Wayback Machine (Peabody's Improbable History)

Last updated

Sherman (left) and Mr. Peabody (right) enter the Wayback machine ca. 1960 to witness another time and place in history. Waybackmachine3.png
Sherman (left) and Mr. Peabody (right) enter the Wayback machine ca. 1960 to witness another time and place in history.

The Wayback Machine or WABAC Machine is a fictional time machine and plot device from an American cartoon television series in the 1960s called The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends . Each episode of the cartoon series included a short segment "Peabody's Improbable History" in which the Wayback Machine was used by the segment's main characters, Mr. Peabody and Sherman, to travel back in time to visit important events in human history. The term has acquired popular or idiomatic usage as a way to introduce events or things from the past.

Contents

The Wayback Machine of the Internet Archive was named after the Wayback machine from the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon.

Peabody's Improbable History

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends was a popular American television cartoon series from the 1960s. [1] Each half-hour cartoon episode included a short segment called "Peabody's Improbable History", with main characters Mr. Peabody, a genius, polymath, and bow tie-wearing beagle, and Sherman, his adopted pet boy. The segment was conceived and created by Ted Key. [2] [3] In each episode Mr. Peabody and Sherman would use their Wayback Machine to travel back in time to visit important historical events. [4] The machine was invented by Mister Peabody as a birthday gift for Sherman. By enabling them to visit famous historical people or events, the Wayback provided educational adventures for Sherman. [5]

At the beginning of the cartoon segment, at the request of Mr. Peabody ("Sherman, set the Wayback machine to..."), Sherman would set the Wayback controls to a time and place of historical importance, and by walking through a door in the Wayback machine, they would be instantly transported there. Examples of people or historical situations visited are the Marquess of Queensberry [6] and the rules of boxing, the imprisonment and memoirs of Casanova, [7] Jim Bowie and the Bowie knife, [8] and the "Charge of the Light Brigade". [9] During such visits, the historical figures and situations encountered are always distorted in some crucial way. The main focus of Mr. Peabody and Sherman's adventures is thus the restoration of historical events to their proper course, albeit in a characteristically frivolous and anachronistic way. The machine apparently later returned Mr. Peabody and Sherman to the present, although the return trip was never shown. The segment traditionally ended with a bad pun. [10] [3] [11]

Either of the names Wayback or WABAC are in common usage, with the term "WAYBACK" explicitly indicated during the segment in which Mr. Peabody and Sherman visit the "Charge of the Light Brigade". The precise meaning of the acronym WABAC is unknown. According to Gerard Baldwin, one of the show's directors, the name "WABAC" is a reference to the UNIVAC I. [12] Mid-century, large-sized computers often had names that ended in "AC" (generally for "Automatic/Analogue Computer" or similar), such as ENIAC or UNIVAC. The term "Wayback" suggests the idomatic expression "way back [in some former time]". [13]

The concept or term "Wayback machine" has been adopted in popular usage as a convenient way to introduce issues or events of the past, [3] [14] often employing the original line "Sherman, set the Wayback machine to...". For example, this introduction was used by the character Kevin Flynn in the film Tron . [15] Another example occurred in a 1995 episode of the television show NewsRadio in which station owner Jimmy James (Stephen Root) says: "Dave, don't mess with a man with a Wayback Machine. I can make it so you were never born". [16] As in the original cartoon, the Wayback Machine is invoked to suggest the audience follow the narrator back to the past. Frequently such visits to the past are trips of nostalgia, remembering times, places, or things of the not-so-distant past. [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22]

The Wayback Machine of the Internet Archive, a digital archive of all past web pages of the internet, was named after Peabody and Sherman's Wayback. [23] [24] With it, users can revisit web pages that have existed at any period in the past.

Mr. Peabody and Sherman film (2014)

An animated film based on the original Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon entitled Mr. Peabody & Sherman was released by the movie studio DreamWorks Animation on March 7, 2014. [25] [26] The WABAC machine was a central element to the plot. In the movie, the acronym WABAC was revealed to stand for Wavelength Acceleration Bidirectional Asynchronous Controller.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends</i> American animated television series

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends is an American animated television series that originally aired from November 19, 1959, to June 27, 1964, on the ABC and NBC television networks. Produced by Jay Ward Productions, the series is structured as a variety show, with the main feature being the serialized adventures of the two title characters, the anthropomorphic flying squirrel Rocket J. ("Rocky") Squirrel and moose Bullwinkle J. Moose. The main antagonists in most of their adventures are the two Russian-like spies Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale, both working for the Nazi-like dictator Fearless Leader. Supporting segments include "Dudley Do-Right", "Peabody's Improbable History", and "Fractured Fairy Tales", among others. The current blanket title was imposed for home video releases more than 40 years after the series originally aired and was never used when the show was televised; television airings of the show were broadcast under the titles of Rocky and His Friends from 1959 to 1961 on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons on ABC, The Bullwinkle Show from 1961 to 1964 on Sunday evening and then late Sunday afternoon on NBC, and The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show as repeats from 1964-73 on Sunday mornings on ABC and in syndication following this.

Joseph Ward Cohen Jr., also known as Jay Ward, was an American creator and producer of animated TV cartoon shows. He produced animated series based on such characters as Crusader Rabbit, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Dudley Do-Right, Peabody and Sherman, Hoppity Hooper, George of the Jungle, Tom Slick, and Super Chicken. His own company, Jay Ward Productions, designed the trademark characters for the Cap'n Crunch, Quisp, and Quake breakfast cereals and it made TV commercials for those products. Ward produced the non-animated series Fractured Flickers (1963) that featured comedic redubbing of silent films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dudley Do-Right</span> Canadian Mountie cartoon character

Dudley Do-Right is a fictional character created by Alex Anderson, Chris Hayward, Allan Burns, Jay Ward, and Bill Scott, who appears as the main protagonist of "Dudley Do-Right of the Mounties", a segment on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fearless Leader</span> American animated television character

Fearless Leader is the main antagonist in the 1959–1964 animated television series Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show, both shows often collectively referred to as The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. He is the employer of fellow primary villains Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale, serving as an overarching antagonist in some episodes of the series. He was originally voiced by Bill Scott.

<i>Hoppity Hooper</i> Television series

Hoppity Hooper is an American animated television series produced by Jay Ward, and sponsored by General Mills, originally broadcast on ABC from September 12, 1964, until 1967. It is one of the earliest Saturday morning cartoons and the Jay Ward's first original one for this schedule. The series was produced in Hollywood by Jay Ward and Bill Scott, with animation done in Mexico City by Gamma Productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Tetley</span> American voice actor (1915–1975)

Walter Tetley was an American actor specializing in child impersonation during radio's classic era. He had regular roles as Leroy Forrester on The Great Gildersleeve and Julius Abbruzzio on The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show, as well as continuing as a voice-over artist in animated cartoons, commercials, and spoken-word record albums. He is perhaps best known as the voice of Sherman in the Jay Ward-Bill Scott Mr. Peabody TV cartoons.

<i>The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle</i> (film) 2000 film directed by Des McAnuff

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle is a 2000 American live-action/animated adventure slapstick comedy film directed by Des McAnuff and produced by Universal Pictures, based on the television cartoon series of the same name by Jay Ward. Animated characters Rocky and Bullwinkle share the screen with live actors portraying Fearless Leader, Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale along with Randy Quaid, Piper Perabo, Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell. June Foray reprised her role as Rocky, while Keith Scott voiced Bullwinkle and the film's narrator. It also features cameo appearances by performers including James Rebhorn, Paget Brewster, Janeane Garofalo, John Goodman, David Alan Grier, Don Novello, Jon Polito, Carl Reiner, Whoopi Goldberg, Max Grodenchik, Norman Lloyd, Jonathan Winters and Billy Crystal. The film follows Rocky and Bullwinkle, who are enlisting their help by a young rookie FBI agent named Karen Sympathy to stop Boris, Natasha, and Fearless Leader from taking over the United States.

Mr. Peabody is an anthropomorphic cartoon dog who appeared in the late 1950s and early 1960s television animated series The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends, produced by Jay Ward. Peabody appeared in the "Peabody's Improbable History" segments created by Ted Key, and he was voiced by Bill Scott. In 2014, he was featured in the animated film, Mr. Peabody & Sherman. From 2015 to 2017, he appeared in a television series based on the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boris Badenov</span> Antagonist of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show

Boris Badenov is an antagonist character in the 1959–1964 animated series Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show, so often appearing with his devious accomplice, Natasha Fatale, that the two are usually grouped together, as Boris and Natasha, a reference to Boris Drubetskoy and Natasha Rostova in Tolstoy’s War and Peace. He was originally voiced by Paul Frees. The character was created by Bill Scott, who based his appearance on that of Gomez Addams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bullwinkle J. Moose</span> American animated film and television character

Bullwinkle J. Moose is a fictional character and one of the two main protagonists of the 1959–1964 animated television series Rocky and His Friends and The Bullwinkle Show, often collectively referred to as Rocky and Bullwinkle, produced by Jay Ward and Bill Scott. When the show changed networks in 1961, the series moved to NBC and was retitled The Bullwinkle Show, where it stayed until 1964. It then returned to ABC, where it was in repeats for nine more years. It has been in syndication ever since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Ward Productions</span> American animation studio

Jay Ward Productions, Inc. is an American animation studio based in Costa Mesa, California. It was founded in 1948 by American animator Jay Ward. As of 2022, the studio was headed by Ward's daughter, Tiffany Ward, and granddaughter, vice president Amber Ward.

Wayback may refer to:

<i>Mr. Peabody & Sherman</i> 2014 DreamWorks Animation film

Mr. Peabody & Sherman is a 2014 American animated science fiction comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation, PDI/DreamWorks, and Bullwinkle Studios, and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film is based on characters from the "Peabody's Improbable History" segments of the animated television series The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends produced by Jay Ward. It was directed by Rob Minkoff and produced by Alex Schwartz and Denise Nolan Cascino, from a screenplay by Craig Wright. Tiffany Ward, daughter of series co-creator Jay Ward, served as executive producer. Mr. Peabody & Sherman features the voices of Ty Burrell, Max Charles, Ariel Winter, Stephen Colbert, Leslie Mann, and Allison Janney. In the film, Mr. Peabody (Burrell) and his adoptive human son Sherman (Charles) use the WABAC to embark on time travel adventures. When Sherman accidentally rips a hole by taking the WABAC without permission to impress Penny Peterson (Winter), they must find themselves to repair history and save the future, while dealing with strict corrupt agent Ms. Grunion (Janney), who wants to take Sherman away from Mr. Peabody's custody.

Alexander Hume Anderson Jr. was an American cartoonist who created the characters of Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Bullwinkle, and Dudley Do-Right, as well as Crusader Rabbit. He was not directly involved in The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, however.

The Dudley Do-Right Emporium was a small, eccentric gift shop named after the fictional Canadian Mountie Dudley Do-Right, located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California.

<i>Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales</i> American cartoon TV series

Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales is an animated television series that originally aired Saturday mornings on CBS from 1963 to 1966 as one of the earliest Saturday morning cartoons. It was produced by Total Television, the same company that produced the earlier King Leonardo and the later Underdog, and primarily sponsored by General Mills. A co-sponsor was Pillsbury's Funny Face Drinks. The title is a play on the “tuxedo” dinner jacket worn as formal wear.

<i>The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show</i> American animated streaming television series

The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show is an American animated jukebox musical comedy television series produced by DreamWorks Animation Television and Jay Ward Productions. The series is based on "Peabody's Improbable History", the 1960s segments that aired as part of The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends, and the 2014 film, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, which was also produced by DreamWorks Animation. The series premiered on October 9, 2015, on Netflix. The second season was released on March 18, 2016. The third season was released on October 21, 2016. The fourth and final season was released on April 21, 2017. The series was removed from the streaming service in April 2023 along with Turbo Fast.

<i>Rocky & Bullwinkle</i> (2014 film) 2014 animated short film directed by Gary Trousdale

Rocky and Bullwinkle is a 2014 American animated direct-to-video short film based on the 1960s animated television series The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox. The short was directed by Gary Trousdale, while Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon were the writers. June Foray reprises her role as Rocky in her final voice role before her death on July 26, 2017, while Tom Kenny voices Bullwinkle. Originally planned as a theatrical short to accompany with Mr. Peabody & Sherman, it was released on October 14, 2014, on the Blu-ray 3D of the film.

<i>The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle</i> (TV series) 2018 animated television series

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle is an American animated sitcom produced by DreamWorks Animation Television which is a reboot of the 1959–64 animated television series of the same name. It debuted on May 11, 2018, on Amazon Prime Video, being DreamWorks Animation Television's first series to air on a streaming service other than Netflix. Like its preceding spin-off The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show, animation was outsourced by DHX Media's 2D animation studio in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The second and final "part" of the series was released on January 11, 2019.

References

  1. ↑ Scott, Keith (2001). The Moose That Roared: The Story of Jay Ward, Bill Scott, a Flying Squirrel, and a Talking Moose. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN   0-312-28383-0.
  2. ↑ Weber, Bruce. "Ted Key, 95, Creator of 'Hazel' Cartoon, Is Dead", The New York Times , May 8, 2008
  3. 1 2 3 Markstein, Don. "Toonopedia: "Peabody's Improbable History"" . Retrieved May 5, 2008.
  4. ↑ Dunne, Michael (2001). Intertextual encounters in American fiction, film, and popular culture. Popular Press. p. 157. ISBN   9780879728472.
  5. ↑ "Mr. Peabody and Sherman". Youtube.com. October 1, 2012. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Peabody's Improbably History: The Marquis of Queensbury". Youtube.com. August 26, 2013. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Peabody's Improbably History: Casanova". Youtube.com. August 26, 2013. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Peabody's Improbably History: Jim Bowie". Youtube.com. August 26, 2013. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  9. ↑ "Peabody's Improbably History: Charge of the Light Brigade". Youtube.com. August 26, 2013. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  10. ↑ Moraes, Frank (August 28, 2015). "Mr Peabody & Sherman". Frankly Curious. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
  11. ↑ An example pun from the episode "Charge of the Light Brigade": Mr. Peabody: Following the war the Crimeans borrowed a large sum of money from the British. Sherman: Don't tell me they didn't pay them back! Mr. Peabody: Well that goes without saying, Sherman. Everybody knows that Crimea doesn't pay!
  12. ↑ Kahle, Brewster (April 24, 2009). "Wayback Machine comes to life in new home" . Retrieved August 23, 2009. On another note, we got a nice letter from the last living director of the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, Gerard Baldwin, because he read about the "fantastic project". Our Wayback Machine is a tribute to their more cleverly named "WABAC Machine" which in turn was a reference to the Univac. Sherman and Peabody live on.
  13. ↑ Your Dictionary "Way-back"
  14. ↑ Cambridge dictionary: Wayback machine
  15. ↑ Steven Lisberger, Tron, screenplay, 1982: "FLYNN (CONT.) (sighs): 'Sherman, set the Wayback Machine for... oh, 1973'." The line as Jeff Bridges actually delivered it in the film reads, "Sherman, set the Wayback machine for... three years ago."
  16. ↑ Memorable quotes for NewsRadio: Goofy Ball (1995) from the Internet Movie Database
  17. ↑ Miller, Ernest (September 24, 2005). "Sherman, Set the Wayback Machine for Scientology". LawMeme. Yale Law School. Archived from the original (Blog) on April 24, 2006. Retrieved June 27, 2007.
  18. ↑ Robinson, Eugene (September 5, 2006). "Who Set the Wayback Machine for 1939?". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 25, 2007.
  19. ↑ Britt, Robert Roy (July 25, 2005). "The Wayback Machine? Nearby Solar System Looks Like Home". Space.com. Retrieved June 25, 2007.
  20. ↑ Mallozzi, Vincent M. (April 6, 2007). "A Jukebox Is a Way-Back Machine With Black Vinyl Wings". The New York Times. Retrieved June 25, 2007.
  21. ↑ Clark, Mike (April 12, 2004). "Wayback machine puts out plenty of time-travel movies". USA Today . Retrieved June 25, 2007.
  22. ↑ Kurtz, Scott (May 11, 2005). "PvP – Player vs Player – Set the WABAC machine to Pac-Man". pvponline.com. Archived from the original on December 4, 2007. Retrieved May 11, 2005.
  23. ↑ Green, Heather (February 28, 2002). "A Library as Big as the World". BusinessWeek. Archived from the original on June 1, 2002. Retrieved July 29, 2007.
  24. ↑ Tong, Judy (September 8, 2002). "Responsible Party – Brewster Kahle; A Library Of the Web, On the Web". The New York Times . Archived from the original on February 20, 2011. Retrieved August 15, 2011.
  25. ↑ McClintock, Pamela (June 11, 2012). "Stephen Colbert, Allison Janney Join Voice Cast of 'Mr. Peabody & Sherman'". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Ty Burrell & Max Charles Take On Lead Roles in Dreamworks Animation's Mr. Peabody & Sherman in 2014" (Press release). DreamWorks Animation. PR Newswire. March 16, 2012. Archived from the original on March 19, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.