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Film Flam
Season 4, Episode 1
Episode name pun on: The phrase of the same name
Bernie Talking About The Powerpuff Girls
Airdate: April 20, 2001
Credits
Director: John McIntyre
Craig McCracken
Story: Charlie Bean
Writer(s): Amy Keating Rodgers
Charlie Bean
See also
episode
transcript
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gallery
Episodes
Previous
"Meet the Beat-Alls"
Next
"All Chalked Up"
Rating

Flim Flam is episode 1 of Season 4 of The Powerpuff Girls. It aired on April 20th, 2001.

Synopsis

A big-name film director comes to Townsville to make a movie about The Powerpuff Girls. However, the Professor becomes suspicious of his intentions and soon realizes that the movie is a hoax and the director just wants to steal money from the bank. Professor Utonium then tries to warn the girls by staging in the movie. After all is said and done, the girls realize the fraudulent director's motives and he is sent to jail.

Plot

PPG (April 20, 2001)

Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup, as they appear in this episode.

Following a routine robbery call, the Powerpuff Girls are promised a part in a film of a motion picture by Hollywood filmmaker and auteur Bernie Bernstein. His pitch for a Powerpuff Girls Movie is quickly fed over a deluxe lunch to the Professor and the Girls themselves; he mentions that he wants to have a trio of stars rather than a duo, and that he was inspired by their heroics during the bank heist that made news headlines. Despite the Professor's own reservations, he allows the girls to perform in the film, and they are quickly starstruck at the prospect of what Hollywood fame and fortune could bring.

Meanwhile, Bernstein is hustling the Mayor for filming permits in places as sensitive as the local bank and replacing actual staff with cast actors. While everyone in town is taken aback at the idea of a film shot in Townsville proper, little does the public know is that there really is no movie and that entire production is just a fake. Only a few people such as the Professor are suspicious of Bernie Bernstein and pick up hints of his con artistry, having witnessed for himself that a movie pitch was all part of Bernstein's biggest score.

When Professor Utonium finds out about this, he is heartbroken and determined to tell the Girls the truth. He goes to find police for help, only to find that there are only actors portraying police officers and no real cops to be seen for a few miles. He tries several futile attempts and he finally gets in as a leading lady for the movie. Meanwhile, the "shoot" is underway, featuring the Mayor playing himself in a hostage situation. Even the girls are wary of the use of a breakaway wall and a hammy script. The film production is interrupted several times and the Professor claims that Bernstein is just a fraud and is trying to take Townsville's money. The entire cast finds this hard to believe until he accuses Bernstein of not having a film in the camera or having an actual script. The systematic crumbling of his scheme leads to Bernstein holding the Mayor hostage at gunpoint with an actual gun, as well as a high-speed car chase. While Bernstein focuses on the Girls rather than the road, he crashes into a fire hydrant and loses his chance of victory. The Professor beats him up for exploiting his girls and letting them do all the acting for nothing. The whole ordeal, he says, also could inspire a movie about the making of the so-called Powerpuff Girls movie featuring him delivering the finishing blow. This ends the episode as the Professor is shown to have saved the day with a handbag around his left shoulder, to which the narrator responds by saying he looks just like his mother.

Characters

Major Roles

Minor Roles

Trivia

  • The fake bank robber's eyes are red at first in the production scene of the bank robbery, but during most parts of the scene, his eyes change from red to white.
  • This is one of the episodes ending with the narrator saying his catchphrase differently: "Oh, brother! So, once again, I guess the day is saved, thanks to the smart guy in a dress. Wow, he looks just like my mom!".
  • The bank security guard's voice is reminiscent of the Looney Tunes character Porky Pig (albeit without the trademark stutter).
  • Various real villains take part in the movie (Mojo Jojo, Amoeba Boys, and the Gangreen Gang).
  • It's not mentioned whether Utonium's dreams of making a film of the making of the Powerpuff Girls Movie came true. Though it's very likely that this never happened.
  • When Mayor is taken hostage by the fake movie director he still thinks its part of the movie as he says cut to Bernie when he thinks he's not putting enough emotion in his "role".
  • When Professor Utonium was running after Bernie at first he was running quite slow, but at the end of the chase, Utonium must've gotten there quickly before he punched Bernie in the face.
  • When Bubbles mentions the possibility of meeting "Leo" at the movie premiere, she is likely referring to the film star Leonardo DiCaprio.
  • This episode is the last one to use the November 1998 variant of the 1998-2001 3D star explosion and the November 1998 variant of the 1998-2001 golden star shower.
  • Professor Utonium's woman disguise is a reference to Dustin Hoffman's character from the 1982 film Tootsie.
  • This is not the only episode to feature con artists, schemes to steal money etc, with the second one being Neighbor Hood. Tom Kenny voiced both con artists: Bernie Bernstein and Whimsical Willy.
  • This is the first time in which a crew member of the show did some voices. Here, Don Shank provided the voice for Bernie's assistant, Donnie.
  • Bernie Bernstein is named after famous Hollywood agent Bernie Brillstein, who had among his clients Jim Henson and John Belushi.

Error

  • When the Mayor yells "Heck no!", he sounds like the Narrator.

Production Notes

  • Although this episode premiered in 2001, it was produced in 2000 according to the credits. 
  • This is the only season 4 episode that was produced in 2000. All subsequent season 4 episodes were produced between 2001 and 2002.
  • Whenever this episode airs, a dedication to Hanna-Barbera Productions executive William Hanna is shown after the credits. Hanna died on March 22, 2001, a month before this episode premiered.
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