Block 13

Block 13 (Arabic: قطعة 13) is a Kuwaiti animated television series that serves as the Arabic adaptation of the popular American adult animated television series South Park. It was created and directed by Nawaf Salem Al-Shammari and aired on Kuwait TV in 2000, running until 2003. It was the first animated TV series to be produced in the Persian Gulf region.

Block 13
GenreComedy
Educational entertainment
Slapstick
Created byNawaf Salem Al-Shammari
Written byNawaf S. Al-Shammari
Mohammed Maseeb Najm
Directed byNawaf Salem Al-Shammari
Voices of(See characters)
ComposerAmmar Al-Binni
Country of originKuwait
Original languageArabic
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes46
Production
Running time6-20 minutes
Production companiesFarooha Media Productions
Al Nazaer
Release
Original networkKuwait TV
Original releaseNovember 27, 2000 (2000-11-27) –
2003 (2003)

The series follows Hammoud, Azzouz, Saloom, Abboud, and his sister Farooha, who all often go on wacky and strange misadventures. Similar to South Park in the United States, the series dealt with many issues that concerned the Kuwaiti population but in a way that could not be potentially offensive and more family-friendly.[1] Unlike South Park, which was adult-oriented, this show is meant for families and children of all ages.

Characters
  • Abboud (voiced by Nawaf Salem Al-Shammari) – A chubby boy who always likes to be the center of attention, he is bald, and wears a white taqiyah and is the show's version of Eric Cartman.
  • Hammoud (voiced by Mohammed Maseeb Najm) – A boy who is well behaved for the most part and is often known to be a teacher's pet by his classmates, his name means "Much praising" and is the show's version of Stan Marsh.
  • Azzouz (voiced by Mohammed Maseeb Najm) – A boy who likes to agree with his friends plans and tells them they're right (mostly to Hammoud), in the first season, he wore a black and brown ushanka, but in Seasons 2 and 3, he wore a baseball cap with an A on it with the same colors. Along with this, he is bald. His name means "Much praising" and is the show's version of Kyle Broflovski.
  • Saloom (voiced by Nawaf Salem Al-Shammari) – A poor and unlucky boy who gets into accidents constantly that tend to be fatal. He wears his father's red keffiyeh that muffles completely his speech. He is known for his creativity with papers and wastes and is the show's version of Kenny McCormick.
  • Honey (voiced by Hani Sulaiman) – An American kid who moved to Block 13 to live with his grandmother, he first appeared in the second season. For some people think, he could potentially be the show's version of Butters Stotch.
  • Faroouha (voiced by Herself) – Abboud's baby sister who often accompanies the gang on their adventures. Her catchphrase is "Dig-iday!" (or "Diged-dee" according to the series).
  • Miss Attiyat (voiced by Nizar Al-Qandi (uncredited)) – The portly Egyptian female principal and teacher of the boys' school. She has a tendency to mispronounce Kuwaiti words and wears a bright orange and yellow abaya.

Credits
  • Created and Directed by: Nawaf Salem Al-Shammari
  • Written by: Nawaf S. Al-Shammari, Mohammed Maseeb Najm
  • Animation by: Sami Al-Khars, Khalid Al-Lahw
  • Graphic Design by: Nayef Al-Feili (S1-3), Atef Al-Azmi and Ali Bin Awadh (S2), Meshari Al-Arouj and Fahad Hayat (S3)
  • Opening Theme Written by: Ahmed Al-Shargawi
  • Ending Theme Written by: Sahir
  • Block 13 Theme Composed by: Ammar Al-Binni
  • Original Music and Sound Effects by: Ammar Al-Binni & Komar
  • Assistant Director: Mohammed Maseeb Najm
  • Financial Supervisor: Ali Nasir (S1)
  • Editor: Ahmed Al-Khaldi (S1-2)
  • Sound Editing and Mixing by: Salman Al-Zeidi (S2), Khalid Al-Ajlan (S2-3)
  • Computer Engineering by: Dhari Shamali, Saleh Al-Harbi, and Khalid Al-Eid (S1), Moustafa Al-Ameer (S2), Mohammed Al-Middhin (S3)
  • Sound Recording by: Abdullah Al-Ali and Fahad Zakour (S2), Hani Al-Nasser (S3)
  • Handlettering by: Abdul-Ameer Al-Bannai (S2)
  • Coordination by: Hassan Al-Shatti (S1), Mohammed Al-Bakshi (S2)

History

After South Park was banned in the Middle East due to its various poking fun of various religions,[2] it was decided to create a show to take its place, thus leading into the show's creation. The show aired during every year's Ramadan.

Block 13 got permission from Comedy Central to create Block 13. Although no proof by letter or e-mail has been found, this is true.

The show was successful, resulting in many different forms of merchandise, including toys, food products, home media, and various others. Reruns of the series have also been aired on various other Arab networks like Funoon TV, Al-Watan TV, KTV Al-Qurain, and Comedy Central. Outside of the Arabic-speaking world, however, the show was heavily criticized for its animation, writing, and its attempt to mimic South Park.

Spin-off

Due to the show's success, after the show ended, a spin-off titled Qatouta and Kaloob (قطوطة وكلوب) was released on Ramadan in 2004 and aired on Al-Rai TV, made by the same people who worked on Block 13, and directed by Nawaf Salem Al-Shammari. The show stars Qatouta, a female purple cat along with Kaloob, Honey's pet dog. Qatouta is voiced by Farouha (from "Block 13").

Qatouta and Kaloob wouldn't be the last animated project to be directed by Al-Shammari, as Eyal Al-Freej would be made and aired on Qatar's Alkass Sports Channels in 2006, making it Al-Shammari's recent animated project to date. Sami Al-Khars, who worked on Qatouta and Kaloob and Block 13 wasn't involved in the making of Eyal Al-Freej, instead, character designer Mohammed Abdul-Latif stepped in to design the characters. Abdul-Latif previously worked with Al-Shammari on the animated segments from "Fawq Tahat - UTURN" in 2003.

References
  1. Peer, Stefanie van de (27 February 2017). Animation in the Middle East: Practice and Aesthetics from Baghdad to Casablanca. ISBN 9781786731715.
  2. "15 TV Shows You Didn't Know Were Banned in Other Countries". 23 June 2017.
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