Saul of the Mole Men

Infobox Television
show_name = Saul of the Mole Men


caption =
genre = Live action comedy
creator = Craig Lewis
director = Tom Stern
starring = Josh Gardner
voices =
theme_music_composer =
opentheme =
endtheme =
composer =
country = USA
language = English
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 20
list_episodes = List of Saul of the Mole Men episodes
executive_producer =
producer =
supervising_producer =
asst_producer =
co-producer =
editor =
story_editor =
camera =
runtime = 11 minutes
network = Adult Swim
picture_format =
audio_format =
first_aired = February 11, 2007
last_aired = Present
preceded_by =
followed_by =
related =
website = http://www.adultswim.com/shows/saul
imdb_id = 0865414
tv_com_id = 65384

"Saul of the Mole Men" is a live action show created by Craig Lewis, writer on "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy" and "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends". The series first aired February 11, 2007 on Adult Swim. Described as "an ultra-patriotic "Land of the Lost" set in the center of the Earth", the series is directed by Tom Stern and stars Josh Gardner. Gardner is known for his previous collaboration with Stern on the television series, "Gerhard Reinke's Wanderlust".

Plot

A series promo featured brief introductions for the crew on the use of a subterranean drill module. The team, known as STRATA, included Captain Jim J. James, Lieutenant Jen E. James, Robot, Kiko the Mute Wildboy, and the "rest" of the STRATA action team (which included Saul Malone (Gardner) and Don Rogers, a man with a shovel). The main character, Saul, is seen in the background in many of these scenes. All of the characters are killed within the first few seconds of the first episode, except Saul, Robot, and a revived Johnny Tambourine.

In the season 1 finale, Saul, Clancy, and Stromulus Guandor team up to defeat the Rock Assassins, which are actually Jim J. James and Jen. E. James' bodies combinbed to make a rock monster. With the combined talents of the "Scream of the Birdbats","Moleman Burrowing", and "Rockmaster Tumbling", they defeat the rocks, and Saul's old captains die in peace. Suddenly, they find a spaceship, and everybody, including the floating pancake, clamber on. Clancy even lets his brother, Bertrum, on the ship, while it is still not known how he survived the rock attack in the previous episode. Once the team clambers on, Otnip stops their ship, and Clancy goes out in an apparent suicide mission to blow up Otnip and free the ship. The episode ends as they go into outer space, and the team, led by Saul and Fallopia, with Bertrum, Stromulus, Mrs. Burrows, Li'l Burrows, Nathaniel Baltimore, the floating pancake, and Chinacula the Chinese vampire is re-named Strata-Team Space. Thus ends the season.

Advertisements began airing on Adult Swim advertising the show as STRATA instead of the original title, making the series appear much like nihongo|"Electric Shock!! Strada 5"|電撃!! ストラダ5|Dengeki!! Sutorada Faibu. Subsequent advertisements, however, focus more on Saul and reveal the actual title of the show.

Saul often refers to his hometown of Buffalo, NY and reveals that he studied Geology. Saul's presence is largely funny because of his endearing use of Buffalo English. His love interest is introduced as a creature perceived by locals as hideous and nearly beaten to death by the Mole Men. The beating is interrupted and the creature is revealed to be the lovely Fallopia. The Mole Men's perception of Fallopia's appearance is not unlike the Twilight Zone episode The Eye of the Beholder.

Inhabitants

*Birdbats
*Mole Men
*Rockhead
*Gnards

Major characters

*Saul Malone (Josh Gardner)
*Johnny Tambourine (Josh Gardner)
*Robot
*Bertrum Burrows (Hugh Davidson)
*Clancy Burrows (Voiced by Jeff Bennett)
*Fallopia (Irina Voronina)
*Lil' Lil Burrows
*Stromulus Guandor, Birdbat Leader (Voiced by Carlos Alazraqui)

Minor Characters

*The Blob Doctor
*Mrs. Burrows
*Captain Jim J. James, Strata Captain (Hugh Davidson)
*Lieutenant Jen E. James, Strata Lieutenant
*Don Rogers, Strata Member
*John Henry, the Steel Driving Man (now merged with his drill to form a steampunk cyborg, played by Tommy Lister)
*Kiko, the Mute Wild Boy
*Mother Rock
*Otnip
*Beet God
*Brad, Strata Operator 1 (Gary Anthony Williams)
*Strata Operator 2 (Dana Snyder)
*ZaneGrey, the Healer
*Princesa, Daughter of Birdbat leader
*Benjamin Franklin
*Thomas Jefferson
*The Floating Pancake
*Chinacula
*Nathaniel Baltimore
*Luas, the Sage
*The Johnny Tambourine dolls

Trivia

*Saul Malone is featured in the "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends" episode called "Cheese A Go-Go". Frankie is carrying a package addressed to Saul Malone, whose address is 1134 Williams Street, also a reference to the Williams Street production company which produces "Saul of the Mole Men". Grey DeLisle, who plays Frankie, plays "Mrs. Burrows", on "Saul...'.

*The STRATA headquarters building seen on the show is actually the Engineering Tower at University of California, Irvine, with a false background inserted behind it.

*The show's theme song is sung by South Park co-creator Trey Parker.

External links

* [http://www.adultswim.com/shows/saul/index.html Official website at AdultSwim.com]
*imdb title|id=0865414|title=Saul of the Mole Men