Turkey Day host segments–aka 701T
First shown: 11/23/95
Opening: Happy Thanksgiving! Did you see the game?
Intro: Dr. F.’s party continues with Pearl providing the movie
Host segment 1: “Stuffing vs. Potatoes”
Host segment 2: “Art” and Pearl chat
Host segment 3: Thanksgiving dinner on the SOL and in Deep 13
End: Pearl’s “Turkey surprise” is a hit in Deep 13
Regular show host segments
First shown: 2/3/96
Opening: Crow and Tom are concerned about their personal security
Intro: Dr. F. has a traumatic trombone recital, but Crow shines
Host segment 1: Decorating with phones
Host segment 2: Pearl makes Dr. F. to apologize
Host segment 3: Crow is pregnant with shrimp babies
End: Crow’s rant about babies disrupts Mike’s attempts to read letters; Pearl wants Dr . F. to act like a baby
Stinger for both: “Wounded animal that large isn’t good”
(68 votes, average: 4.34 out of 5)
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Okay, Steves, off we go:
• I’m not sure why (since I was around and keeping track of this sort of thing when all this was happening) but the old version of the episode guide says the Turkey Day version “was only shown twice: once during the 1995 Turkey Day marathon and again a few weeks later (apparently in error).” But that’s not really right. Our broadcast schedule indicates that it debuted on Nov. 23, 1995, and then ran three more times on Dec. 2 (at 5 p.m.) Dec. 3 (at 10 a.m.) and Dec. 4 (at 2 a.m.). So that makes a total of four showings.
• This was the first new episode in EIGHT MONTHS. Fans were jonesing bad.
• The segments were a continuation of the Turkey Day bumpers, in which a bunch of characters from previous shows (Kevin as the Kitten with a Whip, Bridget as Mr. B Natural, Mike as Jack Perkins, Paul as Pitch) all arrive unexpectedly at Deep 13 for Thanksgiving dinner (Frank invited them months ago, before he was assumed into Second Banana Heaven, but never told Dr. F). Their presence complicates things for Dr. F, who is preparing for a visit from his mother.
• The opening is fun and breezy, with poor Gypsy trying to make sense of M&TB as they spout endless sports cliches.
• Why does Pearl call Crow “Art?” [Deep breath] Calling Crow “Art” is an obscure BBI in-joke. During a host segment in episode 203- Jungle Goddess, Joel was introducing the ‘bots at the end of a sketch in the same manner Jackie Gleason used to use at the end of his TV show: bringing out each cast member to take a bow. In fact, when he got to Crow, he got so into the Jackie Gleason premise that he introduced Crow as “Art Crow!” much as Gleason would yell “Art Carney!” when introducing his long-time co-star. Well, apparently some little kid saw that, didn’t get the Jackie Gleason reference, and assumed that Crow’s name was actually Art. That kid wrote a letter to the show, which was read in episode 402- The Giant Gila Monster. The letter included pictures of each of the robots, and the drawing of Crow was labeled “Art.” When Pearl calls Crow “Art,” it’s a reference to that. [Exhale]
• The stuffing vs. potatoes bit is very funny, one of their best bits. Too bad it’s so rarely seen.
• Mike is hilarious as a smitten Jack Perkins, prepared to admit to a change in orientation if necessary to the enjoy the pleasures of MISTER B Natural and Bridget is equally funny as a guy who isn’t really into what Jack has in mind.
• Although Dr. F would be browbeaten and henpecked by Pearl — to the dismay of some fans (see below) — later in the season, there is very little of that here in this first pairing. Though there’s some tension, the two seem to work reasonably well together, working together to defeat the unpleasant guests.
• I had forgotten Pearl’s hilarious “Turkey Surprise” recipe: “Bake at 200 degrees for one hour and then rub with a turtle.” Hysterical.
On to the regular episode:
• This was the first new episode (sort of) in six weeks.
• Of course, we have new theme song lyrics, mostly involving changing the personal pronouns from plural to singular, reflecting the departure of Frank. There’s also some great new footage in the opening.
• Note that in the background of the redecorated Deep 13 is the projector from opening of MST3K: The Movie. I guess they attempted to slightly approximate the Deep 13 of the movie.
• The opening, with the bots torturing Mike for no discernible reason, is the beginning of what will be a season 7 running theme.
• Ah, the trombone recital. The beginning of all “the troubles” in the view of some folks (again, see below). I will be honest: I laughed. I thought it was pretty funny and I think Trace and Mary Jo do a great job in the scene. But not everybody thought so. Another reason there was some dismay about this segment came later: the outtake that appeared in “Poopie 2,” when it appears that Trace actually was injured slightly during the filming. A bit disturbing.
• Crow’s solo is the same song — “Getting Sentimental Over You” — that our hero plays at the end of Mr. B Natural. And, hey! Crow’s arms work!
• Nice job on the prop trombone that constantly shoots spit.
• Pearl again calls Crow Art.
• Pearl makes several references to wishing she’d had a girl, topped with the announcement that Dr. F’s two middle names are “Deborah Susan.”
• The short is a gem: One of those weird promotional things that never actually comes right out and says what they’re selling. Fave riff: “What would Liberace do? Oh, better not do that!” Honorable mention: “What rhymes with blue balls?”
• Annoying commercial: There’s a riotous AOL commercial on my copy that gives you a really close look at the AOL interface back in the day. Yeesh, bad memories. Runner up: Comedy Central promos for reruns of “Dream On.” Bleah.
• “Line em up against the wall and pop goes the weasel,” is from “Duck Soup.”
• Crow misprounouces Ray Manzarek’s name.
• During the riffing they do a parody of Eddie Bauer — “comes in loden, pant and twerp” — that they would expand on in a later episode.
• My copy also has a CC promo done by Trace and Mary Jo promoting the next episode — Brute Man — and it looks very improvised.
• I love Tom singing the sign in the movie.
• One riff, “We learned not to send Polacks into space” caused a small kurfuffle after the episode aired. Some felt it was an uncharacteristically mean-spirited riff.
• A couple of times they make a reference to “undercupping.” Read the “A Modern Woman” section of this site, for an explanation of what that term means.
• Okay, I want to address what happened in the fan base when Pearl arrived and the whole dynamic in Deep 13 changed. What happened, I believe, was an unfortunate disconnect between the writing staff and the fans, and although the fans might have made more of an effort to understand what was happening, I must lay most of the blame at the feet of the writing staff. Let me lay it out for you.
In the writing room, it’s clear they felt they were running out of fresh comedic permutations for the characters. I think they felt they’d taken these characters in every direction they could possibly go. And I got the sense that they were thrilled at the arrival of Pearl, and the chance to “shake things up” — a phrase they would use often later on, when fans began to ask them what the hell was going on. From their point of view, Dr. F and Pearl were simply characters on a page, representing a whole new set of comedic possibilities.
But for a lot of fans, Dr. F was not a concept on a page, to played with any way the writers liked. He was an established character, a personality they had come to love and appreciate. And when the writers took that established character and began to take it in directions, some fans didn’t like it. Put simply, they liked to see Dr. F. evil and in charge. They didn’t want to see him henpecked and timid, even if that allowed the writers to try new comic ideas. It was really one of the first times on this show that the fans and writers parted company.
In public appearances and interviews, Mary Jo and Trace expressed genuine confusion when fans questioned the direction they were taking Dr. F (and that’s when the “we just wanted to shake things up” explanations began coming out). It was pretty clear they simply didn’t see any reason not to change the characters any way they liked, as long as it was funny.
In the end, for most fans, it wasn’t a deal breaker (though for a few it was). But it was something new for a show where, previously, the cast and the writers could virtually do no wrong.
• Fave riff: “No more questions! More boobies!”
