Inanimate Insanity season 1
| '(season 1) | |
|---|---|
| File:3NDsJ0djB6sPvkl0HR5MlF1NjZR.webp Promotional artwork for the season | |
| Starring |
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| No. of episodes | 18 |
| Release | |
| Original network | YouTube |
| Original release | April 1, 2011 – December 18, 2012 |
| Season chronology | |
Search Inanimate Insanity season 1 on Amazon.
The first season of the American animated web series Inanimate Insanity, created by Adam Katz, originally aired on YouTube from April 1, 2011, to December 18, 2012. The season follows 16 anthropomorphic object contestants competing in challenges for a $1,000,000 cash prize, with viewer votes determining eliminations. The series is hosted by MePhone4, a parody of the iPhone 4, who orchestrates the competition from a tropical island setting.
The first season established the core format that would define the "object show" genre, combining slapstick comedy, reality television parody, and viewer interactivity. Katz created the season while still in high school, animating episodes using Anime Studio (later Moho). The season introduced fan-favorite characters such as Lightbulb, Paper, Knife, Taco, and OJ (Orange Juice), and concluded with a two-part finale where a special guest arrival threatened MePhone4's life.
Cast
The voice cast of the first season included series creator Adam Katz (voicing MePhone4 and several contestants), his father Mark Katz (taking over the voice of MePhone4 in later episodes after original guest voice Christian Potenza provided lines only for the first episode), Brian Koch, Taylor Grodin, Justin Chapman, and Dee Cashin.
Notable contestants debuting in this season include: - Lightbulb, an optimistic and chaotic competitor - Paper, a nervous and anxious contestant - Knife, a ruthless and strategic player - Taco, a cunning and manipulative antagonist - OJ (Orange Juice), the level-headed eventual winner - Paintbrush, an artistic and temperamental contestant - Balloon, an insecure competitor constantly seeking validation - Marshmallow, a sweet-natured but determined player
Production
Katz began developing the series at age 13, inspired by Battle for Dream Island and Total Drama Island. The pilot episode, "The Crappy Cliff," was released on April 1, 2011. The season's early episodes featured simpler animation and shorter runtimes, with production quality visibly improving as the season progressed.
The original voice of MePhone4 in the first episode was provided by Christian Potenza, known for voicing Chris McLean in Total Drama. However, Potenza did not return for subsequent episodes, and the role was recast with Katz's father, Mark Katz, who continued as the voice of MePhone4 for the remainder of the season and series.
Reception
The first season received positive feedback from the emerging object show community, with critics praising its humor, character designs, and inventive challenge concepts. The season built a dedicated fanbase that participated in weekly voting to determine eliminations, a feature that distinguished the series from traditional animation. Despite its low-budget production values, the season was noted for its ambitious scope and successful parody of reality competition shows.
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "The Crappy Cliff" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | April 1, 2011 | 101 |
| MePhone4 announces that fifteen contestants have been chosen to compete for a $1,000,000 prize. The first challenge requires contestants to jump off a 60-foot cliff into clean spring water. Lightbulb and Balloon are the first two to succeed and earn the right to pick the teams for the competition. The episode features a cameo voice appearance from Christian Potenza as the original voice of MePhone4 before Mark Katz takes over the role. Pickle, Pepper, Salt, Marshmallow, Taco, Nickel, OJ, Paper, Paintbrush, Baseball, Bomb, and Knife all fail the challenge and are presumed falling indefinitely, though Bomb self-destructs at the end, killing most of them. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "A Lemony Lesson" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | May 1, 2011 | 102 |
| Lightbulb and Balloon establish their teams: Lightbulb forms Team Epic (Nickel, Knife, Paintbrush, Baseball, Marshmallow, Paper) while Balloon forms Team Chickenleg (Pickle, Taco, OJ, Pepper, Bomb, Salt). The challenge requires teams to collect lemons from trees and place them in buckets within three minutes. Team Chickenleg wins 33–32 after Taco vomits out 33 lemons. Team Epic faces elimination, resulting in a tiebreaker between Knife and Paper. Knife pushes a piano onto Paper, eliminating him. Paper is sent to Idiotic Island. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "The Arena of Death" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | June 1, 2011 | 103 |
| With 13 contestants remaining, the challenge is a rock-pelting contest in an arena. Four randomly chosen contestants from each team stand on platforms and throw rocks at each other. Team Chickenleg wins after Taco eliminates Baseball. Team Epic faces elimination, with Baseball receiving 3 votes (50%), Knife receiving 2 votes (33.3%), and Marshmallow receiving 1 vote (16.7%). Baseball is eliminated and launched by the Fist Thingy. In a post-credits scene, Balloon returns alive but is immediately popped by a flying pencil. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "One-Shot Wonder" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | July 1, 2011 | 104 |
| The 12 remaining contestants compete in a slingshot-themed challenge inspired by the iPhone game Angry Birds. Contestants slingshot each other over a cliff. The challenge tests teamwork and strategy. No elimination occurs in this episode, allowing all contestants to advance to the next round. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "The Stacker" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | August 1, 2011 | 105 |
| The challenge requires contestants to stack golf balls. Knife wins immunity from viewer votes. Lightbulb receives 64 votes (24.1%) and is eliminated, shattering upon arrival at Idiotic Island. Marshmallow survives with 52 votes (19.5%). Nickel receives 46 votes but survives due to misspelled votes for "Nick-Le" (70 votes) being counted separately. Ten fan-created contestants are introduced as potential new competitors: Tellie, Apple, Poptart, Teddy Bear, Magnifying Glass, Cookie, Spikey, Magic-8, Dictionary, and Bell. | ||||||
| 5.5 | 5.5 | "A New Stage in the Game" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | September 1, 2011 | 105.5 |
| Ten fan-created contestants compete in a paintball contest to join the main competition. Teddy Bear dominates the contest, eliminating Poptart, Magnifying Glass, Magic-8, Cookie, Tellie, Dictionary, Bell, and Spikey. Apple ultimately defeats Teddy Bear to win a spot on Team Epic. Nickel is disqualified after it is revealed that viewer votes intended for him were misspelled as "Nick-Le," and he is replaced by Lightbulb, who returns from elimination. Team Chickenleg faces viewer elimination after their winning streak ends. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "War De Guacamole" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | October 1, 2011 | 106 |
| Knife is eliminated with a record-breaking 224 votes (52%). Pepper receives 146 votes (34%), Taco receives 33 votes (7.9%), and Marshmallow receives 26 votes (6.5%). Apple officially joins Team Epic after winning a three-part challenge against Team Chickenleg. Team Epic wins their first challenge. The episode features a commercial parody for a "stupid rubber ball" costing $9,000 with the song "It's a Ball." | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "Sugar Rush" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | October 31, 2011 | 107 |
| A Halloween-themed episode where teams collect scattered candy. Team Epic wins with 235 pieces of candy against Team Chickenleg's 40. Team Chickenleg faces elimination with Balloon receiving 6 votes from Salt, Pepper, OJ, Bomb, Taco, and Pickle. Salt receives 1 vote from Balloon. Balloon is eliminated. MePhone4S makes his first appearance, hiding behind a bush and later running over Cheesy with a car. OJ forms a new alliance with Bomb, Pickle, and Taco. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "4Seeing the Future" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | December 1, 2011 | 108 |
| MePhone4S takes over as host, announcing that he has new technology including an M5 chip and Siri. He shoots and seemingly kills MePhone4. The challenge requires contestants to cross a quicksand pit. Elimination receives 252 total votes. Pickle receives 26 votes (multiplied from 13 due to a comment about 4S), Taco receives 58 votes, Salt receives 61 votes, and Pepper receives 102 votes. Salt is eliminated. OJ, Nickel, and Balloon use a time machine from Wal-Mart to travel back and save MePhone4 by replacing him with a dummy. MePhone4 returns and throws 4S into the quicksand. | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "The Snowdown" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | January 1, 2012 | 109 |
| A Christmas-themed episode where teams must retrieve Christmas trees. 308 viewers voted. Bomb receives 69 votes (22.4%) and receives a candy cane prize. Pickle receives 119 votes (38.6%). Lightbulb receives 120 votes (39%) and is eliminated for the second time, shattering upon arrival at Idiotic Island. Team Chickenleg wins the challenge. MePhone4 announces that viewers will vote one eliminated contestant back into the game. The episode features a commercial parody by Bow advertising chairs. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "Double Digit Desert" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | February 1, 2012 | 110 |
| The contestants are thrown into the Cacti Desert, home to undiscovered creatures and unexplained events. The challenge requires the remaining players to survive the harsh desert environment and avoid countless cacti. No elimination occurs in this episode, allowing all contestants to advance to the next round. | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "Aquatic Conflict" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | March 1, 2012 | 111 |
| The competition moves underwater for an aquatic-themed challenge. Salt and Paintbrush are eliminated this episode. The episode features meta-commentary on its own premise. | ||||||
| 12 | 12 | "Crappy Anniversary" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | April 1, 2012 | 112 |
| The one-year anniversary episode. The contestants face what is described as "the most horrifying thing to mankind"—the show's original animation style from April 2011 when the series began. They also face a 60-foot cliff and elephant feces. Bomb is eliminated in this episode. | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | "Inanimate Smackdown" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | May 1, 2012 | 113 |
| After a dramatic and extremely close elimination, the 6 remaining contestants take their mixed feelings to the wrestling arena. Contestants face their enemies, their friends, and their own selves in order to win immunity. Marshmallow is eliminated in this episode. | ||||||
| 14 | 14 | "The Great Escape" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | June 1, 2012 | 114 |
| Following Bomb's huge explosion, the episode reveals the fate of the eliminated contestants who have been trapped on Idiotic Island for nearly a year. The final 5 contestants compete in a challenge involving cages and escape attempts. Apple is eliminated in this episode. | ||||||
| 15 | 15 | "The Tile Divide" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | September 1, 2012 | 115 |
| After a three-month time skip, the contestants return to the island with extreme makeovers and new looks. With only five contestants left, surprises are unveiled, friendships are tested, and divisions begin to take place. The episode is presented in 1080p HD, showcasing improved production quality. Bow is eliminated in this episode. | ||||||
| 16 | 16 | "The Penultimate Poll" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | October 1, 2012 | 116 |
| Nearing the season finale, the episode focuses on two major alliances: OJ and Paper versus Pickle and Taco. One of these dynamic duos will be broken up in the elimination. Pickle is eliminated for the first time and Paper is eliminated for the second time. The episode builds tension as the penultimate episode before the two-part finale. | ||||||
| 17 | 17 | "Journey Through Memory Lane (Pt. 1)" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | November 1, 2012 | 117 |
| After a 16-month battle, either OJ or Taco will win the million dollars. The final challenge is not just one challenge but many. As the competition reaches its climax, MePhone4's life is put in danger when MePhone4S arrives. Nobody is safe as the episode sets up the thrilling conclusion. No elimination occurs in this episode. | ||||||
| 18 | 18 | "Journey Through Memory Lane (Pt. 2)" | Adam Katz | Adam Katz | December 18, 2012 | 118 |
| After an 18-month battle, either OJ or Taco will win one million dollars. After an unexpected and horrific event takes place, the winner learns a valuable lesson about what is more important: the million dollars or the friends made along the way. Taco is eliminated in the finale, and OJ is crowned the winner of Inanimate Insanity Season 1. This episode serves as the season finale and concludes the first season's story arc. | ||||||
Contestants and elimination order
The first season featured 16 contestants competing over 18 episodes. Eliminations were determined by viewer votes on the official website. The final two contestants, OJ and Taco, competed in the two-part finale "Journey Through Memory Lane," with OJ ultimately being crowned the winner.
| # | Contestant | Voice Actor (S1) | Episode Eliminated | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paper | Justin Chapman | "A Lemony Lesson" (Ep. 2) | 3 (tiebreaker vs. Knife) |
| 2 | Baseball | Adam Katz | "The Arena of Death" (Ep. 3) | 3 |
| 3 | Lightbulb | Michael Bruzzone | "The Stacker" (Ep. 5) | Disqualified (miscounted vote; 70 "Nick-le" votes) |
| 4 | Knife | Justin Chapman | "Sugar Rush" (Ep. 7) | 6 (contestant vote; Balloon gone same ep.) |
| 5 | Balloon | Nate Groth | "Sugar Rush" (Ep. 7) | 6 (contestant vote) |
| 6 | Pepper | Crasi4tunes / Adam Katz | "4Seeing the Future" (Ep. 8) | 102 (viewer vote; 252 total cast) |
| 7 | Lightbulb | Michael Bruzzone | "The Snowdown" (Ep. 9) | 120 (viewer vote; 308 total cast) |
| 8 | Paintbrush | Taylor Grodin | "Aquatic Conflict" (Ep. 11) | Unknown (double elim; viewer vote; 364 total cast) |
| 8 | Salt | Crasi4tunes | "Aquatic Conflict" (Ep. 11) | Unknown (double elim; viewer vote; 364 total cast) |
| 9 | Bomb | Max Weissman | "Double Digit Desert" (Ep. 12) | Unknown (viewer vote) |
| 10 | Marshmallow | Adam Katz | "Inanimate Smackdown" (Ep. 13) | 3 (tiebreaker vs. Apple) |
| 11 | Apple | Adam Katz | "The Tile Divide" (Ep. 15) | Unknown (viewer vote) |
| 12 | Bow | Taylor Grodin | "The Tile Divide" (Ep. 15) | Unknown (challenge-based) |
| 13 | Pickle | Derek Napolitano | "The Penultimate Poll" (Ep. 17) | 329 (eliminated contestant vote) |
| 14 | Paper | Justin Chapman | "The Penultimate Poll" (Ep. 17) | 5 (eliminated contestant vote) |
| — | Nickel | Adam Katz | "War De Guacamole" (Ep. 6) | Disqualified (no vote; 64 prior votes carried over) |
| — | OJ | Taylor Grodin | WINNER (Journey Through Memory Lane Pt. 2) | |
| — | Taco | Nate Groth | Runner-Up (Journey Through Memory Lane Pt. 2) | |
Home media
All episodes of the first season remain available for free streaming on the AnimationEpic (now Adamation) YouTube channel.
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