What impressed me most about this ep - one of my favorites - was the stellar job the young Mrs. Landingham did in portraying Mrs. Landingham. Every mannerism, every inflection… I had to look at IMDB to be sure it wasn’t her daughter playing the role - I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a spot-on impersonation.
I think I win for most obscure reference. What this isn’t a contest?
The best part of the episode is that the victim is a real asshole. The writers (and D’Onorio) make you dislike, pity and feel sad for the character at the same time.
A number of people have mentioned this one, and I have to agree. It would be my second choice, behind my already mentioned first choice (Buffy, Once More, With Feeling). When Bartlett is cussing out God is latin… yikes…
gratias tibi ago, domine.
Thank you, Lord.
haec credam a deo pio, a deo justo, a deo scito?
Am I to believe these things from a righteous god, a just god, a wise god?
cruciatus in crucem
To hell with your punishments!
tuus in terra servus, nuntius fui; officium perfeci.
I was your servant, your messenger on the earth; I did my duty.
cruciatus in crucem – (with a dismissive wave of the hand) eas in crucem
To hell with your punishments!
And to hell with you!
Aaron Sorkin… damn…
I love this board. Every episode I thought should be listed here already is. I can’t think of anything else! I’m sure I’ll think of one at a really inconvenient time, like while showering or driving.
Seconds for the Babylon 5 episodes mentioned, especially “Sleeping in Light”, the *Buffy * and *Angel * episodes, the *Futurama * eps about Fry’s dog and his brother, Moonlighting’s “Atomic Shakespeare”, and the last episode of Blackadder Goes Forth.
There is so much bad TV, and yet so much good stuff too.
Allow me to amend my suggestion: “The Thing that Coudn’t Die” is the best MST3K episode I’ve seen. Is “Pod People” on DVD? (I also like “Devil Fish”.)
Not to turn this into a “I Love Futurama” thread, but how about “Leela’s Home World”? The montage at the end always gets to me.
Probably my favorite 1/2-hour of TV is from, IIRC, the 3rd season of MASH*. Springtime features Klinger getting married (over the radio), Alex Karras as a very grateful benefactor of Hawkeye’s surgical skills, and Radar getting “slaked” by Mary Kay Place after reading her bad poetry.
Let’s not forget the episode of “Charlie’s Angels” in which the Angels run around bra-less, flash dazzling-white toothy smiles, flip their hair around and generally use their jiggly assets to bamboozle & outwit a bunch of dimwitted, small-time hoods.
Man they just don’t make t.v. shows like that anymore! 
For MST3K it’s 802 - Leech Woman without a question!
Mala - “I’ve seen you in my dreams of blood!”
Crow - “She says that to everybody.”
Just1Lurk, it’s your lucky day. Only about 10% of the 200-odd episodes of MST3K are on DVD, but Pod People is one of them. (Personally, I’d pick Space Mutiny – also available on DVD).
The one reference to Frasier recalled to mind one of the funniest scenes (if not necessarily episodes) ever: the one where Frasier is appearing on a PBS fundraiser, singing “Buttons and Bows” and forgets the lyrics; making up nonsense as he goes. Wet-yourself funny.
Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror III – Klown without Pity (evil Krusty doll); King Homer; Dial “Z” for Zombie.
Ditto for last episode of Newhart.
I agree, that was almost as sad as “Jurassic Bark”.
Which reminds me of the scene where Niles was ironing his pants. I can’t remember much about the rest of the episode, but it was almost an homage to Rowan Atkinson’s Mr. Bean - no dialogue, nothing but Niles and his pants and an ironing board. Funniest thing I’d seen in ages.
The two best “Frasier” episodes were the radio murder-mystery episode and the one where Niles dresses as Jesus.
Rocko’s Modern Life - Wacky Deli
It doesn’t get much wackier than this. “It needs something…mayonnaise! Why don’t we hold on a bucket of mayonnaise for 10 minutes!”
Other nominees include Closet Clown (“Well, I’ve always liked…rainbows…”), Future Shlock (“And I never saw them again…oh there they are.”), and She’s the Toad for all the bizarre ways Mr Bighead deals with the stress of his big speech.
This neglected Nickelodeon series really needs to make it on DVD.
The best Rocko episode is Zanzibar. It’s the spring cleaning/pollution episode. It has musical numbers! And the best part is that they acknowledge the singing.
Rocko: But how do you all know the words Did you rehearse?
Heffer: Yeah, every Thursday. Didn’t you see the flyers?
(cut to scene with a guard)
Rocko: We demand to see the board of directors!
Guard: And who might you be?
Heffer: We’re a big unruley mob!
Everyone else (singing): A big unruley mob!
.
.
.
Guard: Do you have an appointment?
Rocko: No, it’s really a spur of the moment kind of thing.
Guard: Oh yeah? Then how do you all know the words?
Heffer Ooh, he’s got you there, Rock.
:eek: How could I forget Rocko? I agree with the Deli episode, but I think the fishing episode - in which Heffer imitates a pirate - is up there as well.
Heffer: I’ll meet you on the poop deck, ya…poop!
Cheers
Cliff on Jeopardy!
Cliff has an insurmountable lead heading into Final Jeopardy.
Not verbatim:
Final Jeopardy! answer: Archibald Leach, Bernard Schwartz, Lucille LeSueur.
Cliff’s question: “Who are three people who have never been in my kitchen?”
Alex: “I’m sorry Cliff, that’s incorrect.”
Cliff: “Albeit, Alex, these three people have never been in my kitchen.”
Due to Cliff’s insurmountable lead, he still wins unless he risked all of his money, which he did, of course.
This was some funny stuff.
The conjugate:
Brady Bunch “Father of the Year” episode.
Mike punishes Marsha after catching her sneak out late at night with no excuses offered. She must miss a big trip and Mike won’t yield. In the end we find out, when Mike wins father of the year, that Marsha was sneaking out to mail off her 11th hour nomination of Mike as father of the year. Then Mike has the great realization and looks at his daughter in the most amazing way. Marsha fruitlessly tries to hide her billion watt smile. This moment made me cry.
This moment made
me.
cry.
How about “The Good, the Bad, and The Wallaby”?
Heffer has an, uh, “encounter” with a milking machine. The look on his face is hilarious.
This bit was edited by Nickolodeon in later broadcasts.
Leech Woman! How could I have forgotten Leech Woman!
jsc1953, thanks. It’s off to the DVD store for me. And speaking of Frasier, the episode where the “laughing brothers” ran the restaurant was a masterpiece of farce - Daphne killing the eel, tossing the fish back and forth, and the brandy in the cherries jubilee.
I watch too much television…
Some great nominations. I’d have to second Buffy, The Body and Hush. But the finale of the first season of The Shield was explosive and powerful and stunning, just stunning.
Two episodes of The Wonder Years come to mind:
- The sex ed episode
- Paul’s bar mitzvah
- Hi, Opal