"Nerdator" is a segment in Episode 11. It was written by Paul Dini and directed by Jack Heiter. "Nerdator" originally aired on the evening of December 31, 1995, as part of the Kids' WB! New Year's Eve Bash.
Synopsis
A mysterious creature known as "the Nerdator" is using a ray to take nerds prisoner in order to steal their intelligence and control the world. When he takes Dexter captive, Freakazoid teaches him the error of his ways.
Characters
- Pamela Anderson (caricature; voiced by Tress MacNeille)
- Announcer
- Dexter Douglas
- Elliot (the boy from E.T., now grown in the sequel; voiced by Quinton Flynn)
- Emmitt Nervend (in nerd cage with politicians)
- E.T. the Extraterrestrial (voiced by Frank Welker)
- Fan Boy
- Freakazoid
- Bill Gates (caricature; voiced by Maurica LaMarche)
- Kathie Lee Gifford (caricature; voiced by Tress MacNeille)
- Pope John Paul II (caricature)
- Kato Kaelin (caricature; voiced by Maurice LaMarche)
- Nerd with tickets to Yo Yo Ma (voiced by Frank Welker)
- The Nerdator
- Brad Pitt (caricature; voiced by Maurice LaMarche)
- William Shatner (caricature; voiced by Maurice LaMarche)
- Tom Snyder (caricature; voiced by Paul Rugg)
- Steff
- Steven Spielberg
- Wendy (non-nerdy girl; voiced by Tress MacNeille)
Trivia
- This segment contains the second E.T. parody in Episode 11.
- This segment is a slight parody of the Arnold Schwarzenegger film Predator. In that film, an alien creature that resembles Freakazoid!'s Nerdator (although the film version is organic, not the metallic being seen on Freakazoid!) preys on humans for sport in war-torn Central America. The creature and other members of its race have appeared in several subsequent films.
- Kato Kaelin, the President of the United States in Nerdator's vision of a U.S. run by good-looking-but-vapid airheads, was a key witness for the prosecution in the O.J. Simpson trial. Kaelin, an unemployed surfer, had been staying in a guest house on Simpson's property. His line, "I don't know... I think maybe... I heard a thump," is a direct quote from his testimony.
- The writers shown on Nerd Island include caricatures of Stephen King, Anne Rice, and John Grisham (as well as seemingly the director of this segment, Jack Heiter).
- In addition to Spielberg, the film directors on Nerd Island include George Lucas, Danny DeVito, and Tim Burton.
- The caged politicians are Ross Perot, George H. W. Bush, Hillary Clinton and President Bill Clinton. The Clintons previously appeared in the Episode 3 "Mo-Ron" segments and "Freakazoid Is History!"
- Dexter is placed in a nerd cage with several Freakazoid! crew members: Scott Jeralds, Tom Ruegger, Mitch Schauer, Dan Riba, Bruce Timm, and Ronaldo Del Carmen.[1]
- Paul Rugg had screened calls for Tom Snyder's talk show, and so had had plenty of time to hone his impression. He told Paul Dini about Snyder's obsession with Lionel trains, and Dini wrote the entire monologue for Rugg to deliver as it appears in the episode. Snyder later showed the Freakazoid! clip parodying him during an anniversary program for his show.[2]
- Pope John Paul II is caricatured on the show for the second time, last seen in the cold open to Episode 3.
- William Shatner becomes the third Star Trek main cast member to be caricatured on the show, after George Takei and Leonard Nimoy. His famed performance of Elton John's "Rocket Man" is referenced.
- The vapid airheads the Nerdator captures at the end include Fabio, Keanu Reeves, and Brad Pitt.
- This segment contains the series' second reference to Spielberg's recent founding of his new studio DreamWorks with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen. When Spielberg is captured, Freakazoid notes with relief that they won't have to listen to anymore DreamWorks stories.
- In an animation error, Freakazoid is seen at Shatner's Buffalo convention appearance, being captured along with the other fans.