Psyched for Snuppa

Title Card

**Psyched for Snuppa** is the pilot for *Sniz & Fondue*. It was made in 1992. Michael Pearlstein wrote the episode, which was directed by John R. Dilworth, who later created *Courage the Cowardly Dog*. The credits for the pilot can be viewed here.

## Characters

* Bianca (Karen Braga)
* Snuppa (Meat Loaf)
* Squeaky (Michael Pearlstein)
* Sniz (Jerry Sroka)
* Mr. & Mrs. Skiddiundi (John R. Dilworth and Karen Braga)
* Rebecca (Amanda Butterbaugh)
* Travis (Tighe Swanson)
* Bird
* Sniz’s Butterfly

## Synopsis

Bianca babysits two young children, who wreak havoc while under her care.

## Plot

Bianca must babysit Mr. and Mrs. Skiddiundi's children, Rebecca and Travis. Their mother reminds Bianca that the kids are not allowed to do long-distance calls, and neither is she. Bianca assures them everything will be "cool". The couple then hastily leave by speeding away from the house in their car. As this happens, Bianca notices the children have disappeared; she eventually sees them from down the hall, covered in food they have eaten. Bianca freaks out, and is then tied up with rope by the kids.

Meanwhile, Snuppa, alongside Squeaky and Sniz, are mourning the loss of Sniz's beloved butterfly, who died after Sniz put it in an air-tight jar. Snuppa tries to communicate with the dead to bring back the insect. Just then, the phone rings, causing the three to scream in shock. Snuppa answers it, and it is Bianca, who is asking for him to save her. Rebecca unplugs the phone's wire before Bianca can finish the call. Snuppa, Squeaky and Sniz arrive, knocking on the door. The children refuse to let them in, and so they break in instead. Snuppa tries to untie the rope, but fails.

He walks in to the living room, where he finds Squeaky and Sniz playing with Rebecca and Travis. Sniz suggests they should play charades, and Travis obliges by showing his rear end to Snuppa, asking him what it looks like. Rebecca then asks Sniz and Squeaky if they would like to jump on beds in the house, and answer by showing their "official bed bouncers" cards. This turns into a bed bouncing contest; Rebecca and Squeaky do well, but Sniz jumps so high he hits the room's light bulb.

Travis begins doing stand-up comedy in the house, using his legs as the audience clapping, with Sniz and Squeaky also enjoying it. When Travis reveals he has Rebecca's bubble blowing bottle, she runs after him to get it back. While all this is happening, Bianca is still waiting to be untied. She slowly breathes in enough air to pop off the handkerchief covering her mouth. She yells once again for Snuppa to help, and he begins to, until he hears Rebecca and Travis on the roof.

He goes outside, and sees they are on the house's electrical wire. Snuppa checks to see if Mr. and Mrs. Skiddiundi are coming, and although he does not see them, they are. He goes on the roof to get the kids, but nearly falls, hanging on the wire. Rebecca and Travis' parents arrive home, and everyone is scared of the consequences they might face. The kids go into the house through the window, while Snuppa gets out of his suit to come down on the ground and leave the property. Rebecca and Travis untie Bianca, who is finally happy to be free. She quickly runs up to the children's bed room, and tries to throw them on their pillows. She succeeds with Travis, but accidentally throws Rebecca outside, who hits a tree branch, which miraculously flings her back into Bianca's hand, who is wearing a baseball mitt.

Bianca runs down the stairs just in time for the Skiddiundis to enter their home. She, Snuppa, Squeaky and Sniz are all sitting at the table in the kitchen. The parents ask if the kids behaved themselves, and they all answered that they did.

## Quotes

 **Travis:** | Yo. What's this, Snup? (fart noise)

 **Rebecca:** | Nerd.

## Differences between the pilot and series

* Fondue is referred to as only Squeaky; the series would later clarify that Squeaky is his first name with Fondue being his last.
* All four of the main characters have different voice actors. Notably, famous singer Meat Loaf provided Snuppa's voice. Karen Braga voiced Bianca, Charlie Michael Pearlstein provided Squeaky's voice, and Sniz was voiced by Jerry Sroka. Other voice actors include: Pilot director John R. Dilworth voiced Mr. Skiddiundi, Karen voiced Mrs. Skiddiundi, and Amanda Butterbaugh and Tighe Swanson voicing Rebecca (Butterbaugh) and Travis (Swanson), respectively
* As for attire, Bianca's clothes remain the same in the series. Snuppa had a collar on his shirt here with pockets, and Squeaky has green circles on his blue hat. Sniz also wears an orange jacket instead of a gray shirt.
* The characters' paw pads and whiskers are drawn here; in the series they were mostly omitted.
* The pilot was produced by Jumbo Pictures and Stretch Films. However, Jim Jinkins and John R. Dilworth had no involvement with the rest of the series, as they went on to do other projects.

## Trivia

* The quilt on Travis' bed is of French children's book character, Barbapapa.