It started with Boing Boing pointing to http://tvinjapan.com/blog/category/pythagoras-switch/
They have half a dozen compilations of episodes of this terrific Japanese educational kid's show. Every episode starts with a crazy machine, and has features teaching kids different ways to think. The algorithmic march is genius. Of course I also got hooked on all the other Youtube and Google videos on the website. I download them with http://videodownloader.net
I found through a comment that there are bit torrents of 4 fan sub-titled episodes by the Dattebayo group at http://yhbt.mine.nu/.
According to http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Pythagorean+Switch they are shown on digital cable channel TV Japan in the USA and in Brazil. Maybe SBS will pick them up for Australian TV.
This looks like a great find Ian, I'll be viewing some episodes with my junior scientist and see how he reacts to the show.