Commentary:Less than Hero

← Previous	Navigation in production order	Next →

Commentary for
Less than Hero
Production number	4ACV04
Recorded date	January 2003
On DVD	Season 4 Disc 1
Additional
Transcript
Participants
Matt Groening Executive Producer David X. Cohen Executive Producer Rich Moore Supervising Director Ron Weiner Writer Susan Dietter Director Billy West Actor (Fry/Captain Yesterday, The Professor, miscellaneous) Maurice LaMarche Actor (πkea Robot, Raoul, miscellaneous)

Topics of Discussion

• Episode mostly written in London (but not the one in England).
• Episode written in 2003 during a surge in popularity of superheros, due to a large number of comic book movies released in that period.
• User assembled furniture.
  • There was a survey during production among the staff to see if the pieces missing joke was universal, all had experienced it.
• Andrew (originally Hector) is similar to an abandoned character called Pocket Pal a minature robot that was so cute he drove Bender crazy
• The AL1 text on the back of the cream
• Fry's 1990s phrases are rubbing off on Leela.
• Susie Dietter's 15 year old niece did the layout on one shot of Bender.
  • She also had to answer phones while there.
• Scene on the roof is possibly inspired by Dark Angel
• One of the singers of the theme also sang in Michael Jackson's Thriller.
• A plot involving a bumper sticker was removed.
• The team can't fly, but can jump high.
• Dave Herman's process of warming up his voice.
• Bender's line about a "big fat hen" was one of several nonsensical ones for that scene.
• The giant ant is normal sized for those in the future.
  • A smaller one would later appear in The Beast with a Billion Backs.
• Patric M. Verrone has recordings of all presidents' voices that have been recorded.
• It is not possible for Leela to run down the steps faster than Fry fell.
  • This information is spoken in a Bugs Bunny cartoon "which may never see the light of day" written by David, story boarded by Susie and voiced by Billy.
• The story about the Turanga family grounded the episode.
• Leela's logo.
• A mutant conversation about fishing and an interrupted phone call of the professor's were cut.

Highlights / Quotes

• Ron Weiner: Much of this episode was written on location in London.
  David X. Cohen: Is that true? I didn't know that.
  Ron Weiner: You didn't?
  David X. Cohen: You're fired!
• David X. Cohen [quoting assembly instructions]: When assembling Skuvnar, it is best to be two people.

← Previous	Navigation in production order	Next →