[Upcoming PatB] Updated through April 10
EOCostello
Mark B-5, dated April 10, 1998
Being a collection of all the research and pestering of Informed Sources I've
done regarding what's coming up in the future with our fave rodents.
Part A reflects the "current" series, Part B reflects the "new" series
Part A -- No complete airing details known, but will most likely be split
between the May sweeps period and September, 1998.
1. You'll Never Eat Food Pellets in This Town Again (Show #50)
***Broadcast Date: April 25, 1998 (second show)***
Director: Russell Calabrese [?]
Credited writers: Not known
The mice are Hollywood actors with a stormy professional life. They live next
door to Dick Clark, they have trouble with their studio, slimy agents, etc.
Title spoofs a notorious book of a few years ago that revealed the seamy side
of Hollywood filmmaking from the POV of an ex-film producer.
Adapted from a Peter Hastings story that was prepared as a pilot for the
proposed Pinky and the Brain prime-time series.
2. Dangerous Brains (#58)
***Broadcast Date: May 2, 1998 (second show)***
Director: Not known
Credited writers: Not known
Title is possibly a reference to the "inner-city school" drama "Dangerous
Minds, which may be an indication of the plot
3. What Ever Happened to Baby Brain? (part of #60)
***Broadcast Date: May 9, 1998 (second show)***
Director: Charles Visser
Credited writers: Not known
Brain poses as a 1930s child star to further his domination plans. Title
spoofs "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?"
4. Just Say Narf (part of #60)
***Broadcast Date: May 9, 1998 (second show)***
Director: Not known
Credited writers: Not known
A musical interlude with Pinky.
5. The Pinky P.O.V. (Part of #56 - Pinky's POV" also seen as title)
Director: Mike Milo
Credited writers: Not known
An entire episode seen, literally, from Pinky's point of view. No further
details available
6,7 The Really Great Dictator, and Brain Food (Part of #56)
***Broadcast Date: May 16, 1998 (second show)***
Director(s): Unknown
Credited writer(s): Unknown
No details available, though title of first short is obviously based on the
Charlie Chaplin film. (Though earlier this year, they already did the famous
globe-juggling bit from the film, in the "Riverdance" -like episode.
8. The Pinky and the Brain Reunion Special (title?)
Director: Not known
Credited writers: Gordon Bressack[?]
Details unclear, other than there is a subtle tribute to the old Mary Tyler
Moore Show at one point in the proceedings.
9. Project B.R.A.I.N.
Director: Not known
Credited writers: Not known
A leaf here is taken from DC Comics' book; this is supposed to be the "origin"
story for what made the mice the dynamic duo they are today.
10,11,12. Brainwashed (title?) (Show ##62-64?)
Directors: Kirk Tingblad, Russell Calabrese
Credited writers: Tom Sheppard, Wendell Morris [probable]; others, if any,
unknown.
A three-part "miniseries." No extensive details known, other than it may
prominently feature Snowball.
13. Legendary Brain (title? -- "The Legend of Brain" also seen)
Director: Not known
Credited writers: Not known
Brain constructs a folk legend revolving around, of course, himself.
14. Planet Brain
Director: Mike Milo
Credited writers: Not known
Brain enters the theme restaurant business.
Part B - Pinky and the Brain: The Elmyra Years (title?)
Storyline
Elmyra Duff (from "Tiny Toon Adventures") acquires the mice: reports
indicate she buys them from a pet shop, which in turn got them from ACME Labs
for reasons that are not yet clear. (E.g., whether ACME Labs goes out of
business, is holding an annual clearance sale, someone finally wised up and
took a close look at the telephone charges Brain's been racking up on the lab
phones, or someone simply must have the brand new particle accelerator from The
Sharper Image, and selling off the mice is part of the means to raise the
funds.)
The mice must now contend with Elmyra as an additional obstacle to the
success of their nightly plans. Whether Elmyra herself will be a pawn in these
plans is unclear.
Moe LaMarche (alias the Brain) is on record as indicating that he thought
the show was going to work very well, that it was "warped" in a good way, and
that the addition of Elmyra was going to help the Pinky/Brain (read:
LaMarche/Paulsen) dynamic, with someone of Pinky's intelligence to play with
him (and, perhaps, be a slight intellectual superior to). Brain apparently now
has *two* sources of exasperation. Bad for him, good for us.
Format
No extensive details released, though it is publicly known that work has
begun on two 11-minute episodes.
13 half-hours have been ordered. (This makes it likely we'll see
batches of four or five during the sweeps months of November, 1998, February,
1999, and May, 1999.)
Lyrics to theme song
Written by John McCann, and to be sung to the tune of the original show.
The situation's changed/for Pinky and the Brain/No la-boar-a-tory/Alone in the
rain/And someone's looking 'round/for where they might be found/It's stinky/for
Pinky and the/Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain
Tapped inside a store/a girl ran in the door. She/bourght a discount
turtle/but ended up with more/Now Pinky and the Brain/share a new domain/It's
what the network wants/Why bother to complain?/The Earth remains a goal/Some
things they can't control/They're Pinky/Elmyra and the Brain, Brain, Brain,
Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain, Brain
Mousey!
Stories
No details released yet, except two are 11-minute episodes directed by
Russell Calabrese.
An Inside Source not related to PatB has indicated to me that in his view
the stories look quite good, and have an edge to them, and enjoy strong support
from Steven Spielberg. (One source on ata indicated that SS "went ape" over
the first episode.) Moe LaMarche has also gone on record indicating very
strong support, referring specifically the first episode recorded on March
13th, citing it as "friggin' hilarious." (This could possibly be the same
episode Spielberg reacted to.)
Actors/Characters
LaMarche and Paulsen are continuing as the duo, and Cree Summer (sp.) is
reprising her role as Elmyra.
No word on whether the occasional characters (Snowball, Billie), or the
thus-far one shots (Romy, Pinky's parents/sister, Brain's parents) will be
making reappearences. [Reports had indicated Romy might be making a
reappearence, but no firm details are known.]
Writing Staff
Indications I have received are: Charles Howell IV and John McCann
(ex-Freakazoid) are story editors, and Tom Sheppard and Wendell Morris are
still staff. Gordon Bressack has freelanced, or is freelancing, a handful of
episodes. Jed Spingarn is currently working on Johnny Bravo for Cartoon
Network, so it is unclear what his status vis-a-vis PatB is. It's likely Earl
Kress will be involved somehow, as well.
Directing Staff
Russell Calabrese is known to be directing at the bare minimum two
11-minute episodes, and most likely will be doing more. One report has
indicated that Nelson Recinos is the other principal director for the series.
Reliable reports indicate that current directors Mike Milo, Kirk Tingblad and
Charles Visser are busy at work on other WBA projects (Milo for Histeria,
Visser for SATM, with Tingblad on a special project.)
Production Staff
Rusty Mills, Liz Holzman, Chas. Howell, and John McCann.
Columnist for Animato! and Author of "The Warner Bros. Cartoon Companion," a
guide to obscure and interesting items of Classic Warner Bros. animation, which
can be found at http://members.aol.com/EOCostello/index.html (Suggestions and
corrections welcome.)