The Big Broadcast of 2006 (episode)
| This article is about the Generation 1 cartoon episode. For the comic adaptation of this episode, see The Big Broadcast of 2006 (issue). |
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 The judge is on the court, bweeeeeeeeeoooop! | |||||||||
| "The Big Broadcast of 2006" | |||||||||
| Production code | 700-105 | ||||||||
| Production company | Sunbow Productions | ||||||||
| Airdate | November 12, 1986 | ||||||||
| Written by | Michael Reaves | ||||||||
| Animation studio | AKOM | ||||||||
| Continuity | Generation 1 cartoon continuity | ||||||||
Attempting to retrieve their lost records journal, the Quintessons use subliminal messages on the Junkions, and inadvertently the entire galaxy.
- Japanese title: 2010年の大放送 (2010 Nen no Daihōsō, "The Big Broadcast of 2010")
- German title: "Das Hyperraumprogramm" ("The Hyperspace-Programm")
Synopsis
Searching for one of their journals, the Quintessons discover that it has landed on the planet of Junk. After observing the native Junkions, the Quintessons send a Sharkticon retrieval team. The Sharkticons locate the journal quickly, but are then driven off by the Junkions. The Quintessons hijack the television broadcasts the Junkions watch, planting subliminal messages telling the Junkions that being neat is a good thing...and the other races are their enemies.
Travelling through the Junkion sector, Sky Lynx comes under attack by Astrotrain. While the two battle, the Junkions fire on both Transformers. Sky Lynx races back to Cybertron, and informs Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus. The Autobot leader sends the Aerialbots to investigate. Astrotrain also returns to Chaar to report his encounter, but Galvatron doesn't care. Cyclonus, however, is interested, and takes Scourge and the Sweeps to investigate. The Aerialbots arrive, and get caught in the crossfire between the Junkions and the Quintessons. The Aerialbots form Superion and target the Quintessons. However, the Quintesson ship damages Superion, who is then rescued by Sky Lynx. Cyclonus and the Sweeps arrive to investigate, and withdraw after being fired upon.
During the battle, the transmitter sending the messages to the Junkions was damaged, causing the Junkions to believe that they should transmit their broadcasts to other races. The affected races soon begin lashing out at their neighbors, causing what would become an interstellar dark age. The Quintessons see a good possibility here, as they could sell weapons to the warring races, but decide that the recovery of the journal is the higher priority. Back on Chaar, Galvatron displays anger at Cyclonus for going to investigate Junkion, but Cyclonus continues on, believing that to turn the Junkions on the Autobots is too good an opportunity for the Decepticons. Hoping to find answers, Rodimus, Magnus, Kup, and Blaster head to investigate in Omega Supreme, but come under attack by Cyclonus and the Sweeps. Omega is damaged, and the Autobots draw the Decepticons away from the wounded Guardian robot. Finally, Omega Supreme is repaired, and the Decepticons retreat.
Meanwhile, the affected races have converged on Junkion, and are firing on everyone in sight. Chaar has also been targeted, and Galvatron is drawn into the bedlam. Knowing they have one chance, the Quintessons make a move for the journal, but a stray blast from Galvatron damages their shuttle and sends the journal hurtling into the void. Arriving, Blaster determines that the transmissions are the cause of the violence, and sends out transmissions to counter them. Their senses restored, the Junkions stop fighting everyone...and start concentrating on the Decepticons, who retreat. Rodimus asks Wreck-Gar what happened, but Wreck-Gar doesn't know.
Returning to their ship, the two Quintessons prepare to accept their punishment, but their superior declares that finding the journal is now their priority...before their clients do.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Junkions | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"I know you're bored, Rodimus, but with the mantle of leadership comes obligations."
"Don't suppose I could interest you in a used mantle?"
- —Ultra Magnus and Rodimus Prime
"To share is to care. To care is to share."
- —Quintesson
"Mrs. Peel, we're needed. Our five year mission: to boldly share our signal with all the sloppy lifeforms who are our enemies. There is nothing wrong with your television set. We are controlling transmission. We control the horizontal. We control the vertical. We've got the touch!"
- —Wreck-Gar
"Mighty Galvatron, where are you going?"
"To the signal. To be a winner! Because I believe in me!"
- —Cyclonus and Galvatron, discussing Galvatron's newfound belief in positive thinking.
Blaster: We're outgunned, man! We don't have a chance!
Kup: Boy, that's what makes life interesting.
Rodimus: Or over!
- —The Autobots discuss their situation.
Notes
- When Galvatron and Rodimus face off on Junkion, Galvatron mentions the "scrapeyard". What's a scrapeyard? Pretty sure he meant scrapyard. (Note: This error has been fixed in the Shout Factory release).
Animation and/or technical glitches
- While driving off the Sharkticons in the beginning, it looks like Wreck-Gar is shooting lasers from his axe. It changes to a gun in the last shot.
- Astrotrain appears to be the same size as Sky Lynx while in his robot form. Sky Lynx usually appears to be the size of a combiner.
- After the Junkions drive off Sky Lynx and Astrotrain, Wreck-Gar is shown standing next to...Wreck-Gar and Wreck-Gar.
- As he notes Rodimus' boredom, Ultra Magnus has an Autobot logo on each shoulder. There should only be one on his right shoulder.
- Ultra Magnus' back is shown as plain red in several scenes, where it should have a grey panel with differently colored squares.
- Astrotrain doesn't actually tell Galvatron about the Junkion attack. There appears to be missing dialogue in that scene.
- In the same scene, Cyclonus is missing the lower orange shape on his waist, and Galvatron mouths part of his dialogue.
- A red alarm light flashes on a console and is somehow visible through a Quintesson standing in front of it.
- During the montage of the transmission's effects, one shot shows the Quintessons subliminal message as if it's a hologram, when it should be inside of the tv screen.
- In the last few shots of the Quintessons discussing the effects of the transmission on different planets, the Egyptian faces on the Quintessons have orange-framed eyes (instead of green).
- In many shots, the Quintessons' arms are drawn as simple (black) lines when they should be white and have some thickness to them.
- In the next shot, Cyclonus' back windows are not colored in (they should be orange).
- Omega Supreme's voice is missing its usual self-echo reverberation.
- The first shots of Blaster show him with five buttons on his chest instead of three.
- The inside of Magnus' mouth is red in the next shot.
- When Omega comes under attack, Rodimus starts asking what happened to Omega before anything actually happens.
- One shot shows a Quintesson's mouth lined in orange when only the inside should be orange.
- As he looks at Omega Supreme's panel, Magnus is missing most of his detailing as well as his Autobot logo.
- The next shot (as he dives for cover) has inside of Magnus' mouth colored in blue.
- When Ultra Magnus is repairing Omega Supreme, one scene is missing...well...everything but Magnus's hands. He appears to be repairing empty space.
- As he finishes the repairs, Magnus closes a panel that's already closed.
- Not so much of an animation error per se, but Omega Supreme manages to transform from his rocket ship into his full robot self. That's interesting, given that his rocket ship is the equivalent of his forearms, with no tank, legs, or tracks that all appear in robot mode.
- As the Quintessons watch the big space battle, the display shows a grey background behind the ships instead of space.
- As Omega Supreme approaches the battle, one shot has one of his rocket fins in gray instead of orange.
- When he lands on Junkion, Cyclonus is missing the lower orange shape on his waist.
- When he fights Galvatron, we hear Rodimus Prime's rifle even though he's not carrying it (the blast he fires comes from his arm). This happens again as the Junkions attack the Decepticons.
- When Galvatron lifts Rodimus to throw him, Rodimus' spoiler is all-yellow when it should be orange in the middle.
- In the first shot of him talking to blaster, the inside of Magnus' mouth is red.
- After Galvatron blows up a tv, the next shot shows a poorly drawn and miscolored Soundwave, Cyclonus missing the orange shapes on his chest, and Rodimus' spoiler in all-yellow.
- As the Decepticons retreat, Soundwave's chest is white instead of blue and is missing its Decepticon logo. There's also three Cyclonuses (Cycloni?) in the shot.
- When he wonders who broadcasted the programs, the inside of Magnus' mouth is red.
- The last shot shows the Egyptian faces on the Quintessons with orange-framed eyes again.
Continuity errors
- Where has Omega Supreme been all this time? The Autobots certainly could have used him in the battles with Trypticon, the Dweller, etc. And why does his voice sound so different?
- When Cyclonus' group fires on the Autobots after disabling Omega Supreme, one shot shows Ultra Magnus just standing there (while everyone else is shooting back).
- Galvatron stops the transmission by shooting a tv, but the antenna was never shot, so the transmission should still be going on.
- When the transmission ends, do all the beings on all those planets suddenly stop fighting each other? Even if they somehow know they've been manipulated, there must have been massive casualties and damages on those worlds.
Transformers references
- This episode is Omega Supreme's only Season 3 appearance, and last appearance in the cartoon.
Real-world references
- The title is a takeoff of the "Big Broadcast" series of movies in the 1930s.
- The If You Can Name That Price game show is an obvious parody of The Price is Right.
- As a Junkion-centric episode, this story is positively drowning in pop culture references. In addition to generic phrases like "this concludes our broadcast day," "it slices, it dices" and "waxy yellow build-up," specific references spewed by the various Junkions include:
- "For a transcript, send $1 to Merkle Press." Merkle Press used to charge $1 to print the weekly transcript of Meet the Press.
- "Here's looking at you, kid." – Humphrey Bogart's famous line from Casablanca.
- "Live from New York, it's… your hit parade!" – a dual reference to Saturday Night Live and Your Hit Parade.
- "Say goodnight, Gracie!" – a reference to comedienne Gracie Allen.
- "Oh, Cisco!" and "Oh, Pancho!" refer to The Cisco Kid and his sidekick, but Wreck-Gar and his lady friend use the names in a swooning, romantic way, which is... not... right.
- "Fly somebody else's friendly skies!" – a warped version of the United Airlines slogan, "Fly the Friendly Skies."
- "And that's the name of that tune!" – the catchphrase of the titular character in 1970s detective show Baretta, itself a reference to Name That Tune.
- "Tenk you veddy much!" – the catchphrase of Latka Gravas (Andy Kaufman) on the sitcom Taxi.
- "Your mission, should you choose to accept it…" – the famous introductory line from the Mission: Impossible TV series.
- Wreck-Gar and his little buddy assume the roles of Perry White and Jimmy Olsen from Superman, respectively. "Jimmy" refers to Wreck-Gar as "Chief", at which point Wreck-Gar quotes Perry by shouting "And don't call me Chief!"
- Following on from Wreck-Gar's insistence that he not be called "Chief," the "Jimmy" Junkion responds with "Sorry about that, Chief!", in the style of Maxwell Smart (Don Adams) from 1960s spy comedy, Get Smart. Wreck-Gar also later mimics Smart with a cry of "Missed me by that much!"
- "Warning, Will Robinson! Danger! Danger!" – the famous line from Lost in Space.
- Wreck-Gar assumes the role of Jimmy Olsen when he refers to "Mr. Kent".
- "I pity the fool!" – catchphrase of Mr. T.
- "Let's consume mass quantities of TV!" – Saturday Night Live sketch characters the Coneheads liked consuming mass quantities of stuff.
- Finally, Nancy takes the role of Jimmy Olsen when she screams: "Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...", and Wreck-Gar quotes Perry's catchphrase, "Great Caesar's Ghost!"
- Wreck-Gar cries out to his lady by calling her "Lassie."
- "Baby, you're the greatest!" – common catchphrase of Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) from The Honeymooners.
- "Mrs. Peel, we're needed." – Wreck-Gar adopts the role of John Steed (Patrick Macnee) from The Avengers and calls on his teammate Emma Peel (Diana Rigg).
- "Our five-year mission...to boldly share..." – Star Trek, naturally.
- "There is nothing wrong with your television set..." – Wreck-Gar recites verbatim several lines from the opening narrative of The Outer Limits.
- "We've got the touch!" — Possibly a callback to the rock anthem from The Transformers: The Movie but also identical to an old CBS tagline in the 80s.
- "Lookin' goooood!" – catchphrase of Chico Rodriguez (Freddie Prinze Sr.) on Chico and the Man.
- "Laser Wars...nothing but Laser Wars...!" – Wreck-Gar parodies a parody, mimicking Bill Murray's comedic rendition of the Star Wars theme on Saturday Night Live.
- "Ward, I think we've been a little rough on the Beaver." – reference to the 1950s sitcom Leave It to Beaver.
- "Go ahead...make my day." – Clint Eastwood's famous line from Sudden Impact.
- "I dunno! I wuz a victim of soicumstance! Yuk yuk yuk!" – banter in the style of the Three Stooges.
- The television show "Space Age Jack" that is broadcast is a parody of G.I. Joe, with the titular "Jacks" screaming the battle cry "Yo, Jack!"
- And then, to cap it all off, the Quintessons emphatically tell one another that the journal was "Lost in Space."
Trivia
- When the US comic needed a fill-in issue, this episode was chosen and script adapted. While the UK offices were in no position to pass up on any US material being produced, this issue also completely conflicted with the Movie-Future they had established. To sidestep continuity problems, Simon Furman wrote a framing sequence establishing US #43 as an imaginary story dreamed up by Wreck-Gar, as part of a lead in to his "Space Pirates!" arc.
- The comic adaptation lends credence to the idea that the opening scenes are mis-ordered. The comic features the Sharkticons seeking the journal first, and being repulsed, then the Quintessons analyzing the Junkions and concluding that they must be subtle in their attack. In the cartoon, the analysis comes first, and is immediately followed by the Sharkticons' flagrantly un-subtle invasion.
- This episode is set before "The Quintesson Journal", because this journal is the same one that Blaster and Outback find.
- Blast Off's appearance serves absolutely no purpose. He's not shown fighting or speaking or anything. And Soundwave must have been a decoration as well.
Home video releases
- VHS
1989 — Transformers — The Big Broadcast of 2006 / Fight or Flee (Tempo Video)
1992 — Transformers — Super Video (Tempo Video)
- Laserdisc
1999 — The Transformers: 2010 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
- DVD
2001 — The Transformers: 2010 — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2004 — The Original Transformers — Season 3 Part 2 & Season 4 (Rhino Entertainment)
2004 — Transformers — Season 3 and Season 4 (Metrodome)
2004 — Transformers — Collection 5: Series 3.2 (Madman Entertainment)
2006 — Transformers — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome)
2007 — The Transformers — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)
2009 — Transformers — Season's Three & Four [sic] (Metrodome)
2009 — The Transformers — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment)
2009 — The Transformers — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory)
2010 — The Transformers — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)
