| Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 | |
|---|---|
Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 title card. |
|
| Also known as | Aqua Teen Hunger Force (Official title from 2000-2010) |
| Genre | Absurdist humor Dark humor Surreal humor |
| Created by | Matt Maiellaro Dave Willis |
| Voices of | Dana Snyder Carey Means Dave Willis Matt Maiellaro George Lowe |
| Narrated by | Schoolly D (2000–2002) |
| Theme music composer | Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Schoolly D (2000–2010) Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1: Josh Homme and Alain Johannes (2011–present) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 8 |
| No. of episodes | 110 (1 unaired) (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Keith Crofford Mike Lazzo |
| Producer(s) | Matt Maiellaro Dave Willis Jay Wade Edwards |
| Running time | 11–12 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Williams Street Radical Axis |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | Adult Swim |
| Picture format | 4:3 SDTV (2000–2007) 16:9 HDTV (2008–present) |
| Original run | December 30, 2000 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Space Ghost Coast to Coast |
| External links | |
| Website | |
Aqua Teen Hunger Force (often abbreviated as ATHF or Aqua Teen), retitled Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 (or AUPS1) in 2011,[1] is an American animated television series on Cartoon Network's late night programing block, Adult Swim, as well as Teletoon's Teletoon at Night block and later G4 Canada's ADd block in Canada. It is one of the spin-offs of Space Ghost Coast to Coast, and as of 2011, the longest running original series on Adult Swim, as well as the only remaining original series continuously airing since the program block launched in 2001. It originally premiered in a block with three other original Williams Street series in December 2000, before Adult Swim officially debuted; the others were Sealab 2021, The Brak Show, and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.[2][3]
The show is about the adventures of three anthropomorphic fast food items—Master Shake, Frylock, and Meatwad—and their next-door neighbor Carl Brutananadilewski, who used to live in the suburbs of southern New Jersey but have since moved to an identical neighborhood in Seattle, Washington. While the series initially gave no explanation as to the characters' origins, the 2007 feature film Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters revealed that they were created by an anthropomorphic watermelon slice as part of a plot to inherit their accumulated real estate holdings once the characters inevitably killed each other.
The series was originally pitched as a parody of detective series that would have found the "Hunger Force" fighting crime and solving mysteries. Once the series was established, the creators quickly dropped the idea and instead turned the show into a surreal sitcom, with humor derived from intentionally incoherent plots and absurd visual gags. The show has little continuity, and episodes often end with one or more of the main characters dying. Situations often involve the Aqua Teens being visited by strange monsters and extraterrestrial beings, most of whom are of little power or consequence. An initially structured plot is often abandoned as characters' actions take the story far afield.
As of 2011, a total of 109 episodes have aired during the show's eight seasons. An episode, entitled "Boston", was meant to air during the fifth season, but was pulled to avoid further controversy surround the 2007 Boston bomb scare,[4] and has never aired or been released to the public in any format. The series has been renewed for a ninth season, which will premiere on May 20, 2012, and contain ten episodes.[5] Since its release, the series has developed a cult following, and its popularity resulted in three different spin-offs: Spacecataz, Carl's Stone Cold Lock of the Century of the Week, and Soul Quest Overdrive.
Contents |
Aqua Teen Hunger Force, later titled Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1, is directed by Jeremiah Mills and Matt Maiellaro, animated by Radical Axis and produced by Williams Street. Much of the dialogue is supplemented with ad libs and improvisation by the voice talent.[6] The show is fully scripted but ad libs are included in the final voice recordings and the shows are animated to include this improvisation. Many, if not all, of the crew and cast members formerly worked on Space Ghost Coast to Coast.[2] Rapper Schoolly D performed the theme song for the first seven seasons, and in early episodes also provided periodic commentary. As of season eight, the theme song was performed by Josh Homme.[7]
The three main characters—Master Shake, Frylock, and Meatwad—were originally created for an episode of Space Ghost Coast to Coast called "Baffler Meal", where they were the corporate mascots for a fictional fast-food chain called "Burger Trench". The original versions of the trio were prototypes which resembled the future characters, but both Master Shake and Frylock differed in appearance, personality, and voice from their ultimate design.[8] The original name "Teen Hunger Force" refers to the squad's mission to conquer hunger in teens.[9]
"Baffler Meal" did not air for several years, and was not even animated or produced until after the series became popular. Instead, the Space Ghost episode was rewritten as "Kentucky Nightmare", while the trio, along with Carl Brutananadilewski, debuted in "Rabbot", the pilot episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. A full season consisting of sixteen episodes, including "Rabbot", was put into production shortly thereafter. The series is now one of Adult Swim's most popular shows, and is the only show from the original Adult Swim line-up to still be in production.[10]
In early episodes, the trio were identified by Master Shake as the "Aqua Teen Hunger Force", which solved crimes for money. After a few episodes, this premise and the use of the name by the characters were dropped. The premise was a trick that had been added to appease Cartoon Network executives, who "didn't want to air a show about food just going around and doing random things."[10] In the show itself, Frylock mentions that they stopped fighting crime because "that wasn't making us a whole lot of money".[11]
In 2011 the series' title was officially changed to Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1.[7] In addition, the series' location was changed from New Jersey to Seattle, Washington,[12] which is almost exactly the same as their former home. In a 2011 interview when asked why the series' title was changed, Matt Maiellaro stated, "We were bored with it, decided to change it, come up with a new fresh open and a whole new show, just try it out".[12]
During the first two seasons, which were released on DVD in three volumes, episodes cold-opened with a glimpse into the laboratory of Dr. Weird. He and his assistant Steve use the first several seconds of the show to create monsters, disasters, and various other things. In earlier episodes of the first season, the monsters or creations usually formed the basis for the plot, but as the crime-fighting element of the program disappeared, the Dr. Weird segment became a non sequitur opening gag.
In the third season, Dr. Weird was dropped in favor of segments from the pilot episode of Spacecataz, an unaired spin-off created by Dave Willis and Matt Maiellaro. Six episodes were planned for production, but Adult Swim felt that there was little, if anything, that could be made into five more episodes, since all of the characters were destroyed at the end of the pilot.[13] These segments featured the Mooninites and Plutonians trading insults, gestures, and practical jokes. The full Spacecataz pilot is available as a special feature on the Volume Four DVD box-set.[14] The Mooninites appear to outsmart the Plutonians for much of the series including tagging the Plutonians' ship and reversing a prank that involved 50 million large pizzas.
The openings were dropped starting in the fourth season. With the exception of his picture being visible in Frylock's room, Dr. Weird did not appear again until Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters in 2007. After his appearance in the movie, he made a cameo in "One Hundred", and later made his final appearance in "Allen Part 1" in 2011.[15]
During the Aqua Teen Hunger Force era, the show ended with an apparent history of the "Aqua Teens", showing what appear to be the three characters in Egyptian murals, then being abducted by Abraham Lincoln and sent to the moon in a wooden rocket ship, where they are shown sitting around a campfire when an Apollo astronaut arrives. During this sequence, a soundbite from "Rabbot", Master Shake saying "dancing is forbidden", is played repeatedly to a beat.
As of 2011 each episode of the now-titled Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 closes with a reprise of the intro music with skip frame animations of the characters.
The main cast of the series consists of Dana Snyder as Master Shake, Carey Means as Frylock and series co-creator Dave Willis as both Meatwad and Carl. In addition to the main cast series co-creator Matt Maiellaro voices Err, Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future. Members of the main cast and Matt Maiellaro also voice several minor and one-time characters.
Aqua Teen Hunger Force also has a larger recurring cast as well. Series animator C. Martin Croker provides the voice of supporting characters Dr. Weird and Steve. Andy Merrill provides the voice of Oglethorpe, and Mike Schatz provides the voice of Emory. mc chris, who has a history of voicing characters on Adult Swim shows, provides the voice of MC Pee Pants. Comedy writer Tommy Blacha provides the voice of Dr. Wongburger. In addition to their main recurring roles, many recurring voice actors also play different minor roles as well.
George Lowe, who is best known for providing the voice of Space Ghost on Space Ghost Coast to Coast, plays several bit roles on Aqua Teen Hunger Force; oftentimes the role of himself with different occupations.
In addition to the main and recurring cast several comedians and other voice actors oftentimes play minor or one-time bit roles, as either villains or everyday bystanders.
| Cast members | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dana Snyder | Carey Means | Dave Willis | Matt Maiellaro | C. Martin Croker | Andy Merrill | Mike Schatz | mc chris | Tommy Blacha | George Lowe |
| Master Shake | Frylock | Meatwad, Carl, Ignignokt, Boxy Brown, Various | Err, Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future, Markula, Various | Dr. Weird (2000-2011), Steve, Various | Oglethorpe, Various | Emory | MC Pee Pants, Various | Dr. Wongburger | Various |
A feature film based on the show, Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, was released on April 13, 2007. The movie follows the origins of the Aqua Teens, which includes an exercise machine, Neil Peart of the band Rush, a watermelon slice named "Walter Melon", and an appearance by heavy metal band Mastodon in the opening sequence. The film also introduces a fourth Aqua Teen, a chicken nugget named "Chicken Bittle" (voiced by Bruce Campbell). The Plutonians and the Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future, recurring characters, both make appearances in the movie, as well as the Mooninites, Dr. Weird, and MC Pee Pants.[16]
For April Fools' Day 2007, Cartoon Network aired for free Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters during the Adult Swim programming block even though it had not yet been released. However, it was aired shrunken and in the bottom corner of the normal programming that was being aired at the time, and contained no sound.
A sequel to Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters called Death Fighter is planned for release in summer 2012.[17] Unlike the first film, the sequel may be released straight to DVD rather than theatrically.[18] An Adult Swim bump addressed the status of the film, referencing Wikipedia's claim that it is "totally happening", followed by a statement from Adult Swim that it is not.[19]
In a 2010 interview staff members of Radical Axis confirmed that a sequel was indeed in production, and mentioned the possibility that the film might be made in 3-D.[20]
On January 31, 2007, as part of a national guerrilla marketing campaign, Peter Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28, installed LED displays depicting the Mooninites in eleven different cities: Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Portland, Denver, Austin, San Francisco, and Philadelphia. In Boston, the authorities considered the LEDs suspicious, prompting the closure of major roads and waterways for investigation. Turner Broadcasting System later admitted placing the LEDs and apologized for the misunderstanding. In spite of the uproar, Berdovsky and Stevens mocked the media and critics in interviews while facing charges for "placing a hoax device and disorderly conduct".[21] Subsequently, all criminal charges were dropped in exchange for Berdovsky and Stevens apologizing during their court date and accepting a plea bargain which consisted of community service at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Center.[22] Turner Broadcasting has paid the Boston Police Department one million dollars to cover the investigation's cost and an additional million for good will.[23][24] This action was designed to settle criminal and civil claims, while the general manager of Cartoon Network stepped down because of the incident. Of the 10 cities in which the Lite-Brite-like LED displays were placed, only Boston saw them as a matter of concern. The installations had been up for weeks prior to the panic.[23]
An episode from season five, entitled "Boston" was produced as the series creators' response to the scare, but Adult Swim pulled it to avoid further controversy surrounding the events of the bomb scare.[25] "Boston" has never aired, and has never been released to the public.
| DVD name | Release date | Ep # | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqua Teen Hunger Force | |||
| Volume One | November 18, 2003 | 16 | Original cut of "Rabbot". Commentary for "Rabbot", "Mayhem of the Mooninites", & "Space Conflict from Beyond Pluto". English, French, and Spanish subtitles. |
| Volume Two | July 20, 2004 | 13 | "Baffler Meal" (Space Ghost Coast to Coast episode), Baffler Meal music video, Future Wolf II: Never Cry Wolf: Origin of the series, Future Wolf III, and Photo gallery. Deleted scenes from "Super Model", "Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future", "Super Birthday Snake", and "Baffler Meal". Commentary from "Super Trivia", "Meat Zone", "Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future", and "Baffler Meal". Volume Two was released on Adult Swim in a Box on October 27, 2009. |
| Volume Three | November 16, 2004 | Photo gallery, promotional spots, documentary on the making of "The Cloning", character answering machine messages, music videos and karaoke for "Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary". Commentary for "Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary", "The Shaving", "The Clowning", and "The Last One". Deleted scenes from "Broodwich", Alternative ending for "The Clowning", and "Dr. Weird's Ice Cream Social". | |
| Volume Four | December 6, 2005 | The pilot episode of Spacecataz, funny Pete Stuff, San Diego Must Be Destroyed 2004, Raydon, F-ART, The Faces in Front of the Throats that Make the Voices that Speak into the Microphone, and Send us money for this. Commentary for "Video Ouija", "Unremarkable Voyage", "Gee Whiz", "eDork", "Little Brittle", "Mooninites 4: The Final Mooning", "Dusty Gozongas", "Hypno-Germ", and "Spacegate World" ("Carl"). Alternative audio tracks for "Remooned", "Robositter", "Diet", and "T-shirt of the Living Dead". | |
| Volume Five | January 29, 2008 | I Like Your Booty Music Video (iTunes Bonus), Aqua Teen responds to the critics, Learn to Shred Like the Master, Tera Patrick Eats a Hot Dog, Granny Takes Her Top Off, The Worst Game Ever (interactive DVD game), "Chambraigne" (Space Ghost Coast to Coast episode), Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters premiere with Space Ghost, Deleted Scenes, Favorite Episode Promos, Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am (video game trailer). | |
| Volume Six | December 16, 2008 | All episodes from 2007 and 2008 of Carl, Terror Phone - short film starring Dana Snyder and Carey Means, All cut scenes from Zombie Ninja Pro-Am, Radical Axis Presents Radical Axis—featurette profiling show animators, Radical Axis, and more Funny Pete Stuff. Commentary for "Reedickyoulus", "Hoppy Bunny", and "The Marines". | |
| Volume Seven | June 1, 2010 | 11 | Live Action Behind the Scenes: The Making of 12 Minutes of Television That Changed Television for 12 Minutes, "Rubberman" Behind the Scenes: Our Mom and Uncle Sing About Condoms, Dumb Down Your Smartphone, Terror Phone II: The Legend of Rakenstein, and Live Action Carl: The Dave Long Story: Shave Your Head, Grow a Mustache and Gain 80 lbs for a Shot at Fame. This is the first Aqua Teen Hunger Force DVD (not counting the movie) to have completely uncensored dialogue but the rare bits of nudity remain censored . |
| Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 | |||
| Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1: season 1 | October 11, 2011 | 17 | "Terror Phone 3," the highly-anticipated continuation of the "Terror Phone" saga.[26] |
In addition to being available on DVD, episodes of the series are also available on iTunes and the he "Build a Custom DVD" feature on the Adult Swim website. The season five episode, "Boston", was never released to the public in any format.
Aside from being released on DVD, other merchandise for the show has been made, including T-shirts, hats/caps, socks, and pants. In 2007 Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters Colon the Soundtrack, a sound track for the movie was released, and in 2009 Have Yourself a Meaty Little Christmas, a Christmas album, sung by characters from the show was released. Video games based on the series have also been released including Destruct-O-Thon in 2004, and Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am in 2007, and an online flash game titled "The Worst Games Ever" is available for free play on the Adult Swim website.
Adult Swim Shop also has merchandise available on their website including iPod covers, an actual "Visible Frylock Poster" as seen in Frylock's room, a movie poster, a throw pillow, dog collars, a bean bag chair in the likeness of Meatwad, an actual drinking cup in the likeness of Master Shake, flash drives, and a matryoshka doll in the likeness of Carl.[27]
In September 2010 Adult Swim Shop introduced a full scale, functioning hot air balloon in the likeness of Meatwad at a cost of $70,000.00. The purchase includes a piloted, one-hour ride anywhere in the continental United States, and the buyer gets to keep it (though they would need a pilot's license to actually fly it). Due to the high cost, few people have actually purchased the balloon, but it has received fairly positive reviews.[28] The balloon is the most expensive item on Adult Swim Shop since the Metalocalypse "Dethklok Fountain" fountain, which was released early in 2010 for $40,000.00.
In January 2009, IGN listed the series as the 39th best in the Top 100 Best Animated TV Shows.[29] The series was nominated for two Teen Choice Awards in 2007 and 2008.[30]
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