| Futurama episode | |
| "Bender Should Not Be Allowed on TV" | |
 "BENDER: TV's rowdiest robot opens up about drinking, smoking and his feud with Jay. |
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| Episode no. | 60 |
|---|---|
| Prod. code | 4ACV06 |
| Airdate | August 3, 2003 |
| Writer(s) | Lewis Morton |
| Director | Ron Hughart |
| Opening subtitle | Controlling you through a chip in your butt since '99 |
| Opening cartoon | Unknown |
| Guest star(s) | Bumper Robinson as Dwight Conrad Kath Soucie as Cubert |
| Season 4 January 2002 – August 2003 |
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| List of all Futurama episodes... | |
"Bender Should Not Be Allowed on TV" (also known as "Bender Should Not Be Allowed on Television", and in program records as "BSNBAOTV") is the sixth episode of the fourth production season of Futurama. It originally aired in North America on August 3, 2003.
Contents |
Plot
After a robot actor on All My Circuits malfunctions, an open casting call is held for a replacement actor. Bender applies (even though the part is that of a childbot). He boos all the other childbots until his turn, fooling Calculon into thinking that none of them will be received well. During his audition, Bender turns the script into total rubbish with his "flawless" Spanish accent. Although Calculon is horrified, ("That was so bad I think you gave me cancer!"), the cheers of Fry and Leela from the other room convince him that the audience will like Bender, and win him the part.
On the set, the writers have written a part for Bender appropriate to his acting ability: an "irreversible, permanent... coma". Not liking the decision, Bender starts singing, dancing, drinking and smoking while the show is filming; he even utters the line, "Bite my shiny metal ass." Bender is almost fired, but the network executives reveal that Bender's reckless behavior boosted the show's ratings. The show is turned into a vehicle for Bender; and kids, such as Dwight, Cubert, The Cookieville Orphans and Tinny Tim, begin to follow his corrupt example.
Professor Farnsworth and Hermes, as they are disgusted by this, start the protest group Fathers Against Rude Television (F.A.R.T.). Meanwhile, the three kids decide to rob Bender, imitating his robberies on TV, not knowing that the safe marked "BENDER'S LOOT" was where Bender was sleeping. The kids throw a party at the Planet Express office, until it is stopped by Hermes and Farnsworth.
Bender finally wakes up and emerges from his safe to find himself at Planet Express, where he faces the ire of Farnsworth and Hermes for inspiring their children to steal. At first Bender is indifferent, until he realizes that the things they stole belonged to him. Annoyed that he inspired his own robbery, Bender decides to lead the F.A.R.T. in a crusade to get himself off TV. Invading the set, Bender is held at gunpoint by both F.A.R.T. and the network executives to quit the show and shoot the scene, respectively. Bender manages to distract the network president and Farnsworth and grab both of the guns from them. He then makes a statement about how the parents are responsible for how their children act after they watch TV shows, and that they should not only take it less seriously, but to turn the TV off from time to time. He makes his point by telling the parents, "Have you ever tried simply turning off the TV, sitting down with your children, and hitting them?"
At Planet Express, Farnsworth realizes that sometimes you just need to turn off the TV once in a while. However, after browsing three channels and finding nothing good on, they continue to watch (though not by choice) when they stop on Everybody Loves Hypnotoad.
Broadcast and reception
In its initial airing, the episode received a Nielsen rating of 2.7/6, placing it 79th among primetime shows for the week of July 28 – August 3, 2003.[1]
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References
- ^ Ray, Kenneth (2003-08-11). "Nielsen ratings July 28-Aug. 3. (Programming).(Illustration).". Broadcasting & Cable (Reed Business Information). http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-106558001.html. Retrieved 2009-03-07.
External links
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