A Big Piece of Garbage

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Season 1 episode
A Big Piece of Garbage
No.	8
Production number	1ACV08
Written by	[[Lewis Morton]][[Category:Episodes written by Lewis Morton|A Big Piece of Garbage]]
Directed by	[[Susan Dietter]][[Category:Episodes directed by Susan Dietter|A Big Piece of Garbage]]
Title caption	Mr. Bender's Wardrobe By Robotany 500
First air date	11 May, 1999
Broadcast number	S01E08
Opening cartoon	"A Corny Concerto"
Special guest(s)	Ron Popeil
Nomination(s)	Emmy Awards Outstanding Animated Program, 1999
Additional
Commentary (Transcript) Transcript Pictures
Season 1
Space Pilot 3000 The Series Has Landed I, Roommate Love's Labours Lost in Space Fear of a Bot Planet A Fishful of Dollars My Three Suns A Big Piece of Garbage Hell Is Other Robots A Flight to Remember Mars University When Aliens Attack Fry and the Slurm Factory Season 2 →

"A Big Piece of Garbage" is the eighth episode of Futurama and of the first season. It aired on 11 May, 1999 on FOX. It guest stars Ron Popeil as himself in a jar. After Farnsworth's development of the Smell-O-Scope, Fry discovers a giant garbage ball heading directly for New New York, and it becomes a race against time to save the city.

The Story

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Act I: "Tonight is a special night and I want all of you to be alive!"

Prof. Farnsworth tells the crew that they'll be making a delivery to Ebola 9, the Virus planet. He delays the delivery until the next day, so they will still be alive to attend the Academy of Inventors annual symposium and see him unveal his new invention, the Death Clock.

Act II: "The Smell-O-Scope is brilliant, I tell you!"

At the convention, the Farnsworth is confronted by his old nemesis, Dr. Wernstrom. Wernstrom makes fun of Farnsworth's entry the previous year - another Death Clock. Farnsworth quickly designs something else on a cocktail napkin. Wernstrom meanwhile presents the Reverse Scuba Suit, demonstrated by his pet fish Cinnamon. When Farnsworth's turn arrives, he presents his crude sketch of the Smell-O-Scope, a device that would allow you to smell distant objects, but the audience just laughs at him and Wernstrom wins the academy prize. The next day, he remembers that he already built a Smell-O-Scope last year, and with it Fry discovers a giant spaceborne ball of trash among the stars, headed straight for New New York.

Act III: "New New York is going to be destroyed by a giant ball of garbage!"

Farnsworth runs to warn the Mayor of New New York about the ball of garbage. Wernstrom, acting as the Mayor's science advisor, denounces Farnsworth as a crackpot, until a report comes in from Neptune confirming Farnsworth's claims. A plan is prepared to send the Planet Express crew to plant explosives to destroy it. The plan goes awry because Farnsworth installed the bomb's timer upside-down, then set it to to 52 seconds and not 25 minutes, and the crew has to dispose of the bomb so it won't blow them up.

Act IV: "Get that robot some more beer!"

In desperation, they come up with an alternate plan: to deflect the garbage ball by hitting it with another garbage ball. The people of New New York are called into action to start producing garbage. With guidance from Fry, they rise to the occassion and the new garbage ball is launched. The plan comes off without a hitch, and Wernstrum's Academy prize is taken and awarded to Farnsworth instead.

Additional Info

Trivia

Promo pic of this episode

• In this episode, the professor reveals that the planet Uranus has been renamed "Urectum" Which ironically, has a similar joke meaning to Uranus.
• Bart Simpson dolls can be seen in this episode on the "Giant Piece of Garbage."
• Leela claims that the cotton gin was invented in the 19th century, but Eli Whitney invented the modern version of the cotton gin in 1793.

Continuity

• Professor Farnsworth's doodle of himself as a cowboy could possibly be a doodle of his parallel self, seen in "I Dated a Robot".

Quotes

July - 2002 Calendar

Farnsworth: Actually, astronomers changed the name of Uranus in 2620 to put an end to that stupid joke once and for all!
Fry: What do they call it now?
Farnsworth: Urectum!

Dr. Wernstrom: I give your invention the worst grade imaginable: An A-minus-minus.

Fry: You got this from the Internet? In my day, Internet was just used to download pornography.
Farnsworth: No that's still true. [The two scientists on screen start to make out]

Bart Simpson-doll: Eat my shorts!
Bender: Okay! [Bender eats shorts] Mmm, shorts.

Bender: There's your problem. The professor put the counter on upside down!
Leela: That idiot! It wasn't set for 25 minutes: it was set for 52 seconds!
Fry: [screams in terror] We're gonna die! [normal voice] Right?
Bender: Right! [Fry screams again]

Linda: All in all, this is one day Mittens the kitten won't soon forget [gives an empty-headed laugh]
Morbo: [cackles malevolently]]' Kittens give Morbo gas! In lighter news, the city of New New York is doomed.

Farnsworth: If my calculations are correct, this garbage ball will knock the other garbage ball directly into the sun!
Wernstrom: And if my calculations are correct, WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE HORRIBLY! [he laughs triumphantly, then realises what he said, Wernstorm fall silent]

Mayor Poopenmeyer: On behalf of the entire city, I thank you, Professor Farnsworth. I now present you with the Academy Prize, which we confiscated from Doctor Wernstrom after it became apparent he was a jackass!

Characters

(In alphabetic order)

• Amy
• Debut: Bart Simpson doll
• Bender
• Debut: Cinnamon
• Prof. Farnsworth
• Fry
• Hermes
• Leela
• Debut: Linda
• Debut: Mayor C. Randall Poopenmeyer
• Debut: Mayor's Secretary
• Debut: Morbo
• Debut: New New York Defenses General
• Debut: Dr. Ogden Wernstrom
• Debut: Ron Popeil's Head

Episode Credits

• Writer
  • Lewis Morton
• Director
  • Susan Dietter
• Voice Actors
  • Billy West
  • Katey Sagal
  • John DiMaggio
  • Phil LaMarr
  • Dave Herman
  • Tress MacNeille
  • Lauren Tom (Deleted Scenes only)
• Special Guest
  • Ron Popeil

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