- “I am the Cheese! I am the best character on the show! I am better than both the salami and the bologna combined!”
- ―Filburt as Mr. Cheese
"Wacky Delly" is the 36th episode of Rocko's Modern Life, produced as the tenth episode of the show's third season (though it ended up being the season's eleventh episode to air).
Synopsis
Ralph Bighead has just finished production on the final episode of The Fatheads, but when he brings it to the executives, they tell him that he owes them another show. This does not sit well with Ralph, who arrives at his parents' home to find them, along with Rocko, Heffer, and Filburt, throwing a welcome-home party for him. Ralph explains that he was actually hoping to get out of animation and create the world's largest still life, but he won't be able to do that since he's now being forced to create another show. Heffer remarks that it can't be that hard, suggesting he make a show about deli meats. Filburt scoffs at Heffer's idea, saying it would get Ralph kicked out of his contract. Upon hearing that, though, Ralph hires Rocko, Heffer, and Filburt to work for him, hoping that their ineptitude will get his contract canceled.
At Bighead Studios, Rocko, Heffer, and Filburt get to work on the pilot episode for Ralph's new show, Wacky Delly. This proves to be a miserable experience for the trio, with Heffer and Filburt constantly arguing about the treatment of Filburt's own character (a piece of cheese named Lester Roquefort, or "Mr. Cheese" as Heffer calls him). After much harrowing difficulty, when Ralph comes to pick up the finished film, they give him one of their edited film strips. The film that Ralph shows to the executives is a completely nonsensical mess, but to Ralph's dismay, the executives love it.
Wacky Delly becomes a huge hit on television, but Ralph is not at all happy with its success and makes every attempt he can to sabotage its popularity. He suggests to Rocko and his pals that the next episode be nothing but a picture of a jar of mayonnaise for the whole half-hour, but the ratings still go up. He tries deliberately exposing light to the next episode's film reel, but he only gets the same results as before. Then, he tries going to his father for help, which Ed is willing to do with a heat ray he's been developing with the intent to kill Rocko and his friends. Ralph explains that he doesn't want to hurt Rocko, though, so Ed opts to use the heat ray to instead melt Antarctica, flooding the whole world and hopefully destroying Bighead Studios. However, this still doesn't work because Heffer accidentally lifts Bighead Studios above the flood waters with a crank he meant to use on his car.
Desperate beyond belief, Ralph confronts Rocko, Heffer and Filburt in the editing room and eats the film they were just looking over... right before learning it's a Fatheads episode and not the next Wacky Delly episode. Ralph finally confesses to the trio that he hates Wacky Delly and just wants to get out of the animation business and make "real art". Rocko tells Ralph that, being such a beloved cartoonist, he should embrace his work, as his cartoons are his art. This finally changes Ralph's mind, and he decides to throw his support into the next Wacky Delly episode... but when he does, the show finally takes a nosedive in popularity and is finally cancelled. Now released from his contract, Ralph screams that he'll show everyone "real art" and spends the next ten years sculpting the world's largest still life in the desert. When he finally finishes, someone walks up to him and comments that it's not as good as Wacky Delly ("the first season, that is, before that new guy ruined it").
Home video releases
- DVD
- Rocko's Modern Life: Season Three
- Rocko's Modern Life: The Complete Series
- Out of the Vault Returns
- iTunes
- Rocko's Modern Life: The Best of Vol, 5