Mathnet | The Problem of the Missing Baseball (The Pilot)

[@Digifangsn]

No More Sandlot comments there is no evidence suggest the writes of that film stole or got that plot from this episode!

[@chrismetafora6565]

Thanks for posting this ep! Love Mathnet! Love the Cincy running joke. I never worked with a Net. The answer to your question is no. :)

[@spdrcr5]

Although not in this particular episode, but James Earl Jones played the Chief in Mathnet and was also in The Sandlot.

[@DrummingWriterTrekfan84]

Agreed! You are absolutely right. Besides this first squareone/mathnet mystery was made Several YEARS before the sandlot movie was. Still a hilarious coincidence!

[@Babbleplay]

@@DrummingWriterTrekfan84Yeah, Sandlot came out when I was in Middle School, I think, but Square One was shown in class in my elementary years, and it was old-ish, then.

[@DroppinJewLs]

Yes, this Mathnet story is a whole lot like an Alfred Hitchcock episode.

[@adriel7229]

First time seeing this in 35 years. Can't believe how clever it is. No wonder my dad loved Mathnet! (And Square One!)

[@kevinpayton2664]

Mathnet could've been its own show and I still would watch.

[@1000huzzahs]

it almost was! But they put the money into Ghostwriter instead.

[@pauljordan4452]

​@@1000huzzahsThe bastards. Mathnet was a lot more educational.

[@allysonlin1054]

Mathnet and square one were literally my childhood detective show! My 4th grade math teacher would place this every once in a while and it would be my favorite day!

[@cj222100]

This was my favorite part of Square One, I liked the other parts, but it was basically Mathnet that I watched for. I thought Kate Monday was so pretty, & preferred her to Pat Tuesday

[@kevinpayton2664]

Mathnet was my favorite too. I also liked the segment with the Pac-Man look-a-like game.

[@Cooldude-sb2cx]

Kevin Payton that was math man

[@FeverdreamingVIDEO]

she was in star trek for an episode on Voyager ! hah

[@hawkeyepierce7035]

Same here! Mathnet was my favourite of the Square One segments, although I did like the other segments too. And at one time I did have a crush on Kate Monday.

[@chrismetafora6565]

@@hawkeyepierce7035 @Hawkeye Pierce Are you from IA? Just asking. Also, I love J Denver too.

[@Samsquamsh]

I remember growing up thinking that "mathnet" was a real division of the police department and since I was terrible at math, I surely thought mathnet detectives would surely be my undoing when I grew up lol.

[@yoseftreitman7226]

Did you expect to grow up to be a criminal?

[@georgestacey9558]

Lol!!!😂

[@JoeSmith-jx5ri]

I never knew what the fuck these guys were talking about

[@Flamsterette]

Haha.

[@BenjaminWirtz]

Me too.

[@kevinpauley-dadbodstyle2935]

The Cincinnati joke that runs through this is priceless!

[@markusalan85392]

A lot of thought and quality went into these shows. I found it entertaining and educational when i was 10 but it even holds up when it watch it now. They definetly dumbed down tv shows after this for generations after gen x.

[@IsoscelesKramer]

Love how they carry calculators instead of guns.

[@TheNextWave22]

You have the right to remain... mathematic

[@mejrpi5]

lol. awesome

[@LM1313]

"It's Frankly, Scarlet, and I don't give--" I love the fast-paced, subtle humor of this show!

[@hawkeyepierce7035]

Here's another part that's comedy gold. When Howie repeatedly states all the things his Dad will do to him: murder him, rip him to shreds, skin him, run him out of town on a rail, turn him inside out, make him walk the plank. The part that was especially funny was when Kate got off the phone with him and said in her deadpan manner, "He says his Dad's going to make him walk the plank if we don't find that baseball soon."

[@bahgheera]

"Would you say that crime doesn't pay?" "I sure would. Not the way I do it, anyway." Classic.

[@OGlohocla1994]

Awesome! I grew up on this show. Thinking about it forever now and finally found it

[@Metqa]

I loved MathNet as a kid, and thanks to this vid, I remember why! it was funny and educational without hitting you over the head with the concepts.

[@spyvsspymad]

watching this most days after school square one tv was so good and i loved Mathnet. I still remember this ep about the baseball. I wish i could be transported right back to that rocking chair i use to sit on watching this show. It was great times then

[@FireMadeFleshII]

The original Mulder & Scully. 😄 Mathnet was my favorite part of Square One

[@LycoLoco]

Oh my god I'm watching this on a Sunday Morning straight up *crying* at some of these jokes * George hangs hung up the phone * Kate: Is that the lab? George: No, it was Martha. She needs more peppers for meatloaf * Kate nods * George: You wanna stop for dinner tonight, Kate? Kate: Maybe, what are you having? George: I dunno, she didn't say. Just that she needed peppers for meatloaf. Kate: Maybe you're having meatloaf George: Oh, I doubt it. Kate: How's that? George: It's difficult to make. She's out of peppers

[@AstrosElectronicsLab]

lol

[@CanuckMonkey13]

I laughed SO HARD at this part.

[@alykgray]

OMFG MY 5TH GRADE MATH TEACHER ALWAYS SHOWED THESE IN CLASS AND IVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND THIS EVER SINCE

[@j062]

Same

[@prinzdodo]

I remember a local television in my country aired this show in Wednesday evening, dating back 1988-89. Thank you for bringing this back.

[@nintendonerdsvideos4727]

16:54 Mathnet teaching not just math but proper English

[@Thrifty032781]

This show has some pretty good jokes for a kids show from the 80's.

[@Samsquamsh]

Yeah it did. I actually lolled pretty hard when the lady said her house got ganked. haha

[@Flamsterette]

@@Samsquamsh Laughed, not what you typed.

[@richardgonzales8502]

As a kid I found this oddly cool ... and I still do . Funny how I hated Math yet loved Mathnet .

[@jonbaker1996]

I was watching Odd Squad with my kids and it dawned on me that Odd Squad is my kid's generation's Mathnet. I loved Mathnet, so fun to see it again.

[@VahanNisanian]

The pilot episode was filmed in August 1985, and aired almost two years later during the first week of February 1987.

[@mysteriousperson69]

11:52 "It was hot in LA, and hadn't snowed for months." HAHAHA!

[@cjs121675]

My God I remember this!!!! Thanks so much for making my day with this.... This brings back so many memories of my childhood and some of my happiest ones. You turly have made me happy with these Mathnet memories!

[@straightpipediesel]

22:48 Math error! The total flight length was 80 miles. The helicopter had to fly from the base to pick up the house, drop it off, and return to the base. The possible house drop locations should be contained in an ellipse with the base and the pick-up point as foci. I think they did do this correctly, drawing with string, in a later episode.

[@synthoelectro]

It was 1986 when I watched this show, I was 9 years old, wow the days have changed.

[@flannigan7956]

Man I am sunk without you guys' brilliant insights

[@aedrebletsung9644]

HAHA, I remember this in 6th grade in middle school. Our math teacher played these like once or twice a week. I was the only one laughing through the whole thing while my fellow classmates were viewing it like dead zombies. I was glared at by some classmates and even the teacher, i was told i was being immature and needed to grow up. I said NEVER! I had to stifle the laughing, it hurt but I managed lollllllll.

[@haroldalexis4200]

Sorry you had to go through that. No emotions with this hilarious show? To the contrary they were air heads with no humer!

[@thom11780]

MAN!!!! This show brings back so many awesome memories

[@j062]

I'm only 23 years old, but my 5th grade math teacher would always play these in class when we had nothing to do in class

[@briankempgaming512]

My 5th grade math teacher did the exact same thing

[@BenJabituya]

Mathnet opening monologue: "The story you are about to see is a fib, but it's short. The names are made up, but the problems are real." Dragnet opening monologue: "The story you are about to see is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent."

[@2bluevalentine]

I looooved this show as a kid and Math Net was my favorite part.

[@hawkeyepierce7035]

Mine too!

[@bernardshakey9107]

hahahahaha "I should have put up a sign that said DO NOT STEAL HOUSE! RRRRRRR!"

[@danaabel1049]

Maybe she had 1 of the baseball players do it, b/c she probably wanted him to "steal home"!!!

[@jonathanscruggs3233]

This is where they got the idea for the Sandlot

[@225films5]

facts

[@ladymissgrey]

mind blown 🤯

[@mr.tomraypaz6085]

I thought of The Sandlot when I saw this.

[@russellmoore8187]

"Would you say crime doesn't pay?" "I sure would...not the way I do it, anyway"

[@jasonvanboesschoten6680]

wow, i have had this show stuck in my head for like a week now and could not remember the name of it. i finally found it. i loved this show when i was a kid.

[@rebeccahowe8927]

Always struck me as a bit weird that they hadn't perfected their high-five (which would make you think it's their first case together) but all the references to Martha's meatloaf parties indicate they've been working together for a bit. Anyway, as dopey as George can be, it's nice to see him show off some smarts when he magic-tricks the glasses to get into the house.

[@Radars22]

That was the best decline of a dinner invite ever @ 16:02

[@SuperStarCustoms]

Loved this as a kid, dont know why cause i didnt get any of it. Im laughing my ass off watching it now

[@Wiggymaster]

You are freaking awesome for uploading this. Thank you so much!

[@WTFG78]

"I never work with a net. Go away." Sampson was portrayed by character actor Edward Winter. Older viewers may remember him as the recurring character Colonel Flagg from the TV series M*A*S*H.

[@tnawcwvictoria]

Edward Winter also played a Bad Guy in an episode of Trapper John, M.D.

[@KevinPayton-fq8gd]

He was hilarious as Col. Flagg.

[@BobBX542]

WAIT A MINUTE!!! If her house was stolen, then how did they call her, and what was her phone connected to?? Something seems fishy about this.

[@ronaldsanfran]

+BobBX542 lol don't think too hard about it, it's meant to be ridiculous

[@nmsumartin]

+BobBX542 No, no, look at about 9:32. You can see the desk phone sitting over to the right of the tent.

[@BobBX542]

Martin Burch Well, I'll be damned.

[@joeldarr8118]

Martin - you win!

[@Flamsterette]

@@ronaldsanfran Haha.

[@bakedaries_82]

Finally! Been looking for this for almost 30 years

[@AlbertCalis]

Wow this show really takes me back to my childhood!

[@tranceotaku]

Educational and a fun send up to one of the shows I loved watching on Nick @ Nite. Gotta thank my 6th grade teacher for showing my class this show.

[@MisterH37]

So cheesy. So wonderful. "What guy?" "The guy from Tuesday's Episode." So meta. I always looked forward to that high five at the end of a Friday Episode. Should someone be calling social services on Howie's dad?

[@redneckzen]

I love this show. I watched it when I was playing Mr Mom back in the late 80s. I learned to do estimates by watching George and Kate.

[@sep420]

I used to always hold my calculator like a gun after this show!

[@mortalkombatgal2]

6:09 The most shocking plot twist of all time.

[@lucyfurrdevine4496]

....gawddamn I am SO happy to be watching these again.... 😉

[@lucyfurrdevine4496]

....original "Law & Order S.V.U"....😂

[@lucyfurrdevine4496]

....."10:49 & 1/2 A.M.".....

[@Radeo]

This is the Pilot episode, as in it was filmed first and pitched first, but the actual first episode of Season 1 is "The Problem of the Missing Monkey".

[@haroldalexis4200]

Yes They flip flopped the episodes! That episode was Grunt The Gorilla , and he had a Fay Wray doll😄!

[@LadyHawke78]

And the young girl in the gorilla episodes was played by Yeardley Smith- the voice of Lisa Simpson. (The Moar U Know…)

[@Going2Frys]

holy cow. I just went back.....to the future!

[@tricia1114]

law and order: the math unit

[@danaabel1049]

Hey, that'd be a cool title

[@exclamationpointman3852]

Man... I can think of some bad days but you come back and find YOUR HOUSE GONE: that has got to be a really bad day!!

[@johnmiller1376]

"I like mathnet from new-york-city new-york this parody is dedicated to jack-webb & harry-morgan".

[@jordanthomas7304]

The parody of "Dragnet" from Los Angeles to "New York." This one's for Harry Morgan and Jack Webb!

[@gameshows5973]

Dragnet actually gave CTW their blessing on this

[@OneWeirdDude]

30:28 "Why'd you steal my father's baseball, Mr. Sampson?"

[@nintendonerdsvideos4727]

I didn't steal your father's baseball, I stole the house

[@danaabel1049]

@@nintendonerdsvideos4727 Yeah, you could say that he decided to "Steal "Home""!!!

[@MrBaltch]

Loved Mathnet. MathMan scared the boogers out of me!

[@NickCMedia]

Apparently George pretended to pick up Sampson's glasses when he actually had them up his sleeve.

[@ConstanceCFriday]

I really loved this educational piece from Square One tv back then. I'll recommend it for kids today.

[@Radars22]

If you watch George "pick them up" off the floor, you will notice that he already has them in his hand. He did that to gain access to the house.

[@jn1mrgn]

This show was way better than "Numb3rs".

[@IsoscelesKramer]

A kid loses his dad's Babe Ruth-autographed baseball while his dad was on a business trip -- I guess this was what inspired "The Sandlot"!

[@Garrettk41]

If you watch the scene more carefully, you'll see that George was pretending to pick the glasses up off the floor. He had them with him the whole time. It was a trick.

[@VahanNisanian]

@OneWeirdDude Mathnet had some of the best music in a children's show ever. Especially in the first two seasons. All about those 80's synths.

[@donhawk5763]

No. Kate Monday is played by Beverly Leech. Marcy was played by Amanda Bearse.

[@haroldalexis4200]

I was looking at reruns of Dragnet it's so hilarious how this spoof Mathnet is done to the letter in this case numbers 😄. Square One did an excellent job of this part of the show. PBS did a small spinoff of it for when Kate Monday & George Ernest Frankly came to New York City! This is so hilarious & educational at the same time, I don't carry a badge but i love this humerus show! P. S. Sesame Street also spoofed Dragnet with The Muppets & The letter W & the letter M! 😄😄😄😂😃

[@OneWeirdDude]

23:30 One of my all-time fave theme musics.

[@daltonrandall4348]

Me too!!

[@NickCMedia]

I don't know. A lot of stuff would have to be edited out for commercials. I'd pretty much prefer just the Mathnet segments.

[@gameshows5973]

If her house had been stolen, how did she still have a phone connection

[@Garrettk41]

The first Mathnet episode ever. Nice to have the whole thing available. Is there anyway you could upload the closing credits at the end?

[@jayk8510]

Very Seinfeld like conversations before Seinfeld lol

[@helenburns2186]

4:10 Monday: " Excuse me ma'am, I'm Monday. Mathnet. This is my partner George Frankly." George: "Mathnet"

[@colleen4ever]

There was one ep where the roles were reversed and George made the introduction. I remember Kate looking awkward when she realizes what's happening. Do ya know which ep that was?

[@Isolder74]

References to The Sand Lot are everywhere in this episode.

[@fernandofelix892]

So this is where the Sandlot got the plot for the movie?

[@1978mcduff]

Was about to post the same. Cool, but disappointing it was so blatant

[@Whatwon1]

"My name is Monday, I'm a Mathematician.

[@kevinwight3662]

Im 38 and i loved this show on pbs wen i was 6 😂 weekly mathnet ventures

[@DreamDancer82]

I wish there were some ending credits to this show. That way I could find out if the lady who's house was stolen is Billie Hayes or not. I don't know her by face, but I sure recognize her voice!

[@Tubewings]

That is, indeed, Billie Hayes.

[@klingterra]

IMDB is a wonderful thing, Mrs. MacGregor was indeed played by Billie Hayes!

[@IsoscelesKramer]

@pattypopping: It was a joke. They asked him if he knew who invented the helicopter, not who invented the helicopter.

[@OneWeirdDude]

"Bluff" Drive; that's funny.

[@DizzyedUpGirl]

Are we supposed to just ignore that Howie done biked 80 miles that day?

[@NiPsLiPs44]

Been looking for this for years!!!

[@nikiat21]

The nostalgia 😮😮

[@JedandDave]

It's Frankly Scarlett and I don't give a .... HA HA HA. I love all the jokes they cram in

[@Danny00201]

May sound funny but I loved this show remember watching and thinking it was just like dragnet. Didnt know Jack webbs wife was a producer until years later.

[@DavidBaruffi]

Huh. I don't remember George Frankly being so slow.

[@VahanNisanian]

Of all the criminals Mathnet brought to justice, Clarance Sampson is probably the most generic, casual looking of them all. Usually the criminal (or criminal(s)) was someone with an outlandish name, occupation, and/or outfit.

[@alogan7951]

One of my favorite episodes!

[@14DaveHunter]

What did George's wife Martha look like? You might have saw her and their kids, in the 1985 ABC "You'll Love It" promo. George was the Dad, in the family and the promo is on KZbin. Also, the lady who's house was stolen, is Billy Hayes. She played Witchipoo and Weenie the Genie, in Sid & Marty Krofft's classic kids shows.

[@DizzyedUpGirl]

"The house is still there" He cracked the case!

[@thewiz2004]

Press 4 to "look at the trees".

[@AstrosElectronicsLab]

Monday: "Find anything yet? " Ginny: "38 things!" George: "38?" Ginny: "You know, between 37 and 39?" George: "...uhuh" LOL

[@markhargreaves1069]

Loved this segment

[@marisoldiaz8425]

I love these math crime shows

[@NickCMedia]

Here are some criminals with no outlandish names, occupations, or outfits: Maureen O'Reilly (no known occupation (nothing outlandish)) (Maltese Pigeon) Raymond Sticker (occupations: vandal, bomber, and sculptor) (The View from the Rear Terrace) Simon Legume (occupation: banker) (Piggy Banker) Norman Tedge (occupation: interior decorator) (Willing Parrot) Floyd Tyrone (occupation: drill major, and accomplice to John Phillips Lousa) (Passing Parade) Just to name a few.

[@shanware2]

Classic! Brings back memories!!

[@OneWeirdDude]

7:39 I'm just now noticing, at almost 40, how dramatic Ms. McGregor is acting. :-)

[@brotherbrown1984]

the Show was officially aired in 1987. So including 1987 maybe 13 years from 1975, even if it was filmed much earlier for our convenience. 1985 could have been when it was established but simply the first episode was not Kate and George first case. Many shows are like that. Also George replanted the glasses in the house as a deceptive trick like a magician.

[@thegaryjay_yt]

Sounds almost exactly like the premise they later used in Sandlot, minus the cops. Well played