The Fight for the Fox Box
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The Fight for the Fox Box was a 2003 half-hour-long TV special. At that time, 4Kids! Entertainment was running a programming block known as the "Fox Box" (because it was broadcast on the Fox network). It was also an Intercontinuity Crossover.
It's basically one long Enforced Plug for Fox Box shows on at that time. Basically, the story is that a mysterious voice informs the bad guys of five TV shows (Shredder, King Dedede & Escargoon, Dr. Robotnik Eggman, Dial Bolic, and Dr. K) that he has stolen the "Fox Box broadcast codes," and that the network can't go back on the air without the codes. He gives the codes, in pieces, to each of the five villains, and tells them to guard it well. Ace Anderson and Jack Kowalski, the Funky Cops, overhear this tirade on their car's CB radio. The heroes of each TV show also get wind of what's happening, and they set out to take the codes back.
Relying mostly on recycled clips and animation from the TV shows it features, about the only thing new about it is the way the clips are edited together and the audio/dubbing by the original actors. (That is, assuming that it is mostly footage ripped and edited from the TV shows.) There is one scene with less-than-stellar animation where Funky Cops Ace and Jack question Meat on what he knows about the disappeared codes. He then proceeds to fill them in on what's been happening on Ultimate Muscle up to that point.
When the characters of each show re-obtain the code their antagonist is carrying, it is displayed on the screen in some way (mostly for real, but on one occasion a character only says it and the code appears on screen).
The TV special ends with the villains reporting how they failed to keep their code safe. The Voice says "You fools!" and informs them that April O'Neil has set up a website (now defunct) called Savethefoxbox.com, where viewers can enter in the codes to get the network back on the air. During his evil laughter, the sound visualization for his voice fades away to reveal his real identity - Wayne Cramp. The half-hour ends with a non-conclusive ending of him pushing his brother Lucien down the stairs, with an appearance of the show's logo.
Shows included for crossover (alphabetical, not chronological, order) (bold are the main four) include:
- The Cramp Twins
- Cubix Robots for Everyone
- Funky Cops
- Kirby - Right Back At Ya!
- Shaman King ("Hey Mikey! Do you have that Shaman King promo we taped?") - meaning, it doesn't directly relate at all to the plot.
- Sonic X
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- Ultimate Muscle
As such, this half-hour special incorporates many tropes used within those shows.
It has an IMDb page and can now be viewed on YouTube. There's also an article [dead link] that details a press release by 4Kids that explains other details about the release and broadcast of this special.
One last note: If you'd like to reexperience some of what the original "SaveTheFoxBox" website was like, look here: https://web.archive.org/web/20040828191731/http://savethefoxbox.com/ The five codes are: 9HT6A (from Dr. Eggman), B7Z51 (From King Dedede), MM881 (from Dialbolic), L1415G (from Dr. K), and 5E3KZ (from Shredder). Go wild.
- As You Know: Used by King Dedede talking about "The Kirby Show"
- Enforced Plug
- Fake Crossover
- Gainax Ending: Just watch part 4.
- Getting Crap Past the Radar: Mostly stuff from Ultimate Muscle, regarding Hollywood Bowl.
- How We Got Here
- Hurricane of Puns: All the jokes surrounding the names of DMP's fighters and what they do.
- Let Me Get This Straight...
- Take That: In reference to Cubix Channel Hopping to the Fox Box from Kids WB...
Dr. K: My luck has really changed, Killobot! First I switch from that dull and boring network to the Fox Box...
- ...as well as many others. Watch it and see what you can spot.
- The Other Darrin: It seems unlikely that 4Kids would have gotten Tom Kenny and Kath Soucie to redub lines for this, so the voices of Wayne (Rodger Parsons) and Lucien Cramp (Veronica Taylor) are noticeably different.