The PBS series 3-2-1 Contact debuted on PBS in 1980, introducing young viewers to the multitude of fun facts surrounding the growing world of science. Within the series (which was a bit like Mr. Wizard meets Nova), was a series of shorts called The Bloodhound Gang. A bit like Scooby-Doo, this live-action mystery program featured three kids who solved mysteries, usually turning to science to get the bottom of each case. The Bloodhound Gang was made up of Victoria "Vikki" Allen (played by Nan-Lynn Nelson), Ricardo Lopez (Marcelino Sánchez), and Zach Morgan (Kelly Pease) and Cuff (Glenn Scarpelli), junior detectives who rotated back and forth during the show’s first season. After the first season, these latter two were replaced by Seth Greenspan as “Skip”. Some of the mysteries were serials, meaning that they continued over several episodes. All-in-all, The Bloodhound Gang lasted for six seasons, until one of its actors (Marcelino Sánchez) died of an AIDS-related illness. The Bloodhound Gang was an exciting opportunity for kids to use their deductive reasoning skills and apply science to solving problems. It is perhaps best-remembered for its infectious and lively theme song.

Fun Fact: The Bloodhound Gang mysteries were written by Newbery Medal-winning children's author Sid Fleischman.