Magic Show/Trivia

Episode

Trivia

Goofs

Quotes

Transcript

Gallery

Credits

General

• Big Bob's birthday is on the same day as Arnold's magic show.
• The fridge box Arnold uses to make Helga dissappear is branded Bamford Electric.
• On Helga's fantasy about the whole world missing her some people can be seen wearing armbands modeled after Helga's pink bow.
• Effects on people if Helga was gone:
  • Big Bob: Gave up selling beepers, plays the harp and is happy being around Miriam.
  • Miriam: Sober, cheerful, creative and is happy being around Big Bob.
  • Phoebe: Having a new best friend; Gloria.
  • Arnold: Famous Magician, engaged to Ruth P. McDougal.
• In the dream, Helga passes by a "Missing Person" flyer of herself. It says, "Missing, but not missed".
• Helga becomes a leading villain.
  • The previous times she became a leading villain were "The Little Pink Book", "Arnold's Hat", and "Operation Ruthless".
• This is the second time in the series that Helga considers confessing to Arnold.

Production Notes

• Episode writer Glen Gold mentions some material that didn't make it into the episode.
  • One unused spell was, "Wolf, Abzug, Steinem, Faludi. Helga come back and shake your booty!". Naomi Wolf, Bella Abzug, Gloria Steinem and Susan Faludi are feminists.
  • When Helga was falling asleep, she fell past a white rabbit (a reference to Alice in Wonderland) who she punched.
  • With Helga gone, Harold was a nice kid and a brilliant scholar. Justin Shenkarow recorded lines of Harold saying 'Carthaga delenda est' with a British accent.

Cultural References

• This episode's plot is a parody of the 1946 movie It's a Wonderful Life.
  • In contrast to the film plot, people are better off if Helga was gone.
  • A newspaper on Helga's dream reads "It's a Wonderful Life-Without Helga".
  • It's a Wonderful Life itself is inspired by A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
• The name Arnold adopts, Great Arnoldini, is a reference to Harry Houdini, an early 20th century illusionist best known for his escapist stunts.
• Arnold uses the last names of animated characters in his spells. These include Ned Flanders (The Simpsons), Elmer Fudd (Looney Tunes), Gerald McBoing-Boing, Snidley Whiplash (Dudley Do-Right), Dick Dastardly (Wacky Races and Flying Machines), Dudley Do-Right, Mr Burns (The Simpsons) and Barney Rubble (The Flintstones).
• The talk show host in Helga's fantasy is based on late night stalwart Johnny Carson.
  • This episode aired two years after Carson's retirement.