Commentary:Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles

Topics of Discussion

 * Matt leaves during the introduction to make a phone call and doesn't return.
 * The initial idea for the episode was to have Leela live with her parents.
 * Only a few of the vehicles needed to be created from scratch
 * The space station blown up is Deep Space Nine, from the Star Trek series of the same name.
 * Leela's book's cover features an alien based on the Gorn from Star Trek
 * The 2000 election recounts.
 * Cut scenes included Farnsworth selecting soft foods at the salad bar.
 * This commentary was recorded a little over a week after the episode premiered.
 * Popularity of botulism injections and use as an actual medical treatment.
 * Actors needed to adjust their voices for the character variations, the commentators are especially impressed by those of Billy West, due to the sheer number of variations required of him.
 * The producers considered nominating him for an emmy
 * Designing younger versions of characters.
 * Fry and Leela already had some young versions in earlier episodes.
 * Zoidberg's progression through various species.
 * Bender's early forms include the antennae ears that were in the early concept art.
 * The race was inspired by Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace's Podracers.
 * The (mostly) scientific origins of the oil eating bacteria.
 * David X. Cohen once lost an auction of trilobite fossils to Nicholas Cage.
 * Pazuzu is named for the Assyro-Babylonian god Pazuzu, king of the demons of the wind. Although they actually got the name from The Exorcist.
 * Maurice LaMarche is credited despite not acting, Brian Cowan, a producer who happened to be there, confirmed that Maurice won't be paid for the episode.

Highlights / Quotes

 * Jeff Westbrook: We always like to get the Professor naked, it's one of our favourite visuals. Bret Haaland: Maybe one of yours.

Commentators

 * Matt Groening
 * Executive Producer
 * David X. Cohen
 * Writer
 * Executive Producer
 * Rich Moore
 * Supervising Director
 * Jeff Westbrook
 * Writer
 * Bret Haaland
 * Director
 * John DiMaggio
 * Actor (Bender, miscellaneous)
 * Maurice LaMarche
 * Actor (Not in episode)