Planet Warner/Talladega Mice: The Ballad of Pinky Brainy/D.I.WHY? is the 29th episode of the Animaniacs reboot and the third episode in its third season.
Synopsis
A documentary narrator takes us through a day on the Warner Bros. lot. Brain and Pinky break into the ACME Institute of Technology in order to steal a miniature car. The Warners sing a song about the fun of D-l-Y home improvement activities.[1]
Theme Song
Variable Verse
Dot: Fair Pay For Trainees.
Planet Warner
Animation by Digital eMation
Plot
What does a day at Warner Bros. actually look like? A narrator tells how the morning begins, what the Warner siblings do and tells how a new character is created. He shows how Writers come up with a new character and what the Warner siblings do during a chase with Ralph. He also tells how a character is animated and how to be presented to the Board of Directors and the CEO.
Crew
- Written by Lucas Crandles & Timothy Nash
- Directed by Brett Varon & Katie Rice
Trivia
- This cartoon was written and boarded without an episode to put it in initially, and served as a replacement segment to fill-in any gaps left in an episode.[2]
- The 2006 documentary series Planet Earth is spoofed in this cartoon through the title and the documentary-style pacing of the episode.
- In a top down shot of the animation department's work room, various posters, sticky notes and figures of Yakko, Wakko, Dot, Pinky and The Brain can be seen. The posters, sticky notes and figures featured are notably based on stock art and promotional posters from both the original series and the Pinky and the Brain spin-off series.
- Photos of Batman and Scooby-Doo can also be seen across several animators' workspaces.
Talladega Mice: The Ballad of Pinky Brainy
Animation by Titmouse, Inc.
Plot
The mice infiltrate Acme Institute of Technology's robotics lab to steal a robotic miniature car. Once inside the car, Pinky is in the driver's seat and Brain gives him directions as they navigate through a timed maze. However, they discover that the car's ability to function is linked to the driver's stress level. As a result, Brain must do what he can to keep Pinky calm so that they can complete the maze before the timer goes off.
Crew
- Written by Brad DePrima
- Directed by Matt Yang
Trivia
- The title of this cartoon is a spoof of the 2006 sports comedy film Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
- One of the logos on the title card is the Model B, the name of Brain's driverless car from "Roadent Trip."
- The board game Pinky plays at the beginning of the cartoon is Mouse Trap.
- Brain's plan for this episode is an improved version of the one from "Opportunity Knox," but this time he will use mouse-sized electric cars to infiltrate Fort Knox to steal all gold, with each car taking one gold bar at a time. When Pinky mentions "didn't we already do that plan?", Brain replies "Yes, but it was poorly conceived and executed." as he previously did not take into account how to move the gold from the fortified depository.
- Pinky assumed that Brain's plan of creating an army of robotic cars is a nod to Transformers, with Pinky's favorite character being "the one that rhymes with Bumblebee".
- Acme Institute of Technology's mascot is the Coyote, a reference to Wile E. Coyote, the popular Looney Tunes character who famously purchased materials from ACME corporation in his ill-fated attempts to capture the Road Runner.
- Brain's blue eyes when he first does his baby-talking is a callback to the beginning of "Backwards Pinky." However, Brain did not use blue eye contact lenses this time.
- Brain's ability to do impressions of Christopher Lloyd, Morgan Freeman, and Orson Welles, allowed Maurice LaMarche to showcase his talent of doing impeccable impressions of various celebrities.
- During Brain's Christopher Lloyd impression, he shouts "Great, Scott!", a nod to Emmett "Doc" Brown from Back to the Future.
- Brain's Orson Welles impression is a specific nod to LaMarche using his Orson Welles impression when he auditioned for the character for the original Animaniacs, which landed him the job.
- The mice escaping the robotics lab by latching onto a red balloon is similar to their escape at the end of "Brain Food." This time, Brain is holding onto the string while Pinky holds onto Brain as they exit.
D.I.WHY?
Animation by Titmouse, Inc.
Plot
Yakko, Wakko and Dot try to frame a fanart poster, but don't have enough money to purchase a frame; the trio decide to sing a song about creating things yourself. Throughout the musical number, the siblings inconvenience different people while creating their items. At the end of the cartoon, the people return to confront them.
Crew
- Written by Kathleen Chen & Brian Polk
- Directed by Matt Yang
Songs
Trivia
- The fan art poster that Yakko, Wakko and Dot try to frame feature the anime designs of the Warners, which appeared in "Bun Control."
- This is the first episode of the reboot where Wakko says his classic catchphrase "faboo." Previously, Wakko only said "faboo" in a reboot context for promotional material.
- During the musical number, Dot wears an outfit inspired by the "We Can Do It!" poster.
- Yakko is wearing the same swimsuit from "Gold Meddlers."
International Releases
- Australia: February 18, 2023 (Stan)
- Canada: April 21, 2023 (Cartoon Network)
- Latin America: June 30, 2023 (HBO Max)
Production Notes
- Neil Ross makes his return to the Animaniacs franchise as the narrator in the "Planet Warner" segment. He previously voiced an announcer in the original series episodes "Jockey for Position" and "Super Buttons," as well as Marvin the Martian in the Pinky and the Brain finale "Star Warners."
Cast
| Voice Actors: | Character(s): |
|---|---|
| Rob Paulsen | Yakko Warner, Pinky |
| Jess Harnell | Wakko Warner |
| Tress MacNeille | Dot Warner, Tour Guide |
| Maurice LaMarche | The Brain, Employee #1 |
| Kimberly Brooks | Utility Worker |
| Chris Cox | Egwind |
| Danny Jacobs | Employee #2, Store Manager |
| Neil Ross | Narrator |
References
- ↑ Hulu Press- Animaniacs (2020)
- ↑ Tweet by Gabe Swarr. Published and Retrieved April 18, 2023.