TORONTO — Fifth Ground Entertainment and TVO are preparing to launch The Screen Team, a new Canadian technology-focused docuseries designed to help children understand the digital systems increasingly shaping their everyday lives.
The TVOkids Original series, aimed at children aged eight to 12, will make its digital debut on Oct. 9, 2026, at 11 a.m. through the TVOkids YouTube channel, website and mobile app. Its television broadcast premiere will follow on Oct. 10 at 10 a.m.
Created by Christine Mitchell and produced by Chris Szarka and Raj Panikkar, the weekly series combines technology education with youth-focused storytelling. It examines subjects ranging from artificial intelligence and online search algorithms to self-driving vehicles, data centres, digital accessibility and drone shows.
‘The Screen Team’ Puts Kids Inside Canada’s Technology Sector
The series follows tween hosts Leia and Reid as they investigate how technologies used in daily life operate and what their growing presence means for young people.
Each episode begins with a question from a child before developing into a fact-finding mission. The hosts are joined by the program’s AI assistant, “Click Bart,” their technology-challenged Gran and Canadian scientists and engineers working in relevant fields.
The producers say the format is intended to make complicated subjects accessible while strengthening technology literacy, media literacy and critical-thinking skills.
“We built The Screen Team because we wanted kids to actually get inside the technology shaping their world, not just learn about it from the outside. Fair warning to parents: you might learn something too,” said Raj Panikkar, executive producer, Fifth Ground Entertainment.
Executive producer Chris Szarka added, “Honestly, the conversations our hosts had with the scientists and engineers across Canada made us fall in love with this country’s tech community all over again. Canada is doing extraordinary things, and kids deserve to learn more about that.”
Canadian Universities and Technology Organizations Featured
A significant component of The Screen Team is its connection to Canadian research institutions and technology organizations. Episodes will feature expertise from universities including Waterloo, Toronto, York, Western, McGill and Wilfrid Laurier, alongside Sheridan College.
The series will also explore artificial intelligence with Mila and Vector AI, while episodes dealing with infrastructure and data will feature organizations including Bell Canada, Equinix, Oncore Cloud Services and Google Cloud.
Other topics include motion capture, robot helpers, geolocation, 3D printing, batteries, fibre-optic networks, large language models, data storage, e-waste recycling and cellphone repair.
Transportation technology will also receive attention. One episode examines self-driving cars, while another looks at air traffic data with NAV CANADA and Toronto Pearson International Airport.
TVO Targets Media Literacy as AI Content Expands
Beyond explaining how technology works, TVO is positioning the series as a resource for helping younger audiences assess the reliability of information they encounter online.
“Technology touches almost every aspect of a child’s life today. We commissioned The Screen Team to help kids understand how technology works and how to use it safely and wisely” said Kirsten Hurd, Commissioning Editor, TVOkids. “In an era with increasingly more AI-generated content and misinformation, media literacy is an essential life skill. This series is designed to empower kids to critically decode what they see online and confidently separate fact from fiction.”
That focus will be reflected in episodes covering online fakes, recommender systems, online search, digital rights and screen addiction. Other instalments will examine accessibility and the environmental consequences associated with discarded electronic devices.
Twenty Technology Topics Planned for the Series
Across its slate, The Screen Team will address 20 technology-related subjects. Participating organizations range from research institutions and telecommunications companies to libraries, repair specialists and accessibility consultants.
Contributors include Cory Doctorow, Little Canada, Greentec, NextStar Energy, Northstar Entertainment, the Hazel McCallion Central Library, Coast to Coast Assistive Tech Consulting and the Inclusive Design Research Centre.
By pairing those organizations with young hosts and practical questions, Fifth Ground Entertainment and TVO are seeking to make increasingly complex digital subjects understandable to children before they become more deeply embedded in their education and daily lives.
The October launch places The Screen Team within a growing discussion around AI literacy, misinformation and responsible technology use, while giving Canadian researchers and technology organizations a platform to explain their work directly to younger audiences.