Hell Comes to Quahog
Encyclopedia
"Hell Comes to Quahog" is the third episode of the fifth season
of the animated
comedy series
Family Guy
. It originally aired on Fox
on September 24, 2006. The episode follows teenage daughter Meg
after she requests that her parents buy her a car. At the showroom, however, her father, Peter
, decides to buy a tank, instead of the car Meg was interested in. Deciding to pay for a new car herself, Meg is able to get a job at Superstore USA, which eventually destroys the local economy of Quahog, and upsets the local community.
The episode was written by Kirker Butler
and directed by Dan Povenmire
. It received mostly positive reviews from critics for its storyline and entertaining cultural references. According to Nielsen ratings
, it was viewed in 9.66 million households in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Dave Boat
, Carrie Fisher
, Phil LaMarr
, Rachael MacFarlane
and Fred Tatasciore
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. "Hell Comes to Quahog" was released on DVD along with twelve other episodes from the season on September 18, 2007.
, Joe, and Quagmire
are spending the evening at The Drunken Clam, when Peter is reminded to pick up Meg from the roller skating rink
. They then go to the rink and continue to enjoy themselves, but forget to pick up Meg when they leave. After skating home in the rain, Meg asks the family for her own car. The next day, Peter takes his daughter to the local car showroom, where she shows an interest in a sedan. Distracted by a large tank
at the dealership, however, Peter is tricked into buying it. At first, Peter uses the tank himself, despite it being intended for Meg, but then he teaches Meg to drive it. Later that day, however, the two accidentally run over Joe, and he impounds the tank. Frustrated, Meg decides to earn the money for her own car, and is able to get a job at the local Quahog mega store, Superstore USA, working under a man named Mr. Penisburg. The shops in Quahog soon become bankrupt because of the new superstore, and citizens are informed that there will be widespread electricity blackouts because of Superstore USA's increasing power-demand. This eventually causes a massive heat wave, and the rest of the town to become angered.
Meanwhile, Peter loses his job at the Pawtucket Brewery because Superstore USA has its own means of production. Disjointed, Peter joins an angry protest outside the store, but after entering the store to encourage customers to leave, Peter is impressed by its central cooling system, and decides to become an employee also working under Mr. Penisburg with Meg as his superior. Later, his daughter is promoted to assistant manager by, Mr. Penisburg, who immediately instructs her to fire Peter. Despite her reservations about her father, she chooses her family over her job and quits. In the meantime, Brian
and Stewie
decide to eliminate the superstore completely by retrieving Peter's tank, and driving it through the superstore, while Peter and Meg escape through an emergency exit. After bulldozing the store, Brian and Stewie drive outside and demolish it and Penisburg with the tank's cannon. Immediately afterwards, the electricity supply to Quahog is restored, and life returns to normal.
and directed by Dan Povenmire
. Most of the music throughout the episode was written by Walter Murphy
, including the 1970s song, "A Fifth of Beethoven
", which was played at the roller rink
scene. In addition, the music that is played when Brian and Stewie are destroying the store follows the style of Elmer Bernstein
's theme to Stripes
. Several variations were made to the Iceman
scene, who was originally meant to be fighting
with his wife, but was changed for legal reasons.
Several scenes and gags had to be removed from the television broadcast of the episode, as they were deemed inappropriate. This includes a scene when Brian recalls being stroked too hard by a "Special Child
," which he retaliates against by biting the child's hand. The final scene, also censored from television airing, involved Chris
laughing excessively at one of his own jokes, concluding with "Oh, I peed and pooped." Another scene involves a man driving in a Hummer
, while watching the 2005 film Madagascar
in his car. The man then exclaims "Dude, those animals are so fucking funny," which was mistakenly broadcast uncensored in Canada
, though this problem was corrected for future broadcasts. The censors remained intact in the United States.
"Hell Comes to Quahog", along with the twelve other episodes from Family Guys fifth season, were released on a three-disc DVD
set in the United States on September 18, 2007. The sets included brief audio commentaries by Seth MacFarlane and various crew and cast members for several episodes, a collection of deleted scenes and animatics, a special mini-feature which discusses the process behind drawing Peter Griffin, and mini-feature entitled "Toys, Toys Galore".
In addition to the regular cast, voice actor Dave Boat
, actress Carrie Fisher
, voice actor Phil LaMarr
, voice actress Rachael MacFarlane
and voice actor Fred Tatasciore
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Lori Alan
, actress Alex Breckenridge
, actor John G. Brennan
, actor Ralph Garman
, writer Danny Smith
, writer Alec Sulkin
and writer John Viener made minor appearances.
. In the opening scene of the episode, Peter, Joe, Quagmire and Cleveland are shown playing ping pong at the local bar. Once Joe accidentally hits their final ping pong ball out a window, Peter responds by forcing the puppet
character Mr. Moose
, from the children's television series
Captain Kangaroo
, to tell a knock-knock joke
. This causes hundreds of ping pong balls to cascade from the ceiling above them. Going on to exclaim the amount of fun he is having, Peter recounts his performance in a Broadway musical
version of the 1984 film Red Dawn
.
After being reminded to pick up Meg at the local roller rink, Peter and his friends decide to go skating before leaving. As they do, the 1976 single "A Fifth of Beethoven
" by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band is played. This and the choreographed skating routine performed was a reference to the movie "Roll Bounce
". After returning home without Meg, the Griffin family
are shown watching a Pepperidge Farm
commercial on their television. Immediately afterwards, Meg enters her home, and begs her parents to get buy her a new vehicle. Reluctant to do so, Peter informs Meg that plenty of people are able to get around without a car, including the fictional Marvel Comics
superhero
Iceman
. Finally deciding to give in and purchase a vehicle for Meg, the Griffin family head to the local car dealership. While there, Brian notices a large amount of Hummer
s, and questions who would ever want to drive one. A cutaway then shows a loud, obnoxious man driving a yellow Hummer, who goes on to brag about being able to watch the 2005 film Madagascar
while driving, and proceeds to destroy two vehicles in the process while yelling the name of former United States Secretary of Defense
Donald Rumsfeld
.
Returning home with the tank, Peter decides to surprise his wife, Lois, with his new purchase. Once Lois opens her eyes, she exclaims the phrase "Bocce balls!", which was originally from the 1984
comedy film Splash
. Coming to accept the tank, Lois and Peter decide to take it to a drive-in theater
, where they are shown watching a film entitled The Even Couple
, by screenwriter
Neil Simon
, and starring actors Jeff Daniels
and Bill Pullman
. The next day, after the tank is impounded by Joe, the family is shown watching the CBS
television drama Ghost Whisperer
, with Jennifer Love Hewitt
then appearing on screen. Meg then interrupts, and expresses her anger at her father for allowing the tank to be impounded. Her father then responds by stating that it is "not the worst thing" he has ever done, with a cutaway of Peter murdering Yogi Bear
then being shown.
In the Easter-egg hunt scene with Richard Gere, Peter ("It's in your Butt!") is referring to an old rumor about him going into an ER to get a gerbil removed from his rectum.
In a cutaway gag, the Lisa Loeb
song Stay (I Missed You)
is played briefly.
Frustrated by her father, Meg decides to get a job at Superstore USA. As she is being instructed about her job by her new boss, he tells her to feed the deformed man Sloth from the 1985 film The Goonies
. As Superstore USA begins to take over the town, it is announced that rolling blackouts will be performed in order to meet the store's need for electricity. A commercial during Quahog's local news is then played, parodying the theme to the 1971 children's television series The Electric Company. Deciding to protest against Superstore USA by dragging out all their customers, Peter soon realizes the store's air conditioning, prompting him to shout the phrase, "I get the sensation that I'm standing on a mountain top, with the wind blowing through my hair!", from the York Peppermint Pattie
television advertisements. While Stewie and Brian attack the store, the manager of Superstore USA runs to hide in the bathroom before being crushed by the billboard in front of him. This is a reference to the Jurassic Park
scene where a visitor also hides in a bathroom before being eaten by the T-Rex.
. The episode acquired a 3.4 rating in the 18–49 demographic, tying with The Simpsons
, and edging out series creator Seth MacFarlane
's second show American Dad!
, in both ratings and total viewership.
Reviews of the episode by television critics were mostly positive, noting its "hilarious beginning and the nice ending." Dan Iverson of IGN
praised the episode, stating that the episode "looks to show that this fifth season is going to bring the series back to the irreverent basics that made it so appealing." Iverson went on to comment that some of the jokes were "extremely funny" and that "the episode had it all, from the Electric Company bit to making fun of people who drive Hummers and watch movies like Madagascar." In the conclusion of his review, Iverson gave the episode an eight out of ten. Brett Love of TV Squad also gave the episode a positive review, calling the installment much better than the previous two episode's from the season, "Stewie Loves Lois
" and "Mother Tucker
", but criticized the storyline's similarity to the South Park
episode "Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes
". Love commented negatively on the portrayal of Peter working at the superstore, however, stating, "it's a fine line when they go retarded with Peter. Sometimes it plays really funny, and sometimes it just gets annoying."
Family Guy (season 5)
Family Guy fifth season first aired on the Fox network in eighteen episodes from September 10, 2006 to May 20, 2007 before being released as two DVD box sets and in syndication. It premiered with the episode "Stewie Loves Lois" and finished with "Meet the Quagmires"...
of the animated
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
comedy series
Television comedy
Television comedy had a presence from the earliest days of broadcasting. Among the earliest BBC television programmes in the 1930s was Starlight, which offered a series of guests from the music hall era — singers and comedians amongst them...
Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
. It originally aired on Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
on September 24, 2006. The episode follows teenage daughter Meg
Meg Griffin
Meg Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. She is the eldest child of Lois and Peter and elder sister of Chris and Stewie. Meg is considered as the black sheep of the series due to the lack of attention she receives....
after she requests that her parents buy her a car. At the showroom, however, her father, Peter
Peter Griffin
Peter Griffin is a fictional character and the protagonist of the animated comedy series Family Guy and the patriarch of the Griffin family. He is voiced by cartoonist Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family in the 15-minute short on December 20, 1998....
, decides to buy a tank, instead of the car Meg was interested in. Deciding to pay for a new car herself, Meg is able to get a job at Superstore USA, which eventually destroys the local economy of Quahog, and upsets the local community.
The episode was written by Kirker Butler
Kirker Butler
Kirker Butler is an American animation writer. Butler is most notably known for writing and producing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy, as well as serving as co-executive producer of The Cleveland Show, another series by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane.-Career:Butler joined...
and directed by Dan Povenmire
Dan Povenmire
Daniel Kingsley "Dan" Povenmire is an American television director, writer, producer, storyboard artist, and actor associated with several animated television series, best known as the co-creator of the Disney animated series Phineas and Ferb in which he also voices the show's villain, Heinz...
. It received mostly positive reviews from critics for its storyline and entertaining cultural references. According to Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, it was viewed in 9.66 million households in its original airing. The episode featured guest performances by Dave Boat
Dave Boat
-Animated Roles:* Danny Phantom - Vortex* Family Guy - Rupert, Additional Voices* The Super Hero Squad Show - Thor, Trapster, Thing, John Porter, Uatu, Galactus' Mother, Captain Liechtenstein, Baron Mordo, Dracula, Doc Samson, Man-Thing* T.U.F.F...
, Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher is an American actress, novelist, screenwriter, and lecturer. She is most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay to the film of the same name, and her...
, Phil LaMarr
Phil LaMarr
Phillip "Phil" LaMarr is an American actor, comedian and voice actor. One of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series MADtv, he is also known for his small, but memorable role as Marvin in Pulp Fiction...
, Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael Ann MacFarlane is an American voice actress best known for her appearances in Codename: Kids Next Door as supreme leader Numbuh 362 and the FOX animated series Family Guy and American Dad!, both created and executive-produced by her older brother Seth MacFarlane.Aside from voice acting,...
and Fred Tatasciore
Fred Tatasciore
Frederick "Fred" Tatasciore is an American voice actor who portrays secondary characters as well as monstrous-looking types...
, along with several recurring guest voice actors for the series. "Hell Comes to Quahog" was released on DVD along with twelve other episodes from the season on September 18, 2007.
Plot
Peter, ClevelandCleveland Brown
Cleveland Orenthal Brown is a character from the animated television series Family Guy, and its spin-off series The Cleveland Show. He is voiced by Mike Henry. In the first seven seasons of Family Guy, Brown is a frequently recurring character. As one of Peter Griffin's neighbors and friends,...
, Joe, and Quagmire
Glenn Quagmire
Glenn Quagmire, often referred to as just Quagmire, is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. Quagmire is a neighbor and friend of the Griffin family. He is best known for his hypersexuality...
are spending the evening at The Drunken Clam, when Peter is reminded to pick up Meg from the roller skating rink
Roller rink
A roller rink is a hard surface used for roller skating or inline skating. This includes roller hockey, speed skating, and recreational skating...
. They then go to the rink and continue to enjoy themselves, but forget to pick up Meg when they leave. After skating home in the rain, Meg asks the family for her own car. The next day, Peter takes his daughter to the local car showroom, where she shows an interest in a sedan. Distracted by a large tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
at the dealership, however, Peter is tricked into buying it. At first, Peter uses the tank himself, despite it being intended for Meg, but then he teaches Meg to drive it. Later that day, however, the two accidentally run over Joe, and he impounds the tank. Frustrated, Meg decides to earn the money for her own car, and is able to get a job at the local Quahog mega store, Superstore USA, working under a man named Mr. Penisburg. The shops in Quahog soon become bankrupt because of the new superstore, and citizens are informed that there will be widespread electricity blackouts because of Superstore USA's increasing power-demand. This eventually causes a massive heat wave, and the rest of the town to become angered.
Meanwhile, Peter loses his job at the Pawtucket Brewery because Superstore USA has its own means of production. Disjointed, Peter joins an angry protest outside the store, but after entering the store to encourage customers to leave, Peter is impressed by its central cooling system, and decides to become an employee also working under Mr. Penisburg with Meg as his superior. Later, his daughter is promoted to assistant manager by, Mr. Penisburg, who immediately instructs her to fire Peter. Despite her reservations about her father, she chooses her family over her job and quits. In the meantime, Brian
Brian Griffin
Brian Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is voiced by Seth MacFarlane and first appeared on television, along with the rest of the family, in a 15-minute short on December 20, 1998. Brian was created and designed by MacFarlane himself...
and Stewie
Stewie Griffin
Stewie Griffin is a fictional character from the animated television series Family Guy. Once obsessed with world domination and matricide, Stewie is the youngest child of Peter and Lois Griffin, and the brother of Chris and Meg....
decide to eliminate the superstore completely by retrieving Peter's tank, and driving it through the superstore, while Peter and Meg escape through an emergency exit. After bulldozing the store, Brian and Stewie drive outside and demolish it and Penisburg with the tank's cannon. Immediately afterwards, the electricity supply to Quahog is restored, and life returns to normal.
Production
The episode was written by Kirker ButlerKirker Butler
Kirker Butler is an American animation writer. Butler is most notably known for writing and producing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy, as well as serving as co-executive producer of The Cleveland Show, another series by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane.-Career:Butler joined...
and directed by Dan Povenmire
Dan Povenmire
Daniel Kingsley "Dan" Povenmire is an American television director, writer, producer, storyboard artist, and actor associated with several animated television series, best known as the co-creator of the Disney animated series Phineas and Ferb in which he also voices the show's villain, Heinz...
. Most of the music throughout the episode was written by Walter Murphy
Walter Murphy
Walter Anthony Murphy, Jr. is an American instrumentalist, songwriter, and arranger. He rose to fame with the hit instrumental "A Fifth of Beethoven", a disco adaptation of passages from the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, in 1976, when disco was at the height of its...
, including the 1970s song, "A Fifth of Beethoven
A Fifth of Beethoven
"A Fifth of Beethoven" is a disco instrumental recorded by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band. It was adapted by Murphy from the first movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. The record was produced by noted production music and sound effects recording producer Thomas J. Valentino. It was one of...
", which was played at the roller rink
Roller rink
A roller rink is a hard surface used for roller skating or inline skating. This includes roller hockey, speed skating, and recreational skating...
scene. In addition, the music that is played when Brian and Stewie are destroying the store follows the style of Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein was an American composer and conductor best known for his many film scores. In a career which spanned fifty years, he composed music for hundreds of film and television productions...
's theme to Stripes
Stripes (film)
Stripes is a 1981 American comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P. J. Soles, and John Candy. It also featured several actors in their first significant film roles, including John Larroquette, Sean Young, John Diehl, and Judge Reinhold. It was one...
. Several variations were made to the Iceman
Iceman (comics)
Iceman is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men vol. 1 #1, ....
scene, who was originally meant to be fighting
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
with his wife, but was changed for legal reasons.
Several scenes and gags had to be removed from the television broadcast of the episode, as they were deemed inappropriate. This includes a scene when Brian recalls being stroked too hard by a "Special Child
Mental retardation
Mental retardation is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors...
," which he retaliates against by biting the child's hand. The final scene, also censored from television airing, involved Chris
Chris Griffin
Chris Griffin is a character from the animated television series Family Guy. He is the son and middle child of Peter and Lois Griffin, brother of Stewie and Meg Griffin. Chris is voiced by Seth Green.-Personality:...
laughing excessively at one of his own jokes, concluding with "Oh, I peed and pooped." Another scene involves a man driving in a Hummer
Hummer
Hummer was a brand of trucks and SUVs, first marketed in 1992 when AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 Humvee. In 1998, General Motors purchased the brand name and marketed three vehicles: the original Hummer H1, based on the Humvee; and the H2 and H3 models that were...
, while watching the 2005 film Madagascar
Madagascar (2005 film)
Madagascar is a 2005 computer-animated film produced by DreamWorks Animation, and released in movie theaters on May 27, 2005. The film tells the story of four Central Park Zoo animals who have spent their lives in blissful captivity and are unexpectedly shipped back to Africa, getting shipwrecked...
in his car. The man then exclaims "Dude, those animals are so fucking funny," which was mistakenly broadcast uncensored in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, though this problem was corrected for future broadcasts. The censors remained intact in the United States.
"Hell Comes to Quahog", along with the twelve other episodes from Family Guys fifth season, were released on a three-disc DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set in the United States on September 18, 2007. The sets included brief audio commentaries by Seth MacFarlane and various crew and cast members for several episodes, a collection of deleted scenes and animatics, a special mini-feature which discusses the process behind drawing Peter Griffin, and mini-feature entitled "Toys, Toys Galore".
In addition to the regular cast, voice actor Dave Boat
Dave Boat
-Animated Roles:* Danny Phantom - Vortex* Family Guy - Rupert, Additional Voices* The Super Hero Squad Show - Thor, Trapster, Thing, John Porter, Uatu, Galactus' Mother, Captain Liechtenstein, Baron Mordo, Dracula, Doc Samson, Man-Thing* T.U.F.F...
, actress Carrie Fisher
Carrie Fisher
Carrie Frances Fisher is an American actress, novelist, screenwriter, and lecturer. She is most famous for her portrayal of Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy, her bestselling novel Postcards from the Edge, for which she wrote the screenplay to the film of the same name, and her...
, voice actor Phil LaMarr
Phil LaMarr
Phillip "Phil" LaMarr is an American actor, comedian and voice actor. One of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series MADtv, he is also known for his small, but memorable role as Marvin in Pulp Fiction...
, voice actress Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael MacFarlane
Rachael Ann MacFarlane is an American voice actress best known for her appearances in Codename: Kids Next Door as supreme leader Numbuh 362 and the FOX animated series Family Guy and American Dad!, both created and executive-produced by her older brother Seth MacFarlane.Aside from voice acting,...
and voice actor Fred Tatasciore
Fred Tatasciore
Frederick "Fred" Tatasciore is an American voice actor who portrays secondary characters as well as monstrous-looking types...
guest starred in the episode. Recurring guest voice actors Lori Alan
Lori Alan
Lori Alan , sometimes credited as Lori Allen, is an American voice actress who provides the voice of news anchor Diane Simmons on Family Guy, various voices on Hey Arnold!, and SpongeBob SquarePants as Pearl....
, actress Alex Breckenridge
Alex Breckenridge
Alexandra "Alex" Breckenridge is an American film and television actress, photographer and voice artist. Noted for her role as Willa McPherson on the television series Dirt, she also had a supporting role on the short lived series The Ex List...
, actor John G. Brennan
John G. Brennan
John G. Brennan , a.k.a. Johnny B., is an American actor, film writer, and voice actor. He is a member of the Jerky Boys prank call duo, with Kamal Ahmed, who formed in 1989 and split up in 2001, but reformed in 2006...
, actor Ralph Garman
Ralph Garman
Ralph Garman is an American actor, comedian, and radio host best known as the host of The Joe Schmo Show, for his voice work in Family Guy, and as the entertainment reporter and impressionist for the Kevin and Bean morning show on Los Angeles radio station, KROQ-FM...
, writer Danny Smith
Danny Smith (writer)
Daniel "Danny" Smith is an executive producer, writer and voice actor on the American animated television series Family Guy. He has been with the show since its inception and throughout the years has contributed many episodes, such as "Holy Crap", "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Fonz", "Chitty...
, writer Alec Sulkin
Alec Sulkin
Alec Sulkin is an American television writer. Most notable for writing and producing several episodes of the animated series Family Guy, he has also contributed to The Cleveland Show, another series by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane....
and writer John Viener made minor appearances.
Cultural references
The title of the episode parodies the title of the 1988 cult film, Hell Comes to FrogtownHell Comes to Frogtown
Hell Comes to Frogtown is a 1988 cult film that was created by Donald G. Jackson. The screenplay for this film was written by Jackson and Randall Frakes. The film was directed by Jackson and R. J...
. In the opening scene of the episode, Peter, Joe, Quagmire and Cleveland are shown playing ping pong at the local bar. Once Joe accidentally hits their final ping pong ball out a window, Peter responds by forcing the puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
character Mr. Moose
Mr. Moose
Mr. Moose was a puppet character on the children's television show Captain Kangaroo.He would tell riddles and knock-knock jokes that would result in hundreds of ping pong balls falling from above, and hitting the Captain on the head. Mr. Moose was created and played by Cosmo Allegretti, who also...
, from the children's television series
Children's television series
Children's television series, are commercial television programs designed for, and marketed to children, normally scheduled for broadcast during the morning and afternoon when children are awake. They can sometimes run in the early evening, for the children that go to school...
Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running children's television program of its day...
, to tell a knock-knock joke
Knock-knock joke
The knock-knock joke is a type of joke, probably the best-known format of the pun, and is a time-honored "call and answer" exercise.It is a role-play exercise, with a punster and a recipient of wit.The standard format has five lines:...
. This causes hundreds of ping pong balls to cascade from the ceiling above them. Going on to exclaim the amount of fun he is having, Peter recounts his performance in a Broadway musical
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
version of the 1984 film Red Dawn
Red Dawn
Red Dawn is a 1984 American war film directed by John Milius and co-written by Milius and Kevin Reynolds. It stars Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson, Charlie Sheen and Jennifer Grey....
.
A Fifth of Beethoven
"A Fifth of Beethoven" is a disco instrumental recorded by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band. It was adapted by Murphy from the first movement of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. The record was produced by noted production music and sound effects recording producer Thomas J. Valentino. It was one of...
" by Walter Murphy and the Big Apple Band is played. This and the choreographed skating routine performed was a reference to the movie "Roll Bounce
Roll Bounce
Roll Bounce is a 2005 American comedy-drama film written by Norman Vance Jr. and directed by Malcolm D. Lee. The film stars hip hop artist Bow Wow as the leader of a roller skating crew in 1970s Chicago. The film also stars Nick Cannon, Meagan Good, Brandon T...
". After returning home without Meg, the Griffin family
Griffin family
The Griffin family is a family from the animated television series Family Guy. The Griffins are a nuclear family consisting of the married couple Peter and Lois, their three children Meg, Chris, and Stewie, and their dog Brian. They live at 31 Spooner Street in the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode...
are shown watching a Pepperidge Farm
Pepperidge Farm
Pepperidge Farm is a commercial bakery in the U.S. founded in 1937 by Margaret Rudkin, who named the brand after her family's property in Fairfield, Connecticut, which in turn was named for the pepperidge tree, Nyssa sylvatica. Since 1961, the company has been owned by the Campbell Soup Company...
commercial on their television. Immediately afterwards, Meg enters her home, and begs her parents to get buy her a new vehicle. Reluctant to do so, Peter informs Meg that plenty of people are able to get around without a car, including the fictional Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
Iceman
Iceman (comics)
Iceman is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero, a member of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men vol. 1 #1, ....
. Finally deciding to give in and purchase a vehicle for Meg, the Griffin family head to the local car dealership. While there, Brian notices a large amount of Hummer
Hummer
Hummer was a brand of trucks and SUVs, first marketed in 1992 when AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 Humvee. In 1998, General Motors purchased the brand name and marketed three vehicles: the original Hummer H1, based on the Humvee; and the H2 and H3 models that were...
s, and questions who would ever want to drive one. A cutaway then shows a loud, obnoxious man driving a yellow Hummer, who goes on to brag about being able to watch the 2005 film Madagascar
Madagascar (2005 film)
Madagascar is a 2005 computer-animated film produced by DreamWorks Animation, and released in movie theaters on May 27, 2005. The film tells the story of four Central Park Zoo animals who have spent their lives in blissful captivity and are unexpectedly shipped back to Africa, getting shipwrecked...
while driving, and proceeds to destroy two vehicles in the process while yelling the name of former United States Secretary of Defense
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Henry Rumsfeld is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the oldest person to...
.
Returning home with the tank, Peter decides to surprise his wife, Lois, with his new purchase. Once Lois opens her eyes, she exclaims the phrase "Bocce balls!", which was originally from the 1984
1984 in film
-Events:* The Walt Disney Company founds Touchstone Pictures to release movies with subject matter deemed inappropriate for the Disney name.* Tri-Star Pictures, a joint venture of Columbia Pictures, HBO, and CBS, releases its first film....
comedy film Splash
Splash (film)
Splash is a 1984 American fantasy romantic comedy film directed by Ron Howard and written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The original music score was composed by Lee Holdridge...
. Coming to accept the tank, Lois and Peter decide to take it to a drive-in theater
Drive-in theater
A drive-in theater is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor screen, a projection booth, a concession stand and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars.The screen can be as simple as a...
, where they are shown watching a film entitled The Even Couple
The Odd Couple (film)
The Odd Couple is a 1968 comedy film written by Neil Simon, based on his play The Odd Couple, directed by Gene Saks, and starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau...
, by screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
Neil Simon
Neil Simon
Neil Simon is an American playwright and screenwriter. He has written numerous Broadway plays, including Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, and The Odd Couple. He won the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play Lost In Yonkers. He has written the screenplays for several of his plays that...
, and starring actors Jeff Daniels
Jeff Daniels
Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
and Bill Pullman
Bill Pullman
William James "Bill" Pullman is an American film, television, and stage actor. Pullman made his film debut in the supporting role of Earl Mott in the 1986 film Ruthless People. He has since gone on to star in other films, including Spaceballs, Independence Day, Lost Highway, Casper and Scary Movie 4...
. The next day, after the tank is impounded by Joe, the family is shown watching the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
television drama Ghost Whisperer
Ghost Whisperer
Ghost Whisperer is an American television supernatural drama, which ran on CBS from September 23, 2005 to May 21, 2010.The series follows the life of Melinda Gordon , who has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts...
, with Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt is an American actress, producer, television director and former singer-songwriter. Hewitt began her acting career as a child by appearing in television commercials and the Disney Channel series Kids Incorporated...
then appearing on screen. Meg then interrupts, and expresses her anger at her father for allowing the tank to be impounded. Her father then responds by stating that it is "not the worst thing" he has ever done, with a cutaway of Peter murdering Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear
Yogi Bear is a fictional bear who appears in animated cartoons created by Hanna-Barbera Productions. He made his debut in 1958 as a supporting character in The Huckleberry Hound Show. Yogi Bear was the first breakout character created by Hanna-Barbera, and was eventually more popular than...
then being shown.
In the Easter-egg hunt scene with Richard Gere, Peter ("It's in your Butt!") is referring to an old rumor about him going into an ER to get a gerbil removed from his rectum.
In a cutaway gag, the Lisa Loeb
Lisa Loeb
Lisa Anne Loeb is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She launched her career in 1994 with the song, "Stay ". She was the first artist to have a number one single in the United States while not signed to a recording contract.Loeb's efforts now include music, film, television, voice-over...
song Stay (I Missed You)
Stay (I Missed You)
"Stay " is a song and debut single by American singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb, which became her breakthrough song in 1994. It was included on the Reality Bites soundtrack, as well as her debut album, Tails....
is played briefly.
Frustrated by her father, Meg decides to get a job at Superstore USA. As she is being instructed about her job by her new boss, he tells her to feed the deformed man Sloth from the 1985 film The Goonies
The Goonies
The Goonies is a 1985 American adventure-comedy film directed by Richard Donner. The screenplay was written by Chris Columbus from a story by executive producer Steven Spielberg. The premise surrounds a band of pre-teens who live in the "Goon Docks" neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon hoping to save...
. As Superstore USA begins to take over the town, it is announced that rolling blackouts will be performed in order to meet the store's need for electricity. A commercial during Quahog's local news is then played, parodying the theme to the 1971 children's television series The Electric Company. Deciding to protest against Superstore USA by dragging out all their customers, Peter soon realizes the store's air conditioning, prompting him to shout the phrase, "I get the sensation that I'm standing on a mountain top, with the wind blowing through my hair!", from the York Peppermint Pattie
York Peppermint Pattie
York Peppermint Pattie is a dark chocolate enrobed peppermint confection produced by The Hershey Company, under license from Cadbury plc ....
television advertisements. While Stewie and Brian attack the store, the manager of Superstore USA runs to hide in the bathroom before being crushed by the billboard in front of him. This is a reference to the Jurassic Park
Jurassic Park (film)
Jurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. It stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck...
scene where a visitor also hides in a bathroom before being eaten by the T-Rex.
Reception
In a slight improvement over the previous week, the episode was viewed in 9.66 million homes on its original airing, according to the Nielsen ratingsNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
. The episode acquired a 3.4 rating in the 18–49 demographic, tying with The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, and edging out series creator Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane
Seth Woodbury MacFarlane is an American animator, writer, comedian, producer, actor, singer, voice actor, and director best known for creating the animated sitcoms Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show, for which he also voices many of the shows' various characters.A native of Kent,...
's second show American Dad!
American Dad!
American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
, in both ratings and total viewership.
Reviews of the episode by television critics were mostly positive, noting its "hilarious beginning and the nice ending." Dan Iverson of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
praised the episode, stating that the episode "looks to show that this fifth season is going to bring the series back to the irreverent basics that made it so appealing." Iverson went on to comment that some of the jokes were "extremely funny" and that "the episode had it all, from the Electric Company bit to making fun of people who drive Hummers and watch movies like Madagascar." In the conclusion of his review, Iverson gave the episode an eight out of ten. Brett Love of TV Squad also gave the episode a positive review, calling the installment much better than the previous two episode's from the season, "Stewie Loves Lois
Stewie Loves Lois
"Stewie Loves Lois" is the first episode of the fifth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox on September 10, 2006. The episode features Stewie after his teddy bear, which has been destroyed by an unfamiliar dog at the park, is repaired by his mother, Lois,...
" and "Mother Tucker
Mother Tucker
"Mother Tucker" is the second episode of the fifth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox on September 17, 2006. The episode follows Peter's mother, Thelma, divorcing from Peter's father, Francis, and dating news anchorman Tom Tucker...
", but criticized the storyline's similarity to the South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
episode "Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes
Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes
"Something Wall-Mart This Way Comes" is episode 120 of Comedy Central's South Park. This episode originally aired on November 3, 2004. Its title and theme were inspired by the 1983 Disney movie Something Wicked This Way Comes based on the 1962 novel by Ray Bradbury.-Plot:The episode begins with...
". Love commented negatively on the portrayal of Peter working at the superstore, however, stating, "it's a fine line when they go retarded with Peter. Sometimes it plays really funny, and sometimes it just gets annoying."