Does Anyone Remember HBO's Crashbox?

Will takes a nostalgia fueled deep-dive into an old HBO Family educational animated kid's show to see if anyone still remembers Crashbox?

MY FULL INTERVIEW WITH ADAM SHAHEEN

Q: In your collaboration with Planet Grande, where did the unique animation style for the different segments of the show come from?

A: I have always been interested in all sorts of design and artistic influences  - A magazine formatted game show, with dozens of different types of games felt like the perfect place to introduce a multitude of styles of animation that acknowledged the variety.

Q: How did you find a balance of using different styles of animation to create a unified tone throughout the show?

A: It wasn’t a case of just picking any style and assuming that was ok - certain game formats that were word based or time based or what have you started to show themselves as being designed in specific ways.

Q: What were challenges you can across in designing an animated program for kids in an untraditional style with a the primary objective of creating an engaging educational program?
    
A: Kids are the adaptable ones - not the adults programming shows! Quickly it became very evident that kids loved the different games being presented in a mixed design format. They found it way more engaging visually and that drew the into playing along and ultimately, learning. It also helped that HBO Family, a brand new player in the kids tv world was ready to separate themselves from the competition and a mixed animated format was evidence of that. Twenty years later we still get letters
demonstrating the impact this show had.

Q: What contributed to Crashbox having such a short televised run?  

A: It was 2 seasons and 52 Episodes - HBO and Cuppa and Planet Grande all agreed that it had run its course and new but similarly unique objectives were to be had in new projects. A show like this will never been seen again in my opinion. Networks are 100% driven now by tapping existing brands and unfortunately have a lesser group of visionary creatives open to pushing new boundaries.

Q: What would you hope your young audience got out of the show and how has it shaped the trajectory of your career at Cuppa Coffee?

A: As the founder of Cuppa Coffee Studios - I was always looking for a working relationship that was as fluid and as positive as we had with PG and HBO - In the 28 years of the studios existence this was the most exemplary of experiences I had - possibly disappointing there after as other networks were never as collaborative! Receiving letters of praise almost 30 years later is testament to the enjoyment brought by kids and parents alike - notable in how something educational can also be outlandish and fun.

#HBO #Crashbox #Nostalgia

[benjaminogden]

Crashbox was the best show of all time don't @me

[miggy_g]

You did it. You finally found the show that’s been stuck in my subconscious but I was never able to remember.

[GingerTyPerior]

Nothing makes me happier then seeing other people like Crashbox. When I finally remembered that I'd watched it, I knew I could never forget it again. Looking back, it had a huge hand in forming who I am today.

[kyyuhl]

i truly believe that this show had some form of deeper impact on me as a child above just learning math, english, and cool facts. i guess it’s just the unique way of how the imagery was used to convey emotions. the stuff is still stuck with me to this day. does that make any bit of sense?

[chef]

HOW IS EVERYBODY JUST REMEMBERING THIS

[christinel]

Crashbox was my favorite show as a child and I bought it to show my son, he loves it too. It would've been a bigger hit had it been on regular cable.

[SeizeDave]

I worked on this show - it is one of my favourite projects to be involved with ever.

[bigguyss]

Anybody here aware of the fact that Billie Eilish’s mom voiced Verity? Yup.

[redbird]

Crashbox: The only show that was worth waking up early for and is still, to this day, the only educational show that I’m willing to sit down and watch (beside Wild Krats)

In all seriousness, I really believe that shows like Crashbox and Making Fiends shaped who I am as a person. Not only did they spark my fascination and appreciation for the more “creepier” side of things, but it also made learning fun and legitimately enjoyable.

Looking back at it all brings a nostalgic tear down my face...

[sunkissed]

"come on you buckets of bolts, we have a game to make" never gets old lol

[thraxbat]

F in the chat for all who are still looking for this show.

[moomonkeyman]

It freaks me out now more than it did when I was little.

[crayons]

I couldn't remember the show name, i kept thinking it was "cube" something. I eventually googled "kids show with the green cubes" and finally found it

[growwitharie]

EDDY BULL HES EDIBLE HE REALLY IS INCREDIBLE HES SIMPLY THE BEST OF BUNCH. THERES SIMPLY NO DISGUISING THAT HES SO APPETIZING AND WE WANT HIM FOR OUR LUNCH🗣🗣 Crashbox was my SHIT and I still remember it to this day💓

[hanna]

this show has a special place in my brain. something about the major variety of it and how it was so different than the rest of all the shows i was watching as a kid made me love it dearly, and i was always so sad when we switched to not having HBO anymore.

also WHEN YOU SAID POOPER SCOOPER I DIDNT KNOW I HAD THAT DEEP OF A MEMORY

[havoney]

ngl this show scared the frick outta me when i was a child, i lowkey still have nightmares i would legit scream whenever i saw that falling computer butttt my brother loved it so i was forced

[Matt-wcbl]

This really is one of the most under recognized and under appreciated shows of a generation. I was born in 2006, and I still have vivid memories of sitting in front of the TV on worry less weekend mornings. This show will forever hold a massive cultural and emotional significance to me, nothing else in terms of television has ever come close.

[metaknightjudgesyoursins]

I still love this quote
“C’mon you buckets of bolts!
We’ve got a game to make!


*GET THE LEAD OUT!”*

As well as

“Oo! Look at that!
Wow!
Hey you know what?!
Here.
(Gives the claw the cartridge)
Take this! Bye! ^^”

You see the drones of Educational Shows they release in the recent years with not even a fraction of the heart or personality that any of the Crashbox ‘inbetween’ scenes have.

[tsakia]

This is literally my childhood, I loved and still do love this show.

[TheMoonfiregaming]

I remember sitting at my tube television in the morning and being excited to watch this show but I think it had something to do with loving claymation and horror elements which is why this was my favorite childhood show and corpse bride is my favorite childhood movie both were things I didn’t want to look away from and I think really shaped my individual personality when it comes to my creative nature