Episode: S1E6, Charlie
Air Date: 22 June 2004
Summary: Howard decides he is going to become a writer in order to impress Mrs Gideon and the famous Hamilton Cork but is horrified to learn that Vince is already doing just that. Vince explains the basis of his Charlie books which receives dismissal from Howard: “That’s not a novel, that’s the scribblings of a retard”. Meanwhile, Bob Fossil has noticed a brilliant new way to make money from the Zoo: he is going to breed the ‘black-eyed Chinese people that eat sticks’ as this will attract visitors. Vince is bullied into dressing up as a panda and flirting with the female panda to get the male jealous. That evening, Dixon Bainbridge organises a writer’s party and Vince is invited but not Howard. Chaos quickly arises as Charlie decides to pay a personal visit to the gathering…
What Else? This episode made me learn that I want to be everything that Vince is; he’s the happiest kid at the Zoo. Naboo introduces the photograph of the kitten, Phillip, who helps calm Howard down in times of frustration and Vince shows off his poncho that makes him happy no matter what. The infamous “you know the black bits in bananas, are they tarantulas’ eggs?” scene is in this episode as well as the ‘Swear on Jagger’ joke. The brilliant Charlie song is played towards the end where the giant Hubba Bubba nightmare causes a scene. This episode is artistically very inspiring with heavy use of animation and great attention to detail (Dave Brown can be thanked for a lot of that, I expect).
Quote of the Episode:
Howard [to Vince]: “You’re always happy aren’t you. Everything’s fun. You see a peanut, the day’s off to a good start. You witness some soil, it’s a jamboree for Vince Noir. I need something more.”
Familiar Faces: Simon Farnaby as Simon McFarnaby (before the show) and Hamilton Cork (McFarnaby’s character in the show).