OWL/TV

Did You Know?

• The opening theme was updated in 1986.
• Bonepart shared his energy for individual action on behalf of the environment.

Segments

Each half-hour episode blended animated segments with serious topics through recurring features. Mighty Mites followed three children with the power to shrink and explore tiny worlds. Animals Close Up brought kids face-to-face with wildlife and included interviews with zoologists. Tomorrow Today let children visit real labs and imagine the future. Real Kids highlighted young people actively improving their surroundings, showing that anyone can create change. You and Your Body used a funny skeleton named Bonepart, voiced by Michael Lennick, to teach about the human body and encourage environmental action. Dr. Zed revealed links between nature and science with exciting experiments. The Hoot Club Kids tackled projects that solved problems, tested materials, and engaged with their community and environment.

USA broadcasts

The series ran on PBS from 1985 to 1991, then moved to Showtime for a seven-year run ending in 1999. WNET-TV handled U.S. distribution, while YTV later carried reruns. A French-language Quebec version, Télé-Hibou, aired on Canal Famille. The National Audubon Society co-produced the show, with PBS providing initial funding. The program was based on OWL magazine.

British version

A British version was created in 1989 with Michaela Strachan as presenter, made for CITV by Thames Television with repeats on Channel 4. When Thames lost its franchise, Channel 4 picked up the rights in 1993 for one last series made by Tetra Films. This version used the same opening titles but was a straight wildlife programme with no animation segments; most editions were 20 minutes long, though North American segments were incorporated. Series 1 ran 10 episodes from 5 January 1989 to 9 March 1989, and subsequent series aired through 1993.