Episode Capsule: [4ACV14] Obsoletely Fabulous

Title: Obsoletely Fabulous
Written by: Dan Vebber
Directed by: Dwayne Carey-Hill
Opening theme promotion: You can't prove it won't happen

Synopsis

When Fry, Bender and the Planet Express gang attend Roboticon 3003 - the world's largest robot trade show - the Professor purchases the new "Robot 1-X", which threatens to render Bender obsolete. Feeling inadequate, Bender returns to MomCorp for an upgrade, but becomes terrified that the procedure will erase his robo-humanity. In desperation, he escapes from the factory and becomes a castaway on a tropical island that seems uninhabited... or is it? Violence ensues.

Voice Credits

Starring

• Billy West (Fry, Farnsworth, Zoidberg)
• Katey Sagal (Leela)
• John DiMaggio (Bender)
• Tress MacNeille (Mom)

Guest Starring

• Phil LaMarr (Hermes)
• Lauren Tom (Amy)
• David Herman
• Frank Welker

Also Starring

• Maurice LaMarche

Did You Notice…

• Exploding Eddie in the background on the fair? — Marc Wichterich

External References

Sinclair Computers

• The Sinclair 2k robot is a reference to this old computer line. See comments. — Marc Wichterich Alien (movie)

• Nannybot 1.0 looks just like a robot version of an alien from this movie. Complete with extending tongue with a jaw. — Marc Wichterich

Futurama References

[3ACV11] Insane in the Mainframe

• The stabbing-happy Roberto from this episode returns. — Marc Wichterich

Freeze Frame Fun

Roboticon 3003
World's Largest Robot Trade Show
   Formerly, Roboticon 3002

Upgrade Specials:
X-Ray       Arm      Neon
Vision   Extension  Crotch
  $2      70c/yard   15c

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
   I, BENDER, BID YOU HELLP!
      YOU WON'T KNOW ME,
THOUGH YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF ME,
   BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT.
     LONG STORY SHORT...
         I NEED HELF

Tapes of the Cartridge Bot:
* Introduction (Side A: We're a community of outdated robots who refused
  to upgrade and came here
  Side B: to live a simpler existence. Free of technology.)
* Snappy Response  (Your mother)
* State the obvious (But Bender, you ARE technology. You're the most 
  advanced thing on this entire island!) 
* What?! (What?!)

Animation, Continuity, and Other Goofs

• It's the Roboticon 3003 even though the episode before featured the 3004 Olympiad. — Marc Wichterich

Comments and Other Observations

• The Sinclair 2k robot is a reference to the early 80's line of computers by Sinclair Research. Most known are the Sinclair ZX80, ZX81 and ZX Spectrum. While the ZX80 was monochrome and only had 1Kb memory by default, the Specturm featured a total of 8 colors, 3.5MHz and a whooping 48Kb RAM. Due to the low memory count of the early system, programs had to constantly dispose parts of their memory in order to shuffle in new parts from the mass media (a datasette). — Marc Wichterich

Original capsule author: Can't get enough Futurama <www.gotfuturama.com>