Now playing Season 1, Episode 4 — Peabody's Improbable History - Ben Franklin
November 19, 1959
5
815
7.1
Jay Ward, Bill Scott
N/A
Season 1 • 130 episodes
Rocky and Bullwinkle accidentally discover a new and amazing rocket fuel while baking Grandma Bullwinkle’s recipe for mooseberry-flavored fudge cake—an explosive discovery which propels them on a round-trip adventure to the Moon. Bullwinkle is immediately appointed "Director of Guided Moosles.”
In this comical retelling, the long-haired Rapunzel lets her hair down, but things don’t go quite as planned. As suitors attempt to climb the tower, Rapunzel’s long locks lead to a series of humorous entanglements, giving a playful twist to the classic fairy tale.
Bullwinkle recites Robert Louis Stevenson's classic poem The Swing, capturing the joy and thrill of swinging through the air. As Bullwinkle shares the poem, his attempt to demonstrate the fun of swinging leads to a series of amusing mishaps, turning the serene imagery of the poem into a lighthearted adventure.
The origins of Mr. Peabody and the WABAC machine: Mr. Peabody finds Sherman in the street being beaten up by some bigger boys. At first, he doesn't think that he's the right sort of boy- but when he sees how he is treated in the orphanage, Peabody decides to adopt him. At first, there's a problem when they won't let a dog adopt a boy- but he goes to court, and the judge decides that if a boy can have a dog, then a dog can have a boy! Sherman comes to live with Mr. Peabody, who builds him the Wayback Machine in order to keep him busy. They go back in time to Rome, and then to see Ben Franklin.
Because the rocket fuel recipe had been torn apart in the explosion, Bullwinkle knows how much but not what of, so he and Rocky set to work in their government laboratory, while at universities all over the country, cake baking is being added to the scientific curriculum. Meanwhile, after failing in an attempt to time-bomb the Moose, Boris and Natasha do what any intelligent, self-sufficient spy with real initiative would do: They wait for instructions!
Those little green men holding extremely ominous-looking weapons aren't congressmen, as Bullwinkle first surmises--they're Gidney and Cloyd, reluctant visitors from the moon, here to keep an invasion of earth tourists from cluttering up their homeland. Indeed, just to prepare for their visit, the two have had to practice dodging traffic, listening to jukeboxes, filling out forms, and breathing smog! Meanwhile, Boris and Natasha, twelve stories up, with a heavy safe as our heroes stroll by below, finally receive orders from headquarters: KILL MOOSE!
In this humorous retelling, Puss uses his wits and charm to turn his master, a poor miller’s son, into a wealthy noble. However, in this version, Puss faces a series of unexpected obstacles as his clever plans begin to unravel, leading to a series of comical misadventures. The story playfully explores how even the best-laid schemes can go awry, with Puss still managing to come out on top—just not quite as smoothly as planned.
Bullwinkle reads and performs the classic nursery rhyme Little Miss Muffett, with Rocky taking on the role of the spider. As Bullwinkle portrays Miss Muffett sitting on her tuffet, the scene quickly turns into a comical back-and-forth between him and Rocky, with the spider causing far more chaos than fright.
Peabody and Sherman travel to 1810 and meet a frustrated Napoleon, who is missing his royal suspenders, causing chaos in his court. Peabody and Sherman must recover the suspenders from pirates, but upon returning, they find that everyone is secretly pleased with Napoleon being distracted. The episode humorously plays with Napoleon’s famed ego and the unexpected relief of his court when he's preoccupied.
Whoops. The actual orders said, “*DON'T* KILL MOOSE," so Boris races the safe to keep Bullwinkle safe, and it's safe to say that he *almost* makes it. It's back to the laboratory for our heroes, where they turn out acres of cinnamon pizzas and hot fudge strudels, but none of it’s explosive. Just as Rocky's thinking hypnotism might be something to try, Swami Ben Boris and his assistant appear, putting Bullwinkle into a trance and, forthwith, the moose tells *everything* he knows—all about his early years in the Minnesota woods, his days at the Philpott School for Exceptional Children (he was the only student with antlers), his experiences in the army, where for three years, he served as a hat rack in the Officers’ Club—going on for a full twelve hours and boring everyone within hearing distance into dreamland, so that when he finally gets to the part about the recipe, the only ones awake to hear it are the two moon men. Forthwith, Cloyd raises his weapon and scrooches the big moose!
The scrooch gun has frozen Bullwinkle solid, and Cloyd and Gidney start off with their moosesicle as a trophy of their visit to a small planet, but Boris comes to in time to con them into leaving Moose for him, while they get Squirrel, the brains of the operation. While the moon men are telling Rocky they can't remember if they've scrooched Bullwinkle for eight hours or eight years...WHISK! Eight hours later, Bullwinkle thaws out in Boris's laboratory, where every word he says is monitored in another country by a faraway band of ominous spies.
A little fisherman goes out to fish and nets a mermaid. After the man gives in to her pleas to be let go, the mermaid is willing to grant him wishes for his kindness. After she mends his net, he tells his wife about it all. The fisherman's wife asks him to ask the mermaid for a new apron. This then snowballs into grander wishes till his wife attains Queen-like status. Overcome with power, she demands that her husband wish her to be a goddess. Upon meeting the mermaid again, she asks if he himself has any wish of his own. His one wish is that his wife be happy. His last wish spent, he returns to his ordinary little home and lives happily ever after.
Bullwinkle recites the poem about the little boy who blew his horn, but his telling is filled with humorous misinterpretations and unexpected mishaps. As Bullwinkle narrates, the simple act of blowing a horn turns into a series of comical adventures, showcasing his unique take on the classic rhyme.
Peabody and Sherman travel back in time to meet Lord Nelson, who is preparing to battle the Spanish fleet but faces an unexpected problem: his crew has left port without a crucial supply. With the battle looming, Peabody steps in to help Lord Nelson solve the dilemma and get his fleet ready for action, ensuring that history stays on course.
Every move the moose makes is duplicated in the faraway spy lab. Bullwinkle cooks up some tasty chocolate pan dowdy that blows up when the spies try it, and when Rocky smells the delicious aroma, it leads him right to Bullwinkle, but Boris is ready with a helpful trapdoor that sends the plucky squirrel falling into another stew!
Rocky's blown away all right, out to sea in a leaky hot air balloon courtesy of Boris Badenov. Meanwhile, an anxious nation and two anxious moon men are searching for the missing moose, who's still baking away in Boris's secret laboratory. By going door-to-door to every house in the country, Gidney and Cloyd eventually turn up there, so Boris and Natasha quickly throw them a surprise party complete with knockout punch, while back out over the stormy seas, lightning strikes Rocky's balloon, sending it plunging.
In this amusing version, Goldilocks learns the hard way about the consequences of misusing other people's property. As she tries out the bears' porridge, chairs, and beds, things quickly go awry, leading to a comical series of events that ultimately teach her a valuable lesson about respecting others' belongings.
Bullwinkle recites the classic poem about boats, but adds his own spin by telling a humorous story about his experience riding on a boat. His version, filled with whimsical mishaps and unexpected turns, turns the serene journey into a comical adventure on the water.
Peabody and Sherman travel to Dodge City, where famed sheriff Wyatt Earp is unable to face the outlaw "Aces Wilde" in a gun showdown due to a string of bad luck and a leg injury. With Earp out of commission, Peabody steps in to take on the outlaw, using his intelligence and quick thinking to settle the showdown and restore order in the Wild West.
Fortunately, Bullwinkle offers the wrong toast—"To crime!"—and Boris and Natasha, official bad guys that they are, are obliged to drink up, gulping down their own knockout punch; meanwhile, the flying squirrel is being used for target practice by the U. S. Navy, until quick-witted Rocky uses the smoke from the aircraft fire to spell out the phrase "U. S. Taxpayer" and, of course, the Navy needs every one of those that it can get. Soon Rocky finds Bullwinkle, and just as our heroes are about to leave with the moon men, a grateful U. S. government responds by arresting them!
Yes, the government agents who've arrested our heroes are waiting for two spies. If it's not Rocky and Bullwinkle, it must be those two funny-looking green guys, reasons Special Agent Iris T. Upthecreek, but when he tries to take the moon men into custody, he's scrooched...for a full fifty years, which creates a tiny problem until Rocket J. hits upon the idea of putting the scrooched agent on a pedestal, right in front of the National Security Building, while he slowly thaws. Meanwhile, the moon men have become media darlings, with pointed heads all the rage, and they're even given the keys to the city (they're delicious). Cloyd and Gidney respond to all this flattering attention by heading back to their spaceship for a little peace and quiet, but ensuring that same peace and quiet on the moon means keeping Grandma Moose's recipe out of earthling hands, so it looks as if our heroes are going to be forced to go lunar themselves.
In this comical version, the forgetful Giant can’t remember his famous saying, which allows Jack to outsmart him and make his escape. The Giant's constant memory lapses lead to a series of humorous situations, turning the classic tale into a lighthearted and amusing adventure.
Bullwinkle recites the classic poem My Shadow, but things take an unexpected turn when his shadow comes to life and begins to cause trouble. Instead of quietly following him around, Bullwinkle's shadow starts a comical fight, leading to a chaotic and amusing battle between Bullwinkle and his mischievous shadow.
Peabody and Sherman arrive in King Arthur's kingdom to find things in disarray, as a dragon is terrorizing the land and the knights are too weak to fight. With no traditional solution in sight, Peabody devises a clever new strategy using Sherman's bubble gum to outwit the dragon and restore peace to the kingdom.
Up and up they go, and then down and down: Cloyd and Gidney are out of fuel, or is that fudge cake? Because Boris and Natasha have absconded with their last fuel tank, the moon men have no choice but to tell Rocky the recipe, and they're just one ingredient short: mooseberry juice, which grows in only one place in the entire nation, and that hard-to-find spot just happens to be Rocky and Bullwinkle's hometown, *Frostbite Falls, Minnesota* (population twenty-three). Meanwhile, Boris and Natasha, those two creeps in the deep, board a midget submarine.
Boris has plenty of medals—for burning down orphanages, for kicking small dogs, for taking candy from babies—so why isn't he happier? He's forgotten something, he's certain, but can't remember what it is until he gets his orders: KILL MOOSE! So, of course, he and Natasha put the sub on autopilot, slip into breathing apparatus, and swim straight back to the U. S. of A. Meanwhile, our heroes are finding it tough to get to Frostbite Falls, so they head off to the nearest airfield to rent a cut-rate private plane, where they immediately find Ace Ricken-Boris, whose motto is *Fly Now, Pray Later.* Rocky wants to do some square business, but all Ace Ricken-Boris is offering are round trips for eighty-five cents per, which just happens to be all the money Rocky and Bullwinkle have. Is Ace really wild about flying them to Frostbite Falls, dollink, or is that vaguely familiar, vampy stewardess strapping our heroes into a flying casket?
In this playful retelling, the Beast is under a spell that can only be broken by a kiss from a beauty. However, finding someone willing to kiss the Beast proves to be more difficult than expected, leading to a series of humorous and unexpected situations as the Beast tries to break the curse.
In Bullwinkle's amusing version of this classic poem, things take a wild turn when the "little pussy" is actually a tiger! Bullwinkle's attempts to recite the sweet and gentle rhyme are hilariously disrupted as the tiger causes chaos, transforming the poem into a comical adventure.
Peabody and Sherman go back to the year 1824 and meet Franz Schubert. They decide to help him compose his latest musical masterpiece. But his piano is stolen by his next-door neighbor and he won't give it back.
The auto-controlled spy sub goes slightly out of control, blowing up an entire foreign port. Meanwhile, after fastening Rocky and Bullwinkle into one-way seatbelts, stewardess Natasha bails out, while Boris gleefully smashes instruments in the pilot's compartment. It looks like a smash landing ahead.
A last-second reconsideration of orders from headquarters (the message didn't say KILL MOOSE; it actually read DON'T KILL MOOSE) means Boris has to save Rocky and Bullwinkle, whose brilliant idea to retrieve the last mooseberry bush on Mooseberry Island (SWIM THE RIVER!) has one tiny flaw (Bullwinkle doesn't know how to swim!).
After the Little Tailor kills seven flies with one blow, the townspeople mistakenly believe he has slain giants. As a result, they assign him the daunting task of confronting real giants, leading to a series of comedic and absurd misadventures as the clever but reluctant tailor tries to live up to his exaggerated reputation.
Bullwinkle recites the poem "Taffy." However, in the telling of the story, Boris (in the role of Taffy) begins to "bend and ad-lib" his parts. For example, instead of stealing "a piece of beef," Taffy steals a whole cow. Bullwinkle gets upset as the poem is changed, and he thinks that he's got Boris with the last line of the poem. ("I went to Taffy's house, Taffy was in bed. I took a marrow bone and hit him on the head.") However, upon arriving, Boris takes the marrow bone and hits Bullwinkle in the head, giving the story an unhappy ending, much to Boris' delight.
Lucretia Borgia, the world's best poison artist has just gotten a 12th husband who is snacking on furniture. Peabody and Sherman try to get the husband to leave Lucretia but he loves her too much to bail out on her. So, Peabody creates a special potion for him that will make the man impervious to poison so he will live and not leave his wife.
Despite going over Thundering Falls, Bullwinkle, by remaining cuke as a coolcumber, manages to snatch the last available mooseberry bush in the entire country, but a federal plant inspector with a familiar accent turns up, spraying the precious bush for blight, and forthwith, he and the bush disappear behind the huge cloud.
Those laughing Indians going by in a canoe aren't part of the Minnie-Ho-Ho tribe, but really Boris and Natasha with the purloined plant, so the big canoe race is on, with our heroes transforming their crashed plane into a water-worthy craft.
In this humorous take, Rumpelstiltskin uses the power of publicity, rather than magic, to convince everyone that his client can spin straw into gold. Through clever marketing and hype, Rumpelstiltskin manages to create a buzz around the supposed miracle, leading to comedic consequences as the truth slowly unravels.
Bullwinkle tackles the nursery rhyme Wee Willie Winkie, but things take a humorous turn as the pajama-clad Willie runs through town, only to get tangled up in Bullwinkle’s antics. The segment adds a comical twist to Willie’s midnight journey, with Bullwinkle causing unexpected complications as Willie attempts to deliver his message.
Peabody and Sherman travel back in time to assist Sir Walter Raleigh, who faces a strict deadline from Queen Elizabeth I to raise his waterlogged cargo. If he fails, it will be "off with his head!" With the clock ticking, Peabody uses his ingenuity to help Sir Walter retrieve the cargo just in time, saving his life and reputation.
From Frostbite Falls, it's across a couple of the Great Lakes and portage through downtown Chicago, as the Great Canoe and Leaky Retrofitted Airplane Race is on! It's stroke-stroke-stroke and bail-bail-bail as the pursuit continues down ever more tiny waterways! And finally on one foggy evening, as they approach Washington, D.C., the two competing vessels are so close that—stroke-bail, bail-stroke—their echoes are even writing their own dialogue! But our heroes, prompted by some dastardly sign rewriting, take the wrong turn, heading toward the hideously whirling blade of a sawmill just ahead. Will it be Two for the Ripsaw, or, is it Good-bye, Mister Chips?
It's getting choppy out there all right, but even though the whirling blade cuts their little vessel in two, our heroes escape unscathed because...they're sitting on opposite sides of the craft! Rocky and Bullwinkle return to their laboratory in something less than triumph, booed by the fickle citizenry just because they've lost the mooseberry bush, while Boris and Natasha get ready to set sail for their homeland.
Aesop tells the classic fable of the lion who spares a mouse, only to be saved by the tiny creature later. As always, Aesop's son questions the moral, leading to a witty and humorous exchange.
Bullwinkle recites the classic nursery rhyme Little Jack Horner, but his comedic interpretation turns the simple act of pulling out a plum into an absurd and hilarious misadventure.
Peabody visits with Robert Fulton, the famed inventor of the steamboat, and helps prove that steamboats can outrun the fastest sailboats. When the workers quit, Peabody cleverly solves the problem by painting the boiler room to look like the North Pole, motivating the new crew to stoke the fires and win the race.
If only they knew the whereabouts of another mooseberry bush! Perhaps the moon men will tell them, but when our heroes go to New York to call on Gidney and Cloyd, all they find is a theatrical newspaper with the headline: MOON MEN SOCKO IN LOS WAGES! BOFFO B.O.! Sure enough, Bullwinkle baby, the moon men have gone Hollywood, but they take time out from taking bows to take a long-distance call backstage and clue the moose in: There's a mooseberry bush to be found in Pottsylvania, a menacing little land that just happens to be where Boris and Natasha are from!
Rocky and Bullwinkle are up to their necks in trouble...and in water, too, for Boris Badenov has dumped them into the harbor and a huge ocean liner is bearing down on them, about to squeeze them against the dock!
In this comical retelling, the court jester attempts to trick the King by presenting him with fake princesses. Each "princess" undergoes the classic pea-under-the-mattress test, but the results are far from expected. The King, determined to find a real princess, becomes increasingly baffled by the jester’s antics, leading to a series of humorous misunderstandings and royal mishaps.
Rocky stars as the Queen of Hearts, diligently baking heart-shaped cookies, while Boris takes on the role of the Knave of Hearts, who steals them. Bullwinkle narrates this playful retelling of the nursery rhyme, where the cookie theft leads to a series of humorous and chaotic events as the Queen tries to get her cookies back.
Peabody and Sherman travel back in time to meet sharpshooter Annie Oakley, where they discover that the villainous Forest Primeval is attempting to cheat her in a shooting match. Peabody, with his clever tactics, intervenes just in time to ensure a fair competition and help Annie Oakley come out on top.
Picked up by the mighty *S.S. Andalusia,* plowing her way through the seas to Pottsylvania, Bullwinkle sits basking on the deck next to a taciturn old gentleman, Sir Thomas Lipen-Boris—Uncle Chumley, actually—the purloined mooseberry bush in disguise! Meanwhile, Boris is boring...holes in a lifeboat, that is.
Tricked by a fake lifeboat drill called by Boris Badenov, that dastardly USC graduate (that is, the Ukrainian Safecracking College, dollink), into a leaky lifeboat—Moose overboard!—our heroes are all at sea and lost in a fog. But little does Boris know that Moose and Squirrel have courteously taken along that old and taciturn (and red and green and spotted) gentleman, Uncle Chumley, who bears an uncanny resemblance to a certain mooseberry bush.
Sweet Little Beet is a poor orphan girl forced into a life of drudgery and ill-treated by her wicked (and UGLY!) stepsisters. A mysterious (and invisible) Prince promises to wed the pure-in-heart maiden who can see him. Sweet Little Beet's wicked (and UGLY!) stepsisters make fools of themselves trying-but Little Beet succeeds! Will she marry the Prince? Well, not exactly... there's a problem.
Bullwinkle takes on the role of Tom, the Piper's Son, who famously steals a pig. In this amusing version, Tom's attempt at thievery results in a chaotic chase, with the pig causing unexpected problems and mishaps, adding a layer of playful absurdity to the classic nursery rhyme.
Snidely Whiplash devises a scheme to smuggle furs across the border using a musical band called "The Disloyal Canadians." Dudley Do-Right, ever vigilant, stumbles upon the plot and attempts to stop the fur-smuggling operation, leading to a series of mishaps and humorous encounters as he tries to outwit Snidely and his band of musicians.
Bullwinkle has a sinking feeling that their boat is leaking, but when Rocky has Bullwinkle stand on his head, the points of his antlers fit exactly the holes in the boat! Unfortunately, the *S.S. Andalusia*—commanded by none other than Captain Peter "Wrong Way" Peachfuzz, recipient of a plethora of medals, all of them bestowed by the enemy—bears directly down on our heroes! Will it be the Deep Six, or, is it The Old Moose and the Sea?
There's nothing but splinters left of the little lifeboat, but mighty Bullwinkle has managed to grab ahold of the passing anchor, and Rocky has ahold of him, and when Boris looks out of his porthole and sees that they have ahold of Uncle Chumley, he has no choice but to grab ahold of our heroes and haul them in. At that moment Captain Peachfuzz veers off again, traveling more miles and getting to fewer places than any other vessel on Earth. The Captain's outrageous all right, and what's more, the food's almost gone.
A fisherman and his wife are very poor, and he is happy. The wife, however, is unhappy, and wishes that he would catch more fish in order to make a better living. While fishing, he catches a talking fish and takes it home to prove to his wife what he had found. The fish does not want to leave and gives the couple three wishes if they let him stay. They fumble around and get mad at the fish, telling him that they wish he would shut up- thus destroying all their hopes of getting rich. Eventually, they end up poor and back to square one.
Bullwinkle, as Mr. Know-It-All, offers his "expert" advice on how to train a dog. His methods, as expected, result in chaos, with Bullwinkle demonstrating a series of amusing and wildly ineffective techniques. The segment humorously explores the pitfalls of dog training, with Bullwinkle’s attempts leading to more trouble than success.
Jesse James robs Mr. Peabody and Sherman, and Sherman is kidnapped while trying to get his things back from the outlaw. Now, it's up to Peabody to get Sherman back from Jesse James.
Our heroes are so hungry, they're eating *pictures* of food; meanwhile, Boris and Natasha go picking mooseberries. But when Captain Peachfuzz suddenly veers, Bullwinkle accidentally chomps down a few mooseberries, turning into a living, hiccuping bomb. Then, hearing the false story that his little friend Rocky has fallen overboard, the big-hearted moose dashes through the door, trips, and hurtles directly toward the deck thirty feet below! It looks like Bullwinkle Makes a Hit, or, Will I Get a Bang Out of You?
It’s good news/bad news for Bullwinkle: fortunately, he’s fallen directly into the ship’s pool; unfortunately, he can’t swim and there’s...AN EXPLOSION! But fortunately, it blows all the water out of the pool, leaving Bullwinkle high and dry and feeling just fine, except for a touch of a stomachache. Meanwhile, the wrong-headed captain sets them aground on tropical Baloney Isle, from where Boris and Natasha promptly hijack the ship. There’s no one to complain to when it’s Three on an Island, or, Go Tell It to the Maroons!
Aesop tells the fable of The Mice in Council, where a group of mice debate how to protect themselves from a cat by placing a bell on its neck. However, they face the dilemma of who will actually bell the cat. As usual, Aesop’s son questions the practicality of the moral, leading to a witty exchange between father and son about the difference between having a plan and putting it into action
Bullwinkle recites the poem about Barbara Frietchie, a patriotic figure from the Civil War who sews a flag for the Union Army. As she bravely defies the Confederate forces, Boris, playing a Confederate soldier, tries to stop her efforts. The segment turns into a comedic struggle, as Bullwinkle’s Barbara outwits Boris in her attempt to show her support for the Union.
Peabody and Sherman visit the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk, only to find their historic flight delayed by a troublesome bird nesting in their plane. To save the day, Peabody cleverly disguises a rock as an egg to safely distract the bird, allowing the Wright brothers to make their famous first flight.
A native’s selling poi burgers, but our hungry heroes aren’t biting because the native won’t accept anything (not even Rocky’s glow-in-the-dark yo-yo) but the local currency, clams, so Rocky and Bullwinkle have no choice but to go clam digging on the beach, where they spot the S.S. Andalusia and Sir Thomas Lippen-Boris, who yet again is under orders to RETURN MOOSE!
The good citizens of Pottsylvania have extended our heroes a real Pottsylvanian welcome, for millionaire yachtsman Sir Thomas Lippen-Boris and Lady Alice have prudently disguised Rocky and Bullwinkle as...Boris and Natasha! And under orders from Central Control, the populace is waiting at the dock with open arms — as well as arms of all other kinds, everything from knives and blunderbusses to automatic weapons! The alarmed populace hustles them toward a sinister platform where a hooded executioner waits...and it’s not the keys to the city he’s holding! But Axe No Questions, or, It’s Heads You Lose!
In this humorous version of the classic tale, Dick Whittington's traveling cat manages to secure a wealthy bride for his friend. Through a series of amusing and unexpected events, the clever cat plays a pivotal role in Dick's rise to fortune, proving that sometimes it's not the owner, but the pet, who has all the luck.
Bullwinkle, in his role as Mr. Know-It-All, provides questionable advice on lion taming. His "expert" tips quickly spiral into absurdity, as he demonstrates risky and ineffective techniques, resulting in Bullwinkle receiving more than just a scratch. The segment offers a comical take on the dangers of lion taming, with Bullwinkle’s antics leading to predictably chaotic results.
Peabody and Sherman travel back to 1875, where they discover that General Custer is about to lead his troops into a dangerous and ill-advised situation. With time running out, Mr. Peabody must step in to correct Custer’s blunder and prevent disaster. The segment blends historical events with comedic twists as Peabody uses his cleverness to save the day.
Back in Central Control, Fearless Leader is getting ready to fill Boris’s alibi regarding the lack of rocket fuel full of holes. Meanwhile, the Pottsylvanians realize their mistake and generously compensate our heroes for their near execution by throwing them right into jail!
The number-one American tourist destination in Pottsylvania turns out to be...jail. The travel folders may have said “Welcome to Pottsylvania,” but our heroes have had nothing but trouble since they arrived. First an angry mob, then a near execution, and now it’s to jail, where Rocky and Bullwinkle find the tourists and even the American consul. Meanwhile, Fearless Leader reveals his Fiendish Plan to conquer the moon and beam Pottsylvanian TV into the U.S. (“Gritty, grimy, greasy goo, that’s what’s in our new shampoo. GUNK! Get some today!”), and that requires freeing Moose, so soon lawyer Clarence Darrownoff shows up, but Rocky insists he bail out all the other Americans, who immediately board the S.S. Andalusia and, under Captain Peachfuzz’s erratic command, they go zigzagging away.
Cinderella wants to marry a rich prince, but this Cinderella story has one twist: the Fairy Godmother makes Cinderella sell a load of merchandise to get her wish. She must first sell a certain number of pots and pans by midnight.
Bullwinkle offers his unique take on holiday cooking by demonstrating how to cook a turkey in a 6,000-degree oven. Predictably, his extreme method leads to some fiery results and culinary chaos, as the turkey—and the kitchen—don’t quite survive the heat. This segment is a humorous spin on Thanksgiving cooking gone wrong, with Bullwinkle’s absurd instructions leading to hilarious mishaps.
Peabody and Sherman travel back in time to help Alfred Nobel, who is having trouble finding a safe location to test his explosives. With Nobel struggling to perfect TNT, Peabody and Sherman step in to assist him in finding a suitable, secure place for his experiments, ensuring that his groundbreaking work can continue safely without causing chaos.
Our heroes feel like heroes again, having saved a boatload of tourists, but all is not well yet because they’re stuck in Pottsylvania, the land where all the people are spies and everything is a secret! And they don’t even like baseball players, Bullwinkle observes with some disbelief when they see "YANKEE GO HOME" signs. But there’s no time to speculate, for they must mount the Great Mooseberry Expedition, but it's going to be harder than ever because their hotel room has been burgled and the thieves have made off with everything, including all the money and Bullwinkle's autographed picture of Sonny Tufts!
Our heroes are closing in at last on the missing mooseberry bunch, for they've hired a famous mountain climber with a vaguely familiar face, Sir Hillary Pushemoff, and his friend, the Indian princess Bubbles, to guide them up the Grimalaya mountains to the thirty-two-thousand-foot Whynchataka Peak. From that elevated elevation, surely they can see even the Isle of Lucy on Veronica Lake.
In this playful retelling, the shoemaker discovers that he must go through a series of unlikely and absurd tasks to learn his trade. Instead of the elves simply helping him overnight, the shoemaker faces comical challenges as he tries to master the art of shoemaking, with the elves adding their own mischievous twists. The story humorously explores the idea of hard work and shortcuts in an amusing take on the classic tale.
Bullwinkle, as Mr. Know-It-All, gives a lesson on how to enjoy swimming, but his advice is anything but practical. From diving techniques that defy physics to ridiculous safety tips, Bullwinkle’s attempts at swimming quickly turn into a farcical adventure, as he demonstrates the hazards of taking his own advice. This segment playfully pokes fun at swimming instructions, with Bullwinkle ending up in more trouble than fun.
In this episode, Snidely Whiplash hypnotizes Stokey the Bear, turning the famous forest protector into a fire-starting menace. Dudley Do-Right must find a way to stop Stokey and break the spell before the forest goes up in flames, leading to a comical battle of wits between Dudley and Snidely's latest scheme.
Triumph is fleeting in the search for the mooseberry bush, and so is the rapidly growing piece of candy that Boris is rolling down the mountainside directly toward Rocky and Bullwinkle as Princess Bubbles makes off with the bitterly contested bush. Surviving the avalanche, our heroes start off through the snow fields.
A nice lunch on an overhanging snow ledge courtesy of Boris Badenov goes from bad to worse when Bullwinkle puts too much pepper on his hard-boiled egg and sneezes the entire ledge off into the abyss. But, believing our heroes are still in possession of the prize bush, Boris digs them out.
Aesop tells the story of The Fox and the Stork, where the clever Fox plays a trick on the Stork by serving dinner in shallow dishes, making it impossible for the Stork to eat. In return, the Stork serves the Fox dinner in tall jars, impossible for the Fox to access. Aesop's son questions the lesson on reciprocal behavior, leading to a humorous conversation between father and son about playing tricks and getting what one deserves.
Bullwinkle, as Mr. Know-It-All, provides his "expert" advice on how to sell vacuum cleaners. His absurd sales techniques, including trying to demonstrate the cleaner's power in the most impractical situations, quickly lead to comical disaster. Bullwinkle’s attempts to "clean up" in sales result in more messes than success, turning this instructional segment into a humorous lesson in what not to do.
Peabody and Sherman travel back to meet Marco Polo, but they all end up as prisoners of Kubla Khan. While trying to escape, they stumble upon the origins of the Great Wall of China, turning their misadventure into a historical discovery. Peabody's cleverness ultimately helps them outwit Khan and secure their freedom.
Rocky and Bullwinkle’s epic quest and grand dream of converting the rare juice of the magic mooseberry into rocket fuel turns to nightmare when they meet that legendary figure of mountain lore, the dread Abominable Snowman.
Bullwinkle draws a pole-vault-sized straw when Sir Hillary suggests they draw for the honor of staying behind and battling the approaching Snowman, but it’s Rocky to the rescue! The plucky squirrel hurls himself from a nearby cliff and fearlessly dives straight into the fearsome creature! When the dazed Snowman finally speaks, though, it’s not with forked tongue, but two voices...and both voices belong to Cloyd and Gidney! Is it the case that The Moon Man Is Blue or is it to be The Inside Story?
Tom Thumb is only as high as his father's thumb, making him quite the tiny hero. Fortunately, Merlin the magician is on hand to assist Tom in navigating the challenges of being small in a big world. With Merlin’s magical help, Tom embarks on a series of adventures that showcase his bravery and cleverness, proving that even the smallest among us can achieve great things.
Bullwinkle shares his "expert" advice on curing hiccups, offering a series of ridiculous and over-the-top remedies that only make the situation worse. From standing on his head to attempting outlandish tricks, Bullwinkle's attempts to stop the hiccups lead to a series of comical mishaps, proving his methods are anything but effective.
Snidely Whiplash hatches a scheme to take over the Mountie post by tricking Inspector Fenwick into signing a mortgage. With the post at risk of foreclosure, it’s up to Dudley Do-Right to foil Snidely's plan and save the day, but not without the usual misadventures and bumbling along the way.
Boris and Natasha take off in terror, but, unzipped, the menacing Snowman turns out to be two moon men in disguise. After their great show business success, they explain, the two were signed to do a TV western, Moonsmoke, but when Marshall Cloyd inadvertently drew his scrooch gun and fired into the camera, the entire home audience was glued to their seats, so naturally the moon men were canceled in favor of beaming round-the-clock commercials at their captive audience. Now that our heroes finally have a mooseberry bush, will Rocky do his duty to his government, or will he let the homesick moon men use it to get back to their home crater?
Boris may be a liar, turncoat, and double-crosser, but he’s not forgetful, so when he tells Fearless Leader that Moose and Squirrel are kaput it must be true, only just then our heroes turn up, ruining Boris’s perfect lie. Now all Rocky and Bullwinkle have to do is get back to the U.S. of A. with the moon men, but it seems everyone in Pottsylvania wants out too, and they’re all ahead in a mile-long line. Will it be the Pottsylvania Permanent, or will it be that I've Grown Accustomed to the Place?
Aesop tells the classic fable of the wolf who disguises himself in sheep’s clothing to trick the flock. However, his plan backfires, leading to his downfall. Aesop's son, as usual, questions the lesson of the story, sparking a humorous exchange between father and son about deception and its consequences.
Bullwinkle offers his "expert" advice on the seemingly simple task of opening a jar of pickles. His overcomplicated and absurd methods, involving everything from hammers to pulleys, quickly turn the task into a comical disaster. By the end, Bullwinkle's outrageous attempts make opening a jar far more difficult than it needs to be, resulting in plenty of laughs.
Peabody and Sherman travel to meet King Richard the Lionhearted, who is struggling to live up to his legendary title and win a special noble quest. Despite Peabody's best strategies, nothing seems to work, so Peabody cleverly tricks Richard into using a sword that the king believes is magical. With newfound confidence, Richard succeeds in his quest, though it's Peabody's cleverness, not magic, that saves the day.
A fortuitous cab from the Tick Tock Taxi Company appears, but it’s Boris and Natasha in the driver’s seat and TNT under the backseat. When the drivers take a powder, Bullwinkle astutely realizes that the ticking sound he hears must be the taxi meter, so when he can’t find it to turn it off, he, Rocky, and the moon men all get out to explore, but the unattended cab rolls backward down the hill and...BOOM! Fortunately, our heroes have already gotten to the border and they spot a friendly guard nearby, who immediately gets them in his rifle sights. Will they be The Boundary Bounders, or do Some Like It Shot?
Cloyd the moon man scrooches the border guard, and our heroes escape on a small freighter to Washington, D.C., where Rocky puts his clever plan for helping the moon men into effect: Because the American government wants the rocket fuel to send an American to the moon, if they make Gidney and Cloyd American citizens, then they can travel to the moon. But just then Senator Fussmussen is holding a press conference, announcing his determination to make it harder to become a citizen. Will Rocky go into his Washington Whirl, or is Rocky Off the Record?
Retired clown Galahad names his son "Sir Galahad" by mistake after answering a question with, "Yes, Sir!" Though Galahad hopes his son will follow in his footsteps as a clown, young Sir dreams of being a gallant knight. In a comical dream, Sir saves a princess from an evil dragon but soon realizes there aren’t enough dragons left to keep him busy. As he grows older, Sir spends his time on household chores until a new threat arises. Now an old man, Sir tries to fight but meets an unfortunate end. Waking from his dream, Sir decides maybe being a clown wouldn’t be so bad after all!
Bullwinkle shares his "foolproof" methods for sneaking into a movie theater without paying. His outrageous tactics, including disguises, ridiculous distractions, and even trying to blend in with the concession stand, result in a series of comical failures. Despite Bullwinkle’s best efforts, each attempt gets him into more trouble than a free movie, turning this simple task into a hilarious disaster.
Peabody and Sherman travel back to meet the famed lover Don Juan, who has lost his charm because his love for onions has given him terrible breath, driving all the ladies away. Peabody and Sherman attempt to help Don Juan regain his reputation by convincing him to give up onions, but when that fails, Peabody must come up with a clever remedy to solve the problem and restore Don Juan's allure.
With Alaskans, Hawaiians, and even Californians claiming to be U.S. citizens, Senator Fussmussen of the Congressional Citizenship Committee takes a stand! So our heroes bring out their entire library — The Farmer’s Almanac, The Bouncy Twins at Camp Wahoo, and even Bullwinkle’s personal volume of Ghastly Comix—to help the moon men pass the citizenship test. Unfortunately, Rocky and Bullwinkle’s ideas of what the moon men need to learn turn out to be along the lines of how many days in September (eighty!) and how do you make fire without matches (Rub two Scouts—that is, two sticks—together!). In fact, so badly do Gidney and Cloyd do on the test that the senator orders them deported...back to the moon! All official Washington turns out to watch the departure, but when Bullwinkle accidentally catches Senator Fussmussen’s jacket when he slams closed the spaceship hatch, the President has no choice but to appoint the senator the first interplanetary ambassador!
An emergency session of the World Economic Council is horrified to learn someone is counterfeiting box tops, the true basis of the world economy, and suspicion falls immediately on Bullwinkle J. Moose of Frostbite Falls, Minnesota, owner of the world’s largest collection of genuine box tops. When Mister Moose and Rocket J. Squirrel attempt to open a box-top account at the Farmers’ and Swineherds’ National Bank, the police collar the moose, clapping him into the patrol wagon and whisking him away.
Aesop tells the classic fable of The Hare and the Tortoise, where the overconfident Hare races against the slow but steady Tortoise. Despite the Hare's speed, his arrogance leads to his downfall as the determined Tortoise wins the race. Aesop’s son, as always, questions the moral, leading to a humorous exchange between father and son about the importance of persistence over speed.
Bullwinkle, as Mr. Know-It-All, explains his eccentric methods for catching a bee to impress a loved one. His outlandish strategies, including wearing flowers and performing a bizarre dance, result in chaotic and humorous outcomes as Bullwinkle's attempts to attract the bee go hilariously wrong, leaving him with more stings than success.
Snidely Whiplash sets a trap to capture Dudley Do-Right by using bait that’s too tempting to resist. Despite the obvious danger, Dudley, true to form, stumbles right into Snidely’s scheme, leading to a series of comedic mishaps as he tries to outsmart the villain. As always, Dudley’s well-meaning but bumbling nature results in a chaotic but ultimately triumphant resolution.
Round one of the battle of the box tops goes to Boris Badenov, who has succeeded in dumping thousands of counterfeits on the market, cleaning out the premiums in store after store. As a result, box-top savers across the country see their savings wiped out. Things are tough all over, especially behind police headquarters, where Bullwinkle is still being questioned.
Rocky tells the council that one of its own is in cahoots with the box-top bad man. Why? Because the phony box tops are even showing up in Whatchacallistan, which is so remote that only members of the World Economic Council know where it is.
In this humorous retelling, the dwarves are doing their best to hide Snow White from the evil Queen, but their efforts are anything but smooth. As they fumble through increasingly silly attempts to keep her safe, the Queen's plans are repeatedly foiled by their comical blunders, turning this classic fairy tale into a lighthearted adventure filled with mishaps and misunderstandings.
Bullwinkle shares his "expert" advice on becoming a cow puncher, explaining how to wrangle cattle without getting hit back. His absurd methods—like wearing pillows for protection and attempting to talk the cows into submission—lead to a series of comical misadventures, proving that Bullwinkle’s strategies might not be as foolproof as he claims.
Peabody and Sherman travel back to the American Civil War, where they discover a Confederate spy has set a trap for General Sherman and his troops as they attempt to cross a bridge. With danger looming, Peabody must come up with a clever plan to save the day and prevent Sherman and his men from falling into the deadly trap, ensuring history stays on course.
The World Economic Council enlists the help of Hemlock Soames—actually Boris Badenov in disguise. This clever ruse allows Boris to continue his scheme involving counterfeit box tops. As Rocky and Bullwinkle work to uncover the hidden stash, Boris Badenov locks our heroes in the clock tower. Bullwinkle hurls himself at the locked door, but bounces off and lands in the whirling machinery of the clock. As he struggles to escape the gears, the clock’s hands spin, forcing Bullwinkle to dodge while Rocky searches for a way to rescue him.
As Rocky searches desperately for something to smash open the tower door and help his pal, the heavy clock chime hammer drops. The hammer narrowly misses Bullwinkle’s head, creating a loud clang that reverberates throughout the tower. The resulting vibration sends the agile moose tumbling out the window, where he grabs the clock's minute hand, dangling in the precarious style of Harold Lloyd.
Aesop recounts the fable of The Hare and the Hound, where a speedy hare outruns a determined hound in a chase, but the lesson turns out to be more about the difference between motivation and ability. Aesop’s son, as always, questions the moral, leading to a humorous conversation about why the hare was able to win despite the hound’s best efforts.
Bullwinkle, as Mr. Know-It-All, provides his "foolproof" guide to escaping from the infamous Devil's Island. His absurd escape plans, involving everything from disguising as a palm tree to using coconuts as flotation devices, quickly spiral into comical disasters. As Bullwinkle’s attempts to "get away from it all" fail spectacularly, the segment showcases his usual mix of overconfidence and hilarious missteps.
Peabody and Sherman travel back to the first Kentucky Derby, where they find that Colonel Beauregard's horse has been struck by a mysterious sleeping sickness just before the race. With the derby about to begin, Peabody must quickly find a replacement horse to ensure Colonel Beauregard can compete and keep history on track.
As Bullwinkle clings to the ticking hand of the clock, Rocky races to devise a plan to bring him back inside safely. However, Bullwinkle loses his grip and begins to plummet, but fortunately, Rocky grabs his feet just in time, preventing a disastrous fall. Meanwhile, Boris Badenov, disguised as the pipe-puffing Detective Hemlock Soames, throws down a rope but fails to secure the other end, leaving Bullwinkle in danger of continuing his descent.
Just as doom appears near, Rocky the flying squirrel swoops to his friend’s defense, grabbing the loose rope and fastening it to a flagpole, which bends like a fishing rod when the moose reaches the end of his tether, snapping the moose right back up through a window and into the conference room meeting of the World Economic Council. Rocky and Bullwinkle continue to search the building for the box-top bad man, the perspicacious moose walks right into an abandoned elevator shaft.
In this satirical version, a Wicked Fairy casts a beautiful Princess into a deep sleep, but when the Prince arrives to awaken her, he sees a business opportunity instead. The Prince, who bears a striking resemblance to Walt Disney, turns the castle into a theme park called "Sleepingbeautyland" and charges the public to view the slumbering Princess. When the Wicked Fairy returns demanding her share of the profits, the Prince plots to get rid of her to maintain control. However, the story takes a twist as questions arise—Is the Princess really asleep? And who is truly exploiting whom?
Bullwinkle offers his "expert" advice on how to play golf and shoot par. His ridiculous techniques, from using a croquet mallet as a golf club to attempting to distract opponents with elaborate gestures, result in a series of comedic failures on the golf course. Bullwinkle's wild approach to the game turns a simple round of golf into a chaotic misadventure, proving that his methods are far from par for the course.
In this episode, Dudley faces off against a mysterious new villain, the Masked Ginny Lynne, who has been causing trouble throughout the region. With her identity concealed and her antics growing bolder, Dudley must bumble his way through a series of mishaps to uncover who she really is and put a stop to her mischief. As usual, Snidely Whiplash is lurking in the background, adding his own layer of villainy to the chaos.
Surprisingly, Bullwinkle does not fall down the shaft but instead finds himself standing atop a mountainous pile of counterfeit box tops that fills the shaft from the basement nearly to the top floor. As he begins to sink into the box tops, Boris and Natasha are busy shoveling their ill-gotten gains into a huge truck in the building’s basement. Rocky and Bullwinkle attempt to get to the bottom of things, but when they innocently step into a down elevator, they are shot high into the sky by an exploding bomb planted by Boris! Meanwhile, Boris and Natasha make their escape.
As Rocky and Bullwinkle hurtle toward Earth and splash down in an elevator car, the chairman of the World Economic Council picks up the trail of the box-top bandits. Meanwhile, Boris and Natasha attempt to drive their truck full of counterfeit box tops across the state line, but their fiendish getaway scheme is foiled when they are stopped by an open drawbridge. At the same time, our heroes find themselves afloat, drifting toward the open sea.
In this twist on the classic tale, kindly old Geppetto, who runs a toy shop, wishes for the puppet he's crafting to come to life. A fairy grants his wish, bringing Pinocchio to life. Geppetto is thrilled and quickly strikes a deal with a local TV station to turn Pinocchio into a star. However, Pinocchio only wants to do a brave deed and become a real boy. His chance comes when he boldly announces he'll do the show without cue cards, a brave act that finally turns him into a real boy. But now, with Pinocchio's transformation, the TV show loses its appeal, leaving Geppetto back where he started.
Bullwinkle shares his "simple" tricks for mastering magic, but his attempts to make magic look easy quickly turn into a series of blunders. From disappearing acts gone wrong to pulling the wrong animals out of hats, Bullwinkle's lessons show just how hard it can be to get magic right. His overcomplicated methods transform basic tricks into chaotic performances, making the segment a humorous guide to what not to do in magic.
Peabody and Sherman travel back to meet the legendary showman P. T. Barnum and witness his famous circus. However, they quickly discover that saboteurs are plotting to ruin the trapeze act and sabotage the entire show. Peabody must step in to outsmart the troublemakers and save Barnum's big performance, ensuring that "The Greatest Show on Earth" goes off without a hitch.
Just as the State Police arrive to apprehend Boris and Natasha, the dastardly duo makes their escape, abandoning the truck filled with counterfeit box tops and leaping over the side of the bridge. Further downriver, Rocky and Bullwinkle continue rushing toward the open sea. Rescue seems imminent as a Coast Guard cutter approaches...until the ship’s captain, mistaking them for enemy agents, fires depth charges in their direction.
Rocky and Bullwinkle find themselves safe again after the final depth charge blasts them through the window of the Coast Guard Station. However, it seems you can’t keep a bad man down; despite all of Boris Badenov’s troubles and failed schemes, he and Natasha are quickly back in business, cranking out four million counterfeit box tops—enough to potentially wreck the entire American economy!
In this whimsical retelling, Little Red Riding Hood opens her very own "Riding Hood Shop," where she sells stylish hoods to the townsfolk. Business is going well until one day, a peculiar customer places an impossible order for a hood that not only fits perfectly but also protects against wolves! Little Red Riding Hood's attempts to fulfill this outrageous request lead to a series of humorous mishaps, showcasing her creativity and resourcefulness while keeping the spirit of the classic tale intact.
Bullwinkle provides his "expert" advice on transforming failures into successes, but his methods are as outlandish as ever. He demonstrates ridiculous strategies, such as hosting a monster talent show or using absurd gimmicks to attract attention. Each attempt hilariously backfires, leading to even more monstrous failures. Despite the chaos, Bullwinkle's misguided optimism shines through, proving that even in failure, there’s humor to be found.
Peabody and Sherman travel back to the 19th century, hoping to witness the famous meeting between explorer Henry Morton Stanley and missionary David Livingstone. However, Peabody realizes he has missed the encounter and learns that Livingstone is in danger in the African wilderness. Determined to rescue them both, Peabody uses his wits and clever inventions to navigate the challenges of the jungle, ensuring that history remains intact while saving the legendary explorers from peril.
Rocky and Bullwinkle sit on a park bench to devise a plan to catch the box-top bandits by printing 'Reward Posters.' As Rocky designs the poster, Bullwinkle discovers a print shop in a nearby basement, unaware that it's actually Boris and Natasha’s secret box-top printing operation. When Boris answers the door, he quickly recognizes Bullwinkle and surreptitiously sends him away with a 'cigar' that is actually a sizzling stick of dynamite. Since Bullwinkle doesn’t smoke, he runs back to return the dynamite to Boris, blithely dropping it through the mail slot. The secret counterfeiting headquarters is blown up, the American economy is saved, and Rocky and Bullwinkle ride off into the sunset after receiving official hero medals.
Jay Ward Productions
N/A
P.A.T.
N/A
A variety show, with the main feature being the serialized adventures of the two title characters, the anthropomorphic moose Bullwinkle and flying squirrel Rocky. The main adversaries in most of their adventures are the Russian-like spies Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale. Supporting segments include Dudley Do-Right, Peabody's Improbable History, and Fractured Fairy Tales, among others.
The origins of Mr. Peabody and the WABAC machine: Mr. Peabody finds Sherman in the street being beaten up by some bigger boys. At first, he doesn't think that he's the right sort of boy- but when he sees how he is treated in the orphanage, Peabody decides to adopt him. At first, there's a problem when they won't let a dog adopt a boy- but he goes to court, and the judge decides that if a boy can have a dog, then a dog can have a boy! Sherman comes to live with Mr. Peabody, who builds him the Wayback Machine in order to keep him busy. They go back in time to Rome, and then to see Ben Franklin.
William Conrad
Narrator (voice)
June Foray
Rocket J. Squirrel / Natasha Fatale (voice)
Bill Scott
Bullwinkle J. Moose (voice)
Paul Frees
Boris Badenov (voice)
Dorothy Scott
Annie Oakley (voice)
Edward Everett Horton
Fractured Fairy Tales Narrator (voice)
Walter Tetley
Sherman (voice)
Daws Butler
Junior (voice)
Charles Ruggles
Aesop (voice)
Charles Spidar
Various (voice)
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