Time Squad
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Template:Infobox television Time Squad is an American animated television series created in 2001 by David Wasson, following the adventures of a trio of hapless "time cops" from the year 100,000,000 AD, who travel back in time attempting to correct the course of history.
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Plot
The show is set in the year 100,000,000 (one hundred million) AD, on a giant satellite orbitting the Earth. This future Earth is never visited directly, though it is referred to in dialogue as a peaceful utopia where there are no longer any problems to solve. All nations of the world have merged into one, and, according to the character Tuddrussel, there are "no wars, no pollution and bacon is good for your heart."
Despite this cheerful vision of the future, the space station on which the characters live and from which they travel to the past is remarkably dystopic. It features a shooting range, a terrarium, and a prison for repeat offenders, but it is dank, outdated (for the time) and unclean. Mostly this seems to be down to Officer Buck Tuddrussel, a scruffy and immature perennial bachelor, who nevertheless happens to be the station's most senior officer. Make note that the Time Squad Space Station is several dozen times larger than the Earth itself, and it is often shown alongside the Earth, dwarfing the small blue-green planet. There are also several accidents aboard the Time Squad Space Station; most notable of which is the terrarium being broken after Tuddrussel plays golf and breaks the glass shell. This action seems to have no consequences in future episodes.
The only other official member of Buck's unit is Larry 3000, a now more or less obsolete robot who would rather be cleaning up than going on missions. Buck's mindless machismo clashes with Larry's effete sensibilities, and the two bicker terribly. Added to this the fact that neither of them has any great knowledge of history, and they are officially the worst unit in Time Squad history.
However, when they encounter Otto Osworth, a ten-year-old history genius from the 20th century, he is quickly recruited and added to the team. Otto is shown to be the only one on the team with any enthusiasm or competence for the job. The problem is, neither of the other two are particularly willing to listen to his advice, and he must often resort to trickery to make sure the mission is completed.
Premise
According to Larry 3000, an effete android time cop, "time is like a rope", and can become unravelled. In the context of the show, this often means that historical figures have made different choices in life (see free will), and as such will not be able to fulfill the role that history says they fulfilled. An early example of this shows Eli Whitney failing to invent the cotton gin, instead creating a horde of flesh-eating robots. The Time Squad organisation was set up to ensure that history was maintained, and the future protected. Only three units of Time Squad are introduced on the show - one of which is that of Tuddrussel and Larry. All three have a single human officer and a robotic assistant, so it can be assumed that every unit follows the same formula.
Characters
- Beauregard "Buck" Tuddrussel (Rob Paulsen)
- A burly time cop in the peak of physical condition, Buck is less like a father to Otto and more like a carefree uncle. His obsessions are guns and beating people up, although he has a generally nice disposition. Tuddrussel is a total fanatic when it comes to justice, which is why he had a "Maximum Security" prison installed on the station for people in history who refused to set history right. He takes every opportunity on a mission to shout out his catchphrase: "IT'S GO TIME!" He frequently bickers with Larry, whose gentlemanly behavior and seriousness often clash with Tuddrussel's immature machismo. Tuddrussel's face and goggles seem to be permenantly stuck to his head, as it is the only part of his uniform he has never removed. He takes immense pride in his Southern heritage, most of his history knowledge centered around events such as the Alamo and Western characters such as Billy the Kid. His intellect seems to fluctuate depending on the situation, as he has expressed scientific knowledge from time to time.
- Laurrence "Larry" 3000 (Mark Hamill)
- Originally designed as a diplomat, Larry was put into Time Squad service when the world's nations all joined together in the year one million, an event which turned out to be the worst thing to ever happen to him, second only to being saddled in Tuddrussel's unit. He is the only one capable of operating the time-travelling technology and most of the technology aboard the space-station (Although Otto is smart, he does not know how to operate the actual console.) He is extremely effeminate, often expressing obvious homosexual tendencies, although he does show his masculine-side from time to time. He is an expert chef, although Otto is the only one who seems to appreciate his rare delicacies. He is also skilled at needlepoint, computers, and household chores, unfortunately he gets little to no appreciation from Tuddrussel. Although Larry expresses deep disdain for Tuddrussel, deep down he does value his friendship. David Wasson, the series creator, admits that Larry is a parody on Star Wars' C-3PO.
- Otto Osworth (Pamela Segall)
- Otto was adopted/kidnapped by Larry and Buck when they miscalculated a mission to the 19th century. He was more than willing to leave the orphanage and became an unnoffical member of the team. Although Otto has an enormous memory of history in nearly every field, deep down he is still a child, and easily gets along with Tuddrussel's immature, childlike attitude. In truth, he is the only member of the team to actually enjoy the history aspect of his job.
Guest stars
- Shiela Sternwell (Mari Weiss)
- Shiela is a capable and effective lieutenant in the Time Squad ranks. In truth however, she was married to Tuddrussel at one point. After realizing he was an utter moron, she got a divorce, which Tuddrussel seems to both regret and appreciate. She has more skill than Tuddrussel and takes her job far more seriously, and has more than once been called in to save Tuddrussel when he screws up. Whether Shiela still has feelings for Tuddrussel or not is debatable, she seems to be unsure of it herself.
- XJ5
- XJ5 is Shiela's robotic partner. As Shiela is the exact opposite of Tuddrussel, XJ5 is Larry's opposite. He is cool, calm and collected, and rarely complains about his job. He is also much more technologically advanced, not to mention capable, than Larry and enjoys rubbing it in his face. When Shiela displayed interest in Tuddrussel, he became concerned.
- J. T. Laser (Jim Wise)
- Time Squads poster boy and best agent, J. T. and his robotic assistant, the Lance 9,000,000,000,000 are Tuddrussel and Larry's heroes respectively, although deep down they are true jerks.
- Sister Thornley (Dee Dee Rescher)
- The cruel head nun at the School for Wayward Tots, which was Otto's home before being adopted by the Time Squad. She antagonizes Otto for reading history books in Episode 1, Eli Whitney's Flesh Eating Mistake.
Episode list
- Eli Whitney's Flesh Eating Mistake / Never Look a Trojan in the Gift Horse (aired 6/8/2001) - Eli Whitney builds carnivorous robots; the Greeks can't quite figure out how to end the Trojan War.
- Napoleon the Conquered / Confucius Say... Way Too Much (aired 6/15/2001) - Napoleon is too busy being henpecked by his wife Josephine to lead his famous wars; Confucius makes huge books of philosophy instead of the terse aphorisms he's known for.
- The Island of Doctor Freud / Daddio Da Vinci (aired 6/22/2001) - Freud makes people act like animals through hypnotism; Leonardo Da Vinci becomes a beatnik.
- To Hail with Caesar / Robin' and Stealin' With Mr. Hood (aired 6/29/2001) - Julius Caesar is an abbysmal failure as emperor; Robin Hood steals from the poor instead of the rich.
- Dishonest Abe / Blackbeard, Warm Heart (aired 7/6/2001) - Abraham Lincoln gets tired of being known as "Honest Abe" and becomes a prankster; Blackbeard is a "tender pirate" fighting for the environment.
- Ludwig van Bone-Crusher / Tea Time For Time Squad (aired 7/13/2001) - Beethoven becomes a wrestler; the Boston Tea Party nearly fails to happen... the right way, at least
- If It's Wright, It's Wrong / Recruitment Ad/Killing Time (aired 7/20/2001) - the Wright brothers hosts a failed stunt show; a fictional advertisement for Time Squad; and a bizarre episode, where after informing Copernicus, Time Squad wastes time in the 16th century
- Big Al's Big Secret / Larry Upgrade (aired 8/25/2001) - Albert Einstein abandons his research to sell used cars; Larry accidently downgrades himself, becoming an obediant servant.
- Every Poe has a Silver Lining / Betsy Ross Flies Her Freak Flag (aired 9/21/2001) - Edgar Allan Poe becomes painfully cheerful; Betsy Ross becomes a hippie and encourages George Washington's soldiers to join her commune.
- The Prime Minister Has No Clothes / Nutorius (aired 9/28/2001) - Winston Churchill becomes a nudist and encourages all of England to follow suit (or lack thereof); George Washington Carver has trouble with "mean peanuts" developed by his evil brother.
- Kubla Khan't / Lewis & Clark & Larry (aired 10/26/2001) - Kublai Khan only thinks about comic books, and after Buck gets himself captured by the Mongols, Larry must call in another Time Squad officer (who happens to be Buck's ex-wife Sheila) for help; Lewis & Clark's expedition is threatened by their dysfunctional relationship.
- Ivan the Untrainable / Where the Buffalo Bill Roams (aired 11/2/2001) - Tudrussel takes Ivan the Terrible with him to the satellite; Bufallo Bill turns into a paranoid conspiracy theorist.
- A Sandwich by Any Other Name / Shop Like an Egyptian (aired 2/1/2002) - The Earl of Sandwich gives his creation a less appetizing name; Cleopatra turn the Pyramids into a shopping mall.
- Planet of the Flies / Keeping It Real with Sitting Bull (aired 3/1/2002) - After Tudrussel kills a fly in the Stone Age, the Middle Ages are tormented by a giant fire-breathing fly, and future Earth becomes an insectoid version of Planet of the Apes; Sitting Bull enters a mid-life crisis.
- Houdini Whodunit?! / Feud for Thought (aired 3/29/2002) - Harry Houdini becomes a thief; Larry tries to get the McCoys to stand up for themselves so they'll start their famous feud with the Hatfields.
- A Thrilla at Attila's / Cabin Fever (aired 4/5/2002) - The team tries to figure out what went wrong with Attila in a Rashomon-style episode; a sudden lack of missions sets Larry and Tuddrussel on a collision course with each other.
- Pasteur Packs O'Punch / Floundering Fathers (aired 4/12/2002) - Louis Pasteur invents powdered fruit drinks, while Larry starts acting strangely due to an electric shock; when Otto catches a cold, Buck and Larry must convince Benjamin Franklin to help with the Declaration of Independence by themselves.
- The Clownfather / Hate and Let Hate (aired 4/19/2002) - Al Capone and his gang become party clowns; After accidentally leaving Otto behind on a mission, Larry and Buck start getting on each others' nerves.
- Love at First Flight / Forget the Alamo (aired 6/7/2002) - Tudrussel tries to help Amelia Earhart overcome her fear of germs; The residents of the Alamo don't want to fight, and organize a fiesta instead.
- Repeat Offender / Ladies and Gentlemen, Monty Zuma (aired 6/14/2002) - Blackbeard falls back into his old eco-terrorist ways; Montezuma becomes a stand-up comedian.
- Whitehouse Weirdness / Nobel Peace Surprise (aired 11/8/2002) - The White House becomes a House of Horrors, keeping Woodrow Wilson from taking office; Alfred Nobel starts giving out his Nobel Prize to troublemakers and evildoers.
- Out with the In Crowd / Child's Play (aired 3/14/2003) - Time Squad starts a jungle resort; Shakespeare tries to write children's theater.
- Day of the Larrys / Old Timers Squad (aired 3/21/2003) - Larry infests the space station with duplicates of himself; Elderly versions of Time Squad arrive with a message from the future.
- Billy the Baby / Father Figure of Our Country (aired 3/28/2003) - Billy the Kid becomes the only diaper-wearing outlaw in the West; George Washington challenges Tuddrussel as Otto's father-figure.
- Ex Marks the Spot / Horse of Horrors (aired 4/4/2003) - Buck and Sheila hook up again; Paul Revere suffers from a fear of horses.
- Floral Patton / Orphan Substitute (aired 11/26/2003) - George S. Patton is a pacifist who would rather open a flower shop; George W. Bush suddenly wants to make "a huge ball of twine", while Otto is stuck at the orphanage again.
Notes
Time Squad is not intended as an educational cartoon, like Liberty's Kids or Histeria!, but instead light-hearted entertainment. It is only loosely tied to the truth, and the inaccuracies range from the deliberately comical (such as Eli Whitney building flesh-eating robots) to the subtly misleading (such as Julius Caesar facing down Tuddrussel in the Coliseum of Rome, which would not be built for decades after Caesar's death, or evidence indicating Ludwig van Beethoven was not deaf). In some ways it is reminiscent of the "Improbable History" with Mr. Peabody from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, in that it is comical and any errors in historical accuracy are reflective of a need to entertain, not educate.