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TWENTY-THREE years after it vanished from our screens, childhood favourite Curiosity Show is making a comeback and is stepping into the digital age to capture a global audience.

The hosts of the science-based children's show have acquired the full rights to the series' 5000 segments and will soon be broadcasting on their own YouTube channel.

Professor Rob Morrison and Dr Deane Hutton have long wanted to revive the much-loved show - which ran from 1972 until 1990 - after a concerted social media campaign by fans.

But the rights to footage were tied up in a liquidation freeze.

While the science-loving duo owned half the rights, the remainder was being held after Banksia Productions - which also at the time had the rights to Humphrey B. Bear - went into liquidation.

But they have paid an undisclosed sum and now own the 500-plus episodes of Curiosity Show.

From July 12 the series - remembered for segments on natural history, astronomy, technology, music and puzzles - will again begin broadcasting via its own YouTube channel, and on [url=curiosityshow.com.au]curiosityshow.com.au[/url], and will have its own Twitter and Facebook accounts due to a partnership with Adelaide business Enabled Solutions.

The duo said they decided to launch the channel in winter as many of the "make and do" segments will appeal to parents who have children cooped up inside and looking for activities over the colder months.

For that reason, in its heyday the show was particularly popular in Europe, says Dr Morrison, and they have uncovered some segments which have been dubbed in German which will be put up on the channel.

Dr Morrison said that these days not enough children are getting involved in hands-on activities.

"Children used to do a lot more making and doing but with the Xbox these days they only exercise their thumbs - they need to actually make stuff," he said.

Both hosts see the online delivery of Curiosity Show as a natural step into social media. "For a lot of material, especially making-and-doing segments, online delivery is better than television," Dr Morrison said.

"You can freeze or replay segments to see how to make something. You couldn't do that on television.

"Some people have pirated segments out of the show and put them up (online) and already one of those has had 45,000 views," he said.

And the pair haven't ruled out heading back to the studio to record fresh material - if the demand is there.

Yesterday six-year-old Isaac Sheehan from Forestville was introduced to the pair's trademark gadgets and gizmos which for 18 years entertained nearly three generations of children - and their parents.