Sealab 2021

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Sealab 2021

 Comic science fiction

Genre
 Surreal humour

 Parody

 Satire

Created by  Adam Reed

 Matt Thompson

Based on Sealab 2020

by Alex Toth

William Hanna and Joseph Barbera

Voices of  Harry Goz (2000–03)

 Michael Goz (2003–05)

 Kate Miller

 Erik Estrada

 Brett Butler

 Ellis Henican

 Bill Lobley

 MC Chris

Theme music Julie Stepanek

composer

Opening theme "Sealab" performed by Calamine

Country of origin United States

Original language English

No. of seasons 4

No. of episodes 52 (and 1 unaired pilot) (list of episodes)

Production

Executive producers  Adam Reed

 Matt Thompson

 Mike Lazzo[a]

 Keith Crofford[a]

Producers  Adam Reed

 Matt Thompson

Running time 12 minutes

Production companies  Williams Street

 70/30 Productions

 Radical Axis[b]

 Hanna-Barbera (original footage)

Distributor Warner Bros. Domestic Television

Distribution

Release

Original network Cartoon Network (2000)

Adult Swim (2001– 2005)

Picture format NTSC

Original release Cartoon Network run:

December 21 –

December 30, 2000

Adult Swim run:

September 2, 2001 – April 24, 2005

Chronology

Preceded by Space Ghost Coast to Coast

Related shows Sealab 2020

Sealab 2021 is an American adult animated television series created by Adam
Reed and Matt Thompson for Cartoon Network's late-night programming block, Adult
Swim. Cartoon Network aired the show's first three episodes in December 2000 before
the official inception of the Adult Swim block on September 2, 2001, with the final
episode airing on April 24, 2005. [1][2] Sealab 2021 is one of the four original Williams
Street series that premiered in 2000 before Adult Swim officially launched, the others
being Aqua Teen Hunger Force, The Brak Show and Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.
Much like Adult Swim's Space Ghost Coast to Coast, the animation used stock footage
from a 1970s Hanna-Barbera cartoon, in this case the short-lived, environmentally-
themed Sealab 2020, along with original animation. The show was a satirical parody of
both the original Sealab series and the general conventions of the 1970s animated
children's series. While there was initial resistance from several of the original series'
creators to the reuse of their characters, production moved forward on the series.
[3]
 Sealab 2021 was produced by 70/30 Productions.

Contents

 1Episodes
 2Production
 3Characters
 4International broadcast
 5Home media and streaming
 6Reception
 7Notes
 8References
 9External links

Episodes[edit]
Main article: List of Sealab 2021 episodes

Originally aired
Seaso
Episodes
n
First aired Last aired

Pilot Unaired

1 13 December 21, 2000 May 5, 2002

2 13 May 12, 2002 November 16, 2003
 November 23, 200
3 13 July 18, 2004
3

November 14, 200
4 13 April 24, 2005
4

Production[edit]
Adam Reed and Matt Thompson, the creators and writers of Sealab 2021, came up with
the idea for the show in 1995 while they were production assistants for Cartoon
Network. The duo created High Noon Toons in the mid-1990s; this was a 3-hour
programming block of cartoons hosted by cowboy hand puppets. Thompson and Reed
were usually heavily intoxicated while working on the show, and were reprimanded at
one point for lighting one of the prop sets on fire. They stumbled on a tape of the
show Sealab 2020, and wrote replacement dialogue. Cartoon Network passed on the
show because it did not believe it was funny. Five years after quitting Cartoon Network,
the two went back to the original tape, this time making the characters do what they
wanted. Cartoon Network bought the show, coincidentally around the same time that
Adult Swim was created.[4] The original "pitch pilot" is available on the Season 1 DVD as
a special feature.
Very few of the episodes of the series share any continuity or ongoing plot. For
instance, the entire installation is destroyed at the end of many episodes, and crew
members are often killed in horrible ways, only to return in the following episode. There
are occasional running gags, such as the "Grizzlebee's" restaurant chain, a parody
of Applebee's and Bennigan's, the character of Sharko, and Prescott, the half-man, half-
tentacle monster "from the network". It contains many references to the pop culture of
the 1980s–2000s and makes use of other cartoons from the 1970s besides that on
which it is based, such as 1973's Butch Cassidy for the on-screen appearances of the
Sealab writers, and various one-off appearances of other characters.

Characters[edit]
 Captain Hazel "Hank" Murphy (Harry Goz) is the ostensible leader of the
crew, though his qualifications, and even his grasp on reality, are
questionable. He is generally found loitering on the bridge neglecting his
duties. Murphy spends his time participating in scams and juvenile antics and
generally causing problems that the crew has to solve. The only episode
which features Murphy acting responsibly throughout is "7211", which is a
faithful reenactment of the original Sealab 2020 show. Captain Murphy is a
parody of Captain Mike Murphy from Sealab 2020. Generally, Murphy is
incapable to the point of incompetence. On more than one occasion, it has
been implied that Murphy has gone insane due to the amount of time he has
spent underwater. However, the crew either does not notice this or does not
 care and usually follow his orders, even when they will directly lead to the
crew's deaths. Murphy is a practicing Alvian and has a deep-seated fear
of doppelgängers and especially flashlights, the latter a fear for which there is
no name. After the death of Harry Goz, Murphy was written out of the show
by having him leave Sealab to fight in the "Great Spice Wars". It is implied
that Murphy is the leader of the Rebel forces in this war, though the
reasoning behind this is or its effect on the war is never explored. A recap
montage of Murphy's moments were played in the final episode in memory of
this voice actor. However, he later appeared in Archer, where he was voiced
by Jon Hamm and debuted in the two-part episode "Sea Tunt".
 Captain Bellerophon "Tornado" Shanks (Michael Goz) is a
retired football coach and health and hygiene teacher who lost his job for
slapping (or throat punching) a student. He answered Sealab's help wanted
ad and became the new captain, despite having no experience whatsoever.
Shanks is from Texas and is the youngest of several brothers all named after
characters in Greek mythology, and all of whom met their death on or around
a bridge in Shanks's hometown. Dropping his Southern accent late in the
series (citing that some viewers thought he was gay), Shanks' personality
bears a resemblance to Captain Murphy, being voiced by Harry Goz's son.
However, Shanks is much more self-aware than Murphy, openly commenting
on the odd goings-on aboard Sealab and even the fact that he is on a
television program. Since Shanks has no experience or idea what he is
doing, he goes along with whatever the rest of the crew suggests, usually
with disastrous results. Captain Shanks debuted in the season 3 episode
"Tornado Shanks".
 Lieutenant Jodene Sparks (Bill Lobley) is the station's radio operator who is
always seen sitting and with his headsets on. Sparks is a parody of
Lieutenant Sparks from Sealab 2020. Sparks mostly uses the radio for his
own personal purposes, even going so far as to disconnect vital
transmissions that interrupt him. He generally travels around in his office
chair, mostly because he is lazy, even though it was suggested that he is
crippled. Sparks is a convict serving time at Sealab while still operating a
black market distillery and takes part in a wide variety of other illegal
activities. He occasionally serves as a voice of reason to the crew,
particularly to Murphy. However, he is just as often the catalyst of problems
aboard Sealab, including Sealab's destruction. He is claustrophobic and a
Malkin, the show's version of Wiccan. Sparks's quest for money has been in
several plots; such as the murdering of the crew to collect on life insurance
policies, the creation of Stimutacs to "make an assload of money", and his
numerous underhand deals with Paddy O'Reilly and the various Daves. An
early episode revealed that he acts as a criminal mastermind called
"Overlord" with a hollowed-out volcano base and an army of minions. Episode
46 reveals he enjoys hentai with themes of forced submission and
humiliation. Rank: Commander.
 Debbie "White Debbie" DuPree (Kate Miller) is a marine biologist and one of
only two adult women on the base. Serving as a parody of Gail from Sealab
 2020, she is a blonde and is often the object of the sexual interest of the
males on Sealab. She has an ongoing sexual relationship with Doctor Quinn,
and their relationship and its ups and downs and its effect on the rest of the
crew play out in several stories. When she is on the outs with Quinn, the
other males, particularly Stormy, attempt to get on her good side. Debbie's
mood swings are a constant issue to the crew, as she changes wildly from
the sole voice of reason to a shrieking lunatic. Debbie picked up the "White
Debbie" appellation at the behest of Doctor Quinn, who thought it was unfair
that Debbie Love went by "Black Debbie" while Debbie Dupree was simply
Debbie. Nevertheless, few of the crew actually call her that. Rank: Lieutenant
Commander.
 Derek "Stormy" Waters (Ellis Henican) is a pretty boy lacking in intelligence or
seemingly any qualifications to be working on a government research lab,
and a parody of Hal from Sealab 2020. Stormy's job is never clearly defined
and he usually walks around Sealab doing whatever he wants or acts as a
henchman or assistant to whomever he is nearest. Stormy usually works
alongside Quinn, who frequently is the victim of Stormy's ignorance, but is
ironically the most tolerant of him. The two frequently find themselves in Odd
Couple-like situations. Stormy has shown skill in the operation of the
submersible Deep Diver, both as a pilot and gunner, as well as operating
other technological gadgets, though he is just as irresponsible in those
positions as anywhere else. The crew has been shown to dislike or mistreat
Stormy on multiple occasions, such as putting a sign outside the mess hall
saying "No Stormies" when they held a pizza party or forgetting that he was
trapped outside of the closet with Murphy's dogs. Stormy is a proudly
practicing Alvian, like Murphy. Of all characters, Stormy is the most different
in the episode "7211". In the episode, he directs the rest of the crew
effectively in the salvage of the damaged sub. He is allergic to shellfish.
Rank: Lieutenant Commander.
 Dr. Quentin Q. Quinn (Brett Butler) is the science officer. Parodying Ed
from Sealab 2020, he is an African-American who is extremely intelligent,
with an IQ of 260 and Ph.D.s in several scientific disciplines, of which he is
not shy about reminding the other characters. Quinn grew up in unbelievably
over-the-top poverty and got to where he is through hard work, unlike the
majority of the other characters. He is regarded as an uptight killjoy by most
of the crew. Quinn is often the only responsible crew member and the sole
voice of reason. This has caused the other crew to neglect their duties even
further, as they believe "Quinn will handle it". Despite his intelligence, Quinn
is extremely vain and prone to outbursts of anger when he is not appreciated.
Quinn often attempts to prevent Murphy's questionable plans from being
enacted, leading Murphy to distrust Quinn. However, Murphy is aware that he
and the station completely depend on Quinn, going so far as to snake his
vacation to ensure that he did not leave the station. Quinn has an ongoing
sexual relationship with Debbie Dupree. In the first episode, he revealed that
he inhabits a robot body of his own design. Rank: Lieutenant Commander.
 Marco Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Erik Estrada) is the
station's engineer. Spoofing Dr. Paul Williams from Sealab 2020, he is very
strong and muscular, unlike the rest of the crew. He speaks with a Spanish
accent and often exclaims random things in Spanish, although not actually
speaking the language. Quinn even remarks that his Spanish is terrible. His
name comes from both the Spaniard epic 11th-century poem Cantar del Mio
Cid, which featured the character Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, and from the 1982
Literary Nobel Prize winner journalist and novelist Gabriel García Márquez.
Marco's exact heritage is unknown, though he is fiercely not a Spaniard.
Marco is prone to violence, both in the defense of the crew and against them.
Marco often argues with Murphy about his methods and seems to be the only
one to whom Murphy actually listens. Despite this, Murphy often calls Marco
"mailbox head" and included a segment on his radio show where listeners
could call in to tell him why they hated Marco. Marco gets along with most of
the crew, especially Sparks and Quinn. Marco also interacts with the orphans
on Sealab and has been shown to have a soft side. Rank: Lieutenant
Commander.
 Hesh Hepplewhite (MC Chris) is the station's reactor operator and more often
than not their whipping boy. Hesh has a habit of continually referring to
himself in the third person. It was revealed that he is Jewish. Nasal-voiced,
smart-mouthed, and whiny, Hesh is not well-liked by most of the crew and
thus works in the part of the station farthest away from them. He has no real
understanding of how the reactor works and generally has to have guidance
from Quinn when there is a problem. Hesh's own interactions with the
machinery are generally useless or actively destructive, such as the "hammer
game", which involves smashing the computers with a hammer. Hesh
generally does not participate in the crew's activities unless he interrupts on
the radio. Hesh performs the birthday song at Quinn's birthday and acts as
Murphy's caddie. Hesh's safety is not a concern to any of the characters, as
Murphy sent him into the reactor core to recover a ball. As a result of being
isolated in the reactor, Hesh has developed odd tendencies, such as dressing
as a woman on multiple occasions. Rank: Lieutenant.
 Debbie "Black Debbie" Allison Love (Angela Gibbs) is both the only other
adult female and the only black female on the station. She is the parody of
the Sealab 2020 character Mrs. Thomas (Ed Thomas's mother). She teaches
school to the Sealab's orphans and is very proud of her race. She has a
relationship with Marco at the beginning of the show and briefly dates Sparks
and Tornado in the later seasons. In one episode, her name is displayed on a
monitor as Debbie Allison; but in another, her nameplate is shown as Debbie
Love. She is a former Heisman trophy winner. Rank: Lieutenant.
 Dr. Ilad Virjay (Adam Reed) is the station's official doctor and in-house
surgeon noted for his thick Indian accent and relatively normal personality.
He graduated third in his class from The Medical College of Mescutabuti. He
practices Manduism, the Sealab universe's version of Hinduism. Dr. Virjay is
shown to be jealous of Dr. Quinn as the latter has multiple Ph.Ds and a
higher IQ. Dr. Virjay delivers all his lines in a deadpan, whether informing
 crew members of medical issues or confronting an invisible monster shortly
before his death. It is later revealed that he is also janitor for Sealab's
restaurant section. Rank: Unknown.
 Dolphin Boy is a little chubby boy that speaks in dolphin noises. One of the
orphans that inhabit Sealab for some reason, he is a member of Black
Debbie's class. Dolphin Boy often wanders around the station and as a result
is often embroiled in whatever is going on. When translated, Dolphin Boy
generally says inoffensive, naively childish statements, universally resulting in
derision and hatred from the rest of the crew. He is the target of endless fat
jokes and is often killed for no reason whatsoever by the Sealab crew
members. He is the persona non grata of Sealab. Rank: Lieutenant Jr.
Grade.
 Sharko (Matt Thompson) is a half-human, half-shark freak of nature who is
the result of Marco having sexual relations with a female shark.
 The Five Jew Bankers are a lampoon of Jewish conspiracy theories. They
are introduced in "Neptunati" (Season 3 Episode 13).

International broadcast[edit]
In Canada, Sealab 2021 currently airs on the local version of Adult Swim.[5] It previously
aired on the former Teletoon at Night program block on Teletoon in English Canada.[6]

Home media and streaming[edit]

The series has been available on HBO Max since September 1, 2020.[7]

DVD Name Release Date Episodes Additional Information

This two-disc boxset contains the first 13 episodes ("Radio

Free Sealab" through "Swimming in Oblivion"). Bonus
features include alternate endings for the episode "I, Robot",
Season One July 20, 2004 13
deleted scenes, the original pitch pilot, and uncensored scenes
for "Radio Free Sealab". Music during the main menu is the
original recording of the theme song.

This two-disc boxset contains the second set of 13 episodes

("Der Dieb" through "Return to Oblivion"). Bonus features
include commentaries for all thirteen episodes, an animatic
for the unseen episode "Ronnie", and other assorted bonus
features – many of which involve women in bikinis. The
Season Two February 1, 2005 13
DVD cover, used for the "Bizarro" episode, is a homage to
the cover of Uncanny X-Men #100, by artist Dave Cockrum.
Music during the main menu is the theme song played
backwards. This season two DVD is included on Adult Swim
in a Box, which was released on October 27, 2009.

Season Three July 12, 2005
This two-disc boxset contains the third set of 13 episodes
("Splitsville" through "Neptunati"). Bonus features include
two unseen episodes and the animatic of a third unseen
13
episode, commentary for four episodes, and other features.
Music during the main menu is the music used in the "Red
Dawn" episode.

This two-disc boxset contains the final 13 episodes ("Isla de

las Chupacabras" through "Legacy of Laughter"). Bonus
features include alternate endings and deleted scenes. For this
Season Four August 8, 2006 13
release, Cartoon Network abandoned their
usual digipak packaging design in favor of a more traditional
Amaray style keep case.