Toonsmash #1: Bubsy [Dropped Pilot]

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Bubsy the bobcat is known by many to be one of the most annoying video game characters in existence. Sadly due to his games selling well back in the day. He almost got a cartoon. Thankfully it wasn't picked up for a series, gee I wonder why. Today we'll look into that with the pilot to one of the most notorious video game characters Bubsy.

As we start up the cartoon we get one of the most annoying openings I've seen. Not even one minute in and I'm already annoyed by the first 53 seconds. That has to be a new record. If your wondering, yes I timed it. This cartoon found a way to annoy me in less than a minute. Truly a mark of accomplishment. Another thing about this show is it shares an uncanny resemblance to the adventures of sonic the hedgehog. I think that statement pretty much writes itself, that was not a good show. However, if this show were to become a series it would have been more obnoxious than that show. They apparently pick the most annoying 'Catch Phase' they can come up with. What can possibly go wrong? The name of the pilot is also, What can possibly go wrong. Some how I'm not surprised.

That's only four things wrong with the show. An I haven't even got to the show yet. As we open up to the first scene I find more things to talk about. Seriously what's up with all that stuff in the background? A slide, a trampoline, a basketball hoop, Two cactus, and a bowling lane. Also look at the inside of his house it's huge. Well I guess we know Bubsy has a nice sized living space now.

Our first scene opens up with a armadillo's nightmare of him getting hit by a truck. They try to play it up as a joke. I think it goes without saying but, that isn't funny. Also this can be seen as very insensitive to anyone, who had a loved one hit by a truck. I remember when my dad told me one of his girl friends got hit by a truck. Apparently Ray De Laurentis thinks this is funny.  

After a conversation with Arnold the armadillo. Bubsy's niece and nephew come to visit their uncle for their birthday. They barge in and grab Arnold and start tugging him back and forth like he's a toy. Yeah, I'm gonna just love having these kids around aren't I? 

Bubsy ignores this and turns on the TV. Dick!

A news report airs and talks about statistics of armadillos dying by truck. This scares Arnold into a ball. The twins think Arnold want's to play ball. So they alley oop him into a basketball net. Charming real, charming!

 

We cut to a shot of Virgil Reality. That can't be his real name. Well according to IMDB it is his name. What a dumb name, and wow Virgil's rocking the whole nerd persona isn't he. I mean look at him, pants with suspenders, clashing bow-tie, huge glasses, clown-like shoes, and just to top it all off a nerdy accent. Yeah, stereotypes sure are funny aren't they?

According to the news report segment on virtual reality (Really a whole segment on that), Virgil Reality has created a helmet which allows your imagination to become reality. In the immortal words of Bubsy "What can possibly go wrong?"

 

He says that the helmet can "If used responsibly" can end problems like famine and eventually save the planet. Yes, he's going to save the planet, then destroy it in the same day. It'll fix 20 problems, but create an infinite number of other problems. In other words it's more trouble then it worth.

The twins apparently think its fun to bowl with Arnold. What am I supposed to like about these characters, it seems they're all created with the intent to annoy you. The only character I feel even the slightest bit connected to is Arnold. He not only hasn't annoyed me as much but he also seems the most innocent.

 

Virgil says he needs someone to test the helmet. Bubsy then decides he wants to test the helmet. The twins ask him why. Then goes any amount of hope that this cartoon has any level of quality. How does it do this you ask, by injecting stock footage. Not even 5 mins in either. I'll spare you the site. For our villain we have what IMDB says is her name is Ally Cassandra. She wants the helmet for herself so she can obtain the life she dreams of. To acquire the helmet she sends her two henchmen Bozwell and Sid. Why she doesn't just volunteer to test the helmet I'll never know. 

Bozwell (left) and Sid (Left)

Our "Hero" then arrives to test out the helmet. Virgil proceeds to explain how to use the helmet. "Think of whatever you want and blink two times." he says.

 As Bubsy puts on the helmet Virgil warns Bubsy to be very specific with what he imagines, or else terrible things can happen. What compelled him to build that thing? I don't think this guy is using both sides of his brain. 

Bubsy says his catch phrase "What can possibly go wrong." Too many things if you ask me. 

Bubsy than imagines them falling from the sky. 

Virgil trys to take the helmet but, it ends up on Arnold. Bubsy tells Arnold not to think of trucks. You know if you don't want him to imagine a truck, it would help to not say the word trunk.

 So obviously he thinks of trucks. This creates a truck that fells down with them.  

Bubsy takes back the helmet, and re-imagines everyone back into the lab. Except for Arnold, who comes crashing through the roof. Wow, Bubsy is not only a horrible video game character, but also a terrible cartoon character as well big shock.

Bubsy tells Virgil to lose his suspenders, so he pulls them and Virgil's pants fell down. Ha ha it's funny because we can see his under pants.

The twins say they want to play with the helmet, but both Bubsy and the professor say it not a toy. Bubsy goes to set down the helmet on a nearby chair, but the little brats swap out the chair and one of them takes it's place. I would say that these little brats are from hell, but I think by slight chance hell's demons might be more disciplined

.

Also because it was so funny the first time Virgil's pants fell down again, Har, har, har.

After a commercial break, we cut to our henchmen. Funny I actually forgot there were antagonists in this show.

They see the twins fighting over the helmet, and they also see them as food. I know this sounds mean but, please eat them. I'm sure they go great with BBQ sauce.

The henchmen proceed to dive bomb them and after some failed jokes later, they fail the dive bombing.

The buzzard tells the twins to give them the helmet. Why not just snatch it off them, they're barely resisting.

 

They then imagine up a roller coaster. Taking the henchmen for a ride.

We cut back to Bubsy and the gang. Bubsy asks for the helmet. So what were they doing for the last 10-15 mins? We find out the girl cats name is Oblivia for anyone who's wondering.

 Bubsy some how pieces together that the twins have it and they need to stop them before they destroy the world or worst. Again pointing out how stupid this plot point is. 

Their then hit by an earthquake. They open the doors of the lab to find a roller coaster. Arnold starts to freak out and Bubsy says again for the third time what can possibly go wrong.

The twins come around by roller cart and run over Arnold. Is anyone getting sick of Arnold being constantly tortured by this pilots sick writers?

The show continues to hammer in its stupidity, with Virgil explaining that the world can be destroyed in the blink of an eye. You build the damn thing, If I were you after I witnessed the terrors of the helmet first hand I would have destroyed the thing and burnt the notes it took to manufacture it.

Bubsy says let's take the bull by the horns, and then we get treated with guess what more stock footage. For now the fourth time Bubsy says his annoying catch phase. I've stopped typing it due to my current annoyance level.

The twins come by again, (In the opposite direction may I add) and hit both Bubsy and Arnold.

 Oblivia and Virgil run back to the lab and close the door. The door disappears. I don't understand the logic of that helmet.

We then get treated to some crappy effects. Bubsy tells the twins to stop the roller coaster. They stop and this sends not only the henchmen, but also Bubsy and Arnold flying. Bubsy and Arnold land back at their house. Bubsy gets up and runs into a clump of fur. Arnold points out that the twins are now giants. 

Bubsy yells at them and the twins, hearing Bubsy they go to look for him and then accidentally step on Bubsy and Arnold. oops!

They look down to see they stepped on them, so they shrink down. Bubsy's had enough, but he doesn't scold them because it's they're birthday. Here's their tears to confirm it.

The henchmen come back and the buzzard drops the shrew down to grab the helmet. 

He grabs it but, Bubsy stops him. He offers the shrew a trade his corn-dog for the virtual reality helmet. He agrees and eats the corn-dog. The corn-dog had a fuse on it so I think you all can piece the rest together.

After again hearing his catch phrase, The henchmen swoop down and grab the twins and the helmet.

With the helmet finally in Ally's grasp she does what any "good" villain would do. Pad out the episode. The writing in this pilot sure is amazing ain't it? 

After another intermission we come back to see the third and final act. Finally, it felt like forever. Bubsy is down because he was out-smarted by the henchmen. He bangs Arnold on his head, an Arnold then tells him to stop. Bubsy says he mistook him for a wrench, and because you haven't had enough Arnold torture Bubsy electrocutes Arnold.

Virgil offers the use of his Virgil reality helmet tracking device. 

Bubsy says he'd rather use the phone book. 

Bubsy makes the call, and the shrew picks up the phone. Bubsy tricks him to think that his catering service will send him free food at his address. The shrew gives Bubsy the address and he hangs up. Some how the Buzzard knows that was Bubsy. He scolds the Shrew and the twins push the buzzard into the pot. Ally Cassandra then calls up her henchmen complaining about how the helmet is messing up her hair (Well you can't have your cake and eat it too.). The henchmen say Bubsy is on his way to their lair. 

Ally proposes that they don't open the door. Wow that's so crazy it just might work. 

To bad the shrew still opens the door. How ironic right?

Bubsy demands they hand over the helmet. 

Ally scratches a chalk board, 

this effects everyone but Oblivia. 

Oblivia takes the chalkboard and slams it on Ally's head. 

She drops the helmet and a fight for the helmet brakes out. Sid the Shrew (Yes that's his name I checked) imagines and bee on a corn-dog. 

The twins get the helmet and they imagine up a birthday party. 

Oblivia gets the helmet next and she imagines that shes marrying Bubsy. She says I do take Bubsy to be my lawfully wedded husband. Why, she hasn't even known him for a day. Also, she keeps getting his name wrong. Slow down, and take a few steps back will ya. 

Let's wrap this up. They continue to fight with the helmet until it overloads. Virgil says the helmets going to explode. Bubsy imagines the villains all tied up. 

Since you loved it so much the first time and the second time guess what more stock footage, and one last re-utterance of Bubsy's catch phrase. I would say this cartoon ends, but the more accurate observation would be that it just stops with Arnold and Bubsy getting electrocuted. Did they die? No, because how else would we be treated to Bubsy 3D.

My Final Thoughts

This cartoon is terrible. The writing is lazy, padded out, and annoying. This show is painful to watch. The show has a very uncanny resemblance to the adventures of sonic the hedgehog, in both art and writing structure. Putting the obvious problems aside, we can tell by watching this cartoon that the people behind this can barely write one episode, let along a series. If this were picked up for a series this show would have been the most obnoxious show on TV. Yes, More obnoxious then The adventures of Sonic the hedgehog. On an interesting side note they had some pretty top-notch voice acting talent. B.J. Ward, Neil Ross, Pat Fraley, Jim Cummings, Tress MacNeille, and to top it all off Rob Paulsen. Yes, they even got Rob Paulsen to do the voice of Bubsy.

Toonsmash Grade

F

I hope you all liked the review. This was my first one. It took me a few days to write, because I had many things I had to do. Also guys I have a deviantart account but I need to fill it up. So I'll be taking at least one day off a week from blogging. Please be sure to follow me on google+ for the latest updates. Also feel free to leave a comment, all comments are appreciated. until next time peace, love, and hair grease.