The Off-Beats facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Off-Beats
Title card
Created by	Mo Willems
Written by	Mo Willems Josh Selig
Directed by	Mo Willems
Voices of	Mischa Barton Mo Willems Mark Wagner Jimmy McQuaid Kathleen Fasalino Dylan Roberts Trisha Hedgecock Tara Ketterer Kevin Seal
Narrated by	Mo Willems (opening only)
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	14
Production
Executive producer(s)	Mo Willems Mary Harrington
Producer(s)	Mo Willems
Running time	2-4 minutes
Production company(s)	Curious Pictures Nickelodeon Productions
Release
Original network	Nickelodeon
Original release	1996 (1996) – 1998 (1998)
Chronology
Related shows	KaBlam! Sheep in the Big City Codename: Kids Next Door Team Umizoomi Little Einsteins

The Off-Beats is an American cartoon series created by Mo Willems. You might know Mo Willems from his popular children's books like Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!.

The first episodes of The Off-Beats were short cartoons made for Nickelodeon. The show became so popular that it was nominated for an award called the CableACE Award. After this, more episodes were made for the show KaBlam!.

The series was first called The Misfits. But Nickelodeon asked Mo Willems to change the name right before it aired. So, he renamed it The Off-Beats and even had to re-do the opening.

The Off-Beats was the first show to finish its run on KaBlam!. This happened when Mo Willems moved to Cartoon Network to create another cartoon called Sheep in the Big City.

The show has a very special art style. The colors look flat and dry. The animation style is similar to old cartoons from studios like UPA and Hanna-Barbera. The stories and ideas in the show are a lot like the classic Peanuts TV specials. Many of the characters are voiced by child actors, just like in Peanuts.

Each episode is short, lasting only two to four minutes. The music in the show is mostly jazz, sometimes with big-band sounds. It often features a piano, drums, and a double bass. The music style is similar to the Pink Panther cartoons.

For a long time, a special episode called Off Beats Valentine Special was thought to be lost. But on February 27, 2014, it was finally found and uploaded to YouTube!

Catchy Theme Songs

The show's opening always starts with a short poem. Grubby Groo, voiced by Mo Willems, says these words:

"They nervous, they nebbish, they small, and the Populars don't like 'em at all. But that's okay, life is sweet. They cool. The Off-Beats."

The very first shorts, before KaBlam!, had a slightly different version:

"They nervous, they nebbish, they small, and the Populars don't like 'em at all. But that's okay, they don't call it quits. The cool. The Misfits."

The Valentine's Day special has its own unique theme song:

"They nervous, they nebbish, they small, and the Populars don't like 'em at all. It don't matter, they hip. They got their own friendship. But when love is in the air. It can cause quite a scare. And sometimes it's hard to define. What goes down on Valentine's."

Meet the Characters

The show is all about two main groups of kids: The Off-Beats and The Populars.

The Off-Beats

The Off-Beats are a group of friends who are a bit different. They don't always fit in with the "popular" crowd.

• Betty Anne Bongo - Betty Anne is often seen as the leader of the group. She thinks realistically, but sometimes she isn't the smartest. She loves playing her bongo drums and often sings her own little song: "My name is Betty Anne Bongo, I sing this little song-O, I sing it all day long-O!" She used to not like the idea of "puppy love" but later gets a crush on Brad Groo. Mischa Barton voices her.

• Tommy - Tommy really loves his plaid coat. In one episode, he even goes a little crazy when it's sent to the cleaners! He usually stays calm, but sometimes he loses his temper and shouts. This often surprises his friends and even himself. Betty Anne and Repunzil can copy his yelling. His catchphrase is "Let me just say..." when he talks to The Populars, followed by his shout. Tommy loves being outdoors and fishing. Mark Wagner voices Tommy.

• Repunzil - Repunzil is the youngest girl in the group. She can be a bit naive and sometimes silly because she's so young. She's famous for her super long hair that reaches the floor, just like the princess Rapunzel. She doesn't even know how to tie her shoes! Repunzil loves animals and has many pets. She sometimes gets mad at her mom for doing her hair in a funny way and says, "Sometimes I hate my mom." Trisha Hedgecock voices her.

• August - August is the smart one in the Off-Beats, especially with technology. He invents many gadgets, but they often don't work or cause problems. He really wants to impress The Populars. August is the only character who appears in every episode. He might have a crush on Tina from The Populars. Dylan Roberts voices August.

• September - September is August's dog. He can talk and is usually pretty chill about everything. But he does enjoy being with the Off-Beats. It turns out August actually pays September to like him! September even has a contract for a day off. Even though he's smart, he can't open a simple can of dog food. He can play the bagpipes! Mo Willems, the show's creator, voices September.

• Grubby Groo - Grubby Groo is an adult friend of the Off-Beats. He looks like a beatnik. He's the only one who truly sees how mean The Populars are. He works at a place called Cafe Ad Hoc, which is famous for its special "Junkyard Sundae." He has a nephew named Brad, who Betty Anne likes. Mo Willems also voices Grubby Groo.

The Populars

The Populars are a group of six mean kids. They are usually led by Tina and always stick together. When an adult is around, they pretend to be very nice and put on fake smiles. Grubby Groo knows they are just hiding their true, mean selves. The Populars not only walk together but also sleep and live together! They only separate for bathroom breaks. This is how Beth can talk to Tommy without getting into trouble.

The Populars might have inspired the "Delightful Children from Down The Lane" in Codename: Kids Next Door, another cartoon Mo Willems worked on.

• Tina - Tina is the mean leader of The Populars. If the Off-Beats ever feel good about themselves, Tina is there to make them feel bad. Even though she's spoiled and has a bad attitude, she seems smart. She is the main bad guy of the series. Kathleen Fasolino voices Tina.

• Beth - Beth is Tina's best friend and helper. Her job is to warn The Populars when an adult is nearby by shouting "Adult!" Then, they all start their fake nice act. Once, Beth and Tommy fell in love and had to keep it a secret. Tara Ketterer voices Beth.

• Billy - Billy is a boy who wears a red beanie hat. A funny thing that often happens is that he says something that makes Tina mad. Then, The Populars throw him far away, and he usually crashes into something like a trash can and screams! Jimmy McQuaid voices Billy.

The other Populars are Paul (voiced by Tim Duffy), Gordon (voiced by Keith Franklin), and Virgil (voiced by John Morgan).

Episode Guide

Here are some of the episodes of The Off-Beats:

Standalone Short Films: 1995

These first episodes were made to promote the start of KaBlam!.

• My Dog Can Talk - August tries to impress The Populars by saying his dog, September, can talk. When September says "bow," The Populars laugh. But then September tells them to "bow" to him, which shocks them!

• Your Shoe's Untied - The Populars play the old "your shoe's untied" trick on the Off-Beats. It only works on Repunzil. She then asks Grubby Groo to tie her shoes.

• The Twig - Betty Anne finds a twig and tries to save it with Repunzil's help. It doesn't work. Tommy suggests they leave it alone. Then August and September use it for a game of fetch.

Season 1: 1996-1997

This season featured the pink The Off-Beats logo.

• "The Robodog" - September takes a day off from being August's dog. So August gets a new robot dog that "plays 4-ever." August gets bored, and September gets jealous. September then gets a robot boy, which also "plays 4-ever." The robot dog leaves August to be friends with the robot boy instead.

• "Too Much Attention for September" - August rides in his new invention, the heli-cart. September refuses to go with him. Everyone tries to talk to September or play with him, which drives him crazy!

• "Betty Anne's Glasses" - Betty Anne Bongo loses her glasses after playing her bongos. The Populars find them, and Tina puts them on to make fun of Betty Anne. They hide the glasses. September figures out what happened and makes a plan to get them back.

Season 2: 1997-1998

• "Tommy's Coat" - Tommy's favorite coat is sent to the dry cleaners. He starts to go a little crazy because he misses it so much. Betty Anne tries to help him. He even imagines The Populars wearing his coat's pattern!

• "The Suave-O-Matic 5000" - August wants to be friends with The Populars. He uses his "Suave-O-Matic" invention, which makes him taller, cooler, and gives him a deeper voice. The Populars like the new August. But when he plays paddleball, the Suave-O-Matic explodes!

• "Tommy's Song" - Tommy hears a song on the radio and can't stop singing it. It gets stuck in his head! Betty Anne tries to help him. He even scares away The Populars because the song gets stuck in their heads too. After they finally help him, Repunzil arrives with the song stuck in her head, and it gets stuck in the Off-Beats' heads again!

• "Repunzil and the Sweepstakes" - Repunzil gets a form in the mail for a sweepstakes with a million-dollar prize. She thinks she's going to win. The Populars become her friends, hoping she will buy them things.

• "The Sprain" - Betty Anne sprains her wrist. Even though she gets a lot of attention, she's sad because she can't play her bongos. The Populars are jealous of the big "Junkyard Sundae" Grubby Groo makes for her. They try to fake injuries to get a sundae too.

• "Paddleball Record" - August is very busy trying to break a paddleball record. September goes off to party but realizes he can't open his can of dog food. He gets super hungry! Luckily, August sees this and feeds his dog just in time.

• "The Statistic" - September tells the group about the chance of someone in a group of four getting hit on the head by something falling from the sky. Tommy tries to leave the group because he thinks he's the target. This was the last episode made for KaBlam!.

Specials: 1999

• An Off-Beats Valentine's - This is a special half-hour TV episode. Everyone is getting ready for Valentine's Day. Tommy from the Off-Beats and Beth from The Populars develop a crush on each other. September remembers a female cat named February he once loved. Repunzil tries to find September a new crush and tries to give Tommy a Valentine's gift. August tries to find a girlfriend without using his inventions.

In this special, Tommy is seen without his hat for the only time, showing he is bald. This episode also shows that The Populars really do sleep and live together. This was the very last episode produced by Mo Willems before he moved to Cartoon Network.