
Standard Deviants TV — Season 2
We want to educate the world — and we're crazy enough to try it!
About this season
Standard Deviants TV comprised material from the Standard Deviants home videos, edited into 25-minute episodes that aired on PBS. The series also included three episodes with new material on geography.
Episodes (28)
1. King Lear
Aired 8 March 2001
Get ready to meet royalty as the Standard Deviants introduce you to King Lear! After a quick overview of the plot, the Standard Deviants examine King Lear as a tragic figure.
2. Plates and Quakes
Aired 15 March 2001 • 26 min
This time, the Standard Deviants will leave you shaking! Learn about plate tectonics, continental drift and faults. But don’t duck for cover until after you discover the fascinating facts behind earthquakes!
3. Musclemania
Aired 22 March 2001
Muscles–they’re not just for bodybuilders anymore! The Standard Deviants will bulk you up with tons of interesting information about joints, skeletal muscles and how skeletal muscles are named.
4. Integer Intrigue
Aired 29 March 2001
Let’s operate! Unearth the ancient secrets of integers and basic operations, including addition, subtraction and multiplication. Whether this is your first time or you’re looking for a quick review, the Standard Deviants will show you the quickest route to the right answer!
5. Let’s Talk! Basic Italian Conversations
Aired 5 April 2001
You never know when you’ll find yourself in Italy–or a really good Italian restaurant! Now you can join in the conversation, too! The Standard Deviants will teach you some conversation pointers and a few sure-fire Italian expressions.
6. Mission: Nutrition
Aired 12 April 2001
Your mission, should you accept it, is to understand the importance of nutrients, calories, nutrition standards and guidelines. So that you may complete your mission, you will be given a briefing on how food is digested.
7. Macbeth
Aired 19 April 2001
Boil, boil, toil and trouble, we’ll teach you about Macbeth on the double! The Standard Deviants untangle the twisted web of treachery in Macbeth and divine the details behind the characters of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and the witches.
8. Water, Water, Everywhere
Aired 26 April 2001
More than three-quarters of the earth is covered in it! In this episode, the Standard Deviants dive into an explanation of river systems, drainage, shoreline systems, waves and glaciers.
9. Get Nervous
Aired 3 May 2001
The Standard Deviants will strike a “cord” in this fascinating overview of the Central Nervous System. Starting with a description of neurons, this episode covers the anatomy of the brain, the spinal cord and the Peripheral Nervous System.
10. Our Amigos, Adjetivos
Aired 10 May 2001
Jazz-up your Spanish conversations with these interesting descriptive terms! Master the rules of matching adjectives with number and gender, using two adjectives together, and those tricky demonstrative adjectives–this, that, these, and those.
11. What’s That Label on My Table?
Aired 17 May 2001
If you’re like most people, you probably don’t stop to read the information on nutritional labels. The Standard Deviants dispel the mysteries surrounding these labels and what they mean. The Standard Deviants also discuss the importance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
12. Punct Rock
Aired 24 May 2001
Enter the high-impact, no-holds-barred world of punctuation! The Standard Deviants demonstrate all those funny little squiggles and marks that inevitably show up in a sentence. Learn all about dashes, hyphens, apostrophes, contractions, and maybe a parentheses or two.
13. Angles Untangled
Aired 31 May 2001
Nobody can resist angles–they’re just so acute! Don’t get bent out of shape over angles–the Standard Deviants will explain theorems, postulates, and how angles and theorems work together so anybody can understand!
14. Othello
Aired 7 June 2001
The Standard Deviants clear the cobwebs from Shakespeare’s masterpiece of backstabbing and good old-fashioned revenge. After an overview of the plot, the Standard Deviants examine the main characters Othello, Desdemona and Iago.
15. Revenge of the Verbs
Aired 14 June 2001
Without verbs, your ability to converse in Spanish will be severely limited! Once you’ve learned how to conjugate verbs in the present tense and make verbs negative, we’ll throw in a curveball: irregular verbs.
16. Give Me Liberty!
Aired 21 June 2001
Protected by the Bill of Rights, civil liberties include the freedom of speech, the freedom of religion and the rights of the accused. The Standard Deviants discuss each of these guaranteed rights–without taking any liberties!
17. Rootin’ Tootin’ Newton
Aired 28 June 2001
Some laws should never be broken–especially the laws of physics! Meet renowned physicists Sir Isaac Newton, Kepler and Hooke as the Standard Deviants give you their spin on Newton’s laws, the laws of thermodynamics and other physical laws.
18. A Rock’s Life
Aired 5 July 2001
Despite what you may have heard, most rocks have lived a long and interesting life! Learn how to interpret the history of rocks and the surrounding area from such clues as weathering, erosion and sedimentation.
19. Ace That Interview
Aired 12 July 2001
Put your best foot forward! The Standard Deviants will help you land that dream job by showing you the different types of interviews and interviewers, how to prepare for an interview, common questions and what interviewers look for. Remember: it’s an interview–not an interrogation!
20. You Gotta Have Heart
Aired 19 July 2001
Confused by the cardiovascular system? Take heart! In this episode, the Standard Deviants will examine the inner workings and important structures in the heart, the circulatory system, blood and plasma.
21. Parlez-Vous Français?
Aired 26 July 2001 • 26 min
If you ever plan to visit France or parts of Canada, knowing a few words of French will go a long way! Learn to speak and understand French as the Standard Deviants demonstrate simple French conversations and common expressions.
22. Titus Andronicus
Aired 2 August 2001
Uncover Shakespeare’s least-known tragedy–his first! Explore the plot of this early and flawed play as the Standard Deviants discuss the influences and sources for the play, as well as how Titus stacks up as a tragic figure.
23. Sociology Secrets
Aired 9 August 2001
Don’t be left out! Learn about our natural tendency to form social groups in this introduction to the science of sociology. Discover the intricate dynamics behind group interactions, social structures, societies and cultures.
24. If at First You Don’t Succeed, Triangles
Aired 16 August 2001
Triangles can be your friends! The Standard Deviants will straighten-out your misconceptions about these three-sided troublemakers with descriptions of the different kinds of triangles and some simple postulates.
25. And Justice for All
Aired 23 August 2001
No study of American history would be complete without and understanding of the civil rights movement. Starting with the abolition of slavery, the Standard Deviants cover the civil rights acts, the right to vote, Jim Crow laws and women’s rights.
26. North America, Ho!!!
Aired 30 August 2001 • 26 min
The Standard Deviants are putting themselves on the map! In this episode, the Standard Deviants discuss the geography of the United States and our buddies to the north, Canada. Learn about the basic geography of the area and the different climates.
27. Russian Around Europe
Aired 1 October 2002 • 26 min
28. Africa: Safari, So Good!
Aired 1 October 2002 • 26 min