Powerhouse (TV series)

Powerhouse is an American television series produced by the Educational Film Center at Northern Virginia ETV, which aired on PBS for 16 episodes in 1982. It was billed as "a 16-part series for young people and their families," with the target audience being primarily children, preteens, teenagers, and young adults. The series was later rerun by Nickelodeon from 1984 to 1986.

Premise

Set in Washington, D.C., Powerhouse is focused on the adventures of a racially and ethnically diverse group of three teenagers, two kids, and one adult from the inner city, based at a former boxing and sports gym hangout turned into a youth community center. The center was founded by Brenda Gaines, a woman who inherited the property from her late father, PowerHouse Gaines, a legendary boxer. The basic message of the series is that every person is a source of creativity and of true positive "I Can" power expressed in the lyrics of the show's theme song as "We all have a Powerhouse deep down inside".

Each episode deals with significant personal issues affecting young people, such as alcoholism, peer pressure, and physical fitness, combined with fast-paced action-adventure stories in which the group often has to solve a mystery or prevent a crime. For example, in one episode they have to expose the head of a racketeering operation that threatens to put Brenda and Powerhouse out of business. In another episode, they try to locate the source of a potentially lethal food-poisoning outbreak.

Episodes were presented in two acts, with a break in between, while two additional breaks bookended each episode; the breaks were filled by "uncommercials", short clips designed to convey ideas potentially of interest to the series' target audience (such as health, fitness and cultural diversity). Another Powerhouse feature was a salute to a particular youth organization, such as the Boy Scouts of America, which preceded at least one of the uncommercials.

Characters

• Brenda Gaines (Sandra Bowie) is the founder of Powerhouse, which was originally her father's gymnasium. She turns it into an after-school youth center, which the five teenagers eventually join. Brenda is the leader as well the mother of the Powerhouse gang and the de facto authority figure, although she treats the five teens as equals.
• Jennifer LaBianca (Domenica Galati) is a friendly teenager and owner of the Powerhouse van, who has a strong aptitude for mechanics.
• Kevin Jackson (Michael Mack) is the eldest of the five teenagers. He is the rock of the Powerhouse gang, who acts as a big brother to the younger characters.
• Lolo Knopke (Jason Kravits) is insecure about his appearance because he is very short and has to wear glasses, giving him the appearance of a stereotypical nerd, but he is also one of the smartest members of the group.
• Pepper McKenzie (Jessica Prentice) is one of the most outgoing members of the group, despite being the youngest. She is impulsive and adventurous, and is prone to finding herself in trouble.
• Tony Dominguez (Michael Wikes) is a streetwise 17-year-old. He is a good person at heart but sometimes feels like he has to play the tough guy to mask his insecurities.

External links

• Educational Film Center (rights holder)
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