Episode 86: A Very Very Very Very Special Show/Night of the Living Buttons/Soda Jerk

A Very Very Very Very Special Show/Night of the Living Buttons/Soda Jerk is the 86th episode of the original Animaniacs. It originally aired on September 21, 1996. The addition of "Night of the Living Buttons" makes this the fourth overall Halloween-related half-hour in both the series and the franchise.

Theme Song

Last line

Yakko, Wakko and Dot: Frasier Craney...

A Very Very Very Very Special Show

Animation by Akom Film Production

Plot

In a blatant attempt to win a humanitarian award, the Warners star in this parody of "very special episodes," bringing more "educational" content to the show. However, when they lose the award, they return to being their zany selves and disregard the morals they had just preached.

Crew

• Written by Randy Rogel
• Directed by Liz Holzman

Trivia

• This episode spoofs "very special episodes", television episodes that deal with social issues that can be seen as difficult or controversial.
  • Pinky and the Brain would later do a "special show" of its own- "Inherit the Wheeze," which showed the dangers of smoking and advocated against animal testing in lab research.
• Ironically, Kids' WB! selected footage from this episode to advertise Captain Planet and the Planeteers, the exact kind of eco-friendly show this cartoon was satirizing, in a musical promo.
• Akom's animation for this cartoon is notably higher-quality than their other Warners segments.
• Yakko mentions getting a ride with actor and environmentalist Ed Begley Jr. is one of many ways to help the environment. Ed Begley Jr. would later guest-star in the Pinky, Elmyra and the Brain cartoon "My Fair Brainy!"

Goofs

• Mahatma Gandhi's last name is misspelled "Ghandi" on Dot's book cover.

Night of the Living Buttons

Animation by Wang Film Production

Plot

Mindy chases a frog into a graveyard full of zombies. Buttons of course, pursues her into the graveyard and battles the undead to protect her.

Crew

• Written by Nick DuBois
• Directed by Al Zegler

Songs

• "Hello My Lady"

Trivia

• This is the only Buttons and Mindy cartoon where Buttons does not get scolded at the end.
• When Buttons breaks the emergency glass, he becomes Michael Jackson leading the zombies in a parody of the "Thriller" video.
• Michigan J. Frog from the Looney Tunes short One Froggy Evening and mascot of the WB network appears at the end. Buttons and Mindy's frightened reaction is most likely a potshot to the network. At one point, Mindy even quotes a network slogan: "Kiss the frog, baby!"
• Zombified versions of the Warners and Ralph appear doing their running gag when the zombies follow Buttons into the house.

Soda Jerk

Animation by Wang

Plot

After drinking a milkshake in one gulp, Wakko gets a bad case of the hiccups, so his siblings look all around the world to help cure him.

Crew

• Written by Rafael Rosada, Enrique May and Audu Paden
• Directed by Audu Paden

Trivia

• Dot's Pet makes a reappearance in this cartoon.
• Toby the soda shop attendant whistles Pinky and the Brain's theme as he mixes the Warners' milkshakes.
• In a parody of a scene from A Clockwork Orange, Yakko and Dot drip water in Wakko's open eyes as he watches an unpleasant display - a Bob Hope comedy routine.
• The scene with the flying saucer and alien robot is a parody of The Day the Earth Stood Still.

Cast

Stinger

Yakko, Wakko and Dot: We're nuts!

Trivia

• This stinger is a redubbed version of the "Ciaoabunga!" stinger.