"Twitching Channels" is the fifty-fifth episode from the first season of Darkwing Duck.
Synopsis[]
Megavolt invents a device called the Electrolizer and is able to travel through electrical wires to different appliances until he gets to a television set. He realizes that by adjusting the frequency of his device, he can travel through the airwaves and move from television to television. He uses this to commit several robberies and steals money and items by popping out of the sets and then popping back in to get away. Drake is helping Herb bring a large box to the Muddlefoots' house and finds out that Herb got a fancy remote control that controls all the electrical items. Herb turns on the TV and Drake sees Megavolt. They change the channel and Megavolt is on everyone of them. Megavolt comes out of the TV and steals Herb's new remote control and then disappears.
Darkwing uses a tracking device and tracks down where Megavolt's transmission coming from. He appears just in time to confront Megavolt. Darkwing pulls out a rubber plunger and Megavolt fires an electrical bolt at him. Darkwing knocks the bolt back at Megavolt with the plunger and shocks him. Megavolt tries to escape and Darkwing grabs his feet and they are both sucked into the TV set. They go through a couple of programs until they come on a science program and Megavolt tries to use a device to trap Darkwing but it winds up overloading and exploding. They appear in the human world and Megavolt runs off when they see people coming.
Darkwing learns from some kids that he is on a popular cartoon show and he also finds out that he is on a lot of merchandise. Darkwing wonders where all the merchandising money is going and finds out that E. Thaddeus Rockwell created the cartoon. Darkwing goes to meet Rockwell and asks him how he came up with the idea. Rockwell tells him that he was a struggling writer and he sent off for a helmet device that was supposed to improve his creativity. Something happened and he somehow tuned into Darkwing's world and started writing his adventures based off of that. Darkwing asks to be compensated and what does he do to get home. Rockwell doesn't have any idea how to get Darkwing home. As they are talking, a breaking news story appears on TV and it seems that Megavolt is terrorizing the city.
Darkwing confronts Megavolt and Megavolt begs him to help him return home. Megavolt tells Darkwing that he was trying to use the antenna to transmit himself home, but cannot find the right frequency. Rockwell offers them a way to go to St. Canard. It turns out that he is putting Darkwing and Megavolt in a play based on their adventures in a mock up St. Canard. They start to do the play and mayhem breaks out and the set is wrecked. The audience loves it and Rockwell figures that now he doesn't need to do the series any more and that he can have them do the same act every night. Darkwing realizes that he and Megavolt can use the helmet with the TV transmission antenna to find the frequency and get them home. They go to the TV transmission antenna with the helmet and Rockwell pleads with Darkwing. Darkwing tells him that he should be original and write the show based on his ideas and not use the helmet to get material for the cartoon show (Rockwell, however, thinks that's ridiculous).
Darkwing hooks up Megavolt and Megavolt tries to double cross him and kicks him off the TV transmission antenna. Just then lightning hits and Darkwing launches the plunger and attaches to Megavolt at the last second and they disappear. Rockwell cries and realizes that he can't tune into their world anymore and as he walks off, his writer hears a conversation between Monterey Jack and Chip, and thinks their "Rescue Rangers team" would make for a good show. Herb is watching his TV when it explodes and Darkwing and Megavolt appear. Megavolt tries to get away by using his device and hops into the electrical wiring. Darkwing traps him in a light bulb. He holds up the doll he brought from the human world and says he needs to find a toy factory to start producing them.
Voice Cast[]
- Dan Castellaneta - Megavolt
- Christine Cavanaugh - Boy
- Jim Cummings - Darkwing/Drake Mallard, Herb Muddlefoot, Monterey Jack, Hippo Burger Worker, Commercial Voice
- John Frost - Salesman
- Tino Insana - Crosby
- Katie Leigh - Girl
- Mark Taylor - Thaddeus Rockwell
- Susan Tolsky - Department Store Worker, Secretary
- Frank Welker - TV Scientist
Uncredited[]
- Tress MacNeille - Game Show Host, Opal Windbag, Actress, Chip
Trivia[]
- This episode contradicts "A Star is Scorned", which depicts the human characters as actors on a set rather than people from another universe.
- The Overlanders ask Darkwing several relevant questions: Does Launchpad ever change his clothes or do they all just look the same? What is Drake Mallard's job?
- Darkwing when confronted by Overlanders (apparently unknown in his universe) refers to them as hideous beakless mutants. He made a similar references to Comet Guy (who seems to be human, but is from a different planet than Darkwing) in Smarter Than a Speeding Bullet.
Goofs[]
- Darkwing gets excited when he sees action figures of himself in a parallel universe, however in the previous episode It's a Wonderful Leaf, action figures of himself can be seen.
Gallery[]
