The Presidents Song/Don't Tread on Us/The Flame Returns is the 75th episode of the original Animaniacs, being the 6th episode of the show's 3rd season. It originally aired on November 11, 1995.
Theme Song
Last line
Yakko, Wakko, and Dot: Here's the Flame-y...
Trivia
- The line "Meet Pinky and the Brain, who want to rule the universe." returns for the first time since episode 69.
- The video quality of the theme song for this episode is notably blurrier than usual in most of its releases.
The Presidents Song
Animation by Akom Film Production
Plot
To the tune of the William Tell Overture finale, the Warners sing all the Presidents at the time of its release in 1995, with Bill Clinton being the latest. The Presidents are displayed in a Monty Python-esque art style.
Crew
- Music by Gioachino Rossini
- Lyrics by Randy Rogel
- Directed by Al Zegler
Songs
Trivia
- The three Presidents succeeding this episode, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump, are listed in the "Catch Up Song" during the Animaniacs reboot cartoon "Suspended Animation: Part One" in a similar manner to this song (albeit with a different tune).
- The Flame makes a cameo during the verse about Thomas Jefferson.
Goofs
- Zachary Taylor's image is actually that of failed Whig presidential candidate and U.S. Army general Winfield Scott. Scott would unsuccessfully run for election in 1852, two years after Taylor's death.
- See here for more information.
Don't Tread on Us
Animation by Akom Film Production
Plot
Pinky and the Brain attempt to replace the Declaration of Independence with their own document declaring the Brain supreme emperor of the world.
Crew
- Written by Gordon Bressack and Charles M. Howell IV
- Directed by Al Zegler
Trivia
- This is the first Pinky and the Brain cartoon to air as part of Animaniacs after the debut of their spin-off show.
- The title of the episode is a reference to the phrase "Don't Tread on Me", which originated from the Gadsden Flag.
- Elmer Fudd makes a brief cameo at the beginning, saying he is "hunting wedcoats. Hahahahahahahahahaha."
- The Flame makes a cameo in this episode when the mice watch Thomas Jefferson work on the Declaration of Independence.
- Pinky thinking that Brain's plan would involve learning to harmonize, finding a choreographer and moving to Detroit, as well as the mice's duet is a nod to the music produced by Motown Records.
- At the end of the cartoon, Brain mentions that the French are revolting, referencing the French Revolution that occurred a few years after the American Revolution ended.
- While most regions use the Wang version of the intro in this episode, the 2003 Russian dub has the TMS version dubbed over the Wang version.
- When Brain says “The same thing we do everywhere, Pinky,” he shoves his hand into his jacket. This is a reference to Napoleon Bonaparte’s famous gesture in which he would place his hand into his waistcoat. The Pinky and The Brain episode "Napoleon Brainaparte" (which first aired a week after Don’t Tread On Us) features a similar gag when a palace guard looks inside the police wagon to find Brain with his hand shoved inside his jacket, and he is immediately mistaken for Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.
- The two episodes even use the same French ending chorus.
Goofs
- The mice arrive at Boston Harbor in 1775 and become caught up in the Boston Tea Party, which actually occurred on December 16, 1773.
- Ben Franklin does his famous kite experiment in the episode, but the experiment took place in June of 1752.
- In the episode, we see Thomas Jefferson ring the Liberty Bell (which has a crack in it) right after the Declaration of Independence was signed. In truth, the bell did not ring on the day of the signing, but rather on July 8th, 1776. As for the person who rang the bells, some speculate it was rung by Andrew McNair, who was the custodian of the Assembly and of the Congress. Lastly, the Liberty Bell acquired its famous crack in the early 1800s.
The Flame Returns
Animation by Wang Film Productions Co., Ltd.
Plot
The Flame watches Longfellow write the epic poem Paul Revere's Ride, while the poem is acted out seriously. Cameos by the main characters of the Animaniacs cast are included. The Flame also provides some commentary on the adventure.
Crew
- Written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Adapted by Nicholas Hollander
- Directed by Barry Caldwell, Audu Paden, Dave Marshall, and Kirk Tingblad
Trivia
- Cameo roles include Ralph the Guard, Slappy and Skippy Squirrel, Rita & Runt, Chicken Boo, Buttons, the Little Blue Bird, Kiki and Lana of the Girlfeathers; and of course- the Warners.
- Oddly, none of the Goodfeathers appear despite two of their girlfriends appearing.
Goofs
- The Landlord's Tale was not the initial title of Paul Revere's Ride. It was retitled for the collection Tales of a Wayside Inn.
Production Notes
- This is the second episode of Animaniacs where all cartoons revolve around U.S. history.
- Most copies of this episode are noticeably blurrier than the rest of the series.
- In some listings, this episode is listed as the 8th episode of season 3 due to it airing after episodes 76 and 77.
- This is the first episode:
- to feature the copyright notice and the full disclaimers as the last slide of the credits instead of appearing on the bottom after the stinger. This also meant that Steven Spielberg's executive producer credit was moved back from the stinger to the second-to-last slide of the credits. Despite that, very few episodes after that continued to have the exec. producer credit and the copyright notice on the stinger, which afterwards the changes became permanent.
- to feature a bylineless version of the 1995 Warner Bros. Television Animation logo at the end, exclusive to the show, although it would be used in tandem with the standard version of it until episode 98.
Cast
| Voice Actors: | Character(s): |
| Rob Paulsen | Yakko Warner, Pinky, Thomas Jefferson |
| Jess Harnell | Wakko Warner |
| Tress MacNeille | Dot Warner |
| Maurice LaMarche | The Brain, John Adams, Paul Revere |
| Luke Ruegger | The Flame, The Flame's Twin Brother |
| John Mariano | Henry Wadsworth Longfellow |
| Frank Welker | Ralph T. Guard, Buttons, Narrator, Elmer Fudd, Benjamin Franklin, Chicken Boo |