That's My Bush!
Encyclopedia
That's My Bush! is an American comedy television series that aired on Comedy Central
from April 4 to May 23, 2001. Created by Trey Parker
and Matt Stone
, best known for also creating South Park
, the series centers on the fictitious personal life of President George W. Bush
, as played by Timothy Bottoms
. Carrie Quinn Dolin played Laura Bush
, and Kurt Fuller
played Karl Rove
. Despite the political overtones, the show itself was actually a broad lampoon of American sitcoms, including lame jokes, a laugh track, and stock characters such as klutzy bimbo secretary Princess (Kristen Miller
), know-it-all maid Maggie (Marcia Wallace
), and supposedly helpful "wacky" next-door neighbor Larry (John D'Aquino
).
The series was conceived in the wake of the 2000 Presidential Election between Bush and Al Gore
. Parker and Stone were sure that Gore would win the election, and tentatively titled the show Everybody Loves Al. Thanks to the confusion regarding the election's outcome, the series was pushed back. Instead, the show was then plotted around Bush at the workplace. The show received positive reviews, with The New York Times
commenting, "That's My Bush! is a satire of hero worship itself; it is the anti-West Wing and the first true post-Clinton
comedy. [...] This politically astute criticism is embedded in so much hysterical humor that the series never seems weighty."
. The duo were "95 percent sure" that Democratic
candidate Al Gore
would win, and tentatively titled the show Everybody Loves Al
. It was, essentially, the same show: a lovable main character, the sassy maid, the wacky neighbor. Parker said the producers did not want to make fun of politics, but instead lampoon sitcoms. The duo watched a lot of Fawlty Towers
in preparation. The duo signed a deal with Comedy Central
to produce a live-action sitcom, titled Family First, scheduled to debut on February 28, 2001. They threw a party the night of the election with the writers, with intentions to begin writing the following Monday and shooting the show in January 2001 with the inauguration. With the confusion of who the President was, the show's production was pushed back. The duo wanted to write a "family sitcoms", with the Bush family. Comedy Central, however, prohibited Parker and Stone from including the Bush twins (Jenna Bush and Barbara Pierce Bush
). The writers then turned the Bush twins character into Princess. "An Aborted Dinner Date" was the show's pilot episode. The episode features Felix the Fetus, which was made and operated by the Chiodo Brothers, who later worked with Parker and Stone on Team America: World Police
(2004). They also created the cat Punk'kin in "The First Lady's Persqueeter". The show's producers consider the second episode aired, "A Poorly Executed Plan", the true first episode.
This was Parker and Stone's first live-action production to be a part of the Writers Guild of America, West
. The show's writers got a big dry-erase board and on one side, they would write down political ideas (abortion, capital punishment) and on the other side would be typical sitcom stories (frat buddies show up, trapped in a small space). They would then combine the two ideas, in what Stone described as "a Three's Company
mix-up kind of thing." That's My Bush! was filmed at Sony Pictures Studios
, and was the first time Parker and Stone shot a show on a production lot. Spider-Man
was being filmed around the same time frame that the show was in production. The show was not shot in front of a live audience, as to keep control over the show and by necessity, thanks to various shots you would be unable to do in a normal show. They had built several rooms from the White House
in their studio (bedroom, dining room) and were allowed "one new, rotating set" per week. Parker described the sets as "amazing," and were in fact packaged up after the show's run and sent to other White House-related productions. The show's producers gained inspiration by going on a private tour of the White House thanks to Anne Garefino, executive producer, who once worked at the White House for PBS. A White House usher showed the producers various rooms not allowed on normal tours, which allowed them to detail each set effectively.
Casting was relatively simple; Parker and Stone came across a photo of Timothy Bottoms
in Variety
for a play he was doing in Santa Barbara
. Parker and Stone called him in, and they found he was "perfect" for the role. The plan was not to viciously "rip on" Bush or make him out to be a monster; in accordance with sitcom stereotypes, Bush was made a sweet and lovable oaf. Kurt Fuller
was the last actor to be cast in the show. Jeff Melman was the director for each episode. This was the first time Trey Parker was only writing, not directing. Each episode was shot in two days. The weeks were spent writing and getting ready while the cast rehearsed. Like South Park, in which Parker would be able to write a scene and see it animated a short time later, he and Stone could walk to rehearsals and see the cast rehearsing their script. Each episode opened with a cold open, with a "cheesy" joke that segued into the theme song. The duo recalled that, with stupid titles, these scenes were often the hardest to write. The episode "S.D.I. -Aye-Aye!"features the first utterance of the word "Lemmiwinks", which Parker and the writers intended to a parody of The Lord of the Rings
. The word was later famously used in the South Park episode "The Death Camp of Tolerance
". The show's first episode set a ratings record (at the time) for highest debut with over 2.9 million viewers tuning in; however, ratings dropped after this, with an average of 1.7 million viewers.
During the production of "Fare Thee Welfare", the show's series finale, the producers knew the show would end as it would be very expensive. For example, for the episode "Eenie Meenie Miney Murder", Parker and Stone used a live bear, an animatronic bear, an actor in a bear suit, and a puppet bear, which ended up breaking their budget. Although the show received a fair amount of publicity and critical notice, according to Stone and Parker, the cost per episode was too high, "about $1 million an episode." Comedy Central officially cancelled the series in August 2001 as a cost-cutting move; Stone was quoted as saying "A super-expensive show on a small cable network...the economics of it were just not going to work." Comedy Central continued the show in reruns, considering it a creative and critical success. Parker believed the show would not have survived after the September 11 attacks anyway, and Stone agreed, saying the show would not "play well." There was talk of a spin-off
feature film
for the series entitled George W. Bush and the Secret of the Glass Tiger. The concept behind the film extended the bait-and-switch gag of the show: it would have to do with a Chinese invasion foiled by the President. Parker and Stone intended to work on it during the summer of 2002. Parker recalls That's My Bush! "a great time in our lives," and "the most fun we've had in our careers." That's My Bush! has had an effect on the structure of South Park: prior to 2001, each South Park episode was broken up into four acts. While producing That's My Bush!, Parker and Stone found the three-act structure provided a better story, and South Park has continued to use it in recent years. Stone called the show one of the most pleasant experiences in his life.
, gun control
, the war on drugs
, drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
, and the death penalty. Every episode ended with George saying "One of these days, Laura, I'm gonna punch you in the face!", a parody of Jackie Gleason
's line from The Honeymooners
, "One of these days, Alice… Bang, zoom! Right to the moon!"
The show was more of a spoof of the banality of TV sitcoms in general rather than a cutting political satire. As The AV Club put it:
that they would create a satire about whoever won. According to their DVD commentary, they were "95% certain that Gore
would win" and started developing the series under the title Everybody Loves Al. When the final election results
were in limbo, production was delayed until the winner was determined. With Bush's election, the title became the entendre-rich That's My Bush! The final episode involved Dick Cheney
forcing Bush to step down, and featured an alternate title music called That's My Dick! which, later in the episode, changed to What A Dick!
set containing the entire series, plus commentaries by cast and crew, was released in North America
on October 24, 2006.
" episode of South Park
. Also, Bush was portrayed in South Park in a similar fashion to the one in That's My Bush until "Cartoon Wars Part I
".
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
from April 4 to May 23, 2001. Created by Trey Parker
Trey Parker
Trey Parker is an American animator, screenwriter, director, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of the television series South Park along with his creative partner and best friend Matt Stone.Parker started his film career in 1992, making a holiday short...
and Matt Stone
Matt Stone
Matthew Richard "Matt" Stone is an American screenwriter, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of South Park along with creative partner and best friend, Trey Parker....
, best known for also creating South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, the series centers on the fictitious personal life of President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, as played by Timothy Bottoms
Timothy Bottoms
-Early life:Bottoms was born in Santa Barbara, California, the eldest son of Betty and James "Bud" Bottoms, who is a sculptor and art teacher. He is the brother of actors Joseph Bottoms , Sam Bottoms and Ben Bottoms . In 1967, Bottoms toured Europe as part of the Santa Barbara Madrigal...
. Carrie Quinn Dolin played Laura Bush
Laura Bush
Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
, and Kurt Fuller
Kurt Fuller
Kurt Fuller is an American character actor. He has appeared in a number of television, film, and stage projects. He graduated from Lincoln High School in Stockton, California in 1971.-Career:...
played Karl Rove
Karl Rove
Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
. Despite the political overtones, the show itself was actually a broad lampoon of American sitcoms, including lame jokes, a laugh track, and stock characters such as klutzy bimbo secretary Princess (Kristen Miller
Kristen Miller
Kristen Miller is an American actress who has appeared in guest and in leading roles in many television shows, including Dexter, USA High, That's My Bush!, Two and a Half Men, Charmed, She Spies and Undressed...
), know-it-all maid Maggie (Marcia Wallace
Marcia Wallace
Marcia Karen Wallace is an American character actress, comedienne and game show panelist, primarily known for her roles in television situation comedies...
), and supposedly helpful "wacky" next-door neighbor Larry (John D'Aquino
John D'Aquino
John D'Aquino is a Canadian-American actor who is perhaps best known for his role as Lt. Benjamin Krieg in the NBC TV series seaQuest DSV during the show's first season, a role he later reprised in the third season and President Richard Martinez in the Disney Channel Original Series Cory in the...
).
The series was conceived in the wake of the 2000 Presidential Election between Bush and Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
. Parker and Stone were sure that Gore would win the election, and tentatively titled the show Everybody Loves Al. Thanks to the confusion regarding the election's outcome, the series was pushed back. Instead, the show was then plotted around Bush at the workplace. The show received positive reviews, with The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
commenting, "That's My Bush! is a satire of hero worship itself; it is the anti-West Wing and the first true post-Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
comedy. [...] This politically astute criticism is embedded in so much hysterical humor that the series never seems weighty."
History
The entire idea behind the series was to parody sitcoms. The premise developed into having it be about the President in office. Parker recalled the idea came about three months before the 2000 Presidential electionUnited States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
. The duo were "95 percent sure" that Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
would win, and tentatively titled the show Everybody Loves Al
Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of lead actor Ray Romano, creator/producer Phil Rosenthal and the show's writing staff...
. It was, essentially, the same show: a lovable main character, the sassy maid, the wacky neighbor. Parker said the producers did not want to make fun of politics, but instead lampoon sitcoms. The duo watched a lot of Fawlty Towers
Fawlty Towers
Fawlty Towers is a British sitcom produced by BBC Television and first broadcast on BBC2 in 1975. Twelve television program episodes were produced . The show was written by John Cleese and his then wife Connie Booth, both of whom played major characters...
in preparation. The duo signed a deal with Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
to produce a live-action sitcom, titled Family First, scheduled to debut on February 28, 2001. They threw a party the night of the election with the writers, with intentions to begin writing the following Monday and shooting the show in January 2001 with the inauguration. With the confusion of who the President was, the show's production was pushed back. The duo wanted to write a "family sitcoms", with the Bush family. Comedy Central, however, prohibited Parker and Stone from including the Bush twins (Jenna Bush and Barbara Pierce Bush
Barbara Pierce Bush
Barbara Pierce Bush is the elder of the sororal twin daughters of the 43rd U.S. President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush, and the granddaughter of the 41st U.S. President George H. W. Bush, and his wife Barbara Bush, after whom she was named...
). The writers then turned the Bush twins character into Princess. "An Aborted Dinner Date" was the show's pilot episode. The episode features Felix the Fetus, which was made and operated by the Chiodo Brothers, who later worked with Parker and Stone on Team America: World Police
Team America: World Police
Team America: World Police, often referred to as simply Team America, is a 2004 action comedy film written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and Pam Brady and directed by Parker, all of whom are also known for the popular animated television series South Park...
(2004). They also created the cat Punk'kin in "The First Lady's Persqueeter". The show's producers consider the second episode aired, "A Poorly Executed Plan", the true first episode.
This was Parker and Stone's first live-action production to be a part of the Writers Guild of America, West
Writers Guild of America, west
Writers Guild of America, West is a labor union representing film, television, radio, and new media writers. The Guild was formed in 1954 from five organizations representing writers, which include the Screen Writers Guild...
. The show's writers got a big dry-erase board and on one side, they would write down political ideas (abortion, capital punishment) and on the other side would be typical sitcom stories (frat buddies show up, trapped in a small space). They would then combine the two ideas, in what Stone described as "a Three's Company
Three's Company
Three's Company is an American sitcom that aired from March 15, 1977, to September 18, 1984, on ABC. It is based on the British sitcom, Man About the House....
mix-up kind of thing." That's My Bush! was filmed at Sony Pictures Studios
Sony Pictures Studios
The Sony Pictures Studios are a television and film studio complex located in Culver City, California at 10202 West Washington Boulevard and bounded by Culver Boulevard , Washington Boulevard , Overland Avenue and Madison Avenue...
, and was the first time Parker and Stone shot a show on a production lot. Spider-Man
Spider-Man (film)
Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film, the first in the Spider-Man film series based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp...
was being filmed around the same time frame that the show was in production. The show was not shot in front of a live audience, as to keep control over the show and by necessity, thanks to various shots you would be unable to do in a normal show. They had built several rooms from the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
in their studio (bedroom, dining room) and were allowed "one new, rotating set" per week. Parker described the sets as "amazing," and were in fact packaged up after the show's run and sent to other White House-related productions. The show's producers gained inspiration by going on a private tour of the White House thanks to Anne Garefino, executive producer, who once worked at the White House for PBS. A White House usher showed the producers various rooms not allowed on normal tours, which allowed them to detail each set effectively.
Casting was relatively simple; Parker and Stone came across a photo of Timothy Bottoms
Timothy Bottoms
-Early life:Bottoms was born in Santa Barbara, California, the eldest son of Betty and James "Bud" Bottoms, who is a sculptor and art teacher. He is the brother of actors Joseph Bottoms , Sam Bottoms and Ben Bottoms . In 1967, Bottoms toured Europe as part of the Santa Barbara Madrigal...
in Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
for a play he was doing in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
. Parker and Stone called him in, and they found he was "perfect" for the role. The plan was not to viciously "rip on" Bush or make him out to be a monster; in accordance with sitcom stereotypes, Bush was made a sweet and lovable oaf. Kurt Fuller
Kurt Fuller
Kurt Fuller is an American character actor. He has appeared in a number of television, film, and stage projects. He graduated from Lincoln High School in Stockton, California in 1971.-Career:...
was the last actor to be cast in the show. Jeff Melman was the director for each episode. This was the first time Trey Parker was only writing, not directing. Each episode was shot in two days. The weeks were spent writing and getting ready while the cast rehearsed. Like South Park, in which Parker would be able to write a scene and see it animated a short time later, he and Stone could walk to rehearsals and see the cast rehearsing their script. Each episode opened with a cold open, with a "cheesy" joke that segued into the theme song. The duo recalled that, with stupid titles, these scenes were often the hardest to write. The episode "S.D.I. -Aye-Aye!"features the first utterance of the word "Lemmiwinks", which Parker and the writers intended to a parody of The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
. The word was later famously used in the South Park episode "The Death Camp of Tolerance
The Death Camp of Tolerance
"The Death Camp of Tolerance" is episode 93 of the Comedy Central series South Park. It was originally broadcast on November 20, 2002.-External links:* Full episode at South Park Studios* Episode guide at South Park Studios...
". The show's first episode set a ratings record (at the time) for highest debut with over 2.9 million viewers tuning in; however, ratings dropped after this, with an average of 1.7 million viewers.
During the production of "Fare Thee Welfare", the show's series finale, the producers knew the show would end as it would be very expensive. For example, for the episode "Eenie Meenie Miney Murder", Parker and Stone used a live bear, an animatronic bear, an actor in a bear suit, and a puppet bear, which ended up breaking their budget. Although the show received a fair amount of publicity and critical notice, according to Stone and Parker, the cost per episode was too high, "about $1 million an episode." Comedy Central officially cancelled the series in August 2001 as a cost-cutting move; Stone was quoted as saying "A super-expensive show on a small cable network...the economics of it were just not going to work." Comedy Central continued the show in reruns, considering it a creative and critical success. Parker believed the show would not have survived after the September 11 attacks anyway, and Stone agreed, saying the show would not "play well." There was talk of a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
for the series entitled George W. Bush and the Secret of the Glass Tiger. The concept behind the film extended the bait-and-switch gag of the show: it would have to do with a Chinese invasion foiled by the President. Parker and Stone intended to work on it during the summer of 2002. Parker recalls That's My Bush! "a great time in our lives," and "the most fun we've had in our careers." That's My Bush! has had an effect on the structure of South Park: prior to 2001, each South Park episode was broken up into four acts. While producing That's My Bush!, Parker and Stone found the three-act structure provided a better story, and South Park has continued to use it in recent years. Stone called the show one of the most pleasant experiences in his life.
Episode formula
Episodes dealt (with deliberate heavy-handedness) with the topics of abortionAbortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, gun control
Gun control
Gun control is any law, policy, practice, or proposal designed to restrict or limit the possession, production, importation, shipment, sale, and/or use of guns or other firearms by private citizens...
, the war on drugs
War on Drugs
The War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...
, drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in northeastern Alaska, United States. It consists of in the Alaska North Slope region. It is the largest National Wildlife Refuge in the country, slightly larger than the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge...
, and the death penalty. Every episode ended with George saying "One of these days, Laura, I'm gonna punch you in the face!", a parody of Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...
's line from The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners
The Honeymooners is an American situation comedy television show, based on a recurring 1951–'55 sketch of the same name. It originally aired on the DuMont network's Cavalcade of Stars and subsequently on the CBS network's The Jackie Gleason Show hosted by Jackie Gleason, and filmed before a live...
, "One of these days, Alice… Bang, zoom! Right to the moon!"
The show was more of a spoof of the banality of TV sitcoms in general rather than a cutting political satire. As The AV Club put it:
Cast
- Timothy BottomsTimothy Bottoms-Early life:Bottoms was born in Santa Barbara, California, the eldest son of Betty and James "Bud" Bottoms, who is a sculptor and art teacher. He is the brother of actors Joseph Bottoms , Sam Bottoms and Ben Bottoms . In 1967, Bottoms toured Europe as part of the Santa Barbara Madrigal...
as President George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000.... - Carrie Quinn Dolin as First Lady Laura BushLaura BushLaura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
- Kurt FullerKurt FullerKurt Fuller is an American character actor. He has appeared in a number of television, film, and stage projects. He graduated from Lincoln High School in Stockton, California in 1971.-Career:...
as Deputy Chief of Staff Karl RoveKarl RoveKarl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives... - Marcia WallaceMarcia WallaceMarcia Karen Wallace is an American character actress, comedienne and game show panelist, primarily known for her roles in television situation comedies...
as Maggie Hawley - Kristen MillerKristen MillerKristen Miller is an American actress who has appeared in guest and in leading roles in many television shows, including Dexter, USA High, That's My Bush!, Two and a Half Men, Charmed, She Spies and Undressed...
as Princess Stevenson - John D'AquinoJohn D'AquinoJohn D'Aquino is a Canadian-American actor who is perhaps best known for his role as Lt. Benjamin Krieg in the NBC TV series seaQuest DSV during the show's first season, a role he later reprised in the third season and President Richard Martinez in the Disney Channel Original Series Cory in the...
as Larry O'Shea
Prior to the 2000 Presidential Election
Parker and Stone stated before the 2000 Presidential ElectionUnited States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
that they would create a satire about whoever won. According to their DVD commentary, they were "95% certain that Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
would win" and started developing the series under the title Everybody Loves Al. When the final election results
Florida election recount
The Florida election recount of 2000 was a period of vote re-counting that occurred following the unclear results of the 2000 United States presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore, specifically the Florida results. The election was ultimately settled in favor of George W. Bush when...
were in limbo, production was delayed until the winner was determined. With Bush's election, the title became the entendre-rich That's My Bush! The final episode involved Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
forcing Bush to step down, and featured an alternate title music called That's My Dick! which, later in the episode, changed to What A Dick!
DVD release
A DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
set containing the entire series, plus commentaries by cast and crew, was released in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on October 24, 2006.
South Park cameos
The characters, voiced by Trey and Matt, appeared as they were depicted in That's My Bush as a cameo in "Super Best FriendsSuper Best Friends
"Super Best Friends" is the third episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 68th episode of the series overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on July 4, 2001. The episode depicts several religious figures, including Muhammad,...
" episode of South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
. Also, Bush was portrayed in South Park in a similar fashion to the one in That's My Bush until "Cartoon Wars Part I
Cartoon Wars Part I
"Cartoon Wars Part I" is the third episode of the tenth season of the animated television series South Park, and the 142nd episode overall. It first aired on Comedy Central in the United States on April 5, 2006. It is part one of a two-episode story, which concludes with "Cartoon Wars Part II"...
".
Episodes
| # | Title | Original airdate |
|---|
See also
- Strip MallStrip MallStrip Mall is a situation comedy that aired on Comedy Central from June 2000 until March 2001.The series, a spoof of prime time soap operas, was set in Van Nuys, California which is series star/creator/executive producer Julie Brown's hometown. The titular "Strip Mall" was the fictional Plaza del...
- another Comedy Central sitcom cancelled at the same time as That's My Bush! due to cost reasons. - Lil' BushLil' BushLil' Bush is a satirical, politically-themed animated television series which premiered on June 13, 2007 on Comedy Central. The series features childlike, caricatures of members of the George W. Bush administration, and other American and international political leaders. Donick Cary created the...
- animated series satirizing Bush, also on Comedy Central - Cory in the houseCory in the HouseCory in the House is an American television sitcom, which aired on the Disney Channel from January 12, 2007 to September 12, 2008 and was a spin-off from the Disney show That's So Raven. The show focuses on Cory Baxter, who moved from San Francisco, California to Washington, D.C., after Victor...
- a series where John D'Aquino plays the president.