2001]

Back in 1980, when I was in 3rd grade, I remember a brand new show premiering on PBS called 3-2-1 Contact. At that time, I had just started getting interested in science. Since I didn't have cable, and Mr. Wizard I had never heard of at the time, I found this show to be very interesting. It became an after school routine for me to watch, looking forward to what they had planned to teach that week. For those of you who've never watched it, they would to devote an entire week on a particular subject, which really kept you watching if it was something that interested you (or kept you changing the channel if you were bored by it, something that never happened to me on this show).

3-2-1 Contact really inspired me to maintain an interest in science ever since then. It was 3-2-1 Contact that got my interest in computers back then, which turned out to be a lucrative career for me. I also used to subscribe to the magazine they had by the same name (also published by Children's Television Workshop who created Sesame Street and The Electric Company).

All in all, I'd have to say that this was a very wonderful series to learn from, and now that it's on Noggin a new generation of kids can learn from it. My young son and I watch it together now, and he's learning a lot from it.

This show was so cool KISS made a guest appearance...

[konky2000 · 15 August 2003]

In one very memorable episode of the 1980 season, one of the girls (I think it was Trini) went to a KISS concert to get a little behind the scenes introduction in how all the sound equipment was put together. They then played part of the concert. I was watching this episode with my friend and just as they were playing the concert, his dad walked in and got all upset that we were watching junk on TV. He didn't listen when we tried to explain that it was an educational program on PBS, and he forced us to turn it off!!!

The main difference between the first season and later seasons is that the original 321 Contact gang was composed of 2 girls and 1 guy, while later seasons saw the inclusion of a wise-crack prone kid. Thus, while the first season had a Three's Company vibe to it, later episodes had more of a Scrappy Doo vibe that got a little annoying.

I don't know that they ever made new Bloodhound Gang episodes. I kind of remember seeing the same ones over and over again even during the newer episodes.

I loved this show as a kid!

[British-2 · 6 May 1999]

I remember watching this show hundreds of times as a kid! Mind you, I loved the 1980 season with Trini, Mark, and that other gal (can't remember her name). A friend of a friend who's an actor in LA actually met Mark, and he's doin' okay. I didn't care for the other seasons, but I'd do anything to see the old 1980 episodes again.

Where did this classic go!!!

[ross.hrynewych · 21 December 1999]

Watching this show was an after school ritual for me. I still remember the episode where the kids were stranded in the middle of Death Valley and spelled out HELP in rocks, hoping for a plane to fly past them. Do you remember the bizzare episodes of the Bloodhound Gang? The science they taught everyone who watched it still haunts me to this day. Do you remember the pinhole camera in the back of the van when they got kidnapped by the art thieves, or the ladder the fat lady broke going up to the attic to get her mothball infested dress?? Am I the only one who remembers this stuff??

Pop Culture Clasics: 3-2-1 Contact.

[Captain_Couth · 19 August 2005]

3-2-1 Contact (1980-1992) was a fun show that I watch for a few years when I was a kid. The concept of the show was two girls and a guy talking about science and making it fun. There was also a cheesy mystery short thrown in. It was a continuing serial that featured a group of young sleuths who went around solving real easy problem solving cases. I stopped watch the show after 1983. But during the first three seasons I sure did have a lot of fun watching this show. I saw some later episodes but it just wasn't the same. I'll always have my memories.

A P.B.S. children's program.

The theme song still goes through my head sometimes.

[MrEricSir · 4 August 1999]

The theme song still goes through my head sometimes. "Ready? 3-2-1 Contact."

I remember not liking this show much when I was younger. It wasn't until a few years later that I started watching this show, as well as "Square One TV" which was on about the same time. The old episodes of the show look very retro now.

I watched it when I was in Kindergarten

[Kristinartist79 · 21 July 2004]

I remember that show when I was in Kindergarten. I tried so hard to search it on the web! I wasn't sure the whole name. I am so glad I finally found it! Too they don't play reruns of kids shows like they do with grown up shows. Maybe they think kids now days would not watch them. They don't make many kids shows like this anymore. Unfortunately, there its possible that kids now days, (with media like video games and fast paste shows) don't have the attention spans they do today. Maybe shows like this would help. I remember the song, "Contact, its when everything happens!" I remember learning how they milk cows, other than squeezing the utters! It was such a fun and educational show. Many shows to day, just lack intelligence and are not educational at all. Well unfortunately all good shows have to end at some points but I wonder why they show reruns of grown up shows and not kids shows! It is fortunate that at least good kids shows like "Barney and Friends," "Seasame Street," and "Blues Clues" exist. I wonder if I could get 321 contact on tape somehow. Not that I would watch it as an adult but when I have kids I would probably buy it, or buy it for a gift.

A little "Zoom" mingled with some "Mr. Wizard"

[pheidias · 15 September 2000]

I saw probably the entire first season and I agree the show gradually became a little stale in following years.

Of course there was the bouncy theme song with a disco vibe, that included lines like "Contact/ it's the reason/ it's the moment/ when everything happens./ Contact.../ Let's make contact." Sounds vaguely like a proposition. Making science sexy, maybe. Someone should record a club remix.

Part of the footage that played along with this (aside from a Saturn V lift-off, an arc lamp, and I think an earth-mover) was of a frog wiping spittle off its eye in slow motion. This made me gag, especially since it came right before a slobbering infant. Of all the stock footage available, they chose two cuts with saliva to illustrate the wonders of the natural world.

All in all, it was a pretty good show. I didn't care for the fictional segment ("The Bloodhound Gang"), and I was embarrassed by its theme song.

It is probably difficult to make a show like this, since the children with an interest in science probably know a lot of the basics already, yet the ones with only a passing interest are the real target audience, since the makers wanted more to instill curiosity than to inform. There is no way this show could be considered to teach with any degree of rigor. It was essentially a succession of appealing or curious images that could be easily explained, with a sort of Encyclopedia Brown show tacked on.