Commentary:A Clone of My Own

Topics of Discussion

 * The episode aired on John's mom's birthday. John says she likes to call herself "Futuramamomma".
 * This is one of two episodes Patric wrote that rhyme with his last name, the other being "A Leela of Her Own".
 * The drawing of the Professor on the screen is in the style of a certain artist but they can't remember who.
 * This is the first episode to show Zoidberg's interest in stand-up comedy.
 * The set where the Professor's 150th birthday part is hosted is based on .
 * Captain Musky is based on from Star Trek.
 * Patric explains that "Musky" and "Pike" are both types of fish.
 * John was approached by a fan who told him that he was really good at doing different voices when playing Dungeons & Dragons with his friends and that he wanted to be a voice actor.
 * The time machine is based on the one from the 1960 of the H. G. Wells story .
 * When all the characters speak at the same time, it is known as an "omni" in directing terms. This episode is the first one to have a character end the omni with a "topper", e.g. they speak last and can be heard above all the other characters. In this case, it is Zoidberg saying "a successor to the professor?"
 * Cubert was conceived before the show even began to enter production.
 * Cubert was meant to point out scientific inconsistencies throughout the show, anticipating how fanatics of the show would probably do the same thing.
 * The Planet Express ship is facing the wrong direction during one sequence.
 * It is later explained this is because the Professor was originally going to explain how the engines of the ship work to Cubert from inside his laboratory in the top of the Planet Express building's tower.
 * Matt says there is a tradition for science fiction TV shows to add an obnoxious kid to the show.
 * David says it isn't a good tradition and that Matt may be thinking of from .
 * The characters in the show wouldn't put up with Cubert any more than the audience would.
 * David says the speed of light is a problem in a lot of shows.
 * Matt says there are a lot of things in science fiction that you have to side-step in order to make the show adventurous, fun and fast-moving, such as faster-than-light travel, aliens speaking English, levitation and time travel.
 * Cubert's design was inspired by in the  TV series.
 * Matt says early designs looked like Pugsley, too.
 * The third act is "jam-packed" with 3D animation.
 * David says Matt likes assembly lines and "people having stuff done to them by machines".
 * Patric says all the old people jokes are revenge for him having to live in Southwest Florida for 13 years.
 * The huge room with the tombstone-looking towers was inspired by a cemetery near the offices where the show is made.
 * Rich thinks Futurama is the only primetime animated show that has effects animatiors working on staff.
 * John thinks there is a quota to include the words "bastard" and "ass" in the show.
 * The "wandering bladder" joke was pitched at every stage of the episode's re-write. Patric says they had everything from "rectal gout" to "cancerous hangnails".
 * Cubert was originally meant to appear in 1ACV08, "A Big Piece of Garbage".