Five Day Forecast/Dance of Doom/Freakazoid and Friends/Handman is the series premiere of Freakazoid! It originally aired on September 9, 1995.
Five Day Forecast[]
Plot[]
Freakazoid gives a terrifying prediction of things to come.
Notes[]
- This segment was inspired by a sketch with Marty Feldman from the 1968-70 show Dean Martin Presents the Golddiggers.[1]
Dance of Doom[]
Plot[]
Cave Guy, on a reign of terror and unable to escape to the Hamptons, holds Harry Connick Jr. High School hostage during a dance celebrating Daylight Savings Time. Nerdy Dexter is home, having been unable to obtain a date; however, upon learning of the hostage situation, he turns into Freakazoid and saves the day.
Crew[]
- Written by John P. McCann
- Directed by Ronaldo Del Carmen
Notes[]
- This episode introduces Cosgrove, Cave Guy, the Announcer, Steff, Douglas and Debbie Douglas, Emmitt Nervend, Waylon Jeepers, and Mr. Chubbikins.
- This was the first Freakazoid! segment written after Tom Ruegger's original pilot script, and was also the first recording session for the show. The audio was recorded in February 1995, seven months before the show aired.
- While this episode sets up a Betty & Veronica-type dynamic with Steff and Valerie, Valerie never appeared again in an episode, although she is featured in the main title.
- Paul Rugg auditioned for the role of Freakazoid by recording this entire segment. Tom Ruegger encouraged him to improvise extensively around McCann's written lines. Most of the dialogue of Freakazoid heckling Cave Guy, as well as the infamous "David Lee Roth" diatribe, is the original audio from Rugg's audition, improvised entirely in one take.[2]
- Originally, Freakazoid was only supposed to yell "NO!" at Waylon Jeepers, but Paul Rugg improvised the entire rant afterward. There is some unused portions of the rant that were too off-color to be aired.
- The Announcer is presented in this episode as a marionette puppet operated by Freakazoid!
- The actors credited as appearing in Dance of Doom are: Leonard Rhombus, Kipton Tang, and Weena Mercator as the Hopping Woman.
- Freakazoid's inexplicable cry of "Pull the string!" references an equally inexplicable moment in Ed Wood's 1953 film about transvestism, Glen or Glenda, wherein Bela Lugosi yells this phrase. Before writing this segment, the Freakazoid! writers had just seen the Tim Burton-directed biopic Ed Wood, which recounts the making of this scene. Rugg is playing Freak impersonating Martin Landau impersonating Lugosi.[3]
- The DVD is missing a brief shot. On television airings, when this segment returns from the break, the "Dance of Doom" letters have run together in an indecipherable mess during the three minutes of commercials.
- The narrator explains that the man the citizens need to save them "is on another network", showing a silhouette of Batman fighting a criminal over a giant full moon. This is a parody of Batman: the Animated Series, which was on Fox Kids instead of Kids WB. During this shot, a brief snippet of the Batman: the Animated Series theme is heard.
Quotes[]
Jeepers creeps up to Freakazoid, chuckling sinisterly and holding an object under a cloth. He brings it up to Freakazoid's face.
Jeepers: Do you want to see something strange and mystical...?
Freakazoid: NOOO!!! GET OUTTA HERE WITH THAT WATCH! LAY OFF THE POOR BEAVERS, WILLYA!? SHEEEEEESH! YOU'RE A CREEP! GO AWAY! WE WERE HAVING A GOOD TIME UNTIL YOU SHOWED UP, JEEPERS! [SIGHS HEAVILY] GO HAVE SOME COFFEE! WITH CREAM! OR SOMETHING! BECAUSE I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING, THIS IS A HAPPY PLACE!
Freakazoid and Friends[]
Plot[]
Yakko, Wakko, and Dot perform a parody of their Animaniacs theme about Freakazoid! (and his friends). Get to know many characters who will go on to appear in subsequent episodes, as well as a few who will rarely be seen again.
Songs[]
Notes[]
- This song contains the one appearance of the elusive Freakazette.
- Emmitt Nervend can be seen during several portions of the song.
Handman[]
Plot[]
During a deadly confrontation with the Lobe, Freakazoid is saved by his new sidekick, Handman - who just happens to be Freakazoid's hand with a face drawn on it. Handman soon finds love with Handgirl, and the story follows the happy couple through a beautiful wedding ceremony and a romantic honeymoon night.
Crew[]
- Written by Tom Ruegger
- Directed by Jack Heiter
Notes[]
- This episode introduces the Lobe outside of a musical number.
- This episode was written as part of Tom Ruegger's initial 85-page "pilot" script for the show. Paul Rugg said that this short made the writers realize that they had the freedom to do anything on the show.[4]
- Reruns in the channel "Tooncast" remove the scene between Footman and Footgirl from the ending,possibly due to them representing a serious couple discussion
Cast[]
| Voice Actors: | Character(s): |
| Paul Rugg | Freakazoid |
| David Kaufman | Dexter Douglas |
| Tracy Rowe | Steff |
| Tress MacNeille | Debbie Douglas, Dot Warner, Additional Voices |
| John P. McCann | Douglas Douglas |
| Ed Asner | Sergeant Mike Cosgrove |
| Joe Leahy | Himself/Our Announcer |
| Jeff Bennett | Cave Guy, Additional Voices |
| David Warner | The Lobe |
| Cree Summer | Jill |
| Rob Paulsen | Yakko Warner |
| Jess Harnell | Wakko Warner |
References[]