Watch with Father: Alphablocks

I fucking love the Alphablocks

Just as a note, for a review of a children's cartoon, I'm going to swear a bit in this one.

Alphablocks is a series which recounts the adventures of 26 letters, each capable of self replicating and of attaching to other letters to form a gestalt entity, and of moulding the very fabric of reality by the simple act of holding hands to spell out words.

It's a simple enough concept, but what sells it for me is the characterisation of the different letters. A is perpetually-bruised from a combination of clumsiness and the apples which fall on her head; B and D being mirrors of each other (the Alphablocks are 'naturally' lower case) are a sister and brother in glam makeup, the one playing bass, the other drums; I is totally self-absorbed, while Q is U's stalker. N is always negative, T loves his tea, and R thinks she's a pirate. X is a super hero with X-Ray vision.

Each letter prefers to use words beginning with their letter (X usually sticks to 'ex' beginnings), and the things that they make by holding hands lead them on adventures, often including songs.

Oh, yes; E has a secret identity as Magic E, who as he is also silent E is basically a ninja in a top hat.

It's not all fun and games though. In one of a series of episodes exploring vowel digraphs, A is unable to say her own name due to hiccups and suffers a crippling identity crisis. I cry every time I watch it, no bullshit.

The depth of references in the series is exceptional. When Y is refused entry to the vowels Barbershop Quintet, he sings a sad song in a 50s melancholic stylee (he also drops in the word 'yacht' just to fuck with people). I name checks 'Stayin Alive' and 'I Will Survive' at her disco party. C and K even make a joke about A Tribe Called Quest in their football episode, which even some of my work colleagues probably wouldn't get.

So, yes; I love the Alphablocks.