Biz Kid$ facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Biz Kids |
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| Starring | Lauren Dupree, Kaelon Horst, Maia Lee, Alexander Oki, Amanda Powers, Miriam Schwartz, Austin Siedentopf, Devon Stark, Christina Marie Taylor, Catherine Thompson, Elizabeth Wright, Pat Cashman, John Keister |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 6 |
| No. of episodes | 71 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Jeannine Glista, Erren Gottlieb, Jamie Hammond, James McKenna |
| Running time | 26 minutes |
| Production company(s) | WXXI |
| Distributor | American Public Television PBS Kids Go! (2008-2012) PBS Kids (2017) |
| Release | |
| Original release | January 6, 2008 – June 20, 2017 |
Biz Kid$ (also known as biz KID$) is an American TV show. It teaches kids and teenagers about money and how to start a business. The show uses funny skits, music, and young actors to explain important ideas about money.
Its main idea is: "Where kids teach kids about money and business." Many people say Biz Kid$ is a lot like the old TV show Almost Live!.
Contents
Making the Show: How Biz Kid$ is Produced
Biz Kid$ was created by the same people who made Bill Nye the Science Guy. That was a super popular science show from the 1990s.
The show features funny skits and spoofs of old TV shows and movies. There are also fake commercials and silly acts. These are all performed by a group of teenage actors from Seattle.
The first season of Biz Kid$ had 26 episodes. It was filmed in 2007. The second season had 13 episodes and started filming in April 2008. The team even traveled around the United States. They filmed young people who had already started their own businesses!
Special Guest Stars
Some famous people have appeared on Biz Kid$:
- Judith Levine
- Ace Young
- Richard Karn
- Brie Larson
- Cymphonique Miller
Meet the Cast
The actors on Biz Kid$ are mostly teenagers from the Seattle area. The writer, John Keister, also plays small roles sometimes.
The first actors on the show were:
- Lauren Dupree
- Kaelon Horst
- Bob Jones
- Maia Lee
- Alexander Oki
- Amanda Powers
- Miriam Schwartz
- Austin Siedentopf
- Devon Stark
- Christina Taylor
- Elizabeth Wright
The Biz Kid$ Hosts
Here are some of the main hosts and their fun descriptions:
- Lauren (The Hip Hop Dancer): A teen girl with her two best friends, Maia and Kaelon.
- Kaelon (The Smooth and Suave Boy): Lauren’s best friend.
- Maia (The Friend Lover): Lauren’s second best friend, and the youngest of the Biz Kid$.
- Alex (The Language Speaker): He's like an older brother to Maia.
- Amanda (The Attention Girl): Christina’s best friend.
- Miriam (The Funny People Laugher): One of Christina and Amanda’s best friends.
- Austin (The Pranker Boy): Alex’s best friend.
- Devon (The Tae Kwon Do Boy): The second-youngest of the Biz Kid$.
- Christina (The Perfectionist): Amanda and Miriam’s best friend.
- Lizzie (The Creative Girl): Another one of Christina and Amanda’s best friends.
Funny Skits and Parodies
Biz Kid$ is known for its hilarious sketches. These are short, funny scenes that teach you about money. Here are some of them:
- All My Investments: This is a funny version of the soap opera All My Children. It appeared in episodes about saving and investing.
- The No-Sale Zone: A parody of the TV show The Twilight Zone. It was in an episode called "Sell, Sell, Sell (The Science of Sales)".
- Mr. Squeezya Card: A funny fake commercial about credit cards. It was in an episode about using credit.
- As the Economy Turns and As the Budget Turns: These are spoofs of the soap opera As the World Turns. They appeared in two episodes.
- The Adventures of Compulsive and Compare Kid: Amanda and Miriam play two teens looking at the newest phone. This skit was in "How to Be a Smart Consumer".
- Banks of Our Lives: A parody of the soap opera Days of Our Lives. It was in an episode called "Take it to the Bank!".
- "Gus Greenback: Gumshoe Detective": Austin Siedentopf plays a teen detective named Gus Greenback. He solves money mysteries with his friends Darla Dollar (Miriam Schwartz) and Sergeant Sawbuck (Lauren DuPree). This skit is set in 1940s Seattle.
- Many other funny skits and spoofs of movies and TV shows are also in the episodes.
Lost Sketches
Some sketches were filmed but might not have been shown much. Here are a few:
- Northwest Afternoon: Kids and Teens Edition: A parody of a talk show called Northwest Afternoon. It features funny characters like Shana Dimpleton (Lauren DuPree) and Rick Troley (Kaelon Horst).
- Biz Kid$ Special Report: This sketch shows different Biz Kid$ cast members as news anchors. They report on news from Western Washington. An announcer, Pat Cashman, introduces and ends the report.
- The N’s New Reality Show: A funny reality show parody. It's about pre-teens and teenagers living in a big apartment in Seattle. The characters include Tessa (Lauren DuPree), Sally (Maia Lee), Chad (Kaelon Horst), and many others.
Other "lost sketches" are also part of the show's history.
Special Episode Series
Biz Kid$ also created a special series of 5-part episodes:
- Biz Kid$: Through the Years - The 1950s
- Biz Kid$: Through the Years - The 1960s
- Biz Kid$: Through the Years - The 1970s
- Biz Kid$: Through the Years - The 1980s
- Biz Kid$: Through the Years - The 1990s
Episodes
You can find a full list of all the episodes here:
Where to Watch: Broadcasting
Biz Kid$ is made with WXXI in Rochester, New York. It is shown across the United States by American Public Television. The show first aired on January 6, 2008.
By June 2008, Biz Kid$ was on 311 out of 343 PBS stations in all 50 states! It airs on KCTS-TV and KBTC-TV in Seattle and Tacoma. By the time the second season started, the show was available to over 287 million people.
Learning with Biz Kid$: Curriculum
There's a free learning guide available for Biz Kid$. Teachers and parents can download it to use in classrooms, after-school programs, or at home.
Each episode has its own special guide. It includes activities, reviews, and tests. All these materials follow the rules set by the National Endowment for Financial Education. Plus, five main Biz Kid$ lesson plans are also available in Spanish!
