Original air date: 9/27/2002 (produced in 2001)
Episode number: 17b
Timmy wishes to meet the founding fathers of America so he can interview them. However, this causes his world to revert to being British colonies, so Timmy must return to the past and prevent Benedict Arnold from sabotaging the American Revolution.
This episode provides examples of:
- Artistic License – History: We could list the differences all day. For starters, Washington never signed the Declaration.
- Bittersweet Ending: The Founding Fathers are returned to their time period and Earth goes back to normal, but Timmy's presentation ends up being useless with Chester and AJ, and he gets an F as usual.
- Butterfly of Doom: Timmy wishes the Founding Fathers to the modern day to help him write a report. It eventually results in a future where the American Revolution failed and electricity hasn't been harnessed, forcing Timmy to go back and fix it.
- Chekhov's Gag: "Must...chop...wood!"
- Continuity Nod: The time scooter from "Father Time!" is used again.
- Exact Progress Bar: When Timmy tries going online, the bar goes from 2%, to 2 1/2%, to 0%.
- I Can't Believe I'm Saying This: After Cosmo suggests going back in time to fix the problem, Timmy says "Great idea, Cosmo! ...Wow, there are three words I never thought I'd say together."
- Idea Bulb: Cosmo gets one in the beginning. After technology disappears, they get replaced with candles.
- Paper-Thin Disguise: Subverted; Benedict Arnold disguises himself as George Washington to force America to give up to the British, and all he needs is a white wig and false wooden teeth to make himself look almost exactly like the real George, but doesn't bother to change his voice.
- Rule of Three: The founding fathers are a group of three.
- Running Gag:
- Whenever Mr. Turner tried to handle money, Mrs. Turner reminds me that he's "not allowed to touch the money."
- George Washington's fondness for chopping wood that stemmed from the cherry tree incident from when he was a kid ("Must...chop...wood!") It helps out in the Spot the Imposter moment below...
- Shout-Out: Among being defeated, Benedict Arnold says, "And I would've gotten away with it too, if it weren't for that meddling kid!" ala several Scooby-Doo villains (particularly on What's New, Scooby-Doo?).
- Spoofy-Doo: After Timmy manages to defeat Benedict Arnold, he says "And I would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for that meddling kid."
- Spot the Imposter: Benedict Arnold disguised as George Washington nearly tricks John Hancock into signing a document called "The Declaration of Surrenderpendence". Timmy and the Founding Fathers show up, and the real George Washington stops Hancock before he can sign the document. When everyone is unable to tell Washington and Arnold apart, Timmy brings in a wooden coat rack and the real Washington chops it to pieces.
