Futurama episode
"That's Lobstertainment!"
Episode no.	40
Prod. code	3ACV08
Airdate	February 25, 2001
Writer(s)	Patric M. Verrone
Director	Bret Haaland
Opening subtitle	Deciphered From Crop Circles
Opening cartoon	Box Car Blues
Guest star(s)	Hank Azaria as Harold Zoid
Season 3 January 2001 – December 2002
Amazon Women in the Mood Parasites Lost A Tale of Two Santas The Luck of the Fryrish The Birdbot of Ice-Catraz Bendless Love The Day the Earth Stood Stupid That's Lobstertainment! The Cyber House Rules Where the Buggalo Roam Insane in the Mainframe The Route of All Evil Bendin' in the Wind Time Keeps on Slippin' I Dated a Robot A Leela of Her Own A Pharaoh to Remember Anthology of Interest II Roswell That Ends Well Godfellas Future Stock The 30% Iron Chef
List of all Futurama episodes...

"That's Lobstertainment!" is the 8th episode in season 3 of Futurama. It originally aired February 25, 2001. Futurama is an Emmy Award-winning animated sitcom created by Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons) and David X. Cohen for the Fox network. ... Image File history File links Futurama_ep40. ... February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Patric Miller Verrone is an American television writer and labor leader. ... Bret Haaland is an American animation director. ... Henry Albert Azaria (born April 25, 1964) is a three-time Emmy Award-winning American actor, comedian and voice artist. ... The complete Futurama DVD collection The following is an episode list for the FOX animated television series Futurama. ... Amazon Women in the Mood is the first episode in season three of Futurama. ... Parasites Lost is the 2nd episode in series 3 of Futurama. ... A Tale of Two Santas is the third episode in season 3 of Futurama. ... The Luck of the Fryrish is the 4th episode in season 3 of Futurama. ... The Birdbot of Ice-Catraz is the fifth episode in season three of Futurama. ... Bendless Love is the 6th episode in season 3 of Futurama. ... The Day the Earth Stood Stupid is the seventh episode in season three of Futurama. ... The Cyber House Rules is the ninth episode in season three of Futurama. ... Where the Buggalo Roam is the tenth episode in season three of the animated television series Futurama. ... “Insane in the Mainframe” is the eleventh episode in season three of Futurama. ... The Route of All Evil is the 12th episode in season 3 of Futurama. ... Bendin in the Wind is the 13th episode in season 3 of Futurama. ... Time Keeps on Slippin is the 14th episode in season 3 of Futurama. ... I Dated a Robot is the fifteenth episode in season three of Futurama. ... A Leela Of Her Own is the sixteenth episode in the third season of the animated series Futurama. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: A Pharaoh to Remember A Pharaoh to Remember is the 17th episode of Futuramas third season. ... Anthology of Interest II is the eighteenth episode of the third season of Futurama. ... Roswell That Ends Well is the nineteenth episode of the third production season of the TV show Futurama. ... Godfellas is the 20th episode of the 3rd season of Futurama. ... Future Stock is the 21st episode in the third season of Futurama. ... “The 30% Iron Chef” is the twenty-second episode in season three of Futurama. ... The complete Futurama DVD collection The following is an episode list for the FOX animated television series Futurama. ... Futurama is an Emmy Award-winning animated sitcom created by Matt Groening (creator of The Simpsons) and David X. Cohen for the Fox network. ... February 25 is the 56th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Plot

After a disastrous attempt at stand-up comedy, Dr. Zoidberg informs the crew that his uncle Harold Zoid was a star in the silent hologram era. Zoidberg writes to his uncle, asking for help with his comedy act. The washed up Harold Zoid sees this as an opportunity to restart his career. The crew sets off for Hollywood. Doctor John Zoidberg is a lobster-like alien, Decapodian, in the television series Futurama. ... A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ... ...

While taking a bus tour of movie stars' homes, Bender leaves the tour, and scams his way into employment as Calculon's water heater. Shortly after, Zoidberg meets his uncle in a fancy restaurant. Harold Zoid tells him to give up comedy, and that he needs Zoidberg to finance a drama to the tune of a million dollars. Always a source of bright ideas, Bender tells Calculon that he can star in the movie if he provides the production money. Calculon initially refuses, but after learning Harold Zoid wrote the script, and getting a guarantee from Bender that he will win an Oscar, he accepts. This article or section on a Television-related subject may need to be cleaned up and rewritten because it describes a work of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. ... Calculon is a recurring character on the animated television series Futurama. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ...

The film, The Magnificent Three, is a story about a son (the Vice-President of Earth) not wanting to follow in his father's (the President of Earth) footsteps. Unfortunately, the movie is terrible and at the premiere, the entire audience walks out. A furious Calculon threatens to kill Bender, Zoidberg, and Harold Zoid if they can't find some way to get him an Oscar.

Zoidberg and Bender set off to rig the awards; meanwhile, Leela and Fry are busy attempting to free their ship from the La Brea Tar Pits. When the awards reach the Best Actor award, Dr. Zoidberg tosses presenter Billy Crystal off the stage, and takes his place. In place of the fifth nominee, he substitutes Calculon. But when he sees his uncle's depression at being a has-been, Zoidberg announces him as the winner. Calculon, somewhat chastened by Harold Zoid's acceptance speech, decides not to kill him or the others. Fry and Leela eventually escape from the tar pits and are allowed to enter the awards ceremony when the skeleton they are dragging is mistaken for a celebrity. Turanga Leela (referred to as simply Leela) is the primary female character in the animated television series Futurama. ... This article or section on a Television-related subject may need to be cleaned up and rewritten because it describes a work of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. ... The Planet Express Ship is a fictional spaceship in the animated series Futurama. ... La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles Countys Miracle Mile District. ... Billy Crystal (born Israel William Krisstalsterne on March 14, 1947 in Long Beach, New York) is a Jewish American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. ... Sylvester Stallone (born July 6, 1946) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. ...

Cultural references

• The title references the 1974 documentary film That's Entertainment!.
• Zoidberg's comedy routine has a very strong resemblence to the 1980's comedian Yakov Smirnoff.
• Harold Zoid bears a striking resemblance to silent film star Harold Lloyd, right down to the straw hat and glasses, but his films are much more similar to the styles of Buster Keaton and other silent film stars. Zoid comments he flopped after they invented "Smell-O-Vision", referencing most of the silent movie stars becoming unemployed when talkies premiered.
• Harold Zoid's movie, "Close Shave" ends by saying "Buy Moxie".
• In the future, Mel Gibson's head has starred in the film Bravehead, a parody of the film Braveheart.
• Leela uses a tool similar to The Club to lock up the Planet Express ship.
• The film made by Harold Zoid is titled The Magnificent Three, a parody of The Magnificent Seven.
• The film Star Trek: The Pepsi Generation is nominated for an Oscar; this is a reference to the Star Trek fan film, Star Trek: The Pepsi Generation. The nomination of this film clashes with the plot of "Where No Fan Has Gone Before" which states that in the 31st century Star Trek has been banned.
• They Call Me MISTER Pibb is a reference to the film They Call Me MISTER Tibbs!
• Snow White and the 7 Ups is a reference to the film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
• Dr. Zoidberg presents the award for Best Actor. Two of the movies read are The Merchant of Venus (a parody of the The Merchant of Venice) and How Beige Was My Jacket (a parody of How Green Was My Valley.)
• The tour bus seen in the episode is called "Star Tours" and has a disclaimer reading "NOTE: BUS DOES NOT LEAVE EARTH." This is a reference to the Disney attraction, Star Tours.
• When Fry and Leela crash into the Tar Pits they find a skeleton, which they recognize as belonging to actor Sylvester Stallone, because of his usual brutish nature and stupidity (the skeleton is a caveman).
• When Calculon asks Bender, "Do you have an extra goto ten line?" this is a reference to BASIC.
• The Magnificent Three premieres at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, which has remained unchanged over 1000 years.
• When Zoidberg reads the wrong name, one of the Oscar officials shushes the officer, saying that it was how Marisa Tomei won the Oscar, referencing Tomei's highly unlikely Best Supporting Actress win for My Cousin Vinny at the 1992 Academy Awards.
• Calculon screams that the Golden Globes are the Emmies of award shows.
• Joan Rivers does her own voice in her customary red carpet role during major awards. Billy Crystal hosts the Oscars, which he did for five years.

See also: 1973 in film 1974 1975 in film 1970s in film years in film film // Events February 7 - Blazing Saddles is released in USA May 1 - George Lucas creates the first draft of what would eventually become Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. ... This article is about the 1974 MGM documentary film. ... Yakov Smirnoff (born January 24, 1951) is, according to his own description, a Ukrainian-born American comedian and painter. ... Harold Clayton Lloyd (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American film actor and director, most famous for his silent comedies. ... Joseph Frank Keaton, Jr. ... A sound film (or talkie) is a motion picture with synchronized sound, as opposed to a silent movie. ... Moxie soda logo Moxie, a carbonated beverage, is considered to be the USAs first mass produced soft drink. ... Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson AO (born January 3, 1956) is an American born Australian actor, director, and producer. ... Braveheart is a 1995 historical action/drama produced and directed by Mel Gibson, who also starred in the title role. ... The Club is trademark of a popular automotive steering wheel lock produced by Sharon, Pennsylvania based Winner International. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Magnificent Seven The Magnificent Seven is a 1960 western film directed by John Sturges, essentially an American remake of Shichinin no samurai (Seven Samurai). ... Where No Fan Has Gone Before is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of the animated series Futurama. ... The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment series. ... A bottle of Pibb Xtra Pibb Xtra (previously sold as Mr PiBB) is a carbonated soft drink marketed by The Coca-Cola Company. ... They call me MISTER Tibbs was a 1970 sequel to In the Heat of the Night (1967). ... This article is about a soft drink. ... Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a 1937 animated feature, the first produced by Walt Disney Productions. ... Title page of the first quarto (1600) The Merchant of Venice is one of William Shakespeares best-known plays, written sometime between 1596 and 1598. ... How Green Was My Valley is a novel of 1939, by Richard Llewellyn. ... Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is the division of The Walt Disney Company that conceives, builds and manages the theme parks and vacation resorts for which Disney is famous, as well as a variety of additional family-oriented leisure enterprises. ... Star Tours is a simulator ride located in many of the Disney theme parks, including Disneyland in California, Disney-MGM Studios in Florida, Disneyland Park in Paris, and Tokyo Disneyland in Japan. ... Sylvester Stallone (born July 6, 1946) is a two-time Academy Award-nominated, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. ... Screenshot of Atari BASIC, an early BASIC language for small computers. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Marisa Tomei (born December 4, 1964) is an Academy Award-winning American film and stage actress. ... My Cousin Vinny is a 1992 American movie, released on Friday, 13 March, starring Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei. ... The 64th Academy Awards were presented March 30, 1992 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. ... The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ... An Emmy Award. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The red carpet at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival; to the left is Rachael Harris A red carpet is a strip of carpet in the colour red, which is laid out to welcome VIPs such as dignitaries and celebrities at formal events. ... Billy Crystal (born Israel William Krisstalsterne on March 14, 1947 in Long Beach, New York) is a Jewish American actor, writer, producer, comedian and film director. ...

Production notes

• In the DVD commentary, the producers mention that this is considered by fans to be the worst episode of the series, supposedly because it is Zoidberg-centric.
• Hank Azaria, who has done various voices on the Matt Groening cartoon The Simpsons, guest stars as Harold Zoid in the episode.
• The Daily Variety headline "Fox Exex Bax Sex Pix, Flix Lax Crux Bux, Stox Sinx, Ax Prex" is a reference to an old Variety headline from the 1930s which read "Sticks Nix Hick Pix".

Henry Albert Azaria (born April 25, 1964) is a three-time Emmy Award-winning American actor, comedian and voice artist. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... STICKS NIX HICK PIX is one of the most famous headlines ever to appear in an American publication. ...

Continuity

• The announcer at the stand up comedy show and a guest at the Oscars are the same water-based alien race as is featured in "My Three Suns".
• It is interesting to see here that Hollywood, LA is not the wasteland it was made out to be in the Season 2 Episode "The Cryonic Woman", but rather, another Futuristic City. Since a desert landscape is noticeable before the ship crosses over the Hollywood sign, it is logical to assume that only the Hollywood area of Los Angeles has evolved over time.
• In this episode Zoidberg's parents are revealed to be named Norm, Sam, and Sadie, providing clues as to the reproductive cycle of Decapodians.

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

That's Lobstertainment!