Cutie and the Beast/Boo Happens/Noel is the 84th episode of the original Animaniacs, and is the 2nd episode of the show's 4th season. It originally aired on September 11, 1996.
All segments in this episode are animated by Tokyo Movie Shinsha.
Theme Song (extended)
Last line
Yakko, Wakko and Dot: Pinky and the Brainy...
Trivia
- The line "Meet Pinky and the Brain Who want to rule the universe." replaces "Meet Ralph and Dr. Scratchansniff, Say hi to Hello Nurse."
- Just like in episode 82's extended opening, the usual Kids' WB!-era "We pay tons of income tax!" was used instead of "While Bill Clinton plays the sax."
- An airing of this episode on LaSiete (formerly known as Telecinco 2) used the Bill Clinton footage in the extended intro.
Cutie and the Beast
Plot
The Warners star in a parody of the classic Disney film with Taz the Tasmanian Devil in the role of the Beast. Contains an introductory sequence of outtakes where Dot gets her full name wrong several times.
Crew
- Written by Kevin Hopps
- Directed by Audu Paden
Songs
Trivia
- The off-screen director in the opening bloopers is voiced by casting director and voice director Andrea Romano.
- In one of the bloopers, after Dot messes up her name again, she asks Yakko to say it, which he does perfectly. Dot replies with, "Oh, thank you, Mr. United States Canada Mexico Panama! Big whoop!" Those are, of course, the first four countries of "Yakko's World."
- This is the only cartoon in the original Animaniacs to get bleeped, albeit as part of a gag where Dot swears after flubbing her long name.
- Pinky and the Brain cameo wearing their costumes from "Spellbound."
- When Taz appears, the theme music from Taz-Mania is heard.
- The Warners reprise the "Do the funny thing that you do" routine, which was first seen in the Tiny Toon Adventures episode segment "It's All Relatives" from the episode "Pledge Week."
- When aired on Nickelodeon, the scene where Yakko and Wakko ask Taz to "do the funny thing that you do" was cut. However, the punchline with Taz blowing a raspberry and Yakko and Wakko saying "That's the funny thing!" was left in.
Gallery
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Ms. Banana Folana!"
*Following Dot's swear rant* "That's my cute little sister who said that! Goodnight, everybody!"
"That's Dot! Now get on with the plot!"
"We are pests, we are pest, we are pests!"
Wakko screams upon hearing that they’ll face a fate worse than death: another song by Dot.
Animaniacs - Dot Finds Love - Classic Cartoon - WB Kids
Boo Happens
Plot
Chicken Boo stars in a shot-for-shot parody of the film Forrest Gump as Forrest Boo. We learn that he has lead an extraordinary life. First, we see that he had a successful career in college football; which leads him to meet the president. Next, he becomes a hero while serving his country in wartime, leading to him meeting the president once more.
After this, he plays competitive ping-pong for the U.S. army in games against China. This leads him to meet the president... again. After this, he is taken to an anti-war rally to speak to an audience of hippies. When the lead speaker accidentally knocks Boo's costume off after giving him a pat on the back, his true avian nature is revealed. The now violent hippies then turn on Boo and attack him, chasing him into the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool.
Crew
- Written by Rafael Rosado and Audu Paden
- Directed by Audu Paden
Trivia
- A running gag throughout this cartoon is that each of the presidents deny the obvious signs that Boo is a chicken, instead further bantering with and praising him. What ends up doing Boo in is a pat-on-the-back at the rally just after a lone hippie deduces that he is a chicken.
- When Richard Nixon says that Boo is "Not a cluck," he says it exactly like his own "I am not a crook" speech during a press conference amid charges related to the Watergate scandal.
- Much of the hippie designs originated from "Woodstock Slappy."
- The original closing line of the Chicken Boo theme song returns in this cartoon and remains intact for other Boo cartoons for the rest of the series.
Allusions to Forrest Gump
- This cartoon, of course, is a parody of the 1994 comedy-drama Forrest Gump.
- The title is a parody of a phrase Forrest supposedly immortalized during his marathon around the country: "Poop Happens."
- Jeff Bennett narrates this cartoon doing an impression of Tom Hanks' portrayal of Gump , echoing how Gump himself narrated his movie.
- The opening of this cartoon is a recreation of the film's own intro, with the same type of feather flying in the breeze.
- The phrase "Life is like a box of bird seed, sometimes it gets stuck in your craw" parodies the film's "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get," which was spoken to Gump by his mother.
- When conveying what Boo said, John F. Kennedy remarks, "I do believe he said, 'buck-bacaw'." In the original movie, he quips, "I do believe he [Forrest] said he had to go pee."
- Boo's grand unmasking is a parody of the scene where Gump reunites with his love-interest Jenny Curran at the 1967 March on the Pentagon. Him being chased into the reflecting pool parodies Gump running after Jenny into the pool.
- In the original film, the March on the Pentagon sequence occurred as it did in real-time, a few years before Nixon's presidency. In this cartoon, it occurs after the Nixon sequence. This may not be an error, as though it is modeled after the March on the Pentagon sequence, it is most likely another protest event entirely.
Noel
Plot
The Warners do a rather bizarre parody of the Christmas carol "The First Noel".
Crew
- Written by Randy Rogel
- Directed by Charles Visser
Songs
- "Deck the Halls"
- "Noel"
Trivia
- The blond sailor bares a striking resemblance to Lucky Bob from Histeria!, which premiered two years later. Both characters were caricatures of Tiny Toons crew member Dan McQ.
- Captain Ahab returns from "Moby or Not Moby."
Cold Ending
Plot
After the Warners bid everyone goodnight, the credits roll and, a la Mystery Science Theatre 3000, they make cracks at all the people listed in the credits, including their own voice actors. To the siblings' horror, it turns out that their mics were on the whole time ("Uh-oh!")
Gag Credits
- Names By Our Parents
- Reading small print can lead to eye strain. Visit your optometrist regularly. And for that matter, don't forget to go to the dentist at least every six months. If not, you might get cavities or gingivitis or nasty gum disease. As for me, I've got a toothache right now that's killing me, so don't make the mistake I did. See a dentist! (And try using some mouth wash now & then, okay?) And remember to brush after every meal, and floss once a day.
- This has been ANIMANIACS episode #84. Upcoming are episodes #85, #86, #87, #88, and #89. And don't forget about show #90! Another good show you can look forward to is show #91! If you'd like even more episodes of ANIMANIACS, write to Jamie Kellner, c/o KIDS' WB and say "We want more ANIMANIACS. His home phone # is [REDACTED].
Trivia
- This is the final original Animaniacs segment to be animated by Tokyo Movie Shinsha.[note 1] TMS' final contribution to the franchise would be the movie Wakko's Wish, 3 years later.
- This is the second time where the Water Tower doesn't appear in the credits sequence, with the first instance being the previous episode. However, this is the third overall credits sequence to feature an alternate location, counting episode 28 (which features a park setting in addition to the tower itself).
- Another title for this segment is "Cold Ending #1."[1]
- In some syndicated airings, the part where Dot asks Yakko about turning off the mics is not shown, and instead they say, "Uh-oh!" after Wakko says, "Sue me!" and Dot says, "She will."
- When the credits begin rolling, Yakko comments that he's "got a headache this big, and it's got 'Warner Bros.' written all over it!" This is a reference to a catchphrase for Excedrin commercials: "I've got a headache this big and it's got 'Excedrin' written all over it." This catchphrase was previously referenced by Dr. Scratchansniff in "Taming of the Screwy."
Cast
| Voice Actors: | Character(s): |
| Rob Paulsen | Yakko Warner, Henry Kissinger, Hippie 1 |
| Jess Harnell | Wakko Warner, The Prince, Richard Nixon, General, Hippie 2 |
| Tress MacNeille | Dot Warner, Villagers |
| Jim Cummings | Taz, Narrator (Cutie and the Beast) |
| Frank Welker | Chicken Boo, Captain Ahab |
| Jeff Glenn Bennett | Narrator (Boo Happens), JFK, LBJ |
| Andrea Romano | The Director |
| Julie Bernstein | Singing Mother |
Notes
- ↑ The very special opening from episode 99 utilizes animation by TMS originally intended for episode 35 that went unused in most of that earlier episode's prints.
References