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Arthur's TV-Free Week
| This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the home video. |
| "Arthur's TV-Free Week" | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Season/Series: | 2 |
| Number in season: | 7A |
| Original Airdate: | November 3, 1997 |
| Credits | |
| Written by: | Peter K. Hirsch |
| Storyboard by: | Stéfanie Gignac |
| Episodes | |
| Previous "Play it Again, D.W." |
Next "Night Fright" |
| Read transcript | |
Summary
Arthur and his friends are going TV-free for a week. Arthur's family also goes without TV in support of the idea. Everyone tries to resist the temptation of TV while they go through their week.
Plot
What would you bring to a desert island? Arthur ponders what he and his friends would take.
• Arthur would take Pal, a collection of books, and a soccer ball.
• Buster would bring snacks, and a comedian to tell him jokes. We see Buster listening to a stand-up comic tell him a joke about a safe driver who drives a safe... hilarious.
• Muffy would take just the bare minimum: a cottage, a butler, and a diving board towering above the cottage so she can go diving into the ocean around her desert island.
• Arthur thinks he knows what Mr. Ratburn would bring -- Arthur and the rest of his classmates, in order to teach... Arthur imagines Mr. Ratburn lecturing the class on a desert island, doing math problems with coconuts.
Arthur's sure that there's one thing that everyone would want to bring with them though. A satellite dish and a TV.
* * * Arthur's TV Free Week * * *
Mr. Haney has an assembly for the entire population of Lakewood Elementary.
Mr. Haney makes a rambling speech. The jist of it is that television, which "transmits images and sounds into your living room", for those in the audience who didn't know... is very popular, but perhaps everyone should try to reduce the time spent watching it; if people did that, there'd be more time for other things, like conversations -- it would improve communication.
Mr. Haney needs to work on his communication -- his speech sort of baffles everyone, and even he doesn't know what he's on about at times. That's probably the point though.
But here's the key point. There are signup sheets available in all the classrooms. You sign your name on the sheet, and promise not to watch any television for a week. If you can survive a week without TV, you get a neat gold badge.
* * *
Should Arthur and his friends go for it?
Francine tells her friends that her sister Catherine did this one time -- and she said that it was easy; that the time went by quickly.
Arthur and his friends all sign up. Except Binky. Binky says that it's dumb. It's strictly voluntary though -- he doesn't have to sign. Binky says that he doesn't need a gold pin -- he's going to go home and enjoy watching Bionic Bunny.
Buster panics. He didn't realize that he couldn't watch Bionic Bunny... it dawns on him slowly, and a pained look spreads over his face.
Buster: ...just because I signed that thing? Oh no!
Binky laughs at Buster's predicament. He thinks that the "TV Free Week" is just "a stupid little bet".
* * *
At Arthur's house, Arthur tells his family about the "TV Free Week". Mom and Dad think it's a great idea. To help him out, all of the Reads are going to give up watching TV for a week. How hard can it be?
D.W. says "she'll take care of everything" by providing entertainment.
* * *
A short while later, the Read family is wishing they hadn't agreed to give up TV so quickly -- since D.W. is starting to annoy everyone. D.W. stands in the den with everyone on the couch. Her "pick a card, any card" trick doesn't work. She starts taking cards and showing them to Dad, asking if this is the card he selected.
Is it the Ace of Clubs?
It's not the Ace of Clubs...
Is it the 3 of Hearts?
Dad says yes -- rather than prolong the agony.
* * *
A while later, D.W. tries doing a magic trick with Arthur. Mom and Dad have gone off to find other things to do.
Arthur is asked to pick a number between 1 and 10.
Arthur says 2 and a half.
D.W. shouts that 2 and a half isn't a real number. Arthur claims it is -- it's not his fault if D.W. doesn't know her numbers...
D.W. and Arthur rush off to find Mom, so she can settle the arguement. Going without TV is starting to affect the entire family; Mom can't think straight.
Mom: You're both wrong -- I mean right...
Mom's losing it. :) she suggests that they all do something they enjoy. She grabs the TV remote...
Oops! What was Mom thinking? She quickly remembers the "No TV" vow she made. That was close. :) Mom looks sheepish.
* * *
Arthur's friends are finding it hard to go without TV.
At the Frensky residence, Francine's family have all decided to give up TV for the week too.
Francine and her Dad try to make up for the loss of the TV by listening to the radio. They listen intently to a staticy transistor radio.
It's very annoying though. They can hardly make out the commentary -- how can they follow the soccer game if they can't hear it?
Soccer game? Dad thought it was a basketball game! Groan!
* * *
Brain keeps himself occupied by using his telescope to watch the night sky.
He looks through the eyepiece. He tilts the telescope. It points towards somebody's house. Inside he can see a television. The TV is showing "Eel of Fortune"... it's just starting.
Brain resists the urge to watch -- that was close. He decides to have another look at the Big Dipper instead.
* * *
Even Mr. Ratburn is having trouble following through on his pledge not to watch TV.
He receives a shipment of ten episodes of "Masterpiece Theatre" on tape showcasing the "Life and Times of Dewey Decimal". Mr. Ratburn says he can't wait to watch these.
Then he remembers.
With a sigh, he says he can't wait to watch the episodes AFTER the week is up. He puts them away until then.
* * *
In the cafeteria at school, all of Arthur's friends are cranky due to their TV withdrawl.
Muffy has it the worst -- she has 170 channels that she can't watch.
Binky lets it slip (perhaps intentionally) that Bionic Bunny was great last night.
Buster begs Binky to tell him what happened.
Binky can't recall what happened.
Binky: Uh, lots of stuff...
It's suggested confindentially to Arthur that he keep an eye on Buster -- Buster looks like he could crack and go watch TV if they're not careful.
* * *
As the week wears on, it becomes a strain to avoid TV.
* * *
Mom has to rush out of a store when she almost gets hypnotised by a bank of television sets on display. They're all showing the soap opera "All My Chickens".
* * *
Dad has to dress up in a suit of armour for a catering event. He wants to put the TV on just to get the weather reports. He's prevented from doing so.
Dad mopes. He hopes he doesn't rust if it rains on him while he's out.
To prevent any more accidental TV watching incidents, the TV is put away in a chest. That way nobody will feel the urge to watch it.
* * *
Arthur meets up with Buster at The Sugar Bowl. Buster is pigging shakes. Buster's been doing some calculations, as he shows Arthur -- there are still four and a half days to go.
Buster: That's 6480 minutes left!
Buster sounds like he's about to lose it. Arthur suggests that it's not that bad -- and he also suggests that Buster pass on having any more milkshakes.
Buster's outraged.
Buster: Now you wanna take away my milkshakes too?
Arthur says that he didn't mean that. He wants to get the badge for making it a week, and he wants Buster to make it too. Arthur suggests that if Buster feels like he won't make it, then Buster can phone him, and he'll help him out.
Arthur leaves Buster with his milkshakes, and walks past a payphone.
It rings.
Arthur: Huh?
Arthur answers the phone. Who could it be?
It's Buster!
* * *
At Arthur's, it appears that Pal wants to watch TV. He paws at the chest where the TV is locked away.
Arthur: No Pal, TV bad!
* * *
Arthur and D.W. are walking down the street in downtown Elwood City.
A TV cameraman and a news reporter stop Arthur and D.W.. The reporter says she's doing a story covering the "TV Free Week" -- she wonders how they're coping with no television.
D.W. starts talking before Arthur gets a chance. She claims that it's great -- her family's having a great time at home, doing magic tricks, singing songs, etc.
* * *
That night, Mom and Dad are told about the TV crew incident. Mom and Dad decide to get the TV out so they can watch it on the news that night. Arthur's unsure about whether or not it's cheating -- but as it's explained, it's not everyday that Arthur and D.W. are on TV. The TV is unpacked out of the chest.
The phone rings. It's Buster for Arthur.
Arthur goes off to take the call in private.
Buster feels like he won't be able to make it. Tonight it's a repeat of the premier episode -- the one where Bionic Bunny gets his bionic powers. Buster feels he HAS to watch it.
(Arthur is in a sticky spot. How can he tell Buster not to watch TV, if he's about too himself? Still, he has to give Buster the right advice.)
Arthur knows that Buster's seen that episode loads of times. Buster must know it off by heart. Why not just
Arthur: ...do it in your head?
Buster's unsure at first, but then realizes that Arthur's on to something. Buster thanks Arthur. He will do that.
Arthur hangs up the phone, and heads back into the den. But the TV isn't out, it's being bundled away again. D.W. tells him they decided not to watch the TV.
D.W.: It would have been hypo-criminal.
* * *
The next day at school, Arthur's gang are at a table, with Buster standing nearby. Since Buster knows episodes of Bionic Bunny off by heart, they're all listening to him recount last night's episode from memory.
Buster says how then Bionic Bunny said "Maybe this will clean up your act..." and then nails him with two powerblasts!
Arthur's friends are impressed. Buster's almost as good as a TV!
Binky scoffs. Maybe Buster can do that episode. But can he do "BIONIC BUNNY VS. TECHNOTURTLE PART V: THE MOVIE"?
Why?
Because it's on this Sunday... Binky knows he'll be watching it -- and he knows Buster can't, because of his "TV Geek Week"! Binky laughs and laughs.
Buster whimpers. It will be on again... maybe next year...
* * *
Going without TV becomes too much for Arthur and Buster.
* * *
Buster imagines a mirror in his house is a TV. Then his bunkbed becomes a giant TV.
* * *
Arthur's bored. It's suggested he clean his room, but he's already done so!
At Arthur's, the chest for the TV is opened...
But it's only to get out a book that's also kept in the chest -- "100 Gelatin Recipies".
Dad makes jelly turtles and bunnies, and offers them to Arthur. Arthur imagines the jelly shapes morphing into Bionic Bunny and Technoturtle, and runs off to his room.
* * *
Arthur can't take anymore. He jumps on his bike, and heads off to Binky's. Arthur figures he'll watch the movie with Binky. Binky won't tell -- and who will know? Arthur talks to himself as he pedals, trying to convince himself.
It's dusk as Arthur heads down Binky's street, when who should he meet but Buster, also on his bike. Where could Buster be heading at this hour?
They give each other lame excuses. Buster claims to be testing his brakes.
They stand motionless for a moment.
Arthur: Oh forget it. We both know why we're here.
Arthur comes to his senses. They have to stick it out.
Arthur: We're so close.
Buster says he knows that. It's only about five steps to Binky's.
Arthur says that's not what he means. They're close to finishing the week of no TV... why ruin it now?
Buster knows Arthur's right. They head back home. That was close.
* * *
The "TV Free Week" comes to an end. The successful participants get their gold badges, which are shaped like small televisions. The kids from all of the different grades line up in a long line to receive their badges.
Aloucious Zimmerplotz (sp?) is one of the kids in the line. (See #40101 - "D.W.'s Library Card"...)
Arthur loves his badge. He thinks it's "wicked".
Buster claims that going a week with no TV was easy!
* * *
We conclude the story at Buster's. That night, Buster's watching Bionic Bunny on TV. He's totally engrossed in it -- his Mom speaks to him, but Buster doesn't pay attention -- he's gotta watch TV. Buster's zonked out.
Characters
- Arthur Read
- Buster Baxter
- D.W. Read
- David Read
- Jane Read
- Kate Read
- Pal
- Binky Barnes
- Francine Frensky
- Oliver Frensky
- Muffy Crosswire
- Alan Powers
- Nigel Ratburn
Trivia
Cultural References
- All My Chickens is a parody of All My Children.
- Eel of Fortune is a reference to Wheel of Fortune. Instead of a wheel, they used an eel.
Errors
- In one shot of the lunchroom scene, Muffy's buck teeth can be seen, despite having been officially removed during the middle of the first season.
- In the shot of the assembly, Alex is miscolored and is brown with an orange shirt.
- In the shot when Buster imagines that his bed is a giant TV, his clock reads 8:88.
