Radio Daze

"Radio Daze" is an episode of Rugrats from Season 4.

Characters Present

 * Tommy
 * Chuckie
 * Angelica
 * Phil
 * Lil
 * Didi
 * Stu
 * Lou

Synopsis
Inspired by an old "Masked Detective" radio broadcast Grandpa Lou is listening to, Tommy enters a film noir world of mobsters and baby bottles as he tries to solve the mystery of the "Malties Woodchuck". - Description from Klasky Csupo

Plot
Stu and Didi are having coffee in the kitchen when Grandpa Lou enters, excited. He tells them that an old radio show, "The Masked Detective," is going back on the air. He tells them he loved listening to the show as a child, and invites them to listen with him in his room. Stu and Didi decline, and Grandpa, disappointed, walks away. He notices Angelica and the babies playing in the living room, and gets an idea.

He brings the kids to his room, and turns on his old-fashioned radio. He searches for his Masked Detective Junior Sleuther Kit in the closet, while Angelica looks for candy. She finds some malted milk balls in Grandpa's dresser, but Grandpa takes the bag. He gives the kids one maltie each. The radio announces that tonight's episode will be The Case of The Stolen Rocket Pellets. Grandpa recalls that episode, telling the kids that Madame Evil and her henchmen were trying to steal Professor Oldenheimer's experimental rocket pellets, and it would be the end of the world if she got them. He shows the babies his box of Masked Detective merchandise, including a black eye-mask, and comic books. He shows the babies what The Masked Detective and Madame Evil look like. Grandpa starts reminiscing about listening to this show with his family. When he tells the kids that his grandfather would always fall asleep during the show, he falls asleep as well.

Angelica takes the opportunity to get the bag of malties out of Grandpa's pocket, so they can eat the rest. Phil and Lil go to help her, but Tommy protests, saying that they were only allowed to have one each. Angelica asks who will stop her. Tommy quickly dons the black mask and becomes the "Masked Defective." None of the babies are impressed with the diaper-wearing hero, but Tommy reveals that he had snagged the malties and a game of keep-away starts. Tommy throws the bag to Chuckie, who runs away from Angelica and the twins. He barricades himself in the closet, and Angelica tries forcing it open. She eventually does, but Chuckie has hidden the malties, and is holding a stuffed woodchuck. She orders him to get out of the way, so the twins can search for the malties, and Chuckie runs off with the woodchuck.

The Rugrats continue to play-act the case in a film-noir fashion, while the actual radio show is played in the background. Chuckie hurries down the backstreets of the seedy city towards the Masked Detective's office. He bursts in and gives the woodchuck to the detective, saying that the malties are inside. The Masked Detective opens up a safe behind a portrait of Didi and locks the woodchuck inside with a key. At that moment, Madame Evil and her twin henchmen arrive. Madame Evil demands the woodchuck, but The Masked Detective puts the key into his diaper. He and Chuckie run away, escaping through the sewers. They decide to split up, then meet back up at the juice bar. Madame Evil starts catching up, so the detective and Chuckie head off in different directions. Chuckie trips over his shoelaces and is quickly captured by Madame Evil and her gang. They "convince" Chuckie to give up the location of the Masked Detective through tickle torture.

The detective arrives at the juice bar and takes a seat. But, Lil is already there, asking to sit with him. The detective asks Lil why she isn't with Madame Evil. Lil says that Phil fights with Madame Evil instead of her, which has made her lonely. She asks to be the Masked Detective's new "bestest friend." He agrees and they both have a bottle together to seal the deal. But, Lil had slipped something into his bottle: warm milk. He immediately falls asleep, and she steals the key. Some time later, the Masked Detective wakes up in a gutter. Despite being groggy and having "jello legs," he hurries back to his office.

Madame Evil and her henchmen are about to open the safe, but are interrupted by the Masked Detective. He orders Madame Evil to get away from the safe, but she refuses, and opens the safe. But, there is nothing inside. She approaches the detective, ready to torture him for the malties. But, Lil intervenes, brandishing her finger like a pistol. She says she can no longer be Madame Evil's "bestest friend" after seeing the Masked Detective sleeping in the gutter like the cute little baby he is. Lil threatens to tell her mother on Angelica if she hurts the detective. Lil reveals that she removed the malties woodchuck from the safe before giving the key to Madame Evil. She wants the detective to run away with her, and they can share the malties. But, the detective refuses, saying that the rules must be followed. Madame Evil won't go down without a fight, so she sends in Phil. Phil, also with a finger-gun, says that he will tell his mother what Lil has done. But, Lil points out that she and Phil have the same mother, then "disarms" him by telling him to get something out of his nose. While Phil is distracted, the detective says he will tell his mother what Phil has done unless he leaves them alone. Madame Evil correctly points out that none of the babies can tell their mothers anything because none of them can speak to adults. Lil tosses the malties to the Masked Detective, who makes his escape out of the building.

With nowhere else to go, the detective climbs up the statue of Professor Oldenheimer, with Madame Evil in hot pursuit. She grabs his leg, and orders him to give her the malties. When the Masked Detective refuses, she vows that if she can't have them, no one else can. She yanks the detective's leg, causing him to fall...right into Grandpa's lap, waking the senior up. Angelica and Tommy stop fighting over the malties, and Grandpa is happy that they found the bag, having forgotten about having them in the first place.

Didi and Stu approach Grandpa's room, feeling guilty for blowing him off. They open the door to listen to the show with him. They see Grandpa chasing the babies around, and Angelica stuffing her face with malties. Stu and Didi decide that Grandpa has all the company he could want at the moment, and leave.

With the Case of the Malties Woodchuck closed, the Masked Detective relaxes in his office with a bottle as the episode closes.

Trivia

 * This episode is based on a mix of radio shows and film noir of the 1940s and 50s.
 * "The Malties Woodchuck" is a play on the noir film The Maltese Falcon (1941).
 * The infamous "Incredible Storyboard Jam" may have been done for this episode (as with the chocolate malt balls), but this hasn't been confirmed.
 * The first time "Over my dad's potty" is said.
 * The first time that Rugrats episodes aired on a regular basis, since 1994. Originally, the show was slated to be cancelled, but Nickelodeon refused to do that, as they saw potential in the show, and thought it could be their flagship/leader-Nicktoon. As a result of this, they aired the 2 specials in 1995 and 1996 respectively, and once they did successfully, Nickelodeon asked Klasky Csupo to make a fourth season.
 * This is the first "Imagination Episode" in the series.
 * It reveals that Chuckie is very ticklish when Phil tickles his foot to force him into disclosing where “The Masked Defective” was hiding.