Tom Goes to the Mayor

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Tom Goes to the Mayor

Title card of promotional video which serves as the show's opening.
Genre Animated Sitcom, Satire
Running time 15 minutes
Creator(s) Tim Heidecker
Eric Wareheim
Starring Tim Heidecker
Eric Wareheim
Stephanie Courtney
Craig Anton
Ron Lynch
Country of origin USA
Original channel Cartoon Network, Adult Swim
Original run November 14, 2004–September 25, 2006
No. of episodes 30
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Tom Goes to the Mayor is an American animated television series on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, which premiered on November 14, 2004.

Tom Goes to the Mayor started off as a web cartoon on timanderic.com. It was popular enough to get a web sequel, in which David Cross guest stars. Bob Odenkirk noticed the show's potential, and has been producing it on Adult Swim. The basic plot of the show centers around Tom Peters, a new citizen to the town of Jefferton who is "full of ideas," and giving them to the Mayor, who always "tweaks" the ideas, which causes them to backfire.

The show features a crude yet distinctive animation style which is made by taking photos of the cast with different expressions. The photos are filtered (the effect can be accomplished in Photoshop using the 'photocopy' filter) so that they are made up of only blue and white; resembling mimeographs. There are some live action scenes, usually on a television within the show. Adult Swim has also described this as being one of the most polarizing shows they have had, indicating that fans either love it or hate it[1]. The show recently finished its second 17-episode season which began airing June 4, 2006.

On August 21st at 12:30, Tom Goes to the Mayor was broadcast as scheduled. Adult Swim then answered a fan letter requesting a marathon of the show by actually showing numerous episodes instead of the scheduled shows, as if on a whim.

Creators Tim and Eric recently announced in Chicago that this series will be out-of-production for the foreseeable future, so that they may concentrate on their new sketch comedy series. Production ended in September 2006 with 30 episodes.

Contents

[edit] Cast

Tom (right) and the Mayor
Enlarge
Tom (right) and the Mayor

Tom is a thirty-something man who seems rather listless. Despite the mutilations and failures of his ideas by the moronic Mayor, Tom retains an accepting, mellow attitude to it all, never becoming too enthusiastic or overwhelmed. He is often taunted by his stepchildren, (whom his wife Joy had in a previous marriage), not to mention the beratings he receives from Joy, who is depicted as quite possibly the worst wife that anyone could have. Tom has no apparent job (besides "local entrepreneur") and drives a Maluch that has severe emissions problems.

The Mayor is a friendly yet foolish (and somewhat childish) man who often spends his working days watching the TV in his office. He usually gains control of Tom's suggestions for the community and twists them into embarrassing situations. According to the Adult Swim website, he has served Jefferton for the past twelve years, due to family connections, low voter turnout, and a strange local law which gives the mayor thirteen-year terms of office. The Mayor is married and has three sons, though so far they are only seen in the episode "Puddin's."

  • Stephanie Courtney - Renee the Receptionist / Joy Peters
  • Craig Anton - City Council Member
  • Ron Lynch - City Council Member
  • Bob Odenkirk - Various random characters in nearly every episode, often appearing in live-action segments

[edit] Premise

Tom Goes to the Mayor episodes are often formulaic; Tom has an idea, and someone—usually the Mayor—manages to twist it into something terrible (or at least something non-beneficial). This is not to say that Tom's ideas are good; some of his ideas are portrayed as being better than they really are, such as his "Rats Off To Ya" T-shirts. But, whether Tom's ideas are good or bad, his mere association with them dooms them to failure. Sometimes this failure is assisted by the Mayor, who often adds unwelcome dimensions to Tom's ideas ("Bear Traps") or hi-jacks them completely ("Porcelain Birds"). Often, external forces derail his plans ("Vehicular Manslaughter", "Rats Off To Ya", "WW Lazerz"), and he is frequently left "holding the bag" after disaster occurs. And, without fail, even when other characters could help Tom, none do so.

Most episodes end in such a way as to make them impossible to work into any sort of true timeline. Tom is often left in situations which would land him in jail or otherwise destroy his life; at least one episode ended with the destruction of Jefferton in a massive flood and the presumed deaths of everyone in town except Tom, and another episode ended with Tom's assisted suicide and descent into Hell ("Spray a Carpet or Rug"). In many ways it is hinted at that each episode is totally separate, and that they happen at roughly the same time. The Mayor almost never seems to know who Tom is when he brings an idea to his front desk, though it's not known if this is a tragic memory dysfunction or a hint at the show's unique timeline. The chronology of the episode in which Tom picks his father up from the Jefferton airport, however, hints at the mayor's "memory loss" being more a function of Tom's tragic insignificance, a theme mirrored in the formula of the show. During the episode, Tom announces he is "working with the mayor" before entering into the formulaic, forgotten-name gag.

Even when Tom succeeds at something, such as his role as matchmaker during "Toodleday", his efforts are still portrayed as failures. This is the essence of Tom Goes to the Mayor: the complete haplessness of Tom and his travails as a hyper-tragic figure against an absurdist backdrop.

[edit] Guest stars

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

[edit] Episode guide

[edit] Season 1: 2004–2005

Episode Number Production Code Title Airdate Episode Information Special Guests
1 1 Bear Traps November 14, 2004 While the Mayor is watching a television program of Mike Fox's Scared Safe, a show dubiously devoted to child safety, Tom pops by with some half-witted ideas about improving child safety. Somehow, the Mayor comes up with the perfect child-safety solution: bear traps. With the aid of the Bear Trap Brothers (played by Jack Black and Kyle Gass of Tenacious D), Jefferton becomes the locale of the highest bear-trap-to-child ratio in the state. Jack Black, Kyle Gass
2 2 Pioneer Island November 21, 2004 Inspired by a TV commercial, the Mayor decides to resurrect the Jefferton theme park Pioneer Island, which burned to the ground many years ago. To celebrate the re-opening of the park, the Mayor launches a week-long "pioneer time" to the town. With Tom as his point man, the Mayor shuts off the town's power, makes everyone exchange their car keys for horses, and dons a turn of the 18th century French courtier costume. Without power, problems ensue, manifested by electronics salesman-turned-warlord Zynx (played by Patton Oswalt), and it's up to Tom to make things right. Patton Oswalt
3 3 WW Lazerz December 5, 2004 Flush with a chest full of World War II memorabilia he bought from the online auction site Webuy, Tom pitches an idea for a theme restaurant to the Mayor, who happens to have a grant from the city council for $250,000 for a historical project previously slated for a live monkey encased in an eclair covered with delicious chocolate-flavored sauce. Unfortunately for Tom, the Mayor insists his nephew Terry assist him in his efforts. Terry, though a child in appearance, is actually a twenty-something; his extreme child-like nature is a side affect of the inhaler he constantly puffs. Tom and Terry have creative differences, and the resulting restaurant (WW Lazerz) turns out to be a mockery of his ideas. Jordan Cohen, Davin Wood
4 5 Toodleday December 12, 2004 Although he has limited experience with dogs (and no dog), Tom is selected by the Mayor to provide a canine matchmaker for Jefferton's yearly holiday Toodleday, in which all eligible dogs in town are married. After purchasing the "last dog" from the local pet shop (run by Jeff Goldblum), Tom sets about the difficult task of training his new pup to become the Toodleday matchmaker. But the dog-doo hits the fan when Tom's pup is waylaid by an accident, and it's up to Tom to make sure the town's dogs achieve wedded bliss. Jeff Goldblum
5 4 Rats Off To Ya December 19, 2004 When Tom comes up with a novelty T-shirt depicting a top-hat doffing rat and the phrase "Rats Off To Ya!", the Mayor is so delighted by it he grants Tom a kiosk in the mall to peddle his wares in time for the Christmas shopping season. But after setting up his stand in front of a novelty store run by the glad-handing Pat Croece (played by Jeff Garlin), Tom has his shirt concept stolen (and improved) by the devious Croece. Tom's subsequent attempts to capitalize on the "Rats Off" idea (which becomes an overnight sensation) center around a pathetic "Hats Off To Ya" shirt, which is not nearly as endearing. ("Rats Off To Ya!" shirts were actually produced and can be purchased from the show's creators.) Jeff Garlin
6 6 Porcelain Birds April 17, 2005 When Jefferton's bird sanctuary is threatened by development, Tom brings the Mayor a petition from the town to save the birds. But the Mayor has a better idea: buying thousands of dollars worth of porcelain birds that are sure to appreciate significantly in value. Of course, Tom foots the bill, but when the birds turn out to be worth a bit less than the Mayor anticipated, woe is in the wind for Tom's finances and the real, non-porcelain birds. Maria Bamford, John Ennis, Edward Herrmann
7 7 Vehicular Manslaughter April 24, 2005 Tom actually has a good idea for once, a renewable power source based on human waste. Predictably, just as the City Council is about to approve the idea, the Mayor steps in, demanding a third party to verify Tom's plan. The third party turns out to be an old friend of the Mayor (played by Michael Ian Black) who seems more interested in dancing with the Mayor and calling Tom "Steven" than verifying anything. When Tom accidentally kills Black in a traffic accident, he's presented the choice of giving a eulogy at the funeral or facing manslaughter charges. Due to the fickle nature of his "Fun-Puter" (wife Joy is using his laptop for on-line sex), he's also forced to choose between saving his eulogy file or the file with his power plan. Michael Ian Black, Doug Lussenhop
8 8 Boy Meets Mayor May 1, 2005 Scandal grips Jefferton as a sex tape of the Mayor and the town's band leader makes it to the media. The Mayor needs a PR man to help him ride the storm, and wouldn't you know it, Tom is that PR man. In order to distract the furor over the sex tape, Tom, the Mayor and the sickly son of a local sandlemaker, Mr. Sandleman (played by Bob Odenkirk) take to a hot-air balloon and attempt to break a hot-air balloon record previously held by Sandleman.
9 10 Calcucorn May 8, 2005 The subject of the Joy's ex-husband's TV pilot Mi$ter Entrepreneur, Tom has developed a novelty calculator, the Calcucorn, which features a pink unicorn that speaks results of equations. The Mayor orders 3,000 of the calculators and distributes them to all local government officials and businesses before Tom "works out the kinks", exposing in dramatic fashion that the calculators are inaccurate. Tom, faced with the stress of being constantly filmed by Joy's ex-husband (played by David Cross) and the various crises caused by his faulty calculators, has a very non-Tom-like breakdown. David Cross
10 11 Gibbons May 15, 2005 Tom's old friend Gibbons (played by Brian Posehn) gives a solid example of someone who's even a bigger loser than Tom when he visits Jefferton and fails to leave as expected. Tom has a falling out with Gibbons, and when the Mayor stumbles on Gibbons at the Friendship Expo, he becomes smitten with the diminutive, annoying man. Tom's shortcomings as a friend are exposed at the expo when Gibbons falls in a well and gets media attention. Brian Posehn
11 12 Pipe Camp May 22, 2005 After all three of Tom's stepsons have heart attacks, Tom decides to take the initiative and form a "health camp for boys". The Mayor is delighted by the idea, so long as it's funded by Pipe's Buffet, a pipery/eatery located above the Mayor's office specializing in pipe tobacco and fatty meats. But when Tom suspects that the female counselor at Pipe Camp (played by Sarah Silverman in a fat-suit) may be pushing fatty meats and pipe smoking on the young boys at the camp, he is faced with yet another insurmountable dilemma. Sarah Silverman
12 9 Re-birth June 5, 2005 When Tom tries to start his own consulting business, the City Council rejects his application because his family is not registered. With the Mayor's assistance, Tom embarks on a three-step program to "normalize" his family, which may or may not help get them registered. Scott Chernoff
13 13 Vice Mayor June 12, 2005 Before Tom can flee Jefferton (being quite distraught that nothing has "worked out" for him), the Mayor awards him the post of Vice Mayor. However, this turns out to be the Vice Mayor of Hobotown, and it doesn't take long for Tom to become embroiled in a bad real-estate deal and a hobo-revolution. Fred Willard

[edit] Season 2: 2006

Episode Number Production Code Title Airdate Episode Information Special Guests
14 23 My Big Cups June 5, 2006 Tom opens a store called My Big Cups, which sells 1.8 liter cups. When The Mayor stops in to buy some cups, he falls in love with Tom's son's macaroni art on the wall. Tom must then duplicate the painting for Jefferton's upcoming 30th Anniversary Celebration. Sir Mix-a-Lot, Dustin Diamond
15 17 Bass Fest June 12, 2006 After his adult school field trip reveals cracks in the Richardson Family Dam, Tom goes on a mission to halt the upcoming Jefferton Bass Fest. With The Mayor, the Wiz, Joy and his children standing in the way, Tom launches a protest canoe to warn the town. Sean Hayes
16 27 Jeffy the Sea Serpent June 19, 2006 Tom and The Mayor invent a fake sea serpent to attract tourism. Unfortunately, Tom loses control of the machine, and the Mayor forgets it's all a ruse. Fred Armisen
17 26 White Collarless June 26, 2006 The Mayor hires Tom as a manager on a top-secret project. When Tom reports to work the first day, he realizes it's not the job he expected as the elevator descends deep into the Jefferton Mines. Louie Anderson, Mike Hitchcock.
18 16 Wrestling July 3, 2006 When the Jefferton wrestling coach collapses, Tom is called upon by the Mayor to coach the team. Tom quickly discovers the wrestlers have been using Flaxamax, a dangerously addictive weight enhancer made for racehorses. Gary Busey
19 22 Saxman July 10, 2006 The Mayor hires a smooth jazz saxman, managed by Tom, to perform at the Grand Opening of a Waterbed Galleria. Things go awry when Tom and Saxman make out. Tom Kenny, Robert Loggia.
20 18 Spray a Carpet or Rug July 17, 2006 A.K.A. Cosmo's Nightmare=The Mayor's obsession with getting rid of the Lawnmower Man ends with the Mayor hiring Tom to replace all the grass in the park with spray-on instant carpet. The carpet reacts in the sunlight, killing thousands and sending Tom to jail, and then on to Hell courtesy of Judd Hirsch. Judd Hirsch
21 15 Surprise Party July 24, 2006 After buying his kids a Bounce-House, Tom's funds are depleted. Unfortunately, Gibbons's birthday is fast-approaching (which falls on the same day as Tom's), and Gibbons is anticipating a new $800 sword signed by the dojo where it was forged. Tom stoops to new lows by stealing from kids wishing for dreams. Brian Posehn
22 19 CNE July 31, 2006 After Tom is having problems with frequent wet dreams involving him and his wife in a field of ponies, he sees a doctor (Zach Galifianakis). After his insurance runs out, he sees Dr. Michael Ian Black. Tom becomes a celebrity to achieve the pills to help with his Chronic Nocturnal Emissions (CNE). Michael Ian Black, Zach Galifianakis
23 30 Friendship Alliance August 7, 2006 Tom makes a new friend on a MySpace-esque site entitled Friendship Alliance, in John C. Reilly. After John accidentally snipes Gibbons, madness ensues. The Mayor saves the day by smelling Gibbons's beard. John C. Reilly, Brian Posehn
24 20 Zoo Trouble August 14, 2006 Tom and the Mayor team up to renovate the Public Zoo. Profits had been diminishing since Brian Doyle-Murray opened up a three-dimensional animal adventure across the street. Brian Doyle-Murray
25 21 The Layover August 21, 2006 Tom tries to spend eleven minutes with his dad. Bob Balaban
26 24 Couple's Therapy August 28, 2006 Tom embarks on a couple's cruise in an attempt to bond better with his wife only to find that the mayor is also trying to bond better with his wife. Janeane Garofalo, Garry Shandling
27 14 Glass Eyes September 4, 2006 Tom needs the Mayor's help to get the father-son barrel goat hunt back on. Dave Foley, Bob Odenkirk
28 28 Undercover September 11, 2006 Tom goes undercover at his son's school to find out if they are being served high levels of starch. Michael Cera, Zach Galifianakis, Bob Odenkirk
29 29 Puddin's September 18, 2006 Tom attempts a fast of only Puddin's (his stepson's favorite food) after his stepson dies from eating himself to death. Paul Reubens, Brian Posehn
30 25 Joy's Ex September 25, 2006 The Mayor and Tom spend a weekend at the Jefferton Castle while another one of Joy's ex-husbands interferes with Tom's life. Todd Barry
Spoilers end here.

[edit] Notes and trivia

In order to meet Wikipedia's quality standards, this article's trivia section requires cleanup.
Content in the trivia section should be integrated into other appropriate areas of the article.
  • In the first web short, Tom is known as Tom Bradley. In the second short, he is known as Tom Peters, but his wife's name is Tammy.
  • Tom has a tendency to substitute generic words for profanity in times of stress. Such examples include, "Shirt!" and "Crickets!" Those words often appear in yellow subtitle when spoken. This has extended to referring to an actual dam as a "darn."
  • The Mayor sometimes has trouble remembering Tom's name moments after meeting him, rattling off a series of truncated "T" names before Tom can remind him he is, in fact, Tom.
  • Apparently the three boys are not Joy's only children, as Joy Minder Pepper Peters is from "one of Joy's oldest daughters." Tom is Joy Minder Pepper Peters "step-grandpop," and is also a wolf child.
  • Tom insists on pronouncing aerobics as "ayer-oobics", though it is possible his style of aerobics is an offshoot. He also insists on pronouncing resumé (an account of work experience) like the verb 'resume' (to start again). This has become a running joke in the series, as Tom often mispronounces everyday nouns with the actual word appearing in yellow on the bottom of the screen to inform the viewers what word Tom is trying to communicate.
  • Tom is "allergic" to many things, including but not limited to pipe tobacco smoke, "Spray a Carpet or Rug" brand carpet-creating foam substitution, and his step-granddaughter.
  • Tom's house is portrayed as a hovel; In "Couple's Therapy", power lines are built over it and even his lawn has no grass. Tom's house number is 68 1/2.
  • Joy is usually depicted in close proximity to large amounts of fried foods. In "Pipe Camp" she is seen in the kitchen with a trough of over a dozen eggs and sausage links, and it is implied she intends to eat all of it. She has also appeared eating a Gulliver's "Lunch-Flavored Trough-Style Trough-Lunch".
  • Tom attended Springerton Valley Community College where he completed classes in hotel management and "Intro to Word".
  • The Mayor is viewed as a man of various passions which seem to change with every episode. He is an apparent aficionado of pipe smoking, fatty meats, porcelain birds, child safety, bass guitar, Chrysler LeBarons, novelty t-shirts, sandals, dogs, boats, theatrical acting, spaghetti, Gibbons, arson, and stories. He apparently has no taste for cups.
  • In Season 1 (but not 2), The Mayor was often found winking, at the camera in what appears to be (or is similar in fashion to what would be) Morse code. In the episode "Toodleday", a hallucination of The Mayor winking in this way hypnotizes the dog Scamps and causes him to return a response by winking. It is not known what message (if any) is given in this way.
  • It is interesting to note that in any given episode which features clapping, the manner in which it is done is not the standard method of placing the hands together (as if in prayer) with the arms pressed against the sides of the body, but instead an overhand method with the hands coming down together at opposite sides with the elbows bent. This is very distinctive and immediately noticeable.
  • The Mayor has eleven fingers due to a tragic horse accident.
  • Tom's last name Peters is often misspelled and mispronounced Petres.
  • During production of the second season, Tim Heidecker (the actor who portrays Tom) was stabbed by a neighbor in the course of fleeing for some distance from his apartment, down the street, in a circle once and eventually ending up in a gay bar being told he was bleeding profusely. Adult Swim ran a quick "get well soon" bump concerning this along with a photo of Tim's back focusing on the actual injury. Detailed information is located on Tim's Blog

[edit] DVD releases

Season Releases

DVD Name Release Date Ep # Additional Information
The Complete Series April 3, 2007 30 This three disc boxset will contain all 30 episodes from the shows first and second seasons. Bonus features include Commentary on every episode, Making of featurette, Married News, Deleted Scenes, Music Jukebox, Deleted Art Slideshow.

TVShowsondvd.com has announced the complete series of Tom Goes To The Mayor to come out on April 3, 2007 [1]

[edit] External links

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