SYNOPSIS:
This synopsis is by Liz Sheppard.
Wait...I thought I was
watching Yes, Virginia, There is a Hercules? I was
wrong, I'm watching ATLANTIS, where Hercules is saving
Cassandra while the
city is falling apart. Oopsie, Rob Tapert (Autolycus),
executive producer,
is having a bad dream. He gets a call from Eric
Gruendeman, on set
producer, who's, well, on the set in New Zealand and
tells Rob about the
earthquake and some bad news. Liz Friedman (Callisto),
producer, is
practicing her boxing when she gets a call from Rob.
Jerry Patrick Brown
(Ares), head writer, is paintball hunting in the woods
when he gets a call
from Liz. Paul Robert Coyle (Iolaus), writer, is
gambling in Vegas when Liz
calls him. Everybody meets in the office in Hollywood,
when Rob sees some
people are missing. He tells his assistant Melissa
Blake (Dirce) to call
Alex and Bob. Alex Kurtzman (Joxer) and Roberto Orci (I
know I've seen him
before, but I can't rememeber), writers, are sleeping
in the closet and
join the meeting. Rob tells them all that Kevin Sorbo
is missing.
Rob sends "Davie" David Scott
Pollison (Strife), office production
assistant, to go to find Kevin. That Joel guy plays the
weirdest
characters. Jerry gets the idea of basing a story
around Ares (up pops
JUDGEMENT DAY and END OF THE BEGINNING clips). Rob
likes the idea but Liz
freaks out and gives the idea of a Callisto episode
(SURPRISE clips), which
Rob likes as well. Alex brings up the point that Ares
and Cally are bad, so
what would they do if Herc wasn't around (Ares and
Cally playing boulder,
sword, parchment...cute..."Dumb blonde!").
Melissa puts rat poison in
Rob's shake, but he doesn't drink it. Eric gets
nervous on the set of the show because the people there
are starting to
figure out what's going on. Melissa then tries to stab
him with a cooking
knife. Paul, Alex, Bob, and Jerry are in the bathroom
singing to tune to
the Hercules theme, very funny. Everybody gets ready
for B.S. Hollinsfoffer
(Salmoneus), studio head, comes by wondering why
everybody is there on a
Sunday. He says that through a bump on the head, he
gets a vision for the
show, a musical (..AND FANCY FREE clips). Davie, with a
chick, calls from
Paris saying that he can't find Kevin. B.S. finds out
Kevin is missing and
fires everybody, thanks to Paul. Paul, trying to save
his skin, brings up
the Soverign trapped in his vortex thing (STRANGER IN A
STRANGE WORLD) and
says that Herc is trapped in Limbo while everybody
tries to stop Sov. Liz
tells him that Sov was played bu Kevin. B.S. rehires
everyone when they try
to leave.
Beth Hymson (Nebula), casting
director, shows up with Johnny Pinko (Darnell
or Mercer, take your pick), who is trying out for the
Hercules roll. He
practices with the TWO MEN AND A BABY Herc to Evander
speech, but does
terrible. Everybody from a mime to an Elvis
impersonator tries out. Davie
calls from Spain saying Sorbo's not there. Rob gives
him a raise for being
chased by bulls. Eric calls trying to pretend to be
Hercules, getting
throwm over a wall by revolting workers. Rob gets
Melissa to cut his hair
(she tries to kill him again but fails) and she brings
up Young Hercules
(clips, I assume, from the Young Hercules movie), but
that idea fails. B.S.
returns saying the show is cancelled unless they think
of something by
five. Liz wishes they could get rid of all actors, then
Rob thinks of the
cartoon (Cartoon movie clips), but that fails, too.
Alex and Bob have the
idea of "Chimpules". Alex and Bob start fighting. Jerry
and Liz fight, Rob
and Melissa fight, she's still trying to kill him, and
Paul begs for
forgiviness from B.S., but they fight too. Beth walks
in at a bad time.
Everybody freezes. Ares and Strife show up and talk
about causing the
earthquake to keep Hercules busy so the show can be be
cancelled; so Ares
can watch "Millennium" in peace. Strife misses "Cop
Rock". Herc shows up
dressed as Kevin Sorbo. He says the world isn't ready
to know that Hercules
is really alive. Herc unfreezes everyone, and they all
are relieved to see
him. The news on the TV talk about a mystery man saving
everybody in the
earthquake. I always knew TPTB are on crack, and this
episode proves it.
CLIPS USED
JUDGMENT DAY: Hercules
checks out a dead Serena, while finding the bloody
knife and Serenas bloody cut. Strife curses the
villager and the villager can tell that Hercules is
running away from the village. Strife and Ares watch
Hercules flee the village.
THE END OF THE
BEGINNING:
The fight between Hercules and Ares from the end of the
episode. A few seconds where cut out.
YOUNG HERCULES-THE
MOVIE:
Hercules and Iolaus fight over a magic scepter. Jason
prepares Herk and Iolaus to fight each other on a large
pole in Chirons academy. Herk flees from the giant
snake in Ares Cavern.
ANIMATED HERCULES AND XENA
MOVIE: Hercules punches down the titan, while on
Bird
Gabrielle. They also show Xena and Iolaus riding the
Bird Gabrielle.
AND FANCY FREE:
Twanky doing some singing and bumping Herk into Althea.
Herk and Althea dancing a little. Ocea and Althea
fighting in front of the dance palace and Herk coming
to Altheas rescue.
STRANGER IN A STRANGE
WORLD:
Iolaus getting taken into the portal. Iolaus meets God
of Love Ares. Sovereign and Evil Aphrodite argue and
Sovereign says she should show more off and not be so
shy. Hercules nails The Sovereign into the Netherworld.
Naughty Xena begs Sovereign to give out an execution to
one of his prisoners.
TWO MEN AND A BABY:
Nemesis
tells Hercules that his child is Evander. Ares and
Discord take care of Evander. Hercules promises to take
care of Evander and visit him and teach him how to
wrestle, throw the discuss, and live a life.
ATLANTIS: The city of
Atlantis falls down. Hercules rescues Cassandra.
Panthius gets his "Eye of Atlantis" monument fallen on
himself.
COMMENTARY:
This commentary is by KSZone.
Perhaps the best idea for a
clip show came with "YVTAH" which too me was an
incredible attempt at a comedy episode and a
interesting look at HTLJ. From the great cast to the
idea of spin-off shows and ideas for future shows,
"Yes" delivered a good episode to the fans. They used
the actual incident of Sorbo not showing and made a
script out of it, and also combined an earthquake in
that and some "Xena Scrolls" type stuff.
First I'm going to review the
co-stars and cast for this one. I can't stop saying how
good Bruce Campbell was as Robert Tapert. I did think
that the orange hair looked a little weird. I thought
his obsession with fishing was well done since the real
Tapert loves to fish as well. The interaction between
Tapert and his crew was also well, and his mention
about kids wearing rubber pants was a good moments
thought to save his behind from being fired by the
studio head. I thought Hudson Leick played a great Liz
Friedman. I never have seen Friedman before but Hudson
looks good and thus the character she played look good.
Liz is defiantly the bada$$ girl of the team and does
not like her boss, which is common and well written,
plus isn't she next in line for head producer is Tapert
dies?? Interesting plot they had going. Kurtzman and
Orci definitely had a nice babysitter in High School,
if Liz sat for them. Kevin Smith was way too cool as
Jerry Patrick Brown. His army attitude and bada$$
attitude was crucial. He had some of the best lines in
the episode and his "Soldier 4 Life" attitude made the
episode worth rewatching, if not to watch to whole
thing than just to watch his parts. Hurst did a good
job as the drunk Paul Robert Coyle. I loved the line he
said in the Las Vegas Casino about "Submarine Game and
Liz". I am still laughing at it now. Its great to see
Robert Trebor and his role was well done and played.
His character was cool and its kind of weird how he
carried around a golf club, kind of like Kevin Sorbo
likes golf, perhaps him and B.S. go golfing. Is there a
real Studio Head named Hollinsfofer or was the person
made up? If someone knows than please share the
lowdown. Lisa Chappell looked good and acted well as
Melissa Blake, the secretary. Melissa was made out to
be a little paid girl that had a good record but was
stuck with a lousy job. Gina Torres was my pick for
"Best Looking Female Staff Member". Gina does the role
of playing an attractive person very well and I would
love to be her weedwacker. Her role as the casting
director was well done. All the other writers where
well picked and the other characters on the set where
also picked well. Anyone noticed Argo walking across
the set at the beginning?
There where more funny lines
than I could count during this episode. Perhaps too
many. That's really all I can comment on for this
episode. I say to check this episode out. Good stuff in
it. I give it 5out of 5 stars and that's pretty darn
good for a clip show. My pick for best impersonation
goes to Robert Trebor, Bruce Campbell, and Hudson
Leick. Gina Torres makes the list as well as Michael
Hurst. Worst impersonation goes to probably the onset
director and cameraman. One other funny moment I forget
to include elsewhere was the one where the lunch bell
rings and everyone leaves, leaving that one stuntguy in
flames. Until next time, take care of yourself and each
other.
TALES OF THE HERCAVERSE
01-18-99. Producer Eric Gruendeman deliberately cast the guy who played him in YES VIRGINIA.
01-18-99. The following is a transcript from the Hollywood Spotlight chat on 12/09/98 with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci:
Storm1 asks "how did you come up with the Porcileine Men's Chorus scene in
Yes, Virginia?"
Alex/Bob says "Oh."
Alex/Bob {action} laugh"
Alex/Bob says "B: that's where Alex and I come up with our best ideas! Just
like that. We couldn't decide what to do for the next scene and we thought,
hey ! let's put this in. And, now of course, everytime I'm in there, I
whistle the Hercules theme."
01-18-99. Transcript selection from Hudson Leick's on-line chat on TVGen, 05-11-98.
TVGOer presents the speaker with question #1204 from Meggara: Hudson i love your work! in the episode "Yes, Virginia there is a hercules" did you really drink an egg, and if so was it gross!
TVG_Star says, "Yes I did drink it. I haven't even seen that episode yet. And it was - they gave me two eggs at first - and I will not describe what exactly reminded me of - but it was foul."
TVG_Star says, "And I couldn't get it all down. So they changed to one egg and I am a trooper, because I got it down."
04-20-98. The Spectre of
SINBAD rears its head! First in XWP's BEEN THERE DONE
THAT, SINBAD gets a reference, but here in the
Hercaverse, SINBAD gets one too! Liz says after hearing
the news she is fired, "I wonder if Sinbad is hiring."
04-20-98. In YES VIRGINIA,
Ares was credited with causing an earthquake in
California. In an interview with WHOOSH! last summer,
Kevin Smith joked that someone recognized him as Ares
and blamed him for the earthquake. Could the pages of
WHOOSH! have helped with the episode?
02-22-98. Hercules is alive
and well and living in LA under the secret identity of
Kevin Sorbo? Uh-huh. Yeah, right. Now tell us about
that bridge in New York you have for sale!
01-06-98. At the Burbank II
Con (01-17-98) Liz Friedman was asked how she
liked Hudson's Leick performance of her namesake. "Very
on", Friedman said. She went on to say that she
did not fidget, and at that, R. J. cracked up. Friedman
mentioned that she started as an intern for Sam
Raimi, then became his assistant, then was an assistant
for TV, then worked on Darkman II. [She is also a
producer for AMAZON HIGH].
01-06-98. YES is HTLJ's 4th
season clip show.
01-04-98. Seen on the
BCCentral website on 12-01-97: they list the Hercules
'Rob Tapert' episode as "Yes, Virginia, There Is A
Hercules". They also have a picture of Bruce as
'Autolycus' and a picture of Bruce as 'Rob Tapert' with
the REAL Rob Tapert. (From Heath Opper
HEO96001@UCONNVM.UCONN.EDU).
01-04-98. Seen on the
BCCentral website on 11-30-97: It listed the air date
of
'Yes Virginia, There Is A Hercules' for the week of
2/23/98. The website also stated that Campbell was
fniished working on that episode. (From Heath Opper
HEO96001@UCONNVM.UCONN.EDU).
01-04-98. Seen on the
BCCentral website on 11-18-97: This episode features an
All-Star Cast of Regulars as the production staff tries
to keep the show going when Kevin Sorbo is missing.
(From Heath Opper HEO96001@UCONNVM.UCONN.EDU).
HIGHLIGHTS:
From KSZone.
Michael Hurst playing a
drunken writer. He was great.
B.S. saying, "Where the %%%%
do they get these people" when referring to Kurtzman
and Orci.
Gina Torres and her role as
the attractive casting director.
Kevin Smiths role as "Jerry
Patrick Brown" His military lines and attitude where
worth watching to show itself.
The Studio Heads entrance.
Melissa trying to chop
Tapert's head off with the ginzu knife. The scene where
she shaved off part of Tapert's head was also funny and
good.
Taperts line "I'm a
producer, I don't feel anything".
Argo walking across the New
Zealand set.
Davie getting chased by the
bulls in Spain. Joel Tobeck gets the weirdest roles in
the show.
Jerry giving Liz about 5
piledrivers into the office floor.
The complete change in the
production team as Sorbo enters.
The hunting scene with Jerry
and his buddies.
Liz saying "Look what
happened to them" as B.S. says weekends are for
communists.
Liz wondering if "Sinbad" is
hiring, when BS fires her.
The lunch bell thing.
THINGS TO
LOOK OUT
FOR
From KSZone.
Many props where found in the
Production Team Office. The head of Bacchus, a baby
harpie from "Beanstalks and Bad Eggs", The casket from
"Blind Faith", The Boars head from several past
episodes, and the metal Hercules statue from "If I Had
a Hammer".
Many things on the set as
well. They have a centaur walking around. The giant
skull seen in the Exion Caves in "Maternal Instincts"
was in the background. That skull was also seen in
"Young Hercules-The Movie", "Bitter Suite", "Xena
Scrolls", and "Mummy Dearest".
The Crystal Ball from "And
Fancy Free" was also seen in the office area during the
big brawl.
The Minotaurs head was seen
in the Meeting Room behind Taperts seat.
The head of the giant snake
from "Young Hercules" and "King of Thieves" was seen in
the Meeting Room as well.
The bunny outfits from "Men
in Pink" where also seen during the parts from New
Zealand. The women in the silver warrior outfits where
supposed to = be Heras archers. The same suits where
worn by Heras archers in "Mother of all Monsters" and
"Monster Child in Promised Land".
The Sea Serpent head from
"Hercules and the Lost Kingdom" was also on the set.
Argo was being pulled across
the HTLJ set during the first scene down at the New
Zealand set!
The actress who played the
new anchor "Mary Contrary" also played Alcmene in
HTLJ's 1st season episodes. Her name is Liz Hawthorne.
MORE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR
From Stefanie. When Hollinsfoffer mentions getting a bump on his head, he says he "was hit on the head by a chandelier, which gave [him] an idea" for a musical. The chandelier is the classic reference to the musical Phantom of the Opera - every critic loves to jump on that one like it's the star of the show.
TRANSCRIPT
Click here to read a transcript of YES VIRGINIA THERE IS A
HERCULES.
DISCLAIMER
Any resemblance between the
Hercules cast and the Renaissance
staff is purely intentional.
