Connor VideoSmarts

The VideoSmarts was Connor's first edutainment console, released in 1986. It was the first game console in the world to use VHS tapes to hold the game data. The console had four large buttons and a built-in speaker. It was connected to the audio output of the VCR in order to receive signals from the tape. The main character was a puppet known as Teachin' Teddy. This puppet often played the role of a young child who would learn the lessons alongside the viewer. Teachin' Teddy was accompanied by Roger Parrot and Penelope Goldfish. They would often speak to the viewer directly and pose the questions. The signals from through the audio line would tell the console, which was the correct answer, and a calm voice from the internal speaker would tell the user whether they got the answer correct. The main focus of VideoSmarts appears to have been simple math and phonics. The learning programs were developed by the VideoSmarts Educational Advisory Panel, a panel of experts in early childhood learning put together by Connor. Puppetry was performed by Michelle Stevens, Patricia Martin, Hugh Manning, and J.B. Skye. The music and lyrics are credited to Stephen Lemberg. Several VHS releases are currently preserved on YouTube and the Internet Archive, but it is unclear how many titles were produced. Many of these tapes were preserved by YouTube user MarcW23. The most complete list of currently known titles was taken from the website of Dr. Christopher J. Hopkins, who was researching the VideoSmarts at one point.