Time Squad
Encyclopedia
Time Squad is an American animated television series created in 2001 by David Wasson
, following the adventures of a trio of hapless "time cops", who travel back in time
attempting to correct the course of history.
where there are no longer any problems to solve. All nations of the world have merged into one, and, according to Tuddrussel, there are "no wars, no pollution, and bacon
is good for your heart
."
Despite this cheerful vision of the future, the space station on which the characters live and from which they travel to the past is remarkably dystopic
. It features a shooting range, a terrarium, and a prison for repeat offenders, but it is dank, outdated (for the time) and unclean. Mostly this seems to be down to Officer Buck Tuddrussel, a scruffy and immature perennial bachelor, who nevertheless happens to be the station's most senior officer. There were also several accidents aboard the Time Squad Space Station; most notable of which is the terrarium being broken after Tuddrussel plays golf and breaks the glass shell of the station. This action seems to have no consequences in future episodes.
The only other official member of Buck's unit is Larry 3000, a translator robot and former diplomat who was rendered more or less obsolete when all of the world's nations merged together. Buck's mindless machismo clashes with Larry's effete sensibilities, and the two bicker terribly. Added to this the fact that neither of them has any great knowledge of history, they made a rather poor team together.
However, when they encounter Otto Osworth, an eight-year-old orphan who happens to be a history genius from the 21st century, he is quickly recruited and added to the team. Otto is shown to be the only one on the team with any enthusiasm or competence for the job. The problem is, neither of the other two are particularly willing to listen to his advice, and he must often resort to trickery to make sure the mission is completed.
, choices in life (see free will
), and as such will not be able to fulfill the role that history says they fulfilled. An early example of this shows Eli Whitney
failing to invent the cotton gin
, instead creating a horde of flesh-eating robots (stemming from a desire to create something beneficial to mankind, and a failure to realize that flesh-eating robots would not in fact fulfill that). The Time Squad organization was set up to ensure that history was maintained, and the future protected. Only three units of Time Squad are introduced on the show - one of which is that of Tuddrussel and Larry. All three have a single human officer and a robotic assistant, so it can be assumed that every unit follows the same formula.
David Wasson
David "Dave" Wasson is an American television producer, director, screenwriter, and art director. He is best known for creating Time Squad and directing The Buzz on Maggie and Making Fiends.-Career:...
, following the adventures of a trio of hapless "time cops", who travel back in time
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
attempting to correct the course of history.
Plot
The show is set in the year 100,000,000 A.D., on a satellite which orbits Earth. This future Earth is never visited directly, though it is referred in dialogue as a peaceful utopiaUtopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
where there are no longer any problems to solve. All nations of the world have merged into one, and, according to Tuddrussel, there are "no wars, no pollution, and bacon
Bacon
Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
is good for your heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
."
Despite this cheerful vision of the future, the space station on which the characters live and from which they travel to the past is remarkably dystopic
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
. It features a shooting range, a terrarium, and a prison for repeat offenders, but it is dank, outdated (for the time) and unclean. Mostly this seems to be down to Officer Buck Tuddrussel, a scruffy and immature perennial bachelor, who nevertheless happens to be the station's most senior officer. There were also several accidents aboard the Time Squad Space Station; most notable of which is the terrarium being broken after Tuddrussel plays golf and breaks the glass shell of the station. This action seems to have no consequences in future episodes.
The only other official member of Buck's unit is Larry 3000, a translator robot and former diplomat who was rendered more or less obsolete when all of the world's nations merged together. Buck's mindless machismo clashes with Larry's effete sensibilities, and the two bicker terribly. Added to this the fact that neither of them has any great knowledge of history, they made a rather poor team together.
However, when they encounter Otto Osworth, an eight-year-old orphan who happens to be a history genius from the 21st century, he is quickly recruited and added to the team. Otto is shown to be the only one on the team with any enthusiasm or competence for the job. The problem is, neither of the other two are particularly willing to listen to his advice, and he must often resort to trickery to make sure the mission is completed.
Premise
According to Larry 3000, an android time cop, "time is like a rope," and, as it is woven at one end, ages and gradually unravels and frays at the other. In the context of the show, this often means that historical figures have made different, and often anachronisticAnachronism
An anachronism—from the Greek ανά and χρόνος — is an inconsistency in some chronological arrangement, especially a chronological misplacing of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other...
, choices in life (see free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
), and as such will not be able to fulfill the role that history says they fulfilled. An early example of this shows Eli Whitney
Eli Whitney
Eli Whitney was an American inventor best known for inventing the cotton gin. This was one of the key inventions of the Industrial Revolution and shaped the economy of the Antebellum South...
failing to invent the cotton gin
Cotton gin
A cotton gin is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, a job formerly performed painstakingly by hand...
, instead creating a horde of flesh-eating robots (stemming from a desire to create something beneficial to mankind, and a failure to realize that flesh-eating robots would not in fact fulfill that). The Time Squad organization was set up to ensure that history was maintained, and the future protected. Only three units of Time Squad are introduced on the show - one of which is that of Tuddrussel and Larry. All three have a single human officer and a robotic assistant, so it can be assumed that every unit follows the same formula.
Characters
- Beauregard "Buck" Tuddrussel (voiced by Rob PaulsenRob PaulsenRobert Fredrick "Rob" Paulsen III , sometimes credited as Rob Paulson, is an American voice actor, best known as the voice behind Raphael from the 1987 cartoon of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Yakko Warner and Dr...
): A burly time copPolice officerA police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
in the peak of physical condition, Buck is less like a father to Otto and more like a carefree uncle. His obsessions are gunsGünsGüns or Guens may refer to:* Kőszeg, Hungary * Kőszeg Mountains, Hungary * Akiva Güns , birth name of Akiva Eger, a Hungarian-Polish rabbi- See also :* Guns * Gün, a surname...
and beating people up, although he has a generally nice disposition. Tuddrussel is a total fanatic when it comes to justice, which is why he had a "Maximum Security" prison installed on the station for people in historyHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
who refused to set history right. He takes every opportunity on a mission to shout out his catchphrases: "IT'S GO TIME!" and "GET SOME!" He frequently bickers with Larry, whose gentlemanly behavior and seriousness often clash with Tuddrussel's immature machismo. Tuddrussel's facemask and gogglesGogglesGoggles or safety glasses are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the area surrounding the eye in order to prevent particulates, water or chemicals from striking the eyes. They are used in chemistry laboratories and in woodworking. They are often used in snow sports as well,...
seem to be permanently stuck to his head, (his goggles resemble those of the X-men's Cyclops) as it is the only part of his uniform he has never removed. He takes immense pride in his SouthernSouthern United StatesThe Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
heritage, most of his history knowledge centered around events such as the AlamoAlamoThe Battle of the Alamo was a battle fought during the Texas Revolution.Alamo may also refer to:-Places:*Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Texas*Alamo, California*Alamo, Georgia*Alamo Township, Michigan*Alamo, Nevada*Alamo, New Mexico...
and Western characters such as Billy the KidBilly the KidWilliam H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...
. His intellect seems to fluctuate depending on the situation, as he has expressed scientific knowledge from time to time. According to Dr. Freud, Tuddrussel suffers from an over-active super ego, which causes him to force his will on those around him, which in turn causes Larry to resent him. For a man whose job involves the stability of time, Tuddrussel has shown an ironic disinterest and ignorance to the historical events he maintains. - Lawrence "Larry" 3000 (voiced by Mark HamillMark HamillMark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
): Originally designed as a diplomatDiplomatA diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
, Larry was put into Time Squad service when the world's nations all joined together in the year one million, an event which turned out to be the worst thing to ever happen to him, second only to being saddled in Tuddrussel's unit. He is the only one capable of operating the time-traveling technology and most of the technology aboard the space stationSpace stationA space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a crew which is designed to remain in space for an extended period of time, and to which other spacecraft can dock. A space station is distinguished from other spacecraft used for human spaceflight by its lack of major propulsion or landing...
. Larry is also often shown to be grumpy and pessimistic, but it is not uncommon for him to show enthusiasm and joy. According to Dr. Freud Larry suffers from acute self-doubt, which makes him passive aggressive and manipulative in nature. He is an expert chef, although Otto is the only one who seems to appreciate his rare delicacies, as Buck just wants a cheese burger. He is also skilled at needlepoint, computers, and household chores, though he gets little to no appreciation from Tuddrussel. Although Larry expresses deep disdain for Tuddrussel, deep down he does value his friendship. David Wasson, the series creator, admits that Larry is a parody on Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
's C-3POC-3POC-3PO is a robot character from the Star Wars universe who appears in both the original Star Wars films and the prequel trilogy. He is also a major character in the television show Droids, and appears frequently in the series' "Expanded Universe" of novels, comic books, and video games...
(and is in fact voiced by the actor who played Luke Skywalker, Mark HamillMark HamillMark Richard Hamill is an American actor, voice artist, producer, director, and writer, best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the original trilogy of Star Wars. More recently, he has received acclaim for his voice work, in such roles as the Joker in Batman: The Animated Series, Firelord...
). - Otto Osworth (voiced by Pamela AdlonPamela AdlonPamela Fionna Adlon is a Jewish-American actress, voice actress, and producer. She is sometimes credited as Pamela Segall, Pamela S. Adlon and Pamela Segall Adlon...
): Otto was "adopted" (admittedly kidnapped) by Larry and Buck when they miscalculated a mission to the 21st century. He was more than willing to leave the orphanageOrphanageAn orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
and became an unofficial member of the team. Although Otto has an enormous memory of history in nearly every field, deep down he is still a child, and easily gets along with Tuddrussel's immature, childlike attitude. In truth, he is the only member of the team to actually enjoy the history aspect of his job. Otto is the conscience of the group. He's always wanting to the right thing and becomes quickly angered by Tuddrussel and Larry's selfishness and will not put up with the crazy and absurd antics of historical figures. He often finds himself to be the only one capable of handling the mission, sometimes solving the problem with psychological methods. Other times he has to resort to trickery and pranks. Though a self proclaimed book worm, and shown as being a weak child, Otto can sometimes enjoy activities such as fishing and playing baseball. Also it has been mentioned once that he has a natural talent for shooting with a gun and knows a little karate.
Other Time Squad units
- Sheila Sternwell (voiced by Mari Weiss): Sheila is a capable and effective lieutenant in the Time Squad ranks. She has a no-nonsense attitude for her job and ultimately has the best example of what a Time Squad unit should be. Her personality can be best described as intelligent, logical and serious, but quite fair in the long run. As she is rather soft on Tuddrussel even though he’s often the cause of bigger historical inaccuracies. She also takes notice of Otto with approval and never says anything about him in her report, for both Tuddrussel and Otto’s sake. In her first appearance it is revealed she was married to Tuddrussel at one point. But after thinking about what she had done and realizing it would never work out because they were in two different worlds of their own, she got a divorce, which Tuddrussel seems to both regret and appreciate.
- XJ5 (voiced by Daran NorrisDaran NorrisDaran Morrison Nordland , usually credited as Daran Norris, is an American film and television actor and voice artist. Since 1977 he has participated in more than 400 films, video games, and television projects. He is best known as Gordy from Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, the voice of...
): XJ5 is Sheila's robotic partner. As Sheila is the exact opposite of Tuddrussel, XJ5 is Larry's opposite. He is cool, calm and collected, and rarely complains about his job. He is also much more technologically advanced, not to mention capable, than Larry and enjoys rubbing it in his face. When Sheila displayed interest in Tuddrussel, he became concerned. - J. T. Laser (voiced by Jim WiseJim WiseJim Wise is an American actor, voice actor, writer and composer. He is perhaps best known for his recurring role as Coach Tugnut in the Disney Channel Original Series Even Stevens....
): J.T. Laser is one of Time Squad's best agents, and was voted most likely to become Time Squad commissioner by his graduating class. Idolized by Tuddrussel, who tries to deny the fact that J.T. was in fact a jerk who would always pull pranks and obviously try to get him hurt and/or possibly killed since the days of when they were at the academy for training. - Lance 9,000,000,000,000 (voiced by Kevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael RichardsonKevin Michael Richardson is an American actor and voice actor who currently stars as Cleveland Brown, Jr. in The Cleveland Show...
): J. T. Laser's robotic partner. Lance is just like J.T.; Cool, suave, and over all a selfish jerk. Also like J.T., he’s idolized by a “Nerd” too, Larry. Lance is considered a robot of advanced and sophisticated technology, and he certainly knows it.
Award nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement in a Primetime or Late Night Animated Television Production | Cartoon Network Studios Cartoon Network Studios Cartoon Network Studios is an American animation studio. A subsidiary of the Turner Broadcasting System , Cartoon Network Studios focuses on producing and developing animated programs only for and related to Cartoon Network... |
|
| 2001 | Annie Awards | Outstanding Individual Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Television Production | Tim Biskup Tim Biskup Tim Biskup is an American artist generally considered to be a part of the group that has been dubbed "lowbrow" or pop surrealism... |
|
| 2001 | Annie Awards | Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated Television Production | Pamela Adlon as Otto Osworth for "Eli Whitney's Flesh Eating Mistake" |
|
| 2002 | Annie Awards | Outstanding Character Design in an Animated Television Production | Alex Kirwan for "Clown Squad" |
|
| 2002 | Annie Awards | Outstanding Production Design in an Animated Television Production | Davis Wasson for "Keepin' It Real With Sitting Bull" |
External links
- Time Squad at the Big Cartoon DataBaseBig Cartoon DataBaseThe Big Cartoon DataBase is an online database of information about animated cartoons, animated feature films, animated television shows and cartoon shorts....