Best ZOOM Funding Credits

Everyone knows that PBS shows are known for their funding credits. You know, the part usually shown at the beginning and end of each episode that tells you the sponsors of the show? Sometimes they're creative, but many of them are boring. By far the best funding credits on PBS were ZOOM's. The fact that they had all the ZOOMers interacting in it with cardboard signs (until season 7), the different ZOOMer's voices heard throughout, and of course that awesome music that played during it! Today I'm going to put my favorite funding credits in order by season. I love them all but there were versions I like more than others. These are from LEAST favorite to MOST favorite

7. Season Three

Season 3 had my least favorite funding credits, which is funny since it was the first season of ZOOM I ever watched. The reasons why it's my least favorite is because it was a shorter version, 20 seconds as opposed to 30 seconds. The awesome music used at the start was cut out. The other thing was the fact that they reused a part of season 2's funding credit. The Corporation For Public Broadcasting logo is just a zoomed in version of season 2's. You can tell because for a split second you see the top of Kenny's shirt from season 2 and then it just shows the logo for about 6 seconds, which is kind of boring. The problem with reusing the CPB logo also meant someone was left out from holding a sign, which was Eric.

Season 3 CPB logo

I didn't really like the fact that the beginning scene you could barely see the ZOOMer's and read the signs "Funding for ZOOM is provided by". Yes they narrated it for you, but still it's only on screen for about 2 seconds. I liked how it started with Frances looking inquisitively before getting an idea and directing the ZOOMers in position, holding their signs on a stick.

Another part I really liked was the "Contributions to your PBS station from viewers like you" part. They got very creative. Instead of zooming in on the PBS logo and then zooming out to show the whole sign and ZOOMer holding it like every other season. First you see the whole sign: the PBS logo and viewers like you; and you think that they're just going to have another part that's reused from season 2 that doesn't show a ZOOMers' face, like with CPB. But the sign is tipped to the side and Rachel is shown smiling behind it, holding the sign on a stick, before placing it back to it's original position.

6. Season Four

Like season 3 this version used the 20 second version of the funding credits as well. I put it above season 3 because they at least use new footage for everything. It's actually the most unique version of the "funding for ZOOM" credit at the beginning. Garrett and Aline hold the ZOOM sign while the other ZOOMers pop out from behind them. And yes, "The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations" logo is reused in seasons 1-3 but this was the only season to use it originally. The other seasons added that in syndication to show the new sponsor with the others, which is probably why they chose again not to show a ZOOMer's face during it.

AVDF logo used in episodes 8-20 of season 4

The cpb logo was better than last season but I didn't like the fact that they covered the "Corporation for Public Broadcasting" part written out with the "A private corporation funded by the American people" sign. It was OK in the first seven episodes before "The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations" became a sponsor because it showed the full CPB logo for a few seconds before being covered. Once AVDF was added they had to cut the beginning off of the CPB credit and just showed the logo for a split second before covering it.

Season 4 CPB logo covered

5. Season Seven

I know some people are going to wonder why this isn't last on my list. It breaks tradition and doesn't have the ZOOMer's holding cardboard anymore. I'll be honest: I didn't mind that much. It still had all the ZOOMer's shown, just with the sponsor logos in different colors to the side. It had the full 30 second music too. I thought it was still a nice and creative funding credit.

Kyle dancing with The Weezie Foundation logo

Every ZOOMer does some kind of dance move or interaction with the sponsor behind them. All the ZOOMers walk in at the start and bump into each other, and hold their arms out at the end saying "Thanks!"

4. Season Five

Season 5 finally brought the full 30 second funding music back after a 2 year absence. The reason for this was that ZOOM got two new sponsors, necessitating the music to be longer. It was a throwback to the earlier seasons too with the ZOOMers on ladders at the beginning. It started with veteran ZOOMers Caroline and Estuardo holding the ZOOM logo before zooming out and showing the other ZOOMer's sitting on or standing below the ladders. Then the signs appeared in their hands as it was narrated. We finally got to see a ZOOMers' face holding The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations sign (of course it was long time ZOOMer Caroline).

The only thing was that with all the sponsors it was kind of crammed with narration. There were no real breaks to hear the funding music by itself, just the narration over it.

Season 5 was the only season to feature TTGFF as a sponsor

3. Season Six

Season 6 finally allowed for more space to have the narration spread out. It got rid of the 2 new sponsors from season 5 but still kept the 30 second long funding music, leaving a better gap to hear the music. The ladders are used again in a creative way with the ZOOMers each catching a cardboard sign thrown from off screen.

I thought the way the signs were shown was just a bit more creative in general. I liked the ZOOMers waving at the end, and Kyle pointing to the camera as "viewers like you" is narrated.

2. Season One

Season one fundings were classic. They had the full music and used a portion of music that was only used in season 1 between the "nsf" & "and" credits. The TV monitor effects, showing the logos zoomed in from a monitor with visual effects added, were used this season but was perfected in season 2. It did have cool parts that had all the ZOOMers in their ZOOM t-shirts standing around in between the different credits, serving as transitions as well.

Season 1 transition

The cardboard is noticeably smaller in this season, and the classic large "ZOOM" sign that is usually held by two ZOOMer's is just a small sign in this season. David is also left out from holding a sign AND from narrating as well! However, he gets to be shown at the beginning by himself before the other ZOOMers run up behind him with their signs on sticks. The classic ZOOM moment of Lynese and Zoe realizing they're in the wrong spot making the signs read, "by provided" before switching was a cute touch.

This was also the only season to end without all the ZOOMers shouting "Thanks" at the end which to me was classic ZOOM. It just ended with the seven ZOOMers smiling and the small "Viewers like you" cardboard sign on the laps of Alisa, David, and Keiko, before zooming in on the sign at the very end.

1. Season Two 

Season 2 was my favorite version of all. It had the classic elements of season 1, but the parts the later seasons were known for. It had not one, but TWO versions of the "funding for ZOOM is provided by" credits. One version was used at the start of the episode and the other was used at the end. The two returning season 1 ZOOMers, Zoe and Alisa, got to hold the giant ZOOM sign together. They had this awesome pixelated effect that made them appear in front of the ladders before cutting to a close-up of on them waving the ZOOM logo, then getting an extreme close up of the ZOOM logo. Then the new ZOOMers appeared off screen with the other signs and stood either on top of the ladders or below them. The closing version was similar with Zoe and Alisa waving the ZOOM sign like before, but this time Caroline, Claudio, and Jessie sat below them and had their signs appear over their faces as it was narrated. Kenny and Ray were off screen holding the "funding" and "provided" signs.

Close-up of Kenny holding the CPB logo

This season had the TV monitor effects of not just close-ups of the logos but of the ZOOMer's faces as well (notably Kenny's). Of course it was the first season to end with "contributions to your PBS station" narrated by Caroline in, to me, one of the most memorably read funding narration ever. She almost reads it like she's confused what she's reading, but it was adorable. And of course it was the first season to end with all the ZOOMer's shouting "Thanks!"

So that's my order of the ZOOM funding credits. What do you think of my list? Please comment below what your favorite season of ZOOM's funding credit was, or create your own order.