A Chat with the ZOOMers...LIVE on AOL!

On January 31, 2002, ZOOMers from all over the map logged on to AOL Live to join a live online ZOOMchat with Season IV cast members Garrett, Matt, Estuardo, Aline, Caroline, and Rachel. Here are the details on who said what when and to whom!

AOL Moderator:
I am proud to introduce the cast of ZOOM! Welcome, guys and gals! How are you all?

ZOOMers:
Good! We're good!

AOL Moderator:
That's great! Shall we plunge into the questions?

ZOOMers:
Sure!

A ZOOMfan:
Can you give us a hint of the happenings for this season's shows?

Rachel:
There's going to be a lot more ZOOM Action! Kids all over the world are helping out all over the world. We're going to have CafeZOOM, ZOOM science and so much more!

AOL Moderator:
That is wonderful, the things that you do on the show!

A ZOOMfan:
Hey, ZOOMers! I just wanted to know, why is it that there are always more girls than boys on the show?

Aline:
We don't really have an answer to that. We have a [diversity] of people.

A ZOOMfan:
Do any of you want to continue acting as your future career?

Garrett:
I definitely want to keep on acting. I aspire to do different things in acting.

Estuardo:
I really want to act, maybe star in movies and commercials. I may also want to try my music and dancing career.

Aline:
I want to continue acting. I've been for a really long time, and I really enjoy it!

AOL Moderator:
Wow! It seems that you all are heading in the right direction for a career in this field!

A ZOOMfan:
What is the age limit to be on ZOOM?

Matt:
The age limit to be on the show is 8 to 13 years, roughly.

A ZOOMfan:
Hey, guys, which of you is thinking of auditioning again?

Caroline:
I think everyone wants to audition again. It's a wonderful experience, and everyone loves it!

AOL Moderator:
A member asks something that I would also love know. Thanks for this one.

A ZOOMfan:
What does it feel like to be seen on TV?

Estuardo:
It feels kind of weird at first, seeing yourself on TV, but after a while it's fun.

Rachel:
When I first saw myself, it was scary. It felt really weird, but now it's cool.

Matt:
It's just really cool, especially now that I'm on TV. We all get noticed in public, which is very, very cool. It's a big responsibility.

A ZOOMfan:
Who invented the Ubbi Dubbi way of speaking, and was it hard to learn?

Caroline:
No one really knows who invented the Ubbi Dubbi. Someone did in the '70s. It's a little difficult at first, but once you get the hang of it, it just flows. The way you speak it is to put an "ub" in front of every vowel.

Rachel:
An example would be "I" equals "UBI."

A ZOOMfan:
Has the spotlight of television interfered with school or other activities?

Aline:
You get noticed a lot in school, but it doesn't interfere. A lot of kids notice me in the hallway.

Caroline:
It doesn't interfere with school because it tapes during the summer.

A ZOOMfan:
To all the ZOOMers: What is your favorite color?

Estuardo:
Blue.

Aline:
Green.

Matt:
Blue.

Garrett:
Red.

Rachel:
Pink.

Caroline:
I don't really have a favorite color. I love all the colors!

AOL Moderator:
OK, I am being bombarded here. All your fans out there would like to know your ages. Could you share? On second thought, I don't tell my age. I make people guess -- it's more fun. So I take that back.

A ZOOMfan:
ZOOMers, are you going to do a reunion edition of ZOOM, reuniting the ZOOMers from Seasons 1, 2 and 3?

Rachel:
We don't know. You're just going to have to wait and see!

A ZOOMfan:
Do you hang out together when you are not doing the show?

Garrett:
Yes, we do hang out outside of the show.

Caroline:
We're all very good friends, so we love to spend time together. We talk on the phone and go online together.

A ZOOMfan:
Caroline, how do you feel about being back for a third season, and what do you plan to do differently this time than the last two seasons?

Caroline:
It's always different every year. You always get new experiences, so you don't know what to expect. We already taped everything over the summer, so just watch the show and see what has changed!

A ZOOMfan:
If you had a surprise guest to come on your show, who would you want it to be?

Caroline:
The guest would be all of the people from the '70s ZOOM. It would be cool. They could tell us what it was like back then.

Estuardo:
I would love to see the cast of Season 1 and 2, because I've never met them and would love to talk to them.

AOL Moderator:
You know, I was one of the fans of the '70s show, and my family really appreciates the work you all do now!

A ZOOMfan:
Do you have a fan Web site?

Rachel:
Yes, we do. It's at /pbskids2008/. There are ZOOMgames, and you can go to each one of the ZOOMers and find out about each one of them.

Caroline:
There's also a science section that shows science experiments. There's also a coloring page -- you can print out the pictures and color them.

Aline:
You can also find out about ZOOMing Into Action and how to volunteer!

A ZOOMfan:
How do you get the recipes done so quick?

Rachel:
Usually we do recipes that we can just do quickly with our hands -- little kid-friendly snacks.

AOL Moderator:
And believe me, moms DO appreciate that!

A ZOOMfan:
ZOOMers, what is your favorite part of ZOOM?

Garrett:
I love all aspects of ZOOM, but my favorite is ZOOMsci.

Aline:
I like hanging out in the ZOOM Zone. That's where the ZOOMers hang out when we're not filming.

Matt:
Like Garrett, I like doing science.

Estuardo:
I really, really like ZOOM Playhouse. I like to act in plays, especially "Oliver."

Caroline:
I like to act, and my favorite part is that we get to dress up.

AOL Moderator:
And now, sadly, onto our last question. To all of you: Who has had the most profound effect on your life and why?

Rachel:
My older sister. She's always taught me to be myself and to not worry about what other people think. That's taught me a lot about acting.

Garrett:
My grandfather. He motivates me all of the time and keeps me on the move.

Matt:
People who have inspired me the most are my parents and my sister. Whenever I'm down, they keep me going and help me to get through things.

Estuardo:
My parents. Without them, I would not be on the show. They told me about the auditions and told me I had enough talent to be on it.

Aline:
My parents, also. They've always taught me right from wrong. They comfort me and never criticize. They tell me nicely if I've done something wrong.

Caroline:
My parents. They're always there. They always comfort me and are always there for me. They encourage me to do so many things, and I love them!

AOL Moderator:
It sounds like you all are blessed with wonderful people in your lives. Thanks for sharing. And thanks for taking the time for coming!

ZOOMers:
You're welcome!

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