Welcome to a new weekly feature here at Splodinator, the Super Mario Bros. Super Show! Episode Guide. In this inaugural installment, we take a look back at the Mario brothers’ first TV adventure.
Live-action Plot: The Mario Bros. are visited by Nicole Eggert, who is after their plumbing services. She quickly discovers that the brothers lead a slovenly existence of pure carelessness. Nicole is subjected to blasts of various filth before stepping in a cake which has inexplicably been moved from a chair to the floor. She also sits on a pie which has been placed on another chair. It turns out alright though, Nicole was actually on her way to a “sloppy party” and will benefit from being grossly dirty. What a relief! The Mario Bros. proceed to suggestively rub cake all over her body.
Very Special Guest: Each episode of Super Show! includes a visit from a real life celebrity, usually one with a dubious level of fame. This first episode features Nicole Eggert, who would have been on Charles in Charge at the time. She went on to star in Baywatch, and once hosted the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards with Wil Wheaton.
Animated Plot: Toad is kidnapped by a flying Birdo who mistakes him for her child. Birdo here is decidedly female, despite ongoing questions of his/her sex and gender in “reality.”
Horrible Stereotype Alert: The show opens with the Mario Bros. picking bits of pasta off their clothes. They’re Italian! Get it? Right! Right! The rest of the live action portion of the show and the cartoon are filled with other references to Italian food and Mario’s unflinching appetite. Choice quotes include “pasta power!” and mention of a “pepperoni cheesecake.”