TV or Not TV is the sixth episode of the Pinky and the Brain spin-off series. It orginally aired on November 19th, 1995. A fictionalized version of The WB Network is prominently featured throughout the episode.
TV or Not TV[]
Animation by Akom
Plot[]
Brain creates a hypnotically-perfect pair of dentures that can make anyone adore him for no good reason. In order to give them proper worldwide attention, Brain must perfect his stand-up career to gain a television show of his own. Unfortunately, his dreams of fame and global dominance get shattered.
Crew[]
- Written By Peter Hastings
- Directed By Al Zegler
Trivia[]
- The title of the episode is a pun on the classic Hamlet quote "To be or not to be?". Other television shows have used the same episode title, including The Honeymooners, The Andy Griffith Show, and The Jetsons.
- Much like most episode ideas, writer Peter Hastings said this particular episode was based on real-life circumstances. He had observed the trend of stand-up comedians rising in popularity and gaining TV shows.[1]
- This episode introduces the running gag of Brain's ridiculous attempt at smiling. Other episodes that feature this joke are "Fly," "This Old Mouse," "A Meticulous Analysis of History," and "The Pinky Protocol."
- The network where Pinky, Brain, Marlon and Shawn are trying to pitch their shows is The WB Network (home to Kids' WB!).
- The head of the network, Jerry Killmer, is named after WB Network-executive Jamie Kellner; a rather infamous figure to the Animaniacs community who was responsible for ending both this series and Animaniacs. Kellner, initially, was the one who was pushing the network's decision to go all-in with Pinky and the Brain for the network's primetime schedule in 1995.[2]
- A more insulting head of the network character named "Sandy Dreckman" was later used in the episode "You'll Never Eat Food Pellets In This Town Again."
- The head of the network, Jerry Killmer, is named after WB Network-executive Jamie Kellner; a rather infamous figure to the Animaniacs community who was responsible for ending both this series and Animaniacs. Kellner, initially, was the one who was pushing the network's decision to go all-in with Pinky and the Brain for the network's primetime schedule in 1995.[2]
- While playing with the photo of John Travolta, Pinky references Clutch Cargo and it’s limited animation movement of Synchro-Vox, the technique of superimposing a live-action mouth over a still "animated" face.
- Pinky also quotes Travolta’s character Vincent Vega from Pulp Fiction, specifically the "Quarter-Pounder" bit.
- The "Earth Woman" from "Potty Emergency" can be seen in several audience shots at Brain's shows throughout the episode.
- When bouncing around ideas for their show, the mice recreate Jerry Seinfeld and George Costanza's "show about nothing" exchange from the Seinfeld episode "The Pitch."
Cast[]
| Voice Actors: | Character(s): |
| Maurice LaMarche | The Brain, Additional Voices |
| Rob Paulsen | Pinky, Additional Voices |
| Tress MacNeille | Janet, Additional Voice |
| Jeff Glen Bennett | Jerry Kilmer |
| David Alan Grier | Marlon |
| Sam McMurray | Shawn |
| Roger Rose | David Letterman |
References[]
- ↑ Animanicast Episode #243- PETER HASTINGS INTERVIEW- WRITER OF ANIMANIACS AND PINKY AND THE BRAIN! (See "TV Or Not TV" origins segment at 1:09:30)
- ↑ Burns, Ashley and Schildhause, Chloe. (2016, January 10). The Behind-The-Scenes Story Of The Rise And Fall Of Pinky And The Brain. UPROXX. Retrieved June 12, 2022.