Children’s Television Survival Guide: Big Block Sing Song

You guys, I fucking hate most of the content on Disney Junior. They seem to have stopped carrying my favorite of their shows, Charlie and Lola, and we never seem to be watching when Handy Manny is on. That leaves us watching the incredibly annoying Jake and the Neverland Pirates, whining Sofia the First and her horrible brat of a stepsister, and Ella and her magic hat that bails her out of every situation she and her friends find themselves in. (No, Ella, everything you need is NOT between your ears, because without that hat, you’d be fucked.)

But one bright spot in the disaster that is Disney Junior is Big Block Sing Song, which is one of the in-between-show fillers. The first time I saw one, I thought it might be the guys from Flight of the Conchords singing, because it definitely has their flavor, but nope, it’s a couple of Canadian dudes. The songs are all 2 minutes long and each one has a different sound, but they all feature the same style of animation: basic boxy looking characters reminiscent of Yo Gabba Gabba.

One of the things I really like about Big Block Sing Song is the post-modern way it references other music. For example, one of my favorites of their songs is called Brave, and it’s clearly a Queen tribute. Colorful Day is a delightful tango. And Big Foot appears to me as a clear reference to Flight of the Conchord’s Hiphopapotamus vs. Rhymnocerous. But what really makes this series genius is the lyrics. Sad is a particularly awesome example. A unicorn burping up rainbows? Yes please!

I hope Disney Junior will turn Big Block Sing Song into a full series. It really deserves a whole half an hour, not just a couple minutes between shows.