Musical Mayhem

## Summary

Ted decides to learn the cello, much to everyone’s annoyance.

## Plot

The 3 brothers are coming out of a Smile Store which has many discounts and offers on. Ted comments on how worth buying a product is when it is on discount, but Bobby does not care. They are suddenly interrupted by some children going past with various instruments. Fred wonders what is going on, but Bobby notices something.

At the end of the street, there is a stall selling all of the Smileton Orchestra's instruments, since they have gone bankrupt. Ted is sad, but Fred points out that the orchestra's playing was awful, as proved by an awful experience they had at a recent concert they went to. Ted thought it was 'post-impressionistic abstraction', but Fred is displeased. Bobby declares that they should find some interesting instruments.

Fred and Bobby play an assortment of instruments, which turn into a song joined by the people in the street. They are all told off by a policeman, who says that they are 'either here to play the instruments badly or buy them'. After this, Fred and Bobby leave the stall, but realise Ted is missing. He turns up with a cello, which was on discount.

At the house, Fred and Bobby are watching something on television, when they are interrupted by a horrible scraping noise. It turns out to be Ted practising his cello, and Bobby complains about how they cannot watch their show with the noise going on. Fred has an idea though.

The idea is a homemade car which he and Bobby are travelling, the plan is to travel the globe (and away from the cello noise). But the noise returns, and is so bad the wheels of the car warp and the car crashes into a lamppost. Bobby asks for the next idea.

In the housing estate park, Fred and Bobby surface from a bush, Bobby thinking they have finally escaped the noise. But they haven't, and it returns, the park manager complaining about it, giving Fred another idea.

Later on, Fred and Bobby are running a stall, selling ear-muffs for 50p a pair. Fred advertises with his megaphone, but a passerby is not impressed. However, he and other passersby change their mind when they hear the cello again, and Fred and Bobby are bombarded with requests for ear-muffs.

Afterwards, they pull a wagon (made from the car that was previously destroyed) with all their profits inside, of which there are many. Bobby is happy about the ear-muffs' ability to sell so well, but Fred wonders what to do with the money. Bobby suddenly has an idea.

Back at the house, Fred and Bobby are in the games room, playing a boardgame, when Ted appears. He says that the conductor of the Smileton Orchestra has returned for the cello, since they received an anonymous donation which means they are no longer bankrupt. Bobby fakes a speech on how upset he is, and Ted goes away sadly. Fred gives praise to Bobby's idea to give their money to the Smileton Orchestra, therefore ridding them of the cello and the spare money, all of which Bobby self-centredly absorbs. However, Ted appears again, having found a trumpet in the loft. As he begins to play it badly, Fred and Bobby look to the audience in annoyance and pain, and the episode ends.

## Trivia

* This is the first episode to mention the Smileton Orchestra.
* The brothers are all shown to be able to play other instruments, albeit with little skill.
* Fred is shown to have knowledge of salesman techniques (catchline, rhyming, cheap prices, etc).
* More of Season 3's designs of the house appear.
* The housing estate park apparently has its own manager.
* Fred and Bobby build a vehicle again, the first being the plane from the previous episode.
* Ted is shown to have an intelligence of music.
* Fred's megaphone from The Storm appears again.
* This is the shortest episode in Season 3 so far (considering the 5 minute average).

**Errors**

* When the brothers arrive at the Smielton Orchestra's stall, there is a sign saying 'SMILETON ORCHESTRA BANKRUPT SALE', however when the band is playing later, the sign is gone.
* There are some colour errors with parts of the housing estate.