Image Alt: | A yellow badge shape with a starburst coming from its center, emblazoned with the words "Odd Squad" |
Genre: | Educational,[1] Comedy[2] |
Creator: | Tim McKeon Adam Peltzman |
Starring: |
|
Composer: | Paul Buckley |
Country: | Canada United States |
Language: | English |
Num Seasons: | 3 |
Num Episodes: | 108 |
List Episodes: | list of Odd Squad episodes |
Producer: | Matthew J.R. Bishop Georgina Lopez Ellen Doherty |
Editor: | Jennifer Essex-Chew Courtney Goldman Christopher Minns Laura Bower |
Location: | Toronto, Ontario |
Runtime: | 10-13 minutes; two episodes paired for a half-hour program |
Company: | Sinking Ship Entertainment Fred Rogers Productions |
Channel: | TVO Kids (Canada) Ici Radio-Canada Télé (Canada) PBS Kids (United States) |
First Aired: | [3] |
Odd Squad (stylized as ODD SQUAD) is a children's live action educational television series[4] [5] created by Tim McKeon and Adam Peltzman. The series premiered on TVOKids in Canada and PBS Kids in the United States on November 26, 2014. Similar to Cyberchase and Peg + Cat, the series involves child characters using mathematical concepts (addition, multiplication, using data in graphs, etc.) to advance each episode's plot. The series features child actors (whose characters are the employees of the "Odd Squad") who use indirect reasoning and basic math to solve and investigate strange happenings in their town.
The series follows the exploits of Odd Squad, an organization run entirely by children, that solves peculiar problems using math skills. In the first two seasons, it typically features two employees of the organization's investigation division that work in precinct 13579 of the organization—Agents Olive (Dalila Bela) and Otto (Filip Geljo) in the first season and Olympia (Anna Cathcart) and Otis (Isaac Kragten) in the second season. Selected episodes feature other types of employees of the fictional organization, like security officers, so-called "tube operators" and scientists. The names of the employees nearly always start with the letter O. Agents are typically assigned cases by their boss, Ms. O (Millie Davis), and travel via a system of interconnected tubes to get to their destinations. They deduce the solution to the problem or how to detain the perpetrator by using basic mathematical principles that are typically the focus of the episode. Often, they cannot solve the problem at the scene and must go back to their precinct's headquarters or to the "Mathroom", a sentient space that communicates through large paper fortune tellers and can unfold them to display information to help the agents see connections and better solve their case. Along with math, agents also use "gadgets" designed by the scientists; in the first season, Agent Oscar (Sean Michael Kyer) heads the lab, gaining an assistant, Agent Oona (Olivia Presti), in early season two who eventually takes over the lab after Oscar is promoted. The characters also have to deal with a variety of recurring villains who often put a mathematical spin on their plots. The seal of the Odd Squad headquarters depicts a jackalope carrying a shield in front of it (bearing an image of the seal—an instance of the Droste effect) and bananas at each side of it. The third season, dubbed Odd Squad Mobile Unit, sees a setting change from precinct 13579 to a van; in this season, four agents are assigned by the Big O (Davis) to work in the van and travel the world solving cases where local precincts either can't reach or need extra help. The fourth season, dubbed Odd Squad UK', will be set in an Odd Squad location in the United Kingdom.[6]
Character | Portrayed by | Appearances | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | Specials | |||
3A | 3B | |||||
Agent Olive | Dalila Bela | |||||
Agent Otto | Filip Geljo | |||||
Ms. O / Big O | Millie Davis | colspan="5" | ||||
Agent Oscar | Sean Michael Kyer | |||||
Agent Olympia | Anna Cathcart | |||||
Agent Otis | Isaac Kragten | |||||
Agent Oona | Olivia Presti | |||||
Agent Opal | Valentina Herrera | |||||
Agent Omar | Jayce Alexander | |||||
Agent Oswald | Gavin Maclver-Wright | |||||
Agent Orla | Alyssa Hidalgo | |||||
Agent Osmeralda | Glee Dango | |||||
Orpita / Little O | Shazdeh Kapadia |
See main article: List of Odd Squad episodes.
In the UK, the series aired on CBBC[10] and BBC Two.[11] In Australia, it aired on ABC Kids and ABC Me.
Odd Squad films the series throughout Ontario. Part of season 3 was filmed in Cambridge, Ontario.[12]
The final episode of season 3 aired on July 8, 2022. A fourth season, dubbed Odd Squad UK, is set to be released on October 1, 2024.[6] [13]
The fourth will be filmed in the United Kingdom. It will also be produced in association with BBC Studios Kids & Family.[6]
Odd Squad has received positive reviews from television critics and parents of young children. Monica of Mommy Maestra Blog wrote, "Funny, clever, and sooo creative!"[14]
Year | Award | Category | Recipients | Result | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | Banff World Media Festival | Best Show – Pre-School Category | Sinking Ship Entertainment | ||
Daytime Emmy Award | Outstanding Children's Series | Sinking Ship Entertainment | |||
Outstanding Writing in a Children's or Pre-School Children's Series | Tim McKeon, Alexandra Fox, Rachel Lewis, Adam Peltzman and Mark DeAngelis | ||||
Outstanding Single Camera Editing | Jennifer Essex-Chew, Courtney Goldman and Sinking Ship Entertainment | ||||
Outstanding Sound Editing – Live Action | P. Jason MacNeil, James Robinson, Earl Torno, Bill Turchinetz, John D. Smith, Dave Yonson, Virginia Storey and Sinking Ship Entertainment | ||||
Outstanding Directing in a Children's or Pre-School Children's Series | J. J. Johnson | ||||
Outstanding Hairstyling | Patricia Cuthbert | ||||
Kidscreen Awards[15] | Kids: Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series | Sinking Ship Entertainment | |||
Parents' Choice Award | Parents' Choice Gold Honor | Sinking Ship Entertainment | |||
Youth Media Alliance | Award of Excellence, Best Convergent Website | Sinking Ship Entertainment | |||
Award of Excellence for Best Television Program, All Genres, Ages 6–8 Category | Sinking Ship Entertainment | ||||
2016 | TCA Awards[16] | Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming | Odd Squad | ||
Canadian Screen Awards | Best Direction in a Children's or Youth Program or Series | Craig Wallace and Sinking Ship Entertainment | |||
Best Writing in a Children's or Youth Program or Series | Tim McKeon and Sinking Ship Entertainment | ||||
Best Picture Editing in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series | Sinking Ship Entertainment | ||||
Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Series | Dalila Bela | ||||
Best Pre-School Program or Series | Sinking Ship Entertainment | ||||
Daytime Emmy Award | Outstanding Children's Series | Paul Siefken, J.J. Johnson, Tim McKeon, Blair Powers, Adam Peltzman, Emily Helfgot, Matthew J.R. Bishop, Mark De Angelis, Georgina Lopez and Sinking Ship Entertainment | |||
Interactive Media – Enhancement to Daytime Series | Blair Powers, Paul Siefken, Gavin Friesen, Ronald Ruslim, Dave Peth and Sinking Ship Entertainment | ||||
Outstanding Stunt Coordination | Regan Moore | ||||
Outstanding Performer in a Children's Series or Pre-School Series - Oscar | Sean Michael Kyer | ||||
Outstanding Sound Editing – Live Action | John Douglas Smith, P. Jason MacNeil, Bill Turchinetz, Dave Yonson and Virginia Storey | ||||
Outstanding Writing in a Children's or Pre-School Children's Series | Tim McKeon, Charles Johnston and Mark De Angelis | ||||
Outstanding Directing in a Children's or Pre-School Children's Series | J.J. Johnson, Stephen Reynolds, Brian K. Roberts, Stefan Scaini, Craig David Wallace and Sinking Ship Entertainment | ||||
Outstanding Costume Design | Christine Toye | ||||
Outstanding Hairstyling | Patricia Cuthbert | ||||
Parents' Choice Award | Parents' Choice Gold Honor | Sinking Ship Entertainment | |||
2017 | TCA Awards[17] | Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming | Odd Squad | ||
Canadian Screen Awards[18] | Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Limited Series | Millie Davis | |||
Best Direction in a Children's or Youth Program or Series | J.J. Johnson | ||||
Best Direction in a Children's or Youth Program or Series | Stefan Scaini | ||||
Best Original Music Score for a Program | Paul Buckley | ||||
Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program | Sean Michael Kyer | ||||
Best TV Movie or Limited Series | Odd Squad: The Movie – Sinking Ship Entertainment | ||||
Best Writing in a Children's or Youth Series | Tim McKeon, Adam Peltzman and Mark DeAngelis | ||||
Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series | Sinking Ship Entertainment | ||||
Daytime Emmy Awards[19] [20] | Outstanding Children's or Family Viewing Series | J.J. Johnson, Tim McKeon, Blair Powers, Paul Siefken, Matthew J.R. Bishop, Georgina Lopez and Stephen J. Turnbull | |||
Outstanding Interactive – Enhancement to Daytime Program or Series | Ellen Doherty, Tim McKeon, Adam Peltzman, Blair Powers, Gavin Friesen, Ronald Ruslim, Stephen J. Turnbull, Dave Peth and Anna Cathcart | ||||
Outstanding Writing in a Children's or Pre-School Children's Series | Tim McKeon, Amy Benham, Charles Johnston, Adam Peltzman, Mark De Angelis and Robby Hoffman | ||||
Outstanding Directing in a Children's or Pre-School Children's Series | J.J. Johnson, Stephen Reynolds, Stefan Scaini and Warren P. Sonoda | ||||
Outstanding Single Camera Editing | Jennifer Essex-Chew, Courtney Goldman and Christopher Minns | ||||
Outstanding Performer in a Children's, Pre-School Children's or Family Viewing Program | Isaac Kragten | ||||
Outstanding Costume Design | Christine Toye | ||||
Outstanding Hairstyling | Liz Roelands | ||||
Outstanding Make-up | Jenna Servatius | ||||
Parents' Choice Gold Honor[21] | Sinking Ship Entertainment | ||||
Youth Media Alliance[22] | Best Program, Live Action, Ages 6–9 | Sinking Ship Entertainment | |||
Kidscreen Awards[23] | Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series - KIDS PROGRAMING | Sinking Ship Entertainment | |||
2018 | TCA Awards[24] | Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming | Odd Squad | ||
Canadian Screen Awards[25] | Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series | Sinking Ship Entertainment | |||
Best Direction, Children's or Youth | J.J. Johnson | ||||
Best Writing, Children's or Youth | Tim McKeon and Adam Peltzman | ||||
Best Performance, Children's or Youth | Anna Cathcart | ||||
Best Cross-Platform Project | Odd Squad 1.5 | ||||
US International Film Festival | Second Place – Silver Screen Award | Sinking Ship Entertainment | |||
Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Children's or Family Viewing Series | J.J. Johnson, Tim McKeon, Blair Powers, Paul Siefken, Ellen Doherty, Matthew J.R. Bishop, Adam Peltzman, Mark De Angelis, Stephen J. Turnbull and Sinking Ship Entertainment | |||
Outstanding Writing in a Children's, Preschool Children's, Family Viewing | Tim McKeon, Adam Peltzman, Mark De Angelis and Robby Hoffman | ||||
Outstanding Directing in a Children's, Preschool Children's or Family Viewing Program | J.J. Johnson, Stephen Reynolds and Warren P. Sonoda | ||||
Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design | Ron Stefaniuk, Diana Magnus, Amanda Vernuccio, Danielle Dobbyn, Jennifer Bryson and Sinking Ship Entertainment | ||||
Outstanding Lighting Direction | George Lajtai, C.S.C and Sinking Ship Entertainment | ||||
Outstanding Sound Mixing | Igor Bezuglov, Andrew McDonnell, John Bradshaw, Sean Karp and Sinking Ship Entertainment | ||||
Outstanding Costume Design/Styling | Christine Toye | ||||
Outstanding Hairstyling | Liz Roelands | ||||
2019 | TCA Awards[26] | Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming | Odd Squad | ||
Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Children's or Family Viewing Series | Ellen Doherty, J.J. Johnson, Timothy McKeon, Blair Powers, Matthew J.R. Bishop, Mark De Angelis, Adam Peltzman and Stephen J. Turnbull | |||
Outstanding Writing in a Children's, Preschool Children's, Family Viewing | Timothy McKeon, Mark De Angelis, Adam Peltzman and Robby Hoffman | ||||
Outstanding Directing for a Children's, Preschool Children's or Family Viewing Program | |||||
Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design | |||||
Outstanding Costume Design/Styling | |||||
Youth Media Alliance[27] | Best Program, Live Action, Ages 6–9 | Sinking Ship Entertainment | |||
Best Interactive Content, Ages 6–9 | Odd Squad 2.0 | ||||
Outstanding Youth Performer | Anna Cathcart | ||||
Outstanding Youth Performer | Millie Davis | ||||
Outstanding Youth Performer | Isaac Kragten | ||||
Canadian Screen Awards[28] | Best Children's or Youth Fiction Program or Series | J.J. Johnson, Tim McKeon, Blair Powers, Paul Siefken, Matthew R.J. Bishop, Adam Peltzman, Mark De Angelis and Stephen J. Turnbull | |||
Best Direction, Children's or Youth | J.J. Johnson | ||||
Best Performance, Children's or Youth | Anna Cathcart[29] | ||||
Best Performance, Children's or Youth | Millie Davis | ||||
Best Performance, Children's or Youth | Isaac Kragten | ||||
Best Writing, Children's or Youth | Mark De Angelis and Leah Gotcsik (for "Where There's a Wolf, There's a Way" and "New Jacket Required") | ||||
Parent's Choice | Gold Honour 2019 Parent's Choice Award | ||||
Kidscreen Awards[30] | Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series | ||||
Best in Class | |||||
Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series | |||||
Best Website | |||||
British Academy Children's Awards[31] | International Live-Action | Scott Montgomery, Warren P. Sonoda, Mark D'Angelis | |||
2020 | TCA Awards[32] | Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming | Odd Squad | ||
Daytime Emmy Award | Outstanding Sound Editing for a Live Action Program | James Robinson, Bill Turchinetz, John Douglas Smith, Jason MacNeill, Ryan Lukasik, Jason Charbonneau and Brandon Bak | |||
2021 | TCA Awards[33] | Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming | Odd Squad | ||
Daytime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design | Amanda Vernuccio, Sean Moore, Stephen Depko and Darren Pickering | |||
Outstanding Lighting Direction | Gayle Ye | ||||
2022 | TCA Awards[34] | Outstanding Achievement in Youth Programming | Odd Squad |
Several Odd Squad themed video games have been created for the PBS Kids website and TVO Kids.[35] [36] An official series tie-in book titled: 'The Odd Squad Agent's Handbook' was released in 2020. It was written by the show's creators, Tim McKeon and Adam Peltzman.[37]