Powerhouse (TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Powerhouse
Title card
Created by	Ira H. Klugerman Ruth Pollak
Developed by	Educational Film Center
Written by	Ruth Pollak
Directed by	John Gray Michael Switzer
Creative director(s)	Johnson B. Gordon
Presented by	Elizabeth Johnson
Starring	Sandra Bowie Domenica Galati Jason Kravits Michael Mack Jessica Prentice Michael Wikes
Voices of	Mark Gordon
Theme music composer	Richard Paul Brier (theme)
Opening theme	"The Powerhouse Is You!"
Ending theme	"The Powerhouse Is You!"
Composer(s)	Fred Karns (score)
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	16
Production
Executive producer(s)	Simon Spenscer
Producer(s)	Ira H. Klugerman Martin Sonnenberg
Production location(s)	Washington, D.C.
Cinematography	Tom Richmond
Editor(s)	Terry Halle
Camera setup	16-millimeter film
Running time	28 minutes
Release
Original network	PBS
Original release	December 12, 1982 (1982-12-12) – January 3, 1983 (1983-01-03)

Powerhouse was an American television series made for young people and their families. It aired on PBS in 1982 and had 16 episodes. The show was created by the Educational Film Center at Northern Virginia ETV. Later, Nickelodeon showed reruns of the series from 1984 to 1986.

What is Powerhouse About?

The TV show Powerhouse takes place in Washington, D.C.. It follows the exciting adventures of five teenagers and one adult. They come from different backgrounds and live in the city. Their meeting spot is a special youth community center. This center used to be a boxing and sports gym.

How Did Powerhouse Start?

The community center was started by a woman named Brenda Gaines. She inherited the building from her father, who was a famous boxing champion. The main idea of the show is that everyone has amazing creativity and strength inside them. The show's theme song even says, "We all have a Powerhouse deep down inside."

What Happens in Each Episode?

Every episode of Powerhouse explores important issues that young people face. These include things like peer pressure (when friends try to get you to do something) and staying physically fit. The stories are full of action and adventure. The group often has to solve a mystery or stop something bad from happening.

For example, in one episode, they work to uncover a group that is trying to unfairly shut down Brenda's center. In another, they try to find out what caused a serious food poisoning problem.

What Were "Uncommercials"?

Episodes were shown in two parts, with a short break in between. During these breaks, the show played "uncommercials." These were short clips that shared helpful ideas with the audience. They covered topics like health, fitness, and celebrating different cultures. Powerhouse also sometimes honored youth groups, like the Boy Scouts of America, before these uncommercials.

Meet the Powerhouse Characters

The show features a main group of characters who work together at the Powerhouse center.

• Brenda Gaines (played by Sandra Bowie) is the person who started Powerhouse. It was her father's gym before she turned it into a youth center. Brenda is the leader of the group. She acts like a mother figure but treats the teenagers as equals.

• Jennifer LaBianca (played by Domenica Galati) is a friendly teenager. She owns the Powerhouse van and is very good with machines and fixing things.

• Kevin Jackson (played by Michael Mack) is the oldest of the five teenagers. He is a strong and steady member of the Powerhouse group. He often acts like a big brother to the younger characters.

• Lolo Knopke (Jason Kravits) might feel a bit unsure about how he looks because he is short and wears glasses. But he is one of the smartest members of the group.

• Pepper McKenzie (Jessica Prentice) is one of the most outgoing and adventurous members, even though she is the youngest. She is very energetic and sometimes gets into tricky situations.

• Tony Dominguez (Michael Wikes) is a 17-year-old who knows a lot about life on the streets. He is a good person, but sometimes he acts tough to hide his worries.

Powerhouse Episodes

The Powerhouse series had 16 episodes. Here are some of the stories they told:

• "With a Little Help From My Friends (Part 1)": Brenda Gaines gets her late father's gym, Powerhouse. She wants to make it a youth center. Jennifer, Kevin, Tony, Lolo, and Pepper help her. But a group led by someone named Castor tries to stop them.
• "With a Little Help From My Friends (Part 2)": Brenda is wrongly blamed for something. She tries to find out who Castor is so she can finally open Powerhouse.
• "Life or Breath": The son of an important foreign official is taken. The Powerhouse group must find him quickly because he needs medicine for a health problem.
• "Master of the Art": An old item is brought to the local museum. The Powerhouse group and the museum's manager try to show that the museum's alarm system has problems.
• "You Make Me Sick": Many people in town get a serious illness. The group tries to find out what caused it. Their search becomes urgent when Brenda also gets sick after eating a bad tuna sandwich.
• "Celebration": Lolo decides not to have his Bar Mitzvah (a special Jewish ceremony) after he and his grandfather are targeted in a mean way.
• "Something for Nothing": Brenda temporarily closes Powerhouse after Lolo gets hurt in an accident. She goes to New York to get money for repairs. The kids decide to film a commercial about Powerhouse. They don't know that a dishonest landowner and his helper are trying to trick them.
• "Cheers": Pepper and Peter, the son of Lt. Al Gambrino, learn about the dangers of drinking too much.
• "Name of the Game": Tony's foot injury and the difficult behavior of a new player named El Gato threaten Powerhouse's chances of winning the championship soccer game.
• "One of the Gang": Kevin doesn't want help from Mike, a boy who has a prosthetic arm. Meanwhile, at a nursing home, an elderly resident named Diamonds O'Toole is targeted by a thief. The thief pretends to be a helper and tries to force him to tell where he hid diamonds in Powerhouse.
• "Something Ventured" (the first episode made): The Powerhouse group and Brenda try to find out who is responsible for a series of thefts. In this episode, Kevin is Brenda's son, and two characters named Bobby and Bizzy are later called Tony and Pepper. Also, the group and Powerhouse are already set up.
• "Help Wanted": Tammy DeWitt arrives with her baby son David. The Powerhouse group tries to figure out if she took him without permission.
• "What Have You Got to Lose?": Kevin and his boss, Mr. Baxter, agree to try a doctor's weight loss program.
• "Big Devil": Angie wants to prove she can be a female jockey by riding a horse named Big Devil.
• "Fit to be Tied": A visitor's brother is taken by people who want a secret microfilm. The Powerhouse group tries to rescue him.
• "The Short Life of Lolo Knopke": An explosion happens at Powerhouse, and Lolo is believed to be gone. Brenda, Jennifer, and Kevin remember all the times he helped solve problems. But things are not always as they seem.