Commentary:When Aliens Attack

Topics of Discussion

 * WNYW is the name of the actual Fox affiliate in New York.
 * One of the commentators went to college with Calista Flockhart
 * Episode parodies her show Ally McBeal.
 * The pullback from Earth to Omicron Persei 8 was the longest 3D one they'd done at that point.
 * Omicron Persei is an actual star about 1000 light years away
 * During the pullback the Viking or Pioneer probe can be seen.
 * Clarifying the names of Lrrr and Ndnd
 * Sand done digitally in Photoshop, allowing individual grains to be seen.
 * Monument Beach is based on Independence Day's destruction of the White House.
 * A lot of shots were copied from other Sci-Fi.
 * Deliberate early introduction of Bender's head being a camera.
 * Lrrr having trouble with the microphone was a quick joke, but resulted in him always having difficulties with similar technology.
 * Zap has jumped in rank from Captain to 25-Star General.
 * New designs were needed for vehicles in this episode.
 * Such as the school bus with a gun on it.
 * The battle was described in the script as "a huge space battle ensues".
 * Matt's son Will came up with the salute.
 * Awesome 3D.
 * The Hubble Telescope that was destroyed was not the same one that exists today.
 * Morbo was deliberately left out of the episode.
 * Old light (and TV signals) travels at the old light speed, only the light produced after scientists increased it's speed travels at the new speed.
 * Writers often put notes (called internals) on dialogue to say how it should be read, Bender's "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Fry?" was noted with "Arnold".
 * Electricity den's street is shown briefly, as is the Number 9 Man.

Highlights / Quotes

 * Unknown: A lot of science fiction fans will find out, the same shots we kinda pulled from Star Wars, and Star Trek. Rich Moore: Well this was our first space battle so, we went all out. David X. Cohen: Where were these beds from; Star Trek or Star Wars?

Commentators

 * Matt Groening
 * Creator
 * David X. Cohen
 * Executive Producer
 * Rich Moore
 * Supervising Director
 * Ken Keeler
 * Writer
 * Scott Vanzo
 * Director of Computer Graphics
 * Brian Sheesley
 * Director
 * John DiMaggio
 * Actor (Bender, miscellaneous)