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Thirteensomething is the first episode of the third season of Tiny Toon Adventures, and the 79th episode overall. It was written by Sherri Stoner and directed by Jon McClenahan. It was the first to air on Fox Kids instead of CBS or syndication on 14 September 1992.

Summary[]

It is near the end of the school day. While watching Wile E. Coyote demonstrate a cartoon trick involving a painted tunnel on the wall, Buster and Babs pass notes to each other agreeing to watch television together. After school ends, they both look forward to watching television with Plucky and Shirley. However, they cannot agree on what to watch. Buster would rather watch football, while Babs prefers to watch the teen soap opera Thirteensomething. Plucky decides to have a coin toss, with heads being football and tails being Thirteensomething. After the coin lands, Buster and Plucky unwillingly watch Thirteensomething with the girls. Plucky reveals that the coin was double-sided, but did not remember which side was doubled. Babs fantasizes about being on the show, but is discouraged when the show only allows humans to perform. Buster and Plucky mock Babs for her television aspirations, much to her indignation. Buster ultimately dares Babs to audition for the show, which she accepts. So she leaves Acme Acres, but Buster does not believe that Babs will get very far.

Babs catches a bus out of town, and is discouraged that everyone on the bus is boring and grumpy and not into sing-alongs or bus games. The next morning, Buster reads the paper and is surprised that Babs actually left for New York. He decides to attempt to find a replacement co-host for Tiny Toons.

Meanwhile, Babs finally gets to New York. She attempts to get directions for the studio, but the person she asks turns out to be Elmyra, who, naturally, chases Babs all over New York. Back in Acme Acres, Buster's search for Babs' replacement turns out to be futile as two candidates come and neither of them follow his audition script. Babs finally loses Elmyra in the traffic and reaches the studio. She takes on the guise of a human actress and changes her name to Babs Bunawalskioversmith. On the set, she nails her audition and is cast in the show. After another bad audition, Plucky informs Buster that Babs was just cast in Thirteensomething. Both Plucky and Shirley offer their service as Babs' replacement, but Buster admits that he misses her.

Babs becomes a worldwide sensation in Thirteensomething, which discourages Buster. However, Babs also begins to miss her life in Tiny Toons after seeing a clip of her former self being admired by the cast and crew. She decides to call Buster and tell him that her contract with the show is almost up and she will be leaving. However, the studio has other ideas and decides to extend the contract, much to Babs and Buster's surprise.

So, Buster decides to give the set of Thirteensomething a surprise visit by playing her character's twin brother and he and Babs reconcile in front of the unsuspecting crew. At the end of the shoot, Buster and Babs reveal that they are really toon rabbits and tunnel back to Acme Acres using Wile E. Coyote's painted tunnel technique.

Babs, at last glad to be home, begins to kiss Buster, but pulls down a shade saving the scene from the censors, saying that their kiss is private. Plucky asks Shirley if this gives her any ideas, but Shirley kicks him through the shade and he asides, "Feel free to change the channel."

Allusions[]

  • The title of the episode and the show-within-the-show is a parody of Thirtysomething. The show within the show is a parody of all teen soap opera clichés.
  • Mary Hartless says, "My voice causes seizures!" This is a parody of Entertainment Tonight host Mary Hart's voice causing seizures to an epileptic woman in 1991. This was also parodied in the Seinfeld episode "The Good Samaritan".
  • Babs does imitations of Jessica Rabbit, Madonna, sportscaster Howard Cosell, Muhammad Ali, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ed Grimley, and Katharine Hepburn.
  • The song that Babs sings on the bus is a parody of the "Theme from New York, New York" originally performed by Liza Minnelli, but later popularized by her godfather Frank Sinatra.
  • The bus driver is Ralph Kramden, a character made famous by Jackie Gleason in The Honeymooners.
  • The montage of stills from New York is a parody of the Woody Allen film Manhattan.
  • When Buster says, "I'm like Sonny without Cher! I'll probably become the Mayor of Palm Springs", that is indeed what Sonny Bono was doing at the time this episode first aired. He then became a Senator until his death 5 January 1998.

Trivia[]

  • Johnny Carson and Donald Trump are impersonated by the late Danny Gans, who was a long-time entertainer on the Vegas Strip until his death.
  • This episode marks the first of two appearances of Fran and Edward, who would make a second appearance in It's a Wonderful Tiny Toons Christmas Special.
  • Babs (as Bunawalskioversmith) breaks the fourth wall and asks how ladies could walk in high heels, suggesting she can barely walk in them. However, in the "Love Disconnection" episode segment "The Amazing Three", which aired earlier, Babs walks perfectly when she wears high heels.
  • In Johnny Carson's show, next to Ed McMahon, Jay Leno is bound and gagged, in reference to the poor reception of Carson's replacement host of The Tonight Show.
  • Steven Spielberg considered this his favorite episode.[citation needed]

Cast[]

Voice Actors: Character(s):
Tress MacNeille Babs Bunny, Sasha, Binky Bunny, Bettina Bunny
Joe Alaskey Plucky Duck, Edward, Ralph Kramden
Charlie Adler Buster Bunny, Taxi Driver
Gail Matthius Shirley the Loon
Rob Paulsen Jason, Theo, Jeraldo
Danny Gans Johnny Carson, Donald Trump
Valri Bromfield Mary Hartless, Fran
Roger Rose David Letterman
Cree Summer Elmyra Duff

Uncredited[]

Quotes[]

  • Babs: "Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this TV event for the world!"
Buster: "Me nada."
Babs: "We've been looking forward to it for weeks!"
Buster: "You betcha, babe."
Babs: "Thirteensomething!"
Buster (Simultaneously): "Football!"
Buster & Babs: "Huh?"
Babs: "Football?"
Buster: "Thirteensomething?"
Buster & Babs: "I thought we discussed this! We did! We decided on..."
Babs: "Thirteensomething!"
Buster: "Football!"
Babs: "A bunch of hormone-bloated half-wits running around in..."
Buster: "Those stupid, ill-concieved plotlines..."
Babs: "Hoping to run across..."
Buster: "An Emmy nomination for crying on cue?"
  • Buster: "'It's a coin-toss situation.' Nice plan."
Plucky: "Hey, it was a two-sided coin. I forgot which side was two'd."
Babs (as Jessica Rabbit): "I always get what I want. It's a talent I have."
  • Plucky (to Babs): "Face it, toots. You couldn't get on thirteensomething if your life depended on it."
(Shirley hits Plucky with a couch pillow.)
Shirley: "And you couldn't get me if all your past lives depended on it."
  • Babs (as Madonna): "Truth or dare."
Buster: "Dare! I dare you to get on thirteensomething!"
Babs (as Howard Cosell): "There you have it! Can Babs Bunny do it? Can she meet her opponent's challenge?" (as Muhammad Ali) "Yes. Yes I can. I am the greatest!"
Buster (to the camera): "I think we've started something that's gonna take two acts to resolve."
  • Babs: "The next time you see me, I'll be on thirteensomething!" (as Arnold) "Hasta la vista, baby!"
  • Babs: "Is this the bus to New York?"
Ralph Kramden: "You gettin' on or what?!"
Babs: "Bus to New York."
  • Buster: "I love the smell of morning in the morning. Time to check out the news. Maybe Babsy and I will do some topical humor in today's show. It could happen!"
  • Buster: "I can't believe it! A carrot sale this time of year?"
Babs (from the newspaper): "Psst! Mister Alert, down here."
Buster: "'Babs Bunny Heads to New York'?"
  • Buster (to the toonsters): "Hey, don't look at me that way. She'll be back. In the meantime, I'll find a substitute co-host. I wonder if Ed McMahon is available."
  • Buster: "Okay, uh, Binky, let's start your audition. Um, let's try the opening."
Binky (giggles): "'Kay." (giggles again)
Buster: "Hiya, toonsters! I'm Buster Bunny!"
Binky (without expression): "And I'm Binky Bunny."
Buster and Binky (out of sync): "No relation."
Binky: "'No relation'? Uh, I don't get it. Is that a joke? That's a joke, right?"
Buster: "Much to my deep regret... NEXT!!!"
  • Elmyra (while embracing Donald Trump): "Eat your heart out Marla."
  • Babs (lost in New York): "They'll make a TV movie out of this starring Eve Plumb; 'Babs, portrait of a Teenage Toon'!"
  • David Letterman: "This is David Letterman and I'm not wearing any pants!"
  • Buster: "Okay, uh, Buttina, we're trapped by a ferocious furrier, and you spin around and save us with your very best Zsa Zsa impression!"
Buttina: "Oh, alright." (not at all like Zsa Zsa) "Darling, that fur clashes with your personality. Put on zees Hefty bag instead."
Buster: (slaps himself)
Buttina: "I also play my nose." (plays the Tiny Toons theme on her nose)
  • Babs: "I'm tiny, not toony, I am a human gooney."
  • Plucky: "Is that your new co-host?"
Buster: "Hardly."
Plucky: "So you haven't found one yet, eh? Well, let me introduce you to Plucky Bunny! 'Do you like my ears better up or down?'"
Shirley (imitating Babs): "Like, no one's paying attention to me. Don't I have the cutest toes or some junk?"
Buster: "Babsy, come home."
  • Mary Hartles: "Elvis was spotted in a minimart in Tusten, the cast of Diff'rent Strokes held up Ft. Knox, and my voice causes seizures!"
  • Plucky: "Yuck! Smells like something died down there!"
Buster: "Yeah, my career."
  • Spielberg (to Babs): "You really should consider getting a facial wax, babe."
  • Edward (after Buster comes to Thirteensomething to end an "Endlessly Endless Family Secret"): "This is great!"
Fran: "You are so lost."
Edward: "No, dear, you are lost."
Fran (with hearts in her eyes): "Oh, Edward, kiss me!"
Edward (as Fran wrestles him for a kiss): "AAAAH!"
  • Babs: "I didn't think you missed me."
Buster: "I did. I'm nothing without you. You're my better half."
Babs: "Yeah, but my better half is nothing without your half."
  • Babs: "Thanks for rescuing me! You're my knight in shining armor!"
Buster: "Did you really mean all that stuff about your better half?"
Babs: "Let me show you!"
(Babs grabs Buster and is about to kiss him, but then she turns around to talk to the viewers)
Babs: "Sorry, kids. This is private."
(Babs pulls down a black window shade, then kisses Buster)
Plucky: "Say, Shirl, give you any ideas?"
(Shirley kicks Plucky, whose face leaves a giant hole in the black shade)
Plucky: "Feel free to change the channel!"

Gallery[]

Main article: Thirteensomething/Gallery

Home Video Releases[]



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