"Officer Buck Tuddrussel. Time Squad. I come from a future where there's no more war, no pollution, and bacon's good for yer heart! Oh, and, we've figured out time travel! Eh, there was nuthin' to it!"-Buck Tuddrussel introducing himself to Otto and the audience in Episode 1, Time Squad
You Know What's REALLY Cool?! Time Squad!
Oh, sure, sure! Shows like Bluey and We Bare Bears are pretty cool! But, you know what's really cool? Time Squad!
Welcome back Young and Young-at-Heart Explorers! Today on Something Niche, we will looking at our first television show and first cartoon; a little-known hidden gem from a little place called Cartoon Network.
While it may be a bit more obscure for my streaming age viewers, those who grew up in the 1990s and 2000s (like yours' truly) will remember Cartoon Network as one of the best places to relax and escape the tedium of our everyday lives once our homework and chores were done! Alongside the likes of other cable networks like Nickelodeon and Disney Channel, Cartoon Network has spent its now over 30-year existence providing the world with plenty of wacky and kooky worlds that fueled the childhoods of many, with now fondly remembered programs filling its airwaves such as Dexter's Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, Codename: Kids Next Door, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, the Ben 10 franchise, and more recently, Adventure Time and Steven Universe.
However, not all of those shows have managed to become franchised to hell and back at one point or another, with a few programs getting lost in the shuffle in favor of their more well-known peers. Some deservedly so (like the disaster that was Out of Jimmy's Head), while others were underappreciated gems that had their metaphorical flames extinguished too early. Time Squad was one of those shows.
The brainchild of Dave Wasson-later known for his work on The Cuphead Show-Time Squad was a sci-fi comedy that lasted for a mere 26-episode run before ironically becoming lost to time itself, despite having all the merit needed in order to become another one of CN's multi-season merchandising juggernauts. Compared to its contemporaries, not a lot of love has been shown towards Time Squad by its network, with even reruns and DVD releases having since become scarce, and no legal streaming release in the U.S!
However, the very few who grew up watching the exploits of the titular Time Squad have been willing to keep this obscure piece of history in their memories and have been able to share their love with a small, but dedicated growing fanbase. And with each passing year, Time Squad has been able to amass more and more fans even over 20 years after its abrupt cancellation.
And perhaps we should set aside some of our own time to see why!
Clocking In
As suggested by its name, Time Squad is a comedic science fiction serial focusing on time travel, in the vein of Back to The Future and Bill and Ted. It focuses on the exploits of the titular Time Squad Unit; a police force established in the future of 100 Million A.D. in order to fix screw-ups that have been popping up at various points in history.
Our three main characters are Buck Tuddrussel (pictured above to the far left, and voiced by cartoon veteran Rob Paulsen), a Southern-Draweled officer of Time Squad whose heart is bigger than his brain, Larry 3000 (pictured above on the right, and voiced by pop culture legend Mark Hamill), a British-accented and posh robot programmed in etiquette, and modern-day orphan Otto Osworth (pictured above on the near left, and voiced by Pamela Adlon of King of the Hill fame), who tags along with the duo after encountering them and has an encyclopedic knowledge of history.
Every episode deals with the time traveling escapades of these three, directly interacting with real historical figures in nearly every episode and falling into comedic shenanigans along the way. Every episode often deals with a surreal twist on real-world history brought upon by, as designated by Larry early on in the series, the threads of time unravelling with age and causing rifts in history.
Of course, barely anything is taken seriously in this cartoon, with many episodic conflicts coming as the direct result of a series of humorous screw-ups stemming from both Buck and Larry. Buck would often get into hijinks and break things thanks to him preferring brawn over brains, while Larry would get too caught up in knowledgeable pursuits and the praise he would receive. Ultimately, its usually up to the young and spirited Otto to getting things in history fixed, often through a quickly-thought compromise or anachronistic deux-ex machina established earlier in the episode-or even by complete accident on a few occasions!
A Historic Hodgepodge
Aside from the main trio, Time Squad manages to fit in a small, but memorable cast of supporting characters during its equally short run.
The two most notable are Shelia Sternwell-Tuddrussel (pictured above to the front right, and voiced by Mari Weiss), another member of the Time Squad and the no-nonsense ex-wife of Buck, and her high tech-equipped robot partner and on-again off-again rival to Larry, XJ5 (pictured above to the far right, and voiced by Daran Norris). These two make their appearances in a few episodes to offer assistance to the trio, often outshining them in performance, but still having respect for them. One notable episode even focuses on Buck and Shelia reconnecting after a mission-shown to still be mature enough to be friends in a notable diversion from the normally-sad depictions of divorce in other media.
However, perhaps the most notable cast members of the series are the high school textbook's worth of real-life historical figures that the group encounters each episode, be they the Founding Fathers of American history like John Hancock, or the historical spearheads of foreign nations, such as the great Chinese philosopher Confucious. Each historical figure they meet has fallen victim to one of the aforementioned screw-ups in history, usually through a wacky, anachronistic career change, random shift in personality, or just a swap in the minor details. Some strange examples include Albert Einstein becoming a used car salesman in Texas, Edgar Allen Poe becoming a writer of sappy children's books, or even the Great Aztec Emperor Montezuma becoming a standup comedian. Every story provides a hilarious adventure for kids to latch onto, along with a few sly little wink wink nudge nudge subtleties to keep the parents chuckling!
Rewriting History
Time Squad made its grand debut on Cartoon Network on June 8th, 2001, as part of the "Cartoon Cartoon Summer" event. As noted earlier, it was the brainchild of animator Dave Wasson, who at the time was probably most well-known in the animation community for his work on Nickelodeon's Oh Yeah! Cartoons anthology series and the now-cult classic films Cool World and Space Jam.
When describing his series, Wasson called it a "C-grade student's history report" and even took some inspiration from his childhood past in Arkansas. He notably planned to provide the voice of Buck Tuddrussel himself before ultimately giving the reigns to Rob Paulsen, possibly due to a high workload.
Upon its release, Time Squad received generally favorable reviews for its humor, voice acting, and art direction, and even received a couple of nominations at the Annie Awards, an award circuit where some of the best of the animation industry is honored. During the show's second year, a kid's toy line with Subway (yes, they used to do that) was produced. A small selection of flash games was also produced for Cartoon Network's website, most notably Time Squad: Time Travel, a Galaga-esque shooter where you control Buck Tuddrussel as he attempts to shoot falling clocks out of the sky.
However, despite attaining critical appraisal and a dedicated fanbase, Time Squad sadly could not escape the shadow of its fellow Cartoon Cartoons. It was massively overshadowed by shows like Ed, Edd, N' Eddy, Codename: Kids Next Door, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Samurai Jack, and the later seasons of Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, and The Powerpuff Girls. It also could not escape comparisons to the likes of Histeria and Mr. Peabody and Sherman, the latter of which Time Squad even acknowledged humorously in a promo. Cartoon Network moving its airtime to a death slot didn't help either.
Ultimately, Time Squad's future was ironically cut short, its final episode bringing the series to an abrupt halt on November 26th, 2003. Reruns continued to air once in a blue moon for a couple of years afterwards, but by 2005, Cartoon Network had left the series buried in the sands of time its protagonists once traveled through, with no home media releases in the U.S., nor any way to stream the series legally during the age of streaming. It has had a bit more luck overseas, however, with the first few episodes receiving a DVD release in the UK and the entire series recently becoming available to stream on HBO Max servers in Australia.
The Second Hand Unwinds
However, in recent years, it would seem that Time Squad's luck may have changed for the better. Many 2000s kids who first caught the show when it was on the air have since gone back to it and dedicated entire retrospectives to it, with many even pointing out a lot of clever humor and pop culture references that flew over their young impressionable minds back in the day. Many have even praised it as one of Cartoon Network's finest works, causing the show to establish a new fanbase that seems to get bigger and bigger each year.
Even several of the employees of both Cartoon Network and its parent company Warner Bros seem to still remember it, despite the network not airing a single rerun for over 20 years. As far back as the 2010s, characters from the show continue to appear in promotional material and on other shows alongside other Cartoon Network classics, most notably a brief cameo by Buck Tuddrussel in the Mad sketch Once Upon a Toon and an unexpected appearance from the entire main trio in a webisode for Villainous. Even the Cartoon Network produced mobile game Kleptocats: Cartoon Network features an appearance from Buck's signature eyewear as a collectible to dress your virtual pets in!
And after rediscovering this series for the first time after experiencing vague memories from when it initially aired, I can say it's not hard to see why. Time Squad not only produces a quirky sci-fi laugh riot with surprisingly edgy jokes, but it also has heart and a large amount of likeability. The main trio manages to establish a found family angle that can warm the hearts of even the most hardened of souls, with plenty of cute interactions between Buck, Otto and Larry as they journey through not only time and space, but also through the journey of Otto's odd childhood, with both Buck and Larry still caring about their adopted young ward in spite of their obvious flaws.
Every episode also manages to provide a unique premise that's executed perfectly, with sight gags and storylines that could've only been thought up by the most creatively-mad of storytellers. Every single episode has that one moment that will leave gasping in both laughter and awe as to its absurdity (well, almost every single episode, but we'll get to that later), making you wonder how exactly the production staff's brainstorming sessions play out.
And as an added bonus, it can even get kids into learning history. Sure, not a single thing in this show is 100% historically accurate-save for a few introductory words from Otto before the start of every mission-but showing episodes to a certain age can definitely grant early exposure to some of the most important figures of the past. Perhaps a child could be inspired to learn a lot more about each subject of the series at an early age, giving them a jump start in learning about the world around them!
Highlight Episodes
Now comes a brief section that will be a mainstay of each television show retrospective moving forward. Here, we will talk about several of my personal favorites of the series; the ones you should go out of your way to find and form your own opinions on.
Here are the episodes of Time Squad that personally stood out to me and just may stand out for you as well (In no particular order).
Eli Whitney's Flesh-Eating Mistake
Talk about starting with a bang! In the premiere episode of the series, we see Otto meet his found family for the first time as they accidentally stumble upon his timeline in search of Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin (though some have discredited this).
Everything you need to know about this series is set up well within this episode, and it gives a chance for all of the main cast to shine and have their moments. It's standalone plot, where Mr. Whitney ends up building killer robots that eat human flash (don't ask) also works well on its own, providing fun moments of comedy and action.
If you want to start with this series on the right foot, you couldn't do much worse!
Here, we see the main trio travel back to colonial times to meet Betsy Ross, the woman who designed the American flag, who has somehow transformed into a revolution-opposing hippie.
Of all the episodes, I feel that this is one of the few that actually gets even funnier through adult eyes, with plenty of surprisingly clever jabs towards hippie culture and capitalism alike. The red eyes of Betsy's group even heavily implies that they may even be under the influence-a joke that I'm surprised even got pass the censors.
Everything is topped off with a clever (albeit historically inaccurate) shout out to a particular restaurant chain that left me snickering uncontrollably!
Ludwig Von Bonecrusher
Traveling back to 18th century Vienna, the Time Squad come in contact with a rather wrathful Ludwig von Beethoven, who has somehow taken up the life of a professional wrestler.
This episode gives Tuddrussel some of his funniest moments as he tries to knock some sense back into Beethoven, along with one of Otto's most clever resolutions of the series.
Several pop culture references will also leave those impressed by that kind of thing grinning ear-to-ear; perhaps even more so if you are a wrestling fan! (I don't exactly know. I've never really been a wrestling guy; or a sports guy for that matter.)
And above all else, this episode serves as a perfect foreshadowing into how inventively madcap
this show is about to get!
Big Al's Big Secret
Traveling to 1945, final year of World War II, the Time Squad is dumbfounded to see a new used car salesmen in town; Albert Eistein!
Some of the series' best voice acting and sight gags can be found in this episode, with almost all of them taking full advantage of the show's penchant for taking anachronistic liberties with different time periods for the sake of laughs.
It even ends with a surprisingly heartwarming message about being yourself and following your true calling in life that'll surely give a boost to your kid's morale!
Nutorious
Traveling back to Alabama in the early-20th century, the Time Squad comes into contact with the great black scientist George Washington Carver as he shares multiple crazy ways to use the peanut. Behind the scenes, however, George's jealous brother Todd (who wasn't actually a real person) plans to sabotage George's ambitions with several "evil" uses for the peanut.
Of every episode in the series, this one has to be the most creative! The sight gags are second to none, and will have you giggling on the floor at their absurdity.
As a bonus, Todd Washington Carver comes off as a surprisingly memorable villain, with his inventive gadgets and over-the-top cartoony screen presence (no thanks in part to Kevin Michael Richardson's enthusiastic performance). Had the series continued, it could've been great seeing him become a recurring antagonist who keeps trying to screw with history.
Also, if you end up craving something peanut butter flavored by the end, don't worry. That's completely normal!
Nobel Peace Surprise
When Nobel Prize founder and namesake Alfred Nobel suddenly starts giving his prizes out for evil instead of good, Buck, Otto, and Larry must team up with Shelia and XJ5 to set things right.
If "Ludwig Von Bonecrusher" shows how crazy the series was about to get the remainder of its run, then this episode proves how crazy it could have gotten had it continued. For this first time, we get to see multiple historical figures from different time periods come together under one roof thanks to Alfred Nobel's coalition of historical bad guys (most strangely, Mrs. O'Leery's Cow, alleged culprit of the Great Chicago Fire). And the fight scene that comes about as a result gets just about as hilarious as it can get!
Plus, we get to see Shelia and XJ5 at the top of their game, with plenty of humorous interactions between everyone (including an infernally funny Double Entendre by Larry).
Forget the Alamo
The gang travels back to the Alamo, one of the most infamous American battles of the 19th century, only to find the many American soldiers who are supposed to fight the Mexican invaders (including one of Buck's own ancestors) are instead planning on welcoming them with a lavish fiesta.
Many of Time Squad's episodes are quite clever, but this one has arguably gotten even better with age. Much of the party's elements prove to be rather stereotypical of Mexican culture and ends up working as a scathing satire of cultural appropriation in an age where everyone is trying to put the stereotypes of yesteryear to rest.
All of this ultimately comes together with a conclusion that'll be quite cathartic to watch for some!
After fixing a time screw-up where Joan of Arc switches places with Johann Guttenberg, inventor of the printing press, Buck and Shelia decide to have a little get together for the first time in a while. However, Larry and XJ5 sees this as a threat to their relationships with their partners, and they attempt to sabotage the date in humorous ways.
It's tragically ironic that one of the last episodes of the series is also my personal pick for the best. This episode has a little bit of everything that made the show special; we get to see time-hopping inventive madness, excellent character-driven jokes and dialogue, and we even get to see how Buck and Shelia are still able to get along amicably even after their divorce.
This episode definitely plants the seeds for a potential budding friendship between the two main groups of the Time Squad that could've blossomed had the series continued.
Floral Patton
The series' penultimate episode deals with the gang meeting with the famous World War II General George Patton, who has inexplicably set up a gardening center that he runs like a military base. As usual, Time Squad must get General Patton on the right course before its too late.
This episode is a special kind that can speak well towards individuals who work in hard jobs. And General Patton's militaristic outbursts give great credence to the comedy. Several moments in this episode will particularly stand out for those who've worked at small businesses!
Lowlight Episodes
Unfortunately, not all episodes of a tv show are created equally, and Time Squad is sadly no exception despite its near-flawlessness.
Here are a few episodes of the series that I'd not recommend actively seek out while trying to hunt for the series, be they merely below-average or not very good at all.
Killing Time
After literally solving a problem with Polish astronomer Nicholas Copernicus within the first few seconds of this joke episode, the trio literally spends the rest of the short running time waiting to charge up their method of traveling back home.
Ok, I can't really give this episode too much flak because it's meant to be an uneventful joke episode. I just feel that the jokes could have been executed a bit better.
Maybe instead of just describing things at literal face value, Otto could go off on a tangent saying random obscure facts about the things he sees (like in an ASMR video, even though this show came out WAY before the notion of such things).
But as it is, it's ultimately just an episode that's a bit on the disappointing side and could have been so much better if the humor was done differently.
Every Poe Has a Silver Lining
In the sister segment to "Betsy Ross Flies Her Freak Flag", Time Squad travels back to meet Edgar Allen Poe, who has suddenly switched gears as a writer of sugary children's books. They must find a way to break his spirit and return him to his old, horrific ways.
Much of this episode really comes off as unnecessarily mean-spirited as the trio tries to show the ugly side of humanity to a rather obnoxious Edgar Allen Poe. Even the resolution causes what little sympathy we may have for Poe to disappear rather quickly as he throws a pathetic tantrum after Time Squad offers only light criticism to his baking.
Sure, the series does get a bit cynical from time to time (no pun intended), but this episode just gets too dark and feels rather out of place with the rest of the series.
Robbin' N' Stealin' with Mr. Hood
Traveling back to Medieval England, the group finds legendary folk hero stealing from the poor and giving to the rich, rather than the other way around as he is supposed to do! Duty calls as Time Squad sets out to chang Robin Hood's mind for the better.
This episode sadly suffers from extremely poor pacing. The shortened run time compared to a lot of the other episodes causes the story to speed through every major plot point and before you know it, the episode is over way too quick.
Had the episode been made longer, perhaps we could've had more time to introduce more gags and story beats that could've made this episode one of the best. But as it stands, what we are left with is a rather unmemorable and uncreative episode.
A Sandwich by Any Other Name
The Time Squad travels back to 18th century England to meet the Earl of Sandwich, who has trouble selling his namesake creation due to its unfortunate name of "Stinky Pile O' Poo". All the while. Larry's soufflé becomes a huge hit with the crowd, further complication matters.
While this episode does admittedly have a few good moments, much of the humor ends up relying heavily on the "Stinky Pile O' Poo" joke, which ultimately gets really grating really fast for all but the most immature of minds.
By the end of this episode, you may end up feeling just as unwilling to eat a sandwich as the characters in this episode!
White House Weirdness
In a throwback to fellow Cartoon Network staple Scooby-Doo, the Time Squad travels back to the presidency of William Howard Taft, just as he is about to lose re-election to Woodrow Wilson. Once inside the White House, however, they end up face-to-face with monsterfied versions of several past U.S. Presidents and must fight to survive.
Honestly, this episode as a whole just comes off as a rather unremarkable Scooby-Doo parody. It brings up all of the cliches associated with the franchise, but does very little else with them (right down to the point of re-using actual, unaltered music from the franchise). It doesn't even put in the effort of creating monster designs that actually call back to the franchise's multiple distinctive monsters of the week, instead relying on the stock designs of a vampire, a zombie, and a Frankenstein monster.
Basically, if you've seen one Scooby-Doo parody, you've basically seen this episode without even knowing it!
Love at First Flight
The Time Squad travel back to meet the famed female pilot Amelia Earhart, finding that she has regressed into a neurotic neat freak who eventually becomes smitten with Tuddrussel. All the while, it's Otto's birthday, and he's got his own Time Squad suit as a present.
Probably the only episode of the series I actively despise, this episode really depicts both Otto and Tuddrussel at their most immature and irresponsible as they make life hell for Larry and eventually convince Amelia to regress to their level.
Almost every joke in this episode should have been left in the early 90s, with gross-out jokes that range from Tuddrussel eating spaghetti out of the trash to a heavy reliance on gas-related humor. By the end, you might find yourself wanting to take a shower.
Ensuring a Show's Past to Protect its Future
Ultimately though, while Time Squad may still have its flaws, and may have lasted for only a brief period of time, its legacy is one that is definitely worth preserving. Even as Cartoon Network and Warner Bros have consistently given it the cold shoulder barring a few infrequent references in other properties, many fans have continued to keep the show's legacy alive via YouTube posts and retrospectives, as well as the usual fanfics and fan art.
And it's not hard to see why it's amassed such a growing fanbase! Time Squad manages to take a premise that may not be terribly unique but is uses that premise to open up many quirky possibilities. It manages to come up with absurd plots with creative, and witty writing, and for the most part, manages to do its job effectively. Plus, as an added bonus, it can even serve as a gateway into a fascination with history at a very early age, putting the spotlight on many of society's most peculiar individuals and stories.
Much of the cast and crew also still looks back on the show fondly even today, with several crew members even sharing plans they had for the show had it continued. One of the strangest ideas that was shared included an unproduced episode dubbed "In Dagada Da Vida", where the trio travels back to the beginning of time in order to make Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit-a plot so high-stakes, that it could've even served as a TV movie!
To this day many fans and people who worked on the show alike have voiced their own ideas on how to revive the series, unlikely as it may be, with many possible historical figures for the group to meet.
Some ideas I myself have include:
- Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders
- Alan Turing, inventor of the ENIAC computer
- Wild West Lawman Wyatt Earp
- The Great Samurai Miyamoto Musashi
- Viking Explorer Leif Erikson
- Charles Darwin, Father of Evolution
- Mansa Musa, King of the Mali Empire
- Neil Armstrong, First Man on the Moon
- Jonas Salk, inventor of the polio vaccine
- Robert Johnson, considered by some to be the world's first rockstar
- The Great Inventor Nikola Tesla (who made a cameo in one episode)
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Creator of Sherlock Holmes
- ...And many, many more!
Time Squad's legacy is one that's truly worth remembering, and worth passing down to newer generations as we 2000s kids start to become parents ourselves. And with awareness and appreciation growing for this hidden gem of a cartoon growing each year, perhaps Time Squad may not stay lost in the sands of time forever.
But what are your thoughts? Did you catch Time Squad when it aired back in the day? Do you have fond memories? Would you like to see it continue in some shape or form? What historical figures would you like to see Buck, Larry and Otto cross paths with? Share your thoughts in the comments down below.
And always remember to keep the future bright!
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