In the show, four teenagers are taken into a strange dimension called "the Flipside" and become cartoon characters, forced to fight the Master Blaster and his gang, the Copy Cats.[4] The show included then-current music videos.[5]
The title sequence explained the plot; Kidd Video and his band (Named Kidd, Carla, Ash, & Whiz) of the same name (played by live action performers in the first half of the title sequence) were practicing in a storage unit when an animated villain named the Master Blaster appeared, and transported them to the Master Blaster's home dimension, a cartoon world called the Flipside. The Master Blaster plans to use them as his musical slaves. They were rescued by a fairy named Glitter and subsequently spent each episode of the series either helping to free the denizens of the Flipside from the Master Blaster's rule, or trying to find a way back home to the real world.
The show was dominated by an MTV-esque music video theme. Each episode featured at least one action sequence set to a popular song, and the heroes would often distract their enemies by showing current music videos and sneak off while the enemies were entranced. Each episode also ended with a live-action music video by Kidd Video. Other pop cultural current events featured heavily in the show as well: the characters often breakdanced to relax, rode on skateboards and one episode was devoted entirely to video games. The visual style of the cartoon itself was heavily influenced by the more surreal videos showing on MTV and by album artwork of the era by artists like Roger Dean.
The band was created specifically for the show; they performed their own songs and they provided the voices for their cartoon counterparts. At the end of some episodes, the live action band would be shown once again performing a music video, such as "A Little TLC". The music videos produced by Kidd Video then became popular in Israel, which then produced fan merchandise such as coloring books and chocolate bars with images of the band.
Characters
Kidd Video (portrayed and voiced by Bryan Scott) - Lead singer and guitarist of Kidd Video.
Carla (portrayed and voiced by Gabriela Nelson) - The drummer of Kidd Video and the band's sole female member. Her frequently-uttered catch-phrase was "Ay-Ay-Ay!"
Ash (portrayed and voiced by Steve Alterman) - The clumsy keyboardist of Kidd Video; he also plays bass and saxophone.
Whiz (portrayed and voiced by Robbie Rist) - The nerdy guitar-and bass-player of Kidd Video. He owned a Subaru Brat which was in the garage at the time of the band's abduction and also got pulled into the Flipside. As a result, it now serves as the group's main transport through the music world.
Glitter (voiced by Cathy Cavadini) - A fairy who befriends Kidd Video's band. She saved them from the Master Blaster, as seen in the introduction, with her unique ability to temporarily gain enhanced strength whenever she sneezes.
Toolbot (voiced by Hal Rayle) - A robotic toolbox that debuted in Season Two. He is Whiz's pet.
The Master Blaster (voiced by Peter Renaday) - The primary villain of the series. He brought Kidd Video's band to the Flipside to be his musical slaves until Glitter freed them. As a caricature of a corrupt rock manager or music executive, the Master Blaster flew around the sky in his floating castle, which resembled a giant jukebox.
The Copycats - A trio of anthropomorphic cats that serve as the Master Blaster's minions. They get their name because they always lip-synch to their songs. They consist of:
Cool Kitty (voiced by Robert Towers) - The leader of the Copycats.
Fat Cat (voiced by Marshall Efron) - The overweight member of the Copycats.
She-Lion (voiced by Susan Silo) - The female member of the Copycats.
List of episodes
Pilot (1984)
Pilot - September 8, 1984
Season 1 (1984–85)
To Beat the Band - September 15, 1984
The Master Zapper - September 22, 1984
Woofers and Tweeters - October 6, 1984
Barnacolis - October 13, 1984
The Pink Sphinx - October 27, 1984
Cienega - February 16, 1985
The Lost Note - February 23, 1985
Music Sports - March 2, 1985
Chameleons - March 23, 1985
Euphonius and the Melodious Dragon - May 4, 1985
Professor Maestro - May 11, 1985
Grooveyard City - May 18, 1985
The Stone - May 25, 1985
Season 2 (1985)
The Dream Machine - November 2, 1985
Double Trouble - November 2, 1985
No Place Like Home - November 9, 1985
Having a Ball - November 16, 1985
Old Time Rocks that Roll - November 23, 1985
Starmaker - November 23, 1985
Narra Takes a Powder - November 23, 1985
Race to Popland - November 23, 1985
Master Blaster Brat - November 23, 1985
Twilight Double Header - November 23, 1985
A Friend in Need - November 30, 1985
Pirates and Puzzles - November 30, 1985
Who's in the Kitchen with Dinah? - December 7, 1985
Robert Towers - Cool Kitty; Additional Voices (Season 1)
Music
The theme song, "Video to Radio", was written by frequent musical collaborators Haim Saban and Shuki Levy, who also contributed other songs to the show. The song "Time" was written by band member Bryan Scott.[1] The song "A Little TLC" composed by Lynsey de Paul and Terry Britten[8] and accompanying video was featured at the end of the first episode "To Beat the Band"[9] and the end of the last episode "Who's in the Kitchen with Dinah?".[10]
Kidd Video released a vinyl album in Israel[1] and the band reportedly toured there in 1987.[11]
Six VHS tapes were released in the United States from DiC Video & Golden Books (with some only containing a single episode and others containing multiple episodes) and numerous Spanish-language tapes were available from Vídeo Peques under the Travelling Video line.[12]
^Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 336. ISBN978-1538103739.
^Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 470–471. ISBN978-1476665993.
