ピタゴラスイッチ

A Japanese equivalent to Sesame Street, sans the hairy monsters and annoying voices, Pitagora Suicchi (Pythagoras Switch) is the most spellbinding children's show I have ever seen. Tucked amongst the show's short segments of video, music, and animation, there are the famous Rube-Goldberg-style setups that utilize a variety of simple machines and household items to accomplish the task of presenting the show's name in a fascinating manner. Some examples:





The Pitagora rigs are so endearing that fans all across Japan -- and around the world -- often devise their own systems and record their successes (and failures) to share on the Internet. Search for "pythagoras switch" or "pitagora suichi" on YouTube to find a wide variety of fan homages to the show.