First off, when I wrote this post about some fans of My Little Pony attacking the animators at DHX Media, it was viewed and shared by many people!  Now, I have gotten a e-mail from Tyler Gagnon of Click Communications who is representing Hasbro.  They are now wanting me to go see Equestria Girls in the theater instead of waiting for the DVD release in August.  To see it means I have to drive to either Birmingham or Atlanta because the theaters in Anniston / Gadsden are not showing it.  But I am going to see it for free for a Geek Alabama review!  If Hasbro is really wanting me to go review it for the blog, I will go see it.  The showings are on Saturday June 22nd and Sunday June 23rd.  Since I have to cover events on Saturday, I can see it on Sunday!  If you want to see Equestria Girls in theaters, find your local showings at:  http://www.hasbro.com/equestriagirls/en_us/

The Aquabats! Super Show!

Since Hasbro contacted me, I am going to review two shows on their network The Hub.  The Hub is run by Hasbro and Discovery Communications and has been growing rapidly since it launched in 2010.  One of the early shows to be picked up by The Hub was The Aquabats Super Show.  This series was created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz, both the creators of the Nick Jr. series Yo Gabba Gabba!, and Jason deVilliers.  The show has a mix of live action and some animation.  And each episode also features a made up commercial during the show!   Here’s one of those commercials!

The Aquabats! Super Show! is based on the superhero mythology of The Aquabats, a real-life Californian rock band which series co-creator Jacobs fronts as lead singer.  Styled similarly to the campy aesthetic of 1960s and 1970s children’s television, each episode follows the comic adventures of The Aquabats, a musical group of amateur superheroes, as they continually defend the world from a variety of villains and monsters.  The Aquabats are on a self-appointed mission to fight evil, destroy boredom, and seek justice for all, protecting the world from the villains and creatures who threaten to destroy it.

The show has been pitched by the creators starting way back in 2008!  Cartoon Network almost picked up this series until staff changes cancelled it.  The Hub thankfully picked up this series in 2011 after the channel launched!  One feature you see within this show is the music.  The Aquabats consist of singer The MC Bat Commander (Christian Jacobs), the swaggering leader of the group; bassist Crash McLarson (Chad Larson), who can grow up to 100 feet in size; drummer Ricky Fitness (Richard Falomir), who has the power of super speed; guitarist EagleBones Falconhawk (Ian Fowles), who wields a laser-powered electric guitar and the aide of an invisible spirit eagle named “The Dude”; and keyboardist Jimmy the Robot (James R. Briggs, Jr.), an android.  The group is bumbling, disorganized, and sometimes cowardly when faced with danger.  That’s why they are at times labeled the world’s most inept superheroes.

The first season had 13 episodes and was met with positive critical reception, consistently high ratings for The Hub, and a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Children’s Series.  The second season is now airing on The Hub and so far I have enjoyed the episodes on Saturday!  Each episode features a different villain or monster The Aquabats has to battle.  During a random point of the show, a anime-styled cartoon short is featured which I love!  Each episode also features a pantomime cartoon short starring “Lil’ Bat”, The Aquabats’ anthropomorphic bat mascot.  Also during each episode is a fake commercial for fictional products which is what I like the most!

Every episode features The Aquabats who are superheroes and a rock band.  You will see some interesting storylines, interesting costumes, cool animation, great music, and a wacky commerical in each episode!  The creators made The Aquabats Super Show to be watched by anyone at any age.  And let me tell you, this show works!  Give this show a chance, I think you will like it!  These five guys also performs at concerts, I hope they can come to Alabama one day for a concert!  Here’s a video from one of their concerts!

The Aquabats Super Show airs new episodes on Saturday at 1 pm / 12 pm central.  To learn more go to: http://www.hubworld.com/the-aquabats-super-show/shows/the-aquabats-super-show

Follow them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/TheAquabatsSuperShow

Wizards vs. Aliens

The Hub has picked up a series from the BBC!   Wizards vs. Aliens is a science fantasy television series aimed at children.  It is produced by BBC Wales and Fremantle Media Enterprises at the newly opened BBC Roath Lock Studios in Cardiff for CBBC  and created by Russell T Davies and Phil Ford.  The series focuses on 16-year-old wizard Tom Clarke (played by Scott Haran) and his scientist best friend Benjamin “Benny” Sherwood (played by Percelle Ascott) as they battle the forces of the alien Nekross, who have invaded Earth with the intent of consuming anything and anyone connected to magic.

The plot for this series is interesting.  Tom Clarke is a seemingly ordinary boy who loves football.  He lives with his father Michael and grandmother Ursula in an ordinary house in an ordinary street – but there’s something different about Tom.  He has an astonishing secret – his family are Wizards!  When an alien race known as the Nekross arrive on Earth hungry for magic, there’s big, big trouble in store for all wizardkind.  With the help of his friend and science super-brain Benny, Tom must stop them – but will these two unlikely heroes succeed, or will the Nekross devour all the magic on Earth with disastrous results for the whole planet?

So far I have watched every episode and I think this show is cool!  For starters, it does have that British TV feel like Doctor Who and Downton Abbey.  Each episode features some great storylines, interesting monsters and aliens, cool magic from the wizards, and some interesting graphics like the spaceships and outer space.  I consider this show as a kid’s version of Doctor Who and I am surprised this show is not airing on BBC America.  But since Cable One does not carry BBC America, I am glad this show is airing on The Hub.

There are only 12 episodes in the first series so you need to be watching the new episodes on The Hub which premeires on Saturday at 7:30 pm / 6:30 pm.  Hopefully more seasons will be made, I have enjoyed this show!

Related articles

• It’s the Aquabats’ Super-Rad World, We Only Watch (and Listen to) It (spinoff.comicbookresources.com)
• ‘Wizards Vs. Aliens’, ‘SheZow’, ‘The Aquabats! Super Show!’, ‘Pound Puppies’ & ‘Kaijudo: Clash of the Duel Masters’ Premiere on the Hub This June (tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com)
• EXCLUSIVE: Christian Jacobs On The Super Second Season Of ‘The Aquabats! Super Show!’ (geek-news.mtv.com)
• Super Rad! A Talk with Christian Jacobs About “The Aquabats! Super Show!” (nerdist.com)
• ‘The Aquabats! Super Show!’ exclusive: Season 2 will begin on… (family-room.ew.com)
• The Attack on DHX Media Over Equestria Girls (geekalabama.com)

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