The Off-Beats - The Statistic - Toonstalgia

The Off-Beats - The Statistic

Kablam! S02E13 Kablam! James Kablam!

Premiered January 2, 1998

Quickly

A statistic sends the Off-Beats running for helmets.

Thoughts

This is the last Off-Beats short to appear on KaBlam! Though a holiday special followed. 

This show had charm and a unique identity. They are the "nerds" and the "outcasts" and they're not that. They are four people and a dog who like each other. The art is inspirational. No line is wasted. The characters are all unique (other than the triplets). The backgrounds are beautiful.

These shorts stuck with me in a way no others on the show did. I watched every episode of KaBlam!. There were more Sniz and Fondue and Life with Loopy and Action League Now. I still have my Meltman Burger King toy. But none of them meant quite as much as the Off-Beats. I wanted to be one of the Off-Beats.

The writing of this short is spot on. I love that August's affection for solving problems with gadgets leads to him attempting to replace Tommy with a robot. It makes perfect sense for the character. Tommy volunteers to be the one that leaves the group showing selflessness. The rest of the Off-Beats try to convince him he doesn't have to because they want to spend time with him.

Overly Detailed

Cold Open: September reads the newspaper. According to the Department of Safety, 1 out of 4 people will be hit in the head. He leaves and I wonder if September had stayed, would the statistic have effected the group? Tommy volunteers to stop hanging out with the group. With Tommy gone, it feels wrong so August, Repunzil and Betty Anne decide to find him. When Repunzil gets hit in the head by an alarm clock, Tommy flees. No matter where Tommy goes, people are getting hit in the head because he's completing the groups of four. When Tommy is nearly crushed by a fire hydrant, his fears are justified. August attempts to fill the absence with the TR77, a robot buddy. They go to see Tommy playing ping pong ball by himself by hitting balls across the room because no one told him he could raise the table and hit balls against it. A group of turtles inspires Tommy to buy a helmet. Betty Anne, Repunzil and August all buy helmets. The Off-Beats are together again, no matter what the world throws at them.