Read All About It! (TV series) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Read All About It!
Written by	Clive Endersby
Directed by	Jeremy Pollock
Country of origin	Canada
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	40
Production
Producer(s)	Jeremy Pollock
Running time	15 minutes
Release
Original network	TVOntario
Picture format	SDTV
Audio format	Dolby Surround
Original release	1979 (1979) – 1981 (1981)

Read All About It! is a fun Canadian TV show that taught kids about reading, writing, and history. It was made by TVOntario from 1979 to 1981. The show starred David Craig Collard as Chris, Lydia Zajc as Lynne, and Stacey Arnold as Samantha. Sean Hewitt played Duneedon, a powerful ruler from another galaxy. In the second season, Michael Dwyer joined the cast as Alex. Each episode was about 15 minutes long.

The Story Begins

The show takes place in a made-up town called Herbertville. An 11-year-old boy named Chris Anderson inherits his Uncle Derek's old coach house. Uncle Derek had disappeared seven years earlier and was thought to be gone forever.

Inside the coach house, Chris finds two amazing robots that Uncle Derek built. One is Otto, a robot that prints out its thoughts on paper. The other is Theta, a talking computer with a screen. Uncle Derek's will said Chris could only use the coach house if it was for a good reason. So, Chris and his friends, Lynne and Samantha, decide to start their own newspaper called The Herbertville Chronicle.

First Season Adventures

In the second episode, the kids find a secret transporter in the coach house. This machine can send people to and from a galaxy called Trialviron! Lynne and Samantha accidentally use the transporter and get stuck in Trialviron. They meet Duneedon, the mean ruler of that galaxy, but manage to escape.

This starts a big adventure that lasts the whole first season. The newspaper becomes super important for figuring out Duneedon's evil plan. Duneedon is secretly also Mayor Don Eden of Herbertville. He wants to take over King's Park to get a special mineral he needs to invade Earth!

The transporter can also bring famous characters from books into the coach house. Imagine meeting the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Merlin the Magician from the King Arthur stories, or even Captain Hook from Peter Pan! These characters sometimes help Chris, Lynne, and Samantha, and sometimes they make things even trickier.

During this season, Chris, Samantha, and Lynne are the main heroes. Other characters you'll see include Duneedon (as Mayor Don Eden), Duncan O'Regan (a security guard who seems to be part of the bad guy's plan), Dr. Crystal Couplet (a friendly poet from Trialviron), Joseph Walker (an old man with great memories of Herbertville), and Ann Blake (a town councilor). Chris's Uncle Derek is eventually found alive, held captive by Duneedon, and helps the kids in some episodes.

Second Season Journeys

The second season also has 20 episodes, but they are split into smaller stories.

The War of 1812 Time Travel

(Episodes 1 - 5) Samantha and Chris see a boy vanish after touching a compass. They use the same compass and are sent back in time to the War of 1812! They find the boy, Alex Tanner, who is wrongly accused of being a deserter. Chris and Sam must rescue him before he gets into big trouble.

In this story, Chris, Samantha, and Alex are the main characters. Lynne stays at the coach house to help them from the present. You'll also see famous historical figures like Sir Isaac Brock and Laura Secord.

The Book Destroyer Mystery

(Episodes 6 - 9) Lynne and Alex go into "Book World" after finding out that a shadowy villain called The Book Destroyer is making beloved characters disappear from books! They must stop this villain before all stories are ruined.

This adventure focuses on Lynne and Alex. Samantha appears at the very end, and Chris is mentioned as recovering from an injury.

Samantha Moves Away

(Episodes 10 - 13) The friends try to deal with the sad news that Samantha's family is moving to Victoria, B.C.. This story is different because it doesn't have any science fiction or fantasy elements, except for Otto and Theta still being there. It's about friendship and dealing with big changes.

Chris, Samantha, Lynne, and Alex are all in this story. They also meet Rita Zakowski, a local author who becomes friends with Samantha.

The Ghost in the Coach House

(Episodes 14 - 15) During summer vacation, a ghost moves into the coach house! It's the ghost of the first principal of Herbertville School.

Chris and Lynne are in this story, while Alex is away at camp. The ghost, Ernest W. Wetherby, is very strict and loves neatness and perfect grammar.

Duneedon's Return

(Episodes 16 - 20) Dr. Crystal Couplet needs the kids' help to save Trialviron, which is about to explode! But Duneedon has his own sneaky plan. He might try to conquer Earth again and trap the kids in the exploding galaxy.

Chris, Lynne, and Alex are in this final adventure. Samantha makes a surprise return at the very end. Duneedon and Dr. Crystal Couplet are also back.

Main Characters

• David Craig Collard as Chris Anderson
• Lydia Zajc as Lynne Davis
• Stacey Arnold as Samantha Nikos
• Michael Dwyer as Alex Tanner (joined in season 2)
• Angela Fusco as the voice of Theta (the talking computer)

Other Important Characters

• Sean Hewitt as Duneedon / Mayor Don Eden (the main villain)
• Kay Hawtrey as Dr. Crystal Couplet (a friendly poet from Trialviron)
• James Irving as Uncle Derek Norris (Chris's uncle)
• Barbara Wheeldon as Ann Blake (a town councilor in season 1)
• Arch McDonnell as Duncan O'Reagan (a security guard in season 1)
• Susan Mitchell as Rita Zakowski (an author in season 2)
• Edwina Follows as The Book Destroyer (a villain in season 2)

Episode Guide

The episodes of Read All About It! are called "chapters," just like in a book!

Season 1 Chapters

• Chapter 01: The Coach House – Chris, Lynne, and Sam explore the coach house. They find robots Otto and Theta and learn about a big secret in Herbertville.
• Chapter 02: The Stranger – The friends say they'll publish a newspaper. Suddenly, Samantha and Lynne are sent through space by a transporter!
• Chapter 03: The Problem Pit – Samantha and Lynne meet Duneedon and get trapped. They must solve word problems to escape.
• Chapter 04: The Accidental Visitor – The Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland accidentally appears from the transporter.
• Chapter 05: The First Edition – Someone tries to stop the newspaper from being printed because it has Sam's story about Duneedon.
• Chapter 06: The Stolen Message – Chris and Samantha find a message from Duneedon ordering the newspaper to be stopped.
• Chapter 07: Strange Discoveries – Lynne finds out that the Mayor of Herbertville is actually Duneedon!
• Chapter 08: 'Tis Magic – Merlin the Magician uses his magic to send Chris and Lynne to Trialviron.
• Chapter 09: Rhyme Time – In Trialviron, Chris and Lynne meet Dr. Crystal Couplet, who speaks in rhymes and helps them.
• Chapter 10: The Place Of Change – Lynne and Chris escape Trialviron and help Sam with the second newspaper edition.
• Chapter 11: Voices In The Park – Lynne interviews actors. An old man, Mr. Walker, tells her about a mysterious house from long ago.
• Chapter 12: An Evil Pirate – Captain Hook suddenly appears from the transporter, causing trouble for the kids.
• Chapter 13: Seek And Speak – Lynne writes a speech to save King's Park. Sam and Chris get trapped by Duneedon.
• Chapter 14: Closer To The Truth – Lynne learns about a mysterious fire. Sam and Chris find a fake document Duneedon made to take the park.
• Chapter 15: Time For Action – The friends make a new newspaper edition, and Lynne gives her speech to save the park.
• Chapter 16: To The Rescue – Chris sends a message that he's trapped on Trialviron. The genie from Aladdin's lamp sends Sam and Lynne to the Shifting Sands.
• Chapter 17: Pictures In Your Mind – Dr. Couplet helps send Sam and Lynne to the Planet of Maze.
• Chapter 18: The Planet Of Maze – Lynne and Sam help Chris and his uncle escape the Planet of Maze by answering riddles.
• Chapter 19: Special Edition – The police catch Duneedon's agents. A special newspaper edition reveals the whole plan.
• Chapter 20: The Showdown – Duneedon tries to destroy Otto and Theta and trap Lynne and Sam, but he is outsmarted and sent back to Trialviron.

Season 2 Chapters

• Chapter 01: The Anniversary – The Herbertville Chronicle celebrates its first birthday. The group gets a new "two-way" communication device.
• Chapter 02: Back In Time – Chris and Sam find an old map where a mysterious boy disappeared. They send a picture to Lynne, who starts looking for clues.
• Chapter 03: General Brock – General Brock finds Sam and Chris in his room. He doesn't believe they are from the future until they convince him. (Filmed at Fort George)
• Chapter 04: Journey To Queenston – Sam and Chris meet an Indigenous man named John Norton. He leads them towards Queenston and then introduces them to Laura Secord.
• Chapter 05: Death At Dawn – Sam and Chris finally save the young stranger, Alex. The three time-travelers barely escape the War of 1812.
• Chapter 06: A Plea For Help – After learning what their names mean from Otto and Theta, they hear a voice from the pages of Cinderella asking for help. They go into Book World to rescue someone.
• Chapter 07: Where Villains Roam – While looking for the Book Destroyer, Lynne and Alex meet the "Mirror on the Wall" and the wicked queen from Snow White.
• Chapter 08: An Evil Smile – Lynne and Alex meet Count Dracula and Rip Van Winkle as they continue their search for the Book Destroyer.
• Chapter 09: The Book Destroyer – The Book Destroyer traps Lynne and Alex. She says they must help her erase all villains from books.
• Chapter 10: Problems – Chris and Samantha work on an advertisement to rent her house. Samantha is upset about having to leave Herbertville.
• Chapter 11: The Final Day – Sam and Rita become good friends. Sam promises to write from Victoria about her new life.
• Chapter 12: A New Beginning – Rita surprises Sam by saying she is writing a book based on Sam's move to Victoria.
• Chapter 13: Many Different Stories – Chris comes back from the library with a copy of "The Shooting of Dan McGrew." Lynne and Alex help him create a fantastic story for Rita.
• Chapter 14: The Remarkable Mr. Wetherby – Chris and Lynne think they're having a boring summer until a strange visitor arrives at the Coach House: the ghost of Mr. Wetherby.
• Chapter 15: One Ghost Too Many – Chris and Lynne find it hard to deal with Mr. Wetherby's strict rules. They research his likes and dislikes to try and get rid of him.
• Chapter 16: The Force – Chris, Alex, and Lynne are reading a letter from Sam when they get an urgent message from Trialviron.
• Chapter 17: Choices – Lynne, Alex, and Chris realize they are the only ones who can save the people of Trialviron. They set two conditions before agreeing to help.
• Chapter 18: The Ambassadors – Alex and Chris arrive on the planet of Trivia and find a strange tunnel.
• Chapter 19: Trapped! – Alex and Chris work hard to get everyone off Trialviron, but then they discover Duneedon has tricked them.
• Chapter 20: Final Moments – It looks like Chris, Alex, and Lynne will disappear with Trialviron unless someone helps them. An unexpected visitor arrives at the Coach House, and Otto and Theta print out instructions to save their friends.