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Back in Style is the second segment of the first episode of the fifth season of Animaniacs.

Synopsis[]

A documentary sequence shows of what happened after Warner Bros. closed its animation department in the '60s. Apparently, they loaned out the Warners to some limited animation television cartoons to keep Warner Bros making profit.

Plot[]

The episode begins with Termite Terrace the original Warner Bros. Animation studio closed in 1962 (though it's about a year off; the studio actually closed in 1963.) Looney Tunes stars are out of jobs and have been ordered to leave the cartoon studio.  Bugs Bunny tells Daffy Duck that there‘s a flavored drink commercial waiting for them. Whereas Daffy runs off to signed up first. Meanwhile, a caricature of Friz Freleng walks out of the studio and modifies a Bugs Bunny drawing to create a Pink Panther knockoff, whom has Bugs's body, a wolf head and a feline tail, and is colored lavender. Friz gloats in a Yosemite Sam-esque voice to a Chuck Jones caricature on how he's got a new idea entitled The Gray Panther, and takes off, to which the real Yosemite Sam comes out of the studio and comments of how he loves the way Friz talks.  Now that there’s no more animation department, the Warner siblings are permanently sealed into the Warner studio tower. But then the Warner Bros. studio is desperate for cash after their biggest film yet is a disaster (starring Chicken Boo as Youngblood Squawk).  So Thaddeus Plotz loans out the Warner siblings to two cartoon producers Phil and Schmoe, obvious parodies of Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera, working in the field of limited television animation. The first instance of Yakko, Wakko and Dot appearing in one of these "Hanna-Barbera" shows is in a Yogi Bear expy, Calhoun Capybara and his partner Lew-Lew a Boo Boo parody. Similar to Yogi Bear swiping picnic baskets, Calhoun likes to take lunchboxes, especially from schoolyards. The Warner siblings are not amused by this, and they are animated in their fuller style, which makes for a fun contrast with the limited H-B -esque animation of Calhoun Capybara. They manage to make the best of him, like they do with most people they come across.

Up next is a Scooby-Doo parody: "Uhuru, Where Are You?" The parodies of Fred, Velma/Daphne (named Phoebe here) and Shaggy (named Bristly) investigating a haunted house. Bristly says "Zink!" when startled or scared (obviously parodying Shaggy's "Zoinks”), and a Shaggy imitation for Bristly. Here they're all calling "Uhuru, where are you?” The Warners harrassing the titular dog, Uhuru. Unlike Scooby-Doo, he doesn't talk here; he just howls, but it still sounds a lot like Scooby's voice. After the Warners and Uhuru end up colliding with the human "Mystery Inc. gang"... Yakko begins to strum on an electric guitar and breaking the strings. This leads to a parody of those silly bubblegum pop songs that accompanied the chase sequences in the second-season "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?" episodes. After that, Phil and Schmoe get rid of the Warner siblings for the chaos they caused. And once again, Warner Bros. is in need of money... Plotz checks "Variety" for the ratings for Saturday morning TV shows of the era. With the exception of "Riddsville," which parodies the live-action Krofft series "Lidsville," and "Thunderdog," which is a parody of Total Television's "Underdog“. Along with the other titles parody Hanna-Barbera shows; in order, they're spoofing “The Perils of Penelope Pitstop," "Hong Kong Phooey," "Help! It's the Hair Bear Bunch!" and "The Funky Phantom.

So he sends the Warner siblings to guest-star on "Thunderdog!". It's basically pretty much a full-blown "Underdog" parody, complete with the villain Simon San Simeon (parodying "Underdog" parody Simon Bar Sinister) and Sweet Polly Dognose (a parody of Sweet Polly Purebred). But of course, the Warners screw everything up. And then it's off to Phlegmation for them! Obviously, Phlegmation is a parody of Filmation, a cartoon studio that was known for producing cartoons even cheaper than Hanna-Barbera did! This Phlegmation employee explains how they never did cartoons like the Warner siblings usually did. "At Phlegmation, they had rules! Everything had to happen off stage. They heard, 'Oh boy, a comet just fell on his head!' But they never saw the comet!" The Warner brothers and sister get placed in a parody of one of Filmation's hottest properties, "Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids”. Here they get Obese Orson. Except for the Warners, the animation now gets REALLY limited and choppy, and it's so funny! And here's the rest of the "junkyard gang," including Todd A.O, and Hooknose Harold, their parody of Weird Harold. He's fond of sucking on his nose. They also get a parody of the Beatles' animated cartoon show. The Warner siblings join in the "Day Tripper" parody, wearing blond mop-top wigs!

But then the Warner studio is rich again, which meant Plotz hasn't told the Warners, but when they hear of the news in the Beatles cartoon parody, they ditch it go back to the WB water tower and kick Chicken Boo out of the water tower, whom had been living there and said they won't be coming out until they get their own network.

External links[]

v - e - d
Animaniacs VHS logo
Media
Shows: Animaniacs (Episodes) • Pinky and the Brain (EpisodesVideos) • Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain (Episodes) • Videos

Segments: Pinky and the BrainSlappy SquirrelThe GoodfeathersMindy and ButtonsRita and Runt • Minerva Mink • Katie Ka-Boom • Miscellaneous segments
Direct-to-video film: Wakko's Wish
Short: I'm Mad
Video games: 1994 video gameGame PackTen Pin AlleyA Gigantic AdventureThe Great Edgar HuntLights, Camera, Action!
Interactive CD-Rom: Crazy Paint
Books/Comic Books:
Albums: AnimaniacsYakko's WorldVariety Pack

Characters
Yakko WarnerWakko WarnerDot WarnerRalph the GuardDr. ScratchansniffHello NurseThaddeus PlotzThe BrainPinkySlappy SquirrelSkippy SquirrelSquitPestoBobbyThe GodpigeonMindyButtonsRitaRuntFlavioMaritaChicken BooKatie Ka-Boom
Episodes
Season 1: "De-Zanitized / The Monkey Song / Nighty-Night Toon" • "Yakko's World / Cookies for Einstein / Win Big" • "H.M.S. Yakko / Slappy Goes Walnuts / Yakko's Universe" • "Hooked on a Ceiling / Goodfeathers: The Beginning" • "Taming Of The Screwy" • "Temporary Insanity / Operation: Lollipop / What are We?" • "Piano Rag / When Rita Met Runt" • "The Big Candy Store / Bumbie's Mom" • "Wally Llama / Where Rodents Dare" • "King Yakko" • "No Pain, No Painting / Les Miseranimals" • "Garage Sale of the Century / West Side Pigeons" • "Hello Nice Warners / La Behemoth / Little Old Slappy from Pasadena" • "La La Law / Cat on a Hot Steel Beam" • "Space Probed / Battle for the Planet" • "Chalkboard Bungle / Hurray for Slappy / The Great Wakkorotti: The Master and His Music" • "Roll Over, Beethoven / The Cat and the Fiddle" • "Pavlov's Mice / Chicken Boo-Ryshnikov / Nothing but the Tooth" • "Meatballs or Consequences / A Moving Experience" • "Hearts of Twilight / The Boids" • "Four Score and Seven Migraines Ago / Wakko's America / Davy Omelette / The Flame" • "Guardin' the Garden / Plane Pals" • "Be Careful What You Eat / Up the Crazy River / Ta Da Dump, Ta Da Dump, Ta Da Dump Dump Dump" • "Opportunity Knox / Wings Take Heart" • "Hercule Yakko / Home on De-Nile / A Midsummer Night's Dream" • "Testimonials / Babblin' Bijou / Potty Emergency / Sir Yaksalot" • "You Risk Your Life / I Got Yer Can / Jockey for Position" • "Moby or Not Moby / Mesozoic Mindy / The Good, the Boo and the Ugly" • "Draculee, Draculaa / Phranken-Runt" • "Hot, Bothered and Bedeviled / Moon Over Minerva / Skullhead Boneyhands" • "O Silly Mio / Puttin' on the Blitz / The Great Wakkorotti: The Summer Concert" • "Chairman of the Bored / Planets Song / Astro-Buttons" • "Cartoons in Wakko's Body / Noah's Lark / The Big Kiss / Hiccup" • "Clown and Out / Bubba Bo Bob Brain" • "Very Special Opening / In the Garden of Mindy / No Place Like Homeless / Katie Ka-Boo / Baghdad Cafe" • "Critical Condition / The Three Muska-Warners" • "Dough Dough Boys / Boot Camping / General Boo-Regard" • "Spellbound" • "Smitten With Kittens / Alas Poor Skullhead / White Gloves" • "Fair Game / The Slapper / Puppet Rulers" • "Buttermilk, It Makes a Body Bitter / Broadcast Nuisance / Raging Bird" • "Animator's Alley / Can't Buy a Thrill / Hollywoodchuck" • "Of Nice and Men / What a Dump / Survey Ladies" • "Useless Facts / The Senses / The World Can Wait / Kiki's Kitten" • "Windsor Hassle / ...And Justice for Slappy" • "Turkey Jerky / Wild Blue Yonder" • "Video Review / When Mice Ruled the Earth" • "Mobster Mash / Lake Titicaca / Icebreakers" • "A Christmas Plotz / Little Drummer Warners" • "Twas the Day Before Christmas / Jingle Boo / The Great Wakkorotti: The Holiday Concert / Toy Shop Terror / Yakko's Universe" • "The Warners & the Beanstalk / Frontier Slappy" • "Ups and Downs / The Brave Little Trailer / Yes, Always" • "Drive-Insane / Girlfeathers / I'm Cute" • "Brain Meets Brawn / Meet Minerva" • "Gold Rush / A Gift of Gold / Dot's Quiet Time" • "Schnitzelbank / The Helpinki Formula / Les Boutons et le Ballon / Kung Boo" • "Of Course, You Know This Means Warners / Up a Tree / Wakko's Gizmo" • "Meet John Brain / Smell Ya Later" • "Ragamuffins / Woodstock Slappy" • "Karaoke-Dokie / The Cranial Crusader / The Chicken Who Loved Me" • "Baloney & Kids / Super Buttons / Katie Ka-Boom: The Driving Lesson" • "Scare Happy Slappy / Witch One / MacBeth" • "With Three You Get Eggroll / Mermaid Mindy / Katie Ka-Boom: Call Waiting" • "Lookit the Fuzzy Heads / No Face Like Home" • "The Warners' 65th Anniversary Special"

Season 2: "Take My Siblings Please / The Mindy 500 / Morning Malaise" • "Miami Mama-Mia / Pigeon on the Roof" • "We're No Pigeons / Whistle Stop Mindy / Katie Ka-Boom: The Broken Date" • "I'm Mad / Bad Mood Bobby / Katie Ka-Boom: The Blemish / Fake"
Season 3: "Super Strong Warner Siblings / Nutcracker Slappy / Wakko's New Gookie / A Quake, a Quake!" • "Variety Speak / Three Tenors and You're Out / Bingo" • "Deduces Wild / Rest in Pieces / U.N. Me" • "A Hard Day's Warner / Gimme a Break / Please Please Please Get a Life Foundation" • "The Tiger Prince / All The Words in the English Language / The Kid in the Lid / Method to Her Madness" • "The Presidents Song / Don't Tread on Us / The Flame Returns" • "Gimme the Works / Buttons in Ows / Hercules Unwound" • "This Pun for Hire / Star Truck / Go Fish / Multiplication Song" • "The Sound of Warners / Yabba Dabba Boo" • "My Mother the Squirrel / The Party / Oh! Say Can You See / The Twelve Days of Christmas Song" • "Dot's Entertainment / The Girl with the Googily Goop / Gunga Dot" • "Soccer Coach Slappy / Belly Button Blues / Our Final Space Cartoon, We Promise / Valuable Lesson" • "Wakko's 2-Note Song / Panama Canal / Hello Nurse / The Ballad of Magellan / The Return of the Great Wakkorotti / The Big Wrap Party Tonight"
Season 4: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo Clock" • "Cutie and the Beast / Boo Happens / Noel" • "Jokahontas / Boids on the Hood / Mighty Wakko at the Bat" • "A Very Very Very Very Special Show / Night of the Living Buttons / Soda Jerk" • "From Burbank with Love / Anchors A-Warners / When You're Traveling from Nantucket" • "Papers for Pappa / Amazing Gladiators / Pinky and the Ralph" • "Ten Short Films About Wakko Warner / No Time for Love / The Boo Network" • "Pitter Patter of Little Feet / Mindy in Wonderland / Ralph's Wedding"
Season 5: "Back in Style / Bones in the Body" • "It / Dot - The Macadamia Nut / Bully for Skippy" • "Cute First (Ask Questions Later) / Acquaintances / Here Comes Attila / Boo Wonder" • "Hooray for North Hollywood" • "The Carpool / The Sunshine Squirrels" • "The Christmas Tree / Punchline (Part I) / Prom Night / Punchline (Part II)" • "Magic Time / The Brain's Apprentice" • "Birds on a Wire / The Scoring Session / The Animaniacs Suite"

Songs
Animaniacs ThemeWakko's AmericaYakko's WorldI'm Mad
Locations
Warner Bros. Studios, BurbankAcme Labs
See also
Tiny Toon AdventuresPinky and the BrainFreakazoid!Histeria!Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain
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