The Second Voyage of the Mimi

Last updated

The Second Voyage of the Mimi is a twelve-episode American educational television program depicting a fictional crew of a sailboat named the Mimi exploring Mayan ruins in Southern Mexico. Along the way, they learn about ancient civilization and also attempt to foil the plans of looters who steal the artifacts from the ancient sites. This series is a sequel to The Voyage of the Mimi , produced in 1984, in which the Granvilles rented their boat and services to zoologists studying the humpback whale in the waters off Massachusetts.

Contents

The series aired on PBS and was created by the Bank Street College of Education in 1988 to teach middle-schoolers about science and social studies.

In each episode, viewers are taught something scientific relating to plot events in the previous episode of the show. For example, an episode's plot would be about deciphering Mayan writing, and the viewer also receives information about how the Maya wrote various words and numbers.

Cast

The Second Voyage of the Mimi saw a young Ben Affleck return as C.T. Granville, and Peter G. Marston as his grandfather Captain Granville. Marston was a scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology [1] during the production of the program and used to own the actual ship, the Mimi.

Main Cast Listing:

Episodes

Each episode consists of two fifteen-minute segments.

The first segment of each episode follows the serialized tale of scientists studying the ancient Maya and getting involved with thwarting site looters. The two scientists are Victor Cobos, a Mexican man of Maya descent, and Terry Gibbs, an American woman. Terry's husband is revealed to have been killed by site looters. Terry's daughter Quiché has grown up with archeology and can already read Maya writing. They hire the Granvilles in Quintana Roo, Mexico, near Tulum, to help them study the routes of ancient Maya ships. The Granvilles in turn hire Pepper Thornton, the daughter of one of Captain Granville's old sailing buddies, because she is an expert diver. Previously, Pepper worked for Harvey Westerman, a skinflint tour operator, guiding tourists on dives through then reefs.

Each second segment is a standalone exploration of one of the scientific principles touched on in the serialized tale. In these second segments, one of the child actors (Ben Affleck or Carla Douglin) comes out of character and interviews real, in many cases well-known, scientists abouts their work. These scientists include archeologists Bill Fash, Peter Reynolds and David Stuart, and rain forest ecologist Nalini Nadkarni. In addition, Martha Hill, a silver medalist in the Winter Paralympics, comes out of character in an interview with Ben Affleck at the beginning of the information segment titled "Expedition 1 If I can Do This". [2] [ failed verification ]

Episode NumberEpisode NameExpedition Name
1A Charter to the Past - Tulum If I Can Do This! - Jackson Hole
2A Tomb in the Jungle - Palenque Sweating It Out - Doriot Climatic Chambers
3A Light in the DarkAs the Earth Turns - Royal Observatory, Greenwich
4The UnderworldThe Incredible Shrinking Head! - North American Hyperbaric Center - City Island, Bronx
5A Stone PuzzleFeeling the Pressure - North American Hyperbaric Center - City Island, Bronx
6Cracking the CodeWritten in Stone - Copán, Honduras
7The Quest Begins The Ancient Farm [3]
8A Road To DangerVenom: A Scorpion Tale - Alejandro Alagón, MD, PhD [4]
9A Friendly VillageCurandera - Mexico City
10DiscoveriesUp a Tree - Costa Rica - Nalini Nadkarni
11Found and LostIn the Canopy - Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve
12The Fate of a KingOne Stone at a Time - Cathedral of St. John the Divine

The real vessel Mimi

The Mimi was a French-built sailboat, originally constructed in 1931 as a small cargo and fishing vessel. It was purchased in the early 1980s by Peter Marston and was kept moored in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Besides its appearances on the TV show, it went from city to city and acted as a tourist attraction in places such as Salem, Massachusetts, Boston, and other cities. In 1988, Peter Marston and some freelance musicians produced a cassette and songbook called "Sea Songs from the Mimi Crew" of old-time sea songs self-published under the name "The Barn School" based in Gloucester, Massachusetts. [5] The cassette and songbook were available from the actual sailing vessel Mimi, as well as where music was sold, and in museum gift shops. The cassette and songbook are now out of print. Also available from the sailing vessel Mimi were souvenirs such as T-shirts and buttons that said "I was on board the Mimi." [6] The souvenirs are no longer manufactured, and have hardly turned up on Internet marketers such as eBay or Amazon. Marston retained ownership of the vessel until 1998, when the boat was sold to new owners; Captain George G. Story of Gloucester, Massachusetts, his brother Captain Alan M. Story of Deltona, Florida and Spiro "Steve" Cocotas, also from Gloucester. They operated the vessel as Three Mates Inc. for several years, bringing the boat to as many as 28 cities along the east coast. The Mimi eventually fell into disrepair, and was scrapped in 2011. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloucester, Massachusetts</span> City in Massachusetts, United States

Gloucester is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It sits on Cape Ann and is a part of Massachusetts's North Shore. The population was 29,729 at the 2020 U.S. Census. An important center of the fishing industry and a popular summer destination, Gloucester consists of an urban core on the north side of the harbor and the outlying neighborhoods of Annisquam, Bay View, Lanesville, Folly Cove, Magnolia, Riverdale, East Gloucester, and West Gloucester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tikal</span> Ruins of major ancient Maya city

Tikal is the ruin of an ancient city, which was likely to have been called Yax Mutal, found in a rainforest in Guatemala. It is one of the largest archeological sites and urban centers of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It is located in the archeological region of the Petén Basin in what is now northern Guatemala. Situated in the department of El Petén, the site is part of Guatemala's Tikal National Park and in 1979 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Affleck</span> American actor and filmmaker (born 1972)

Benjamin Géza Affleck is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of many accolades including two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educational series The Voyage of the Mimi. He later appeared in the independent comedy Dazed and Confused (1993) and several Kevin Smith comedies, including Chasing Amy (1997).

The Skatebirds is an American live-action/animated package program produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions and broadcast on CBS from September 10, 1977, to January 21, 1978.

SS <i>Andrea Doria</i> Ocean liner sunk after a collision off Massachusetts in 1956

SS Andrea Doria was a luxury transatlantic ocean liner of the Italian Line, put into service in 1953. She is widely known from the extensive media coverage of her sinking in 1956, which included the remarkably successful rescue of 1,660 of her 1,706 passengers and crew.

<i>The Love Boat</i> US romantic comedy/drama television series

The Love Boat is an American romantic comedy-drama television series that aired on ABC from September 24, 1977 to May 24, 1986. In addition, three TV movies aired before the regular series and four specials and a TV movie aired after it. The series was set on the cruise ship MS Pacific Princess, and revolved around the ship's captain Merrill Stubing and a handful of his crew, with passengers played by guest actors for each episode, having romantic, dramatic and humorous adventures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casey Affleck</span> American actor

Caleb Casey McGuire Affleck-Boldt is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award. The younger brother of actor Ben Affleck, he began his career as a child actor, appearing in the PBS television film Lemon Sky (1988). He later appeared in three Gus Van Sant films: To Die For (1995), Good Will Hunting (1997), Gerry (2002), and in Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's film series (2001—2007). His first leading role was in Steve Buscemi's independent comedy-drama Lonesome Jim (2006).

<i>Hōkūleʻa</i> Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe

Hōkūleʻa is a performance-accurate waʻa kaulua, a Polynesian double-hulled voyaging canoe. Launched on 8 March 1975 by the Polynesian Voyaging Society, it is best known for its 1976 Hawaiʻi to Tahiti voyage completed with exclusively traditional navigation techniques. The primary goal of the voyage was to explore the anthropological theory of the Asiatic origin of native Oceanic people as the result of purposeful trips through the Pacific, as opposed to passive drifting on currents or sailing from the Americas. DNA analysis supports this theory. A secondary project goal was to have the canoe and voyage "serve as vehicles for the cultural revitalization of Hawaiians and other Polynesians."

<i>Fantastic Voyage</i> 1966 American science fiction adventure film directed by Richard Fleischer

Fantastic Voyage is a 1966 American science fiction adventure film directed by Richard Fleischer and written by Harry Kleiner, based on a story by Otto Klement and Jerome Bixby. The film is about a submarine crew who is shrunk to microscopic size and venture into the body of an injured scientist to repair damage to his brain. Kleiner abandoned all but the concept of miniaturization and added a Cold War element. The film starred Stephen Boyd, Raquel Welch, Edmond O'Brien, Donald Pleasence, and Arthur Kennedy.

<i>The Voyage of the Mimi</i> 1984 American educational television series

The Voyage of the Mimi is a thirteen-episode American educational television program depicting the crew of the ship Mimi exploring the ocean and taking a census of humpback whales. The series aired on PBS and was created by the Bank Street College of Education in 1984 to teach middle-schoolers about science and mathematics in an interesting and interactive way, where every lesson related to real world applications.

<i>I Love the 70s: Volume 2</i> American TV series or program

I Love the '70s: Volume 2 is a television mini-series and the ninth installment of the I Love the... series presented by VH1. The sequel to I Love the '70s, it originally aired on VH1 from July 10 to July 14, 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polynesian navigation</span> Methods to navigate the Pacific Ocean

Polynesian navigation or Polynesian wayfinding, which was relearned through Micronesians, was used for thousands of years to enable long voyages across thousands of kilometers of the open Pacific Ocean. Polynesians made contact with nearly every island within the vast Polynesian Triangle, using outrigger canoes or double-hulled canoes. The double-hulled canoes were two large hulls, equal in length, and lashed side by side. The space between the paralleled canoes allowed for storage of food, hunting materials, and nets when embarking on long voyages. Polynesian navigators used wayfinding techniques such as the navigation by the stars, and observations of birds, ocean swells, and wind patterns, and relied on a large body of knowledge from oral tradition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chichen Itza</span> Pre-Columbian Maya city in Mexico

Chichén Itzá was a large pre-Columbian city built by the Maya people of the Terminal Classic period. The archeological site is located in Tinúm Municipality, Yucatán State, Mexico.

HMS <i>Investigator</i> (1801) Sloop of the Royal Navy

HMS Investigator was the mercantile Fram, launched in 1795, which the Royal Navy purchased in 1798 and renamed HMS Xenophon, and then in 1801 converted to a survey ship under the name HMS Investigator. In 1802, under the command of Matthew Flinders, she was the first ship to circumnavigate Australia. The Navy sold her in 1810 and she returned to mercantile service under the name Xenophon. She was probably broken up c.1872.

"The Bringers of Wonder, Part One" is the 18th episode of the second series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Terence Feely; the director was Tom Clegg. The final shooting script is dated 23 June 1976. Live-action filming took place Wednesday 25 August 1976 through Tuesday 28 September 1976. A day of second-unit filming was completed on Tuesday 30 November 1976 This was the series' only two-part episode.

"The Bringers of Wonder, Part Two" is the 19th episode of the second series of Space: 1999. The screenplay was written by Terence Feely; the director was Tom Clegg. The final shooting script is dated 23 June 1976. Live-action filming took place Wednesday 25 August 1976 through Tuesday 28 September 1976. A day of second-unit filming was completed on Tuesday 30 November 1976. This was the series' only two-part episode.

Economy is conventionally defined as a function for production and distribution of goods and services by multiple agents within a society and/or geographical place An economy is hierarchical, made up of individuals that aggregate to make larger organizations such as governments and gives value to goods and services. The Maya economy had no universal form of trade exchange other than resources and services that could be provided among groups such as cacao beans and copper bells. Though there is limited archeological evidence to study the trade of perishable goods, it is noteworthy to explore the trade networks of artifacts and other luxury items that were likely transported together.

Peter G. Marston was an American scientist, businessman, actor, and musician. He served as chief executive officer of Cambridge Environmental Technology and held a visiting professorship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in the Plasma Science and Fusion Center. Marston also served as a member of the Moscow-based International Academy of Electrotechnical Sciences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index of underwater divers</span> Alphabetical listing of articles about underwater divers

The following index is provided as an overview of and topical guide to underwater divers:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of underwater divers</span>

This is a list of underwater divers whose exploits have made them notable. Underwater divers are people who take part in underwater diving activities – Underwater diving is practiced as part of an occupation, or for recreation, where the practitioner submerges below the surface of the water or other liquid for a period which may range between seconds to order of a day at a time, either exposed to the ambient pressure or isolated by a pressure resistant suit, to interact with the underwater environment for pleasure, competitive sport, or as a means to reach a work site for profit or in the pursuit of knowledge, and may use no equipment at all, or a wide range of equipment which may include breathing apparatus, environmental protective clothing, aids to vision, communication, propulsion, maneuverability, buoyancy and safety equipment, and tools for the task at hand.

References

  1. "Remembering the life of Peter Marston". obituaries.gloucestertimes.com. Retrieved 2023-09-18.
  2. "Innsbruck 1988 Paralympic Winter Games Alpine Skiing Women's Downhill LW2". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  3. "The Ancient Farm".
  4. "Alejandro Alagon".
  5. Ben Raye (2013-06-06), Songs of the Sea - Greenland Whale Fisheries - as sung by The Crew of the Mimi, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2016-12-11
  6. "Mimi Button". 29 December 2018.
  7. McGonegal, Joe (2011-08-11). "In East Boston, the last voyage of the Mimi". Boston.com. Retrieved 2016-12-11.