Back to the Present

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Back to the Present
Wolves get Judy.png
See, when Hanna-Barbera didn't want to use Judy, they'd just not write her in the episode at all.
Network Adult Swim (Cartoon Network)
Premiere date May 9, 2004
Run time 11:10
Starring Gary Cole
Stephen Colbert
Thomas Allen
Chris Edgerly
Wally Wingert
Diane Michelle
Tom Kenny
Maurice LaMarche
Music composed by Michael Kohler
Writer(s) Michael Ouweleen
Director(s) Richard Ferguson-Hull
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"Back to the Present" is the fifth episode of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law season two, and the fourteenth overall. It aired on May 9, 2004 on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block. It was written by co-creator, Michael Ouweleen, produced by Evan W. Adler, and directed by Richard Ferguson-Hull. The Hanna-Barbera series ridiculed in this episode is The Jetsons.

In a confusing time travel plot, 2002 sees the end of Earth when it falls to global warming, prompting the Jetsons to travel back (yes, back) to 2004 and sue civilization.

Detailed summary

Memorable quotes

Potamus: Hey, Birdman! Get that thing I sent ya?

Characters

Legend
Character debut Speaking debut Ep. debut No lines Mentioned

In order of appearance:

Character Actor
George Jetson Wally Wingert
Rosie N/A
Jane Jetson Diane Michelle
Drowning man Thomas Allen
Cosmo Spacely Unavailable
Henry Orbit Unavailable
Peanut Thomas Allen
Harvey Birdman Gary Cole
Elroy Jetson Tom Kenny
Astro Wally Wingert
Judy Jetson N/A
Peter Potamus Chris Edgerly
Orbitty Diane Michelle
Phil Ken Sebben Stephen Colbert
Cafeteria lady N/A
Stan Freezoid Maurice LaMarche
X, the Eliminator N/A
Judge Mentok John Michael Higgins
Bailiff N/A
Boo Boo Bear Tom Kenny
Myron Reducto Stephen Colbert
Announcer (voice only) Gary Cole
Industrial Lathe Man
President George W. Bush N/A
Apache Chief N/A
O.J. Simpson
The Bear N/A
Doctor Emmett Brown N/A
Jabberjaw Unavailable


Organizations

Locations

Objects

Vehicles

Production

Development

Filming

Music

The music was composed by Michael Kohler.

Release

Dates are in order of release:

Behind the scenes

  • The episode title is a riff on the film Back to the Future. The Jetsons also use the DeLorean, with its time-traveling capabilities to get back to their time, with Doc Brown popping up, with a reaction sounding similar to Christopher Lloyd who played him in the film.
  • This is the first episode not to feature Avenger.
  • The recurring joke is that the Jetsons actually live in a dated society as some technology has far progressed from what could possibly be imagined by the crew who made The Jetsons in the 1960s or 80s.
  • This is Orbitty's first appearance since the Jetsons episode "Two Many Georges" in 1987.
  • Mentok beams into the courtroom like the people from Star Trek would beam off and on the starship Enterprise.
  • Mentok's unfinished line of "O.J. is guilty" is a reference to O.J. Simpson's highly publicized murder trial in 1992, when the judge found him innocent of the deaths of his ex-wife and her friend.
  • George is somehow the descendant grandson of Harvey.

Errors

Legacy

Critical reception

Home availability

References