Anthology of Interest II

Production Number: 3ACV18

Title Caption: Hey TiVo! Suggest this!

First Aired: February 6, 2001

Act I:What if Bender were human?
The What-If Machine is brought back again (possibly recovered from the rubbish from the last Anthology of Interest), Professor Farnsworth makes some minor adjustments to it (by blatantly hitting it with a hammer) and proclaims it is now fit to use again. Bender promptly announces to know what if he were human. The Professor asks the machine the question and when the machine is started up (through the use of a pull-cord on the side of the machine), we see all the crew gathered around a table with Bender strapped down in preparation for the Professor's latest experiment using the process of 'reverse fossilization' in order to make Bender human. Bender is successfully transformed into a human and goes about getting used to life inside a human body. Bender experiences life a lot differently than when he was a robot. The crew warn him of the dangers of over-indulging and having self-control. After the Professor announces he wants him in good condition for next week's Nobel Prize convention, Bender escapes into the night and goes on a non-stop week-long partying session. A week later, Bender is found and Professor Farnsworth displays him to the shocked crowd at the Nobel Prize ceremony and kick him out of the Academy Of Science but not before Bender (now largely overweight to the point where he can just about move his mouth) gives a heartfelt confession of having a good time and partying. The scientists at the convention are clearly touched by Bender's speech and party for hours on end. Twelve hours later, Bender is proclaimed dead twelve hours after the party had started. Therefore, he is rolled away by the crew in order to be disposed of and because he was creating a smell.

Act II: What if life were more like a videogame?
The next question the machine is asked is Fry's "What if that thing I said?", but refers to the original question of what would life be like if it were more like a videogame? The Professor lights a scented splint and the story begins. The story begins in outer-space in the form of the game Asteroids. The green ship (Planet Express Ship) shoots and dodges asteroids before safely returning back to Earth. The story then cuts to Richard Nixon's head on telly signing a peace accord with the ambassador Kong of the planet Nintenduu 64. But, things go wrong with the peace agreement when (Donkey) Kong throws a barrel at Richard Nixon's head and climbs a ladder (as in the game) to the roof of the United Nations and starts stomping on it until it starts resembling a typical level of Donkey Kong. The ambassador of Italy, Mario thwarts to stop him. The story then cuts to Militari HQ with a green tank from the game Tank Commander passing by. Fry, Leela, Bender and Zoidberg head towards the "War Room" (with the aid of the Blue Key) of the HQ and rendezvous with General Colin Packman (or Pac-Man as he is better known). After the roof of the HQ is blown off, General Packman leads the group to the escape tunnels. The escape tunnels are a parody and an exact replica of the Pac-Man game. After making it through the escape tunnels, the group arrive outside Planet Express through a Mario tube. But, there is another force threatening Earth. Lrrr, of the planet Nintenduu 64 has decided to invade Earth with his Space Invaders. Fry intends to save the day having no date on a Saturday night, a full bottle of Shasta and his mixed collection tape of Rush. Fry then decides to battle the Space Invaders in the exact way of the original game. During the battle, General Pac-Man is fatally wounded and the widow Ms.Pac-Man is comforted after the loss of her husband. Fry eventually loses after realising he could never get the last ship, his brother always did. The last remaining Space Invader lands on Earth and their demand is simple: they demand many quarters to do their laundry with. The Planet Express crew refuse to accept their offer but the Space Invaders settle an agreement if they can have their laundry done at the same time of when the crew do their laundry. They accept. The story ends.

Act III: What if I found my true home?
After the Who Asked machine decides (eventually) that it's Leela's turn to ask the question, she asks what it would be like if she found her true home. But, she accidentally gets knocked out by the What If Machine's gambling machine arm. Instead of finding out where Leela came from, Leela begins to dream in her comatose state and the third story is a parody of The Wizard of Oz. Leela and Nibbler are caught in a tornado in the Planet Express Ship and land in Oz. After realising she crushed the Man-Witch of the West, the deceased witch's boots appear on Leela's feet (she actually stole them and put them on). After the Cute Witch of the North (Amy) appears, she informs the only way for her to get home is to see the Professor in the Emerald Laboratory on Martin Luther King Boulevard. After insulting Leela about her new shoes, Leela squashes Amy with the extra leg from the Planet Express Ship. Further on down the road, she meets the Scarecrow (Fry) and the Tin-Man (Bender) who travel with Leela to find the Professor. Fry needs to see him about a brain and Bender needs a heart (so can pump a lot of blood out of his basement). Zoidberg then appears in a taxi to represent the Cowardly Lion although he refers to himself as "the other guy. Courage". Overlooking this is the Wicked Witch of the West (Mom) who decides to send her flying monkeys (Walt, Larry and Ignar) to capture Fry, Leela, Bender and Zoidberg. They capture Fry, Bender and Leela whilst Zoidberg had to take a taxi to Mom's castle. The reason Mom captured Leela was the fact that she never had a daughter, Leela agrees to become Mom's daughter due to the fact that she'd love to be evil. But, as Bender gets a celebratory drink out of his locker, the liquid spills over Mom and she starts to melt. Bender drinks up her remains. The group take a taxi to the Emerald Laboratory to see the Professor. They enter the Laboratory and meet the Professor with an oversized head. The Professor gives Zoidberg a gun rather than courage. Fry is about to be given a brain when Bender interrupts and snatches Zoidberg's gun and demands the bag be handed over to him from the Professor. But, he then realises 5000 Professor Fun Bucks are worthless and decides to not to take the money. The Professor says that Leela must get home by clicking her boots together three times, but she instead wishes to be the new Wicked Witch and transforms Fry, Bender and the Professor into frogs. But, then a flume of water lands on her from above and she begins to melt. Apparently, Zoidberg was using the upstairs toilet and it sprung a leak and landed on Leela.

Conclusion
As Leela is about to melt completely (in her dream), another flume of water lands on her and she is awoken from her dream by Bender and a bucket of water. Leela comes to, and the Professor is heartbroken to discover she has awoken having entered the room with a pair of tweezers and a box with "Leela's Organs" written on the side. Hermes informs the Professor there's always next year to try.

End.

Trivia

 * When Bender is human, his human alter-ego looks exactly like a 31st century version of Homer Simpson in the way that he is dressed right from the white shirt down to the blue trousers.
 * The title of the segment Raiders of the Lost Arcade is a reference to the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark.
 * When the Nintendians are exiting their ship, one of them says the infamous gaming phrase "All your base are belong to us".
 * Some of the Nintendians that come out of the ship include: a robot from the game Berzerk, a fried egg from Burgertime, Q*bert, and an evil brain-bot (possibly from Robotron 2084).
 * The title of the segment Wizzin is from the musical The Wiz (based on The Wizard of Oz).
 * In Oz, the peacock's tail feathers form the NBC logo.

Quotes

 * Bender: Being a robot's great, but we don't have emotions and sometimes that makes me very sad. *sniffs*
 * Professor Farnsworth: I've already tested it by turning the toaster into a raccoon. Fry: (toast pops up from raccoon) Hmm, kinda gamy.
 * Bender: Hey, my antenna's gone! Nah, it just moved. I'm not getting good reception on it, though. Maybe if I wiggle it around a little... Fry: Bender, no! You'll make God cry!
 * Bender: Whoa, you look better than you used to for some reason. Amy: You're not so bad yourself, big boy. *kisses Bender* Bender: Hey that felt great! (kisses the Professor) Nah, it's not working anymore. Professor Farnsworth: Speak for yourself.
 * Bender: Why didn't anyone tell me tasting things tasted so good?
 * Wornstrom: When did he die? Professor Farnsworth: About twelve hours ago, when the party started. Wornstrom: But he just said Woo! Professor Farnsworth: No, that was just air escaping from the folds of his fat. Bender: (pushes against Bender's fat) Woo!
 * Narrator: You watched it. You can't un-watch it. Stay tuned for more Tales Of Interest.
 * Fry: Hey, I know that monkey, his name is Donkey. Professor Farnsworth: Monkeys aren't donkeys. Quit messing with my head!
 * General Pac-Man: Let's get one thing straight. What do you know about the Nintendians?, Fry: I spent all of ninth grade studying them except the day my eyeballs started to bleed...
 * Q*bert: Ereh dnuora stnap emos teg yug a nac erehw? (Which is the phrase "Where can a guy get some pants around here?" backwards)
 * Leela: Why did you bring us here? Zoidberg: And why did I have to take a cab?!
 * Leela: (clicks her heels three times) There's no place like - I WANNA BE A WITCH!
 * Zoidberg: (after the water has fallen on Leela's head) Err, sorry, there seems to be a problem with your upstairs toilet.

Outside References
The second story pays homage to many video games including in no particular order:
 * Donkey Kong
 * Mario
 * Tank Commander
 * Defender (seen in the background before the "War Room" at Militari HQ)
 * Caterpillar (seen in the background in the "War Room" at Militari HQ)
 * Pac-Man
 * Space Invaders
 * Q*Bert

Characters

 * Fry
 * Leela
 * Bender
 * Professor Farnsworth
 * Zoidberg
 * Cubert
 * Dwight
 * Richard Nixon's head
 * Hermes
 * Amy
 * Mom
 * Walt, Larry and Ignar
 * Lrrr
 * Ndnd
 * Debut: Donkey Kong
 * Debut: General Pac-Man
 * Debut: Q*Bert

Episode Credits

 * Writers
 * David X. Cohen
 * Lew Morton
 * Jason Corbett
 * Scott Kirby
 * Director
 * Rich Moore
 * Voice Actors
 * Billy West
 * Katey Sagal
 * John DiMaggio
 * Tress MacNeille
 * Maurice LaMarche
 * Phil LaMarr
 * David Herman
 * Lauren Tom
 * Frank Welker
 * Kath Soucie
 * DVD Commentary
 * Matt Groening
 * David X. Cohen
 * Rich Moore
 * Lew Morton
 * Bret Haaland
 * Maurice LaMarche
 * John DiMaggio
 * Billy West