KaBlam!
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| KaBLam! | |
|---|---|
 The hosts, Henry (right) and June. |
|
| Format | Animated Variety show |
| Starring | Various voice actors |
| Opening theme | "Two Tone Army" by The Toasters (Credited as 'The Moon Ska Stompers') |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| No. of episodes | 47 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 24 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Nickelodeon (1996-2000), Nicktoons (2002-2005, November 2007) |
| Original run | October 1, 1996 – January 15, 2000 |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
KaBlam! is an American animated television series that ran on Nickelodeon from 1996 to 2000. It features a collection of short films in several different styles of animation, bridged by the characters of Henry and June, who introduce the shorts and have adventures of their own in-between.
Contents |
[edit] Premise
In addition to the shorts on the show, it also carried its own subplots that involved the hosts. Some examples include Henry and June attempting to lose weight during the run of one episode, Henry leaving the show, and the hosts trying to transport into the "real world" and away from the "comic book world."
[edit] Production
The segment creators include David Fain, Tim Hill, Steve Holman, Emily Hubley, Mark Marek, Mike Pearlstein, Mo Willems, and Cote Zellers.[1]
The theme song and all of the background music on the show was provided by the Moon Ska Stompers, a band comprised of King Django, Victor Rice, and members of The Toasters and The New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble. The majority of the soundtrack were 30-second instrumental clips of songs from The Toasters' D.L.T.B.G.Y.D. album, while the theme song itself is a shortened version of the Toasters song "2-Tone Army".
It currently airs on Australia's Nickelodeon affiliate. The show is also currently broadcast in France on television channel GameOne (see Télévision Par Satellite), in a French-dubbed version and on other Nickelodeon channels around Europe. It also was shown in the United Kingdom from 1997–2000, and in Poland from 1999–2002.
[edit] Episodes
| Season | Ep # |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | 13 |
| Season 2 | 13 |
| Season 3 | 12 |
| Season 4 | 9 |
[edit] Regular shorts
Some of these shorts air more frequently and consistently than others.
[edit] Henry and June
The animated hosts of KaBLam! who turn the pages of a comic book (changes with each episode) to reveal the next cartoon, as well as being involved in sub-plots of themselves between the shorts. They appear to have gotten their names from Henry & June.
[edit] Characters
- Henry — Henry is the energetic male host of KaBlam!. He tends to behave foolishly and believes that he looks good shirtless. He is more laid back than June, and seems to be disaster-prone, especially around Mr. Foot. Voiced by Noah Segan.
- June — June is the show's more practical co-host. She has a sarcastic personality and enthusiasm for her job. She has a tendency to find Henry's dilemmas quite humorous. She is rarely injured. Voiced by Julia McIlvaine.
- Mr. B. Foot — Mr. Foot is a giant, ignorant Sasquatch who works on the show. His hobbies include sleeping, injuring Henry, and unexpectedly stealing the spotlight. However, under the rage and bluster, he is not a terrible creature; he never injures June. In one episode, he is revealed to be an accomplished drummer.
- Mr. Fred Stockdale — The elderly network executive in charge of KaBlam!. He acts rather senile, and will do anything to get KaBlam! good ratings -- including firing someone or getting Henry into lots of physical accidents. He seems to be a parody of Admiral James Stockdale.
- Henry's Mom — She appeared twice and was mentioned another time. She shows her love for her son in an exaggerated way.
- Mr. Jimmy McGee — He appeared twice as a co-host of June on KaBLam!. He gets in fights with Henry's mom. Appears to be a parody of Ed McMahon.
[edit] Sniz and Fondue
- Began: Season 1 Ended: Season 3
A pair of ferrets who often get on each other's nerves, but are ultimately united as brothers. Sniz is the troublemaker of the group, with Fondue usually being his better half in episodes. Supporting characters include Snuppa and Bianca, their roommates.
[edit] Characters
- Sniz — Sniz is a crazy little feline who gets himself into trouble on a daily basis. Luckily, Fondue has ways to bail Sniz and himself out of ordeals. His hairstyle is always a green Mohawk, except for an episode in which he went bald due to using too much hair gel. Voiced by Rick Gomez (credited as "R.H. Gomez").
- Fondue — Fondue is a frustrated, but intelligent feline who is also Sniz's brother. Like Sniz, Fondue has strange dialogue. He is always seen wearing a blue chef hat.
- Snuppa — The roommate of Sniz, Fondue, and Bianca. Appears to be older and more mature than Sniz and Fondue, and he is Bianca's boyfriend. Voiced by John Walsh.
- Bianca — The roommate of Sniz, Fondue, and Snuppa. She is also Snuppa's girlfriend. Sports a big, clownish, blond hairstyle. She was voiced by Monica Lee Gradischek.
[edit] Action League Now!
- Began: Season 1 Ended: Season 4
Filmed in "Chuckimation," in which the characters/props are moved by unseen hands or thrown from off-camera (interspersed with occasional stop motion animation). Action League Now! featured a group of superheroes, played by custom-made action figures, who fight crime in suburbia despite being total idiots. The four superheroes are The Flesh, Thundergirl, Stinky Diver, and Meltman. Considered to be the most successful KaBLam! short, it briefly became a spin-off series in 2003. Action League Now! is the only short to have a new episode with every showing of KaBLam!. All of the characters on the shorts were voiced by personalities from radio station WDVE in Pittsburgh.
[edit] Characters
- The Flesh — A blond, muscular, dim-witted bodybuilder who never wears clothes. His catch phrases include simple, immature terms such as "ouchies" and "oopsies." He usually gets in the way of the Action League when they're trying to save the day (by hurting them), but does not mean any harm. Undoubtedly the dumbest member of the team. His name is likely a parody of The Flash and is a reference to his constant nudity. The mold used for The Flesh was a modified Conan the Adventurer action figure. Voiced by Jim Krenn.
- Thundergirl — The only female member of the team, as well as the only one with the ability to fly. She usually accompanies her flight with a song similar to the tune of John Williams' Star Wars theme. Thundergirl does not appreciate Meltman's crush on her, and usually ignores him completely following his professions of love. Does not seem to think of herself as an equal to the rest of the League, finding herself to being superior to them, instead. For the show, the figure used was a Sindy (British equivalent of Barbie) doll's head on a superheroine action figure body. Voiced by Cris Winter.
- Stinky Diver — A mustachioed diver who is often seen in or around toilets. He speaks with an Australian-type accent, even though an episode title suggested that he is English. As his name makes obvious, Stinky has a foul odor, but the Action League seems to have gotten used to it and don't mind it most of the time. Owns a beach house (in reality, a life-size port-a-potty) and a vast collection of toilet paper, which is later trashed by the Red Ninja, an old rival. He is the most frequent driver of the Action Mobile, the League's official transportation device (a big, red remote-control car). Stinky Diver is a barely-altered 1994 G.I. Joe Shipwreck action figure. Voiced by Jim Krenn.
- Meltman — Meltman has the power to melt, and is the smallest and weakest member of the Action League. He has a crush on long-running Thundergirl, but she does not return his feelings for her. Since his only power is to melt, Meltman is very unhelpful and a borderline burden. There was a running gag during an early All That episode where he would find his original nose, only to lose it seconds later due to someone (or something) running into him. In two different episodes, it is revealed that his full name is Barry Meltfarb, although he claims to have changed the surname to "Meltman". Voiced by Scott Paulsen.
- The Chief — The boss of the Action League, The Chief is an angry, frustrated man who frequently yells at the Action League for their mistakes and unintended back-talking. Once got a heart transplant from Bill the Lab Guy, most likely due to his constant stress. The Chief is the only African-American character on the show. During a non-episodal segment, The Flesh noted that he and The Chief shared the same first name, that being "The". Voiced by Collin McGee from 1996-2000.
- The Mayor — The show's main and most prolific villain. The reasons for his dislike of the Action League are unknown, but he has gone far to rid of them in many episodes of the show. Instances in which he has attempted to rid of the League include sucking them up with a massive vacuum cleaner, blowing them away with a giant fan, and a remote-control robot that wreaks havoc all over town. Often tries ways of making fast money, even though he is the town mayor. In one episode, his pseudonym was revealed to be "Louie D. Mayor," a possible reference of his real name. Voiced by Jim Krenn.
- Bill the Lab Guy — A scientist who often messes up his experiments and predicaments. Often says things like "I was afraid of this" and "there is nothing I can do," signifying his uselessness to the rest of the Action League. Has a monotone voice and takes himself very seriously. Bill's name is possibly a takeoff on the title character on Bill Nye the Science Guy. Appears to have a love for oldies music. Voiced by Scott Paulsen.
- Justice — The Chief's beloved Golden Retriever. She is usually considered the smartest member of the Action League (she once passed a written test conducted by Bill the Lab Guy, using the pencil with her mouth). Justice has a minor role in just about every episode she appears in, although she has been given the Lassie role of notifying the League of trouble from time to time. Justice's barking sounds were made by Alyssa Grahm.
- The Narrator — The narrator of the program, using various alliterations and overreactions often before and after the short's commercial bridge. Sometimes breaks the fourth wall during an episode. Has a deep, monotone voice, not unlike Bill the Lab Guy's. Never seen, only heard. Voiced by Jim Krenn.
[edit] Life with Loopy
- Began: Season 1 Ended: Season 4
Followed the life of twelve-year-old Larry and his strange experiences with his imaginative and adventurous younger sister, Loopy. The characters were animated with stop-motion puppet bodies, but their heads were created with flat cardboard heads.
[edit] Characters
- Loopecia "Loopy" Cooper — Loopy is an imaginative little girl with a knack for discovering surreal things, such as a world under the sofa. While she is often discouraged by Larry whenever she goes out to adventure, she does not let that stop her. Loopy is voiced by Danielle Judovits.
- Larry Cooper — Larry is Loopy's intelligent brother. Much like Lassie, Larry knows every detail of Loopy's adventures, although he is almost never there.
- Loopy and Larry's Parents — They are Loopy and Larry's parents. They seem like caricatures of parents from 1950s sitcoms.
[edit] Prometheus and Bob
- Began: Season 1 Ended: Season 4
A claymation/stop motion segment featuring the camera-recorded mission logs of Prometheus, an alien who comes to Earth attempting to teach a caveman, Bob, everyday things. From the use of fire to the act of ice skating, the result is usually a failure by the mischievous third cast member, who was a simple monkey.
[edit] Characters
- Prometheus — Prometheus is a gaunt purple extraterrestrial of advanced intelligence. He attempts to educate Bob, a nimrod caveman, as an experiment recorded on his remote-controlled camera. Prometheus is often injured due to Bob's low IQ.
- Bob — Bob is a babbling caveman. He once was completely covered in hair, but now has none because of a laser incident in the first clip. Has a tendency to overreact when scared.
- Monkey — Monkey is a small chimpanzee with many different roles, sometimes helping Prometheus, other times making his life miserable. Monkey usually tried to mess up or distract Bob.
- The Narrator — He recites the opening to the short, and the introduction to the short's "tape", "Tape [insert number here]", and finally, "End."
[edit] The Off-Beats
- Began: Season 1 Ended: Season 2
A group of unpopular friends who deal with problems caused by many different characters, including their main rivals, a popular clique known as "The Populars."
[edit] Characters
- August — August is the unofficial leader of The Off-Beats. He is the one Off-Beat that desperately wants to be liked by The Populars. However, none of his inventions, such as the Suave-O-Matic 5000 or the Helicart, impress anyone.
- Betty Anne Bongo — Betty Anne Bongo constantly plays the bongos, unless she loses her glasses. She's always helping Tommy, August, and Repunzil out of a jam. She was voiced by Mischa Barton.
- Tommy — Tommy loves his plaid coat and hat, and he loves being alone, never going indoors. Normally he's quiet, but he cannot handle his emotions very well, so he is often seen yelling (which startles everyone, including himself). Voiced by Mark Wagner.
- Repunzil — Repunzil is the youngest and most excitable member of The Off-Beats. She loves everyone and everything, even if they run away. Repunzil's long hair makes it very difficult for her to wear a hat.
- September — August's talking dog. He often runs away, and gets paid to like August, but he seems to enjoy being with the Off-Beats, anyway. He was voiced by Mo Willems.
- Grubby Groo — Grubby Groo is The Off-Beats' friend. He is the only adult in the world who realizes that The Populars are really mean kids, despite the Populars always pretending to be nice when Grubby is around. Voiced by Mo Willems.
- Tina — Tina is the leader of the Populars, who rules them with an iron fist. Is something of a stereotypical "school diva". If any of the Off-Beats start thinking that they are cool, Tina's always around to set them straight.
- The Populars — The popular group at school that always travels in a nose-in-the air clump. They are led by Tina (see above).
[edit] Recurring shorts
Began: Season 1 Ended: Season 2
- Surprising Shorts — The only short segment to not have recurring characters, these shorts usually had nothing to do with any previous shorts included on the show. Includes shorts such as the Lava series, Garbage Boy, Emmitt Freedy, and Stewy the Dogboy, which later became Disney's Teacher's Pet, among several others. This segment was usually introduced by June pulling down Henry's pants, revealing his unflattering and garishly colored boxer shorts, hence the name.
Began: Season 1 Ended: Season 1
- Angela Anaconda — A cutout-photo cartoon that was later spun off into its own series on the Fox Family Channel, in the US. This series is about a girl named Angela who, along with her two friends, are social outcasts. They find themselves unpopular in school and always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nanette, a fake-French girl who everyone loves and wants to be, always mocks Angela. During each episode, a poem-like story is narrated by Angela. She often gets her revenge on the antagonist of that particular episode.
Began: Season 3 Ended: Season 4
- JetCat — A segment about a girl who has an identity as a cat superhero and flies around, saves her city, or what she says she "flies like a jet and fights like a cat." This is the only short that takes place outside of the comic book. It was featured as a comic in Nickelodeon Magazine for a short time.
Began: Season 3 Ended: Season 4
- Race Rabbit — A live-action show about a romantic rabbit racer with an English accent who competes in races but there is usually trouble along the way caused by the Boolies, who are his human enemies. Race always wins the race, foiling the Boolies' plans along the way.
Began: Season 2 Ended: Season 3
- Patchhead — This segment is about a barefoot kid with a watermelon for a hat, and she stops cheaters from winning competitions.
Began: Season 2 Ended: Season 2
- The Brothers Tiki — A claymation segment about two extraterrestrials resembling vegetables, who land on Earth in a ship bearing a striking resemblance to a barbecue grill.
Began: Season 4 Ended: Season 4
- Fuzzball — A non-recurring cartoon about a girl who tries to re-win her dad's trophy, which she broke.
Began: Season 1 Ended: Season 1
- The Louie and Louie Show — A short that appears only once on the show. Two neglected pets (a hamster and a lizard) try to get some attenion from their owners, who are all too busy playing with the family dog. This short was animated by Gary Baseman.
Began: Season 4 Ended: Season 4
- Little Freaks — Another one-time cartoon. Three freaky superheroes try to stop a villain from controlling the world's fashion trends.
- Untalkative Bunny — Featured the uncomfortable life-situations encountered by a rabbit who is simply unable to speak. Later became a series on a Canadian animation-oriented network.
Began: Season 1 Ended: Season 1
- Anemia and Iodine — One-time short. A cartoon displaying the misadventures of a depressed gothic older sister and her skateboarding, hyperactive younger brother.
There were also various They Might Be Giants music videos for the songs "Why Does The Sun Shine?" and "Doctor Worm." Plus, a music video of "Hockey Monkey," created by James Kochalka and performed by The Zambonis. These were a mixture of live action by Jesse Gordon and different animation styles, all produced and directed at The Ink Tank.
[edit] Film
A live-action Prometheus and Bob film was announced in 1998 to be directed by Harold Zwart and produced by Amy Heckerling, but apparently fell through due to lack of interest. [2]
Shorts from Kablam! have appeared at the beginning of theatrical releases. An episode of Action League Now! entitled "Rock-A-Big Baby" was shown before the Nickelodeon film Good Burger. Angela Anaconda appeared before Digimon: The Movie.
[edit] References
- ^ 1997: The year of drawing dangerously. Variety.
- ^ Nick sets 'Bob' toon feature - Entertainment News, Film News, Media - Variety
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