A visual representation of the process of deleting scenes, from "Cinebrainia."
The following article documents various deleted scenes from the Animaniacs franchise. The exact state of the scenes vary. For instance, unlike the scrapped projects, much of these scenes were mostly animated or already finished prior to removal; and are generally episode/segment-specific. Occasionally, these scenes still circulate into different prints of various episodes (including international prints).
Other scenes were either just written, storyboarded, and/or recorded before being removed from an episode. Please note that this list is subject to expansion and given the deleted status of these scenes, the information provided may also be subject to correction.
Animaniacs (Original Series)
Potty Emergency
"Potty Emergency" notably featured a few deleted scenes. The first of these scenes features the man at the park with the hose turning it away from the camera, with the nozzle not visible. It was first mentioned in a fan community for the show in 1993. [1]
The second scene appears to be an extended ending. Cels and outlines of this deleted scene have surfaced. One shows the Warners walking out of the theater as Dot complains about something. Another cel shows Wakko looking down at the mallet he discarded earlier in the cartoon and another outlined drawing implies that he attacks the store owners who was rude to him earlier. An "uncut" version of the episode was screened at the 1993 Comic-Con.[2]
Deleted Production Art
Very Special Opening Variations
Title card to the "Very Special Opening"
The "Very Special Opening" was the Animaniacs parody of a logo used by CBS for their special presentations. It appears in episodes 35, 49, 65, 83, and 99.
In the cases of episodes 35 and 99, the logo is followed by a sequence featuring Yakko, Wakko, and Dot Warner announcing the episode that will be following. At the end of the episode 35 variation, Wakko gleefully reveals that him not wearing any pants makes today's show "special."
Different alternate endings of the scene were also completed; one of which instead features different animation with Wakko saying that today's show is "especially stinky!" This alternate ending has been found intact certain non-US prints of the episode (PAL audio here). Notably, this deleted animation was later used in episode 99's own "Very Special Opening" with alternate dialogue. A restoration of this ending can be viewed below.
Broadcast Nuisance
This cartoon went though numerous changes prior to its Fox Kids debut in the US. One of these changes concerned the name of Sam Donaldson-caricature villain anchor Dan Anchorman, who was originally named "Slam Fondlesome," as the original name may have been considered to be too suggestive. Additionally, Steven Spielberg had problems with much of the cartoon violence the Warners were exacting upon Fondlesome[citation needed] , so a large portion of it was cut; including a scene where Fondlesome is electrocuted, and a cameo by Slappy Squirrel. Some dialogue was also modified, including Yakko's scene as William F. Yakkley (a parody of William F. Buckley).
The original version of "Broadcast Nuisance" occasionally still circulates in certain international airings of the series, most notably on 9GO! in Australia. A restoration of selected scenes from the original version of the cartoon can be viewed below.
Randy Beaman: Pop Rocks
In the original version of episode 54's "Pop Rocks" short, Colin is seen running outside with his hands on his crotch, clearly indicating that he has to go to the bathroom really bad. In most current prints of the episode, recycled animation from episode 8's "Marshmallow Pillow" story is used. Occasionally, the scene has appeared in international airings and supposedly in the U.S. through Hub Network. A workprint copy of the scene without music can be viewed below.
Dot - The Macadamia Nut
The original airing of "Dot - The Macadamia Nut" on Kids' WB! contained a notably dirtier picture with some coloring errors on various characters (most notably evident with The Mime and Chicken Boo). A restoration of the cartoon fixing these errors was ordered, and has been broadcast in some future airings. The restoration can be purchased on iTunes and DVD, and can be streamed on Max (formerly HBO Max) in Latin America.
Despite this, the original version is still occasionally circulated in syndication on some channels such as Nicktoons. Currently, the original version of this cartoon can be purchased through Amazon Prime Video in the United States (albiet with some audio glitches). Hulu also had a copy of the original "Macadamia" available to stream, but in far worse quality with a slightly distorted picture and cropping.[note 1] When Netflix streamed the original Animaniacs in the United States, they also had the original version of "Macadamia."
Gallery
Pinky and the Brain
Plan Brain From Outer Space
Zalgar the Brain Eater and his minions.
"Plan Brain From Outer Space" was initially not an episode of Pinky and the Brain, but rather a pilot for a series entitled Zalgar the Brain Eater. In each episode, Zalgar would venture to find a brain to consume. Presumably to establish the Zalgar brand with a known-name, the first brain Zalgar would go after was that of Brain himself. The original pilot was written by unknown writer(s).
Despite the pilot being finished, the series was scrapped. The episode was then re-written to be more Pinky and the Brain-centric by Nick DuBois, Earl Kress and Tom Sheppard. The three had to match syllables in their new script with the number of lip flaps in the original animation. The recording session for the "Plan Brain" reworking was an ADR session. One line of dialogue from the Zalgar pilot that was kept intact occurred during the mice's visit to Area 51, when Brain says "This is where the government keeps everything they don't want you to see."[3]
Cinebrainia
Pinky accidentally steps on Brain's suit and makes him fall.
A scene of Brain announcing a step in a more serious direction for his career was repurposed from this episode for "This Old Mouse" as the cold-open segment.[4] Presumably, the original dialogue was slightly-modified to make it less "Cinebrainia"-centric and more about the Pinky and the Brain series itself.
You Said a Mouseful
The "pondering" scene, which was redubbed in the final version of the cartoon.
"You Said a Mouseful" notably contained an inordinate amount of content that was deleted from the final version of the episode. For instance, the original title of the episode was "Tongue Tied." Additionally, multiple pieces of dialogue were cut entirely. One such instance occurred when Pinky questions the Brain about how heavy the Earth is:
- Pinky:
- "That's brilliant Brain! And it's so simple! Um, no, wait... Isn't the Earth really, really heavy? I think I read that somewhere."
- The Brain:
- "As unlikely as that seems, you are correct, Pinky.
The "Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering?" bit was also modified. The original exchange, which hinted at Brain's apparent interest in Minnie Mouse, went as follows:
- The Brain:
- "I thought we agreed never to discuss that!"
This exchange was actually an idea from Animaniacs scribe Ron "Keeper1st" O'Dell. He had spoken an earlier version of the line to Maurice LaMarche during a signing at the Warner Bros. Studio Store. Keeper later received an email from episode writer Gordon Bressack inquiring about the line, and gave him permission to use it.
Despite both private and public disclaimers to any rights, the crew feared that using the line would ignite a domino effect of quote suggestions without disclaimers that could legally not be used. This stemmed from a fear of how many fans would instantly recognize it after it had been posted in an alt.tv.animaniacs post about favorite "Pondering Lines", potentially leading to said domino-effect. Despite this, the scene was still animated to the original lines and was just re-dubbed.
Additional scrapped lines of dialogue include Pinky's incorrect alias name being "Sourkaki," and Pinky recognizing security guard Peggy Babcock from Monday Night Wrestling, remarking how she looked better in a mask. Both of these scenes were also animated to the original lines and re-dubbed in the final version of the cartoon.
One final bit of scrapped dialogue (that wasn't animated) occurred near the end of the cartoon during the failed storming of the Hackensack Socko Kicky-Sack Sack Kicker Factory, where Pinky would've responded to Brain's delirious pleas to pull-the-plug with "I wasn't going to do any of those things, Brain. I was going to pluck the sock, though."[5]
The Megalomaniacal Adventures of Brainie the Poo
Title Card by Chris Duncan
Series title card artist Chris Duncan initially prepared a title card for the episode "The Megalomaniacal Adventures of Brainie the Poo," with a shorter title. In the final version of cartoon, the title card went unused and instead its credits individually appeared during the first minute of the cartoon, similarly to the half-hour episodes. This was done as a reference to the original four Winnie the Pooh shorts' opening titles being presented as such. The unused title card was later uploaded to Chris Duncan's blog on February 6, 2008.
Beach Blanket Brain
Brain tells Pinky that "something" helped him to shore, implied to be Sea-Chimpanzees.
A climactic scene where Brain was saved by Sea-Chimpanzees from drowning was cut from the final version of the cartoon. Storyboards of the scene by Keith Tucker have surfaced, which can be viewed in the gallery below and on his blog.[6] Despite being cut, Brain still alludes to it in the finished cartoon.
Storyboards
You'll Never Eat Food Pellets In This Town Again
The WB's proposed retooling of the series being satirized in "You'll Never Eat Food Pellets In This Town Again."
The original version of "You'll Never Eat Food Pellets In This Town Again" was written by Peter Hastings in 1996 as part of The WB's proposed primetime retooling of the series (Read more here). As this episode was intended for more of a primetime audience, there was a larger presence of more apparent adult-themes than the show's usual fare such as alcohol consumption. The retool was later abandoned further into 1996. Despite this, the "Food Pellets" script was later reworked for the regular Pinky and the Brain series, with the more blunt "adult" themes being reduced.[7] [8] [9]
Animaniacs (Reboot)
Suspended Animation Part One
The "Celebrating Animaniacs 27th Anniversary" video uploaded on September 13, 2020, features the cast recording several lines of dialogue that were scrapped from "Suspended Animation Part One." One exchange appears to occur during a driving sequence:
- Yakko:
- "Uh Dot, I think we missed our exit!"
- Dot:
- "Whoopsie!"
Another scrapped line of dialogue occurs when Wakko expresses excitement about returning to the water tower. He says "I can't wait to get back to the water tower! I hope my Hootie and the Blowfish album is finally done uploading on Napster!"
One more scrapped exchange between Yakko and Dot went as follows:
- Yakko:
- "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
- Dot:
- "Don't worry, I've done this before!"
- Yakko:
- "Really?"
- Dot:
- "No wait... I've made beef jerky before."
Of Mice and Memes
The "Celebrating Animaniacs 27th Anniversary" video uploaded on September 13, 2020, also features a glimpse into the scrapped ending to "Of Mice and Memes" at the 0:38 mark. In this ending, Brain would've gone viral again after an incident in a landfill with other viral animal stars and become embarrassed by it.
Close Encounters of the Worst Kind
The cartoon "Close Encounters of the Worst Kind" caused episode 6 to be pulled from Hulu on November 23rd, 2020, due to some viewers discovering that Brain's phone number would lead to a real-life sex hotline. The episode would be revised (twice) and later relisted:
- The first revision removed all text from the scene.
- The second and final revision, which came a few hours later after the first revision, restored the text while featuring a different phone number.
The final revision has since been the main print used for the show's digital and DVD releases, along with airings on Teletoon in Canada, HBO Max in Latin America, and Stan in Australia.
Comparison
Gift Rapper
Both Mr. Skullhead and Elmyra Duff were going to make cameos during the "Shakespeare Rap" and "Rap Battle" musical numbers, respectively. However, their cameos were cut from the finished cartoon. Elmyra, however, is still mentioned during the "Rap Battle.
Storyboards
The Hamburg Tickler
In the original ending to this cartoon, Scratchy would've gone on a boat ride with the loot he got from the siblings, and have his toe removed by the titular Tickler shortly after.[10]
Happy Narfday
In deleted storyboards by Lisa Vandenberg; Brain was going to kiss Pinky near the end of the cartoon. In a now deleted post from Lisa's Tumblr blog "Geezerflakes"; it is stated that the scene had to be removed from the finished episode as the mandates dictated that "Brain wouldn't outright give Pinky affection at this point in the show" unless he thought Pinky wouldn’t notice.[11]
Storyboards
How To: Friendship
From Lisa Vandenberg's storyboards, two scenes were removed from "How To: Friendship":
One scene involved Brain asking Pinky to support him as he's climbing up the ladder made from matchsticks. Pinky cheers Brain on, but Brain berates Pinky for not supporting the ladder from the bottom and both mice fall down. Brain is engulfed in flames and his fur is singed, and Pinky dizzily gets up and tells his viewers "don't forget to subscribe that smash button".
In the final scene when Brain is bandaged up and says "Have I not suffered enough," Pinky apologizes and tells him that he loved the part where he flew out of his seat and even made a GIF of Brain being ejected from the pilot's seat and smashing into the screen. Pinky laughs and Brain commends Pinky's video editing prowess, and asks him how he procured the footage. Pinky replies "Content is king!" and Brain replies "That makes no sense".
Storyboards
All's Fair in Love and Door
Much like "How To: Friendship," quite a few scenes and gags were cut from "All's Fair in Love and Door." One cut scene was Brain explaining his virtual world to Pinky. It went on slightly longer, and included gags of Pinky realizing why he cannot eat a "Brain And His Beard Book" and a framed photo parodying the "Distracted boyfriend" meme.
Storyboards
- Storyboards by Lisa Vandenberg
See Also
Notes
- ↑ Most other seasons 4 and 5 episodes of the original Animaniacs on Hulu were also slightly visually distorted and cropped.
References
- ↑ The Google Groups forum analyzing the first "Potty Emergency" scene
- ↑ A Google Groups forum page reflecting on the 1993 Comic-Con screening
- ↑ Ron "Keeper1st" O'Dell - Lost Animaniacs Clips: "Plan Brain From Outer Space." Retrieved October 8, 2022.
- ↑ Brian Norman - "Bunches of References Accumulated In a Nutshell" (B.R.A.I.N). Retrieved August 10, 2023.
- ↑ Ron "Keeper1st" O'Dell - Lost Animaniacs Clips: "You Said a Mouseful." Retrieved October 8, 2022.
- ↑ Keith Tucker - "Beach Blanket Brain-pg-051." Published February 14, 2014. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
- ↑ Animanicast Episode #185 - PINKY AND THE BRAIN… AND LARRY (Featuring Charles M. Howell IV) (See 0:58:47 - 1:00:30)
- ↑ (CORRECTED, AGAIN, FEL) PatB as of 2/5/98. Published by EOCostello on alt.tv.animaniacs February 5, 1998. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
- ↑ Reply to P&B Win Primetime Emmy by Ron "Keeper" O'Dell on alt.tv.animaniacs. Published September 9, 1996. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
- ↑ Gabe Swarr (07-26-2022) - "The Hamburg Tickler" Deleted Ending. Twitter. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
- ↑ Lisa Vandenberg - "Happy Narf Day" Storyboards. Published November 8, 2021. Retrieved October 30, 2022.