Sand and clay animations - AEIOU!

November 14, 2006 4:41 PM

A-E-I-O-U! Does anyone know this old sand animation show and song? What about the red-and-blue clay?

Back in the 80s, on the Australian ABC between children's shows, they used to have little animated shorts.

One of them was a series of animations done in sand, with an accompianing song, sung with vowels. I'll do my best impression:

Aaah Aaah A.... E E E.... I I I.... Oh Oh Oh
A A A... E E E... I I I... A E I O U!
La lala lala! La lala lala!

The other animation involved two clay characters - one red, and one blue, who (if I remember correctly) were sort of enemies, and had little adventures turning into balls and walls and messing around with each other, some times banging into each other and becoming...purple!

I think both animations were European.

Does anyone know what these animations were called? Who made them? Bonus love if you can point me to information about them on the net, or a video. Youtube fails me.

posted by Jimbob to media & arts (10 comments total)

It was also on the early morning Nickelodeon programming in the US.
posted by unknowncommand at 5:15 PM on November 14, 2006

Oh, was it Chapi Chapo? It's French.
posted by unknowncommand at 5:18 PM on November 14, 2006

No, sorry. Chapi Chapo was different. Both were definitely on Pinwheel though. I give up.
posted by unknowncommand at 5:20 PM on November 14, 2006

I remember both from when I was a kid.
I always just assumed it was called AEIOU. :)

I think red and blue was just called Red & Blue.
posted by eek at 6:38 PM on November 14, 2006

Check out this Nick Nostaglgia Site, there's a little bit on Pinweel on it. Or could it have been on Calliope? I vaguely remember both of these short you describe. I do think that the Red and Blue clay animations are Chapi Chapo, just look at the pics from the link.

I was lucky to grow up in Columbus, Ohio, the test market for Nikelodeon.
posted by lannanh at 6:49 PM on November 14, 2006

Is this the sand animation?
posted by tellurian at 7:26 PM on November 14, 2006

They make Red & Blue too.
posted by tellurian at 7:29 PM on November 14, 2006

Oh, wonderful! I always loved The Red and the Blue, and never had any idea where it came from.

Extra super duper bonus points to anyone who can find me a way to buy the existing episodes on DVD!
posted by sennoma at 9:18 PM on November 14, 2006

Oh wow, flashback. I remember the Red and The Blue so well, particularly the voices!
posted by tomble at 9:26 PM on November 14, 2006

Thankyou tellurian! Good catch.
posted by Jimbob at 9:48 PM on November 14, 2006