Zorc and Pals is a "show within a show" in the parody series Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Series. It is regularly used as a joke of Bakura, and small bits of the show have appeared both in the main series, the first Christmas Special and on the first Abridged Movie. As part of LittleKuriboh's 2008 April Fool's Day Joke, he created a full episode as proof that he was canceling the YGOTAS and engaging this series instead.
Zorc and Pals is a parody of sitcoms about odd pairings. It stars Yami Bakura, Zorc and Marik. The show mainly deals with Zorc's efforts to destroy the world, often adding common plot devices from television sitcoms (e.g. visiting mother, late for dinner, adopted daughter, etc.) and a laughter track. The characters also quote famous sitcoms such as "I Love Lucy" ("You got some explainin' to do") and Diff'rent Srokes ("Whatchu talkin' about?").
The show was first mentioned in "El Juegos De Tarjeta", where Bakura envisioned the show as a replacement of Yu-Gi-Oh! once he destroyed Yugi/Yami, complete with a theme song. Yami's response was that it would be canceled immediately. Zorc and Pals continued to be referenced as a running gag in the franchise. Mokuba is seen watching the "Zorc and Pals Christmas Special" in YGOTAS's own Christmas Special. Also, a commercial for a "Very Special Episode" of Zorc and Pals was shown on "We Interrupt This Broadcast". In Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Movie, Yugi mentions that Bakura was filming the "Zorc and Pals Movie", where Zorc finally destroyed the world, and then planned to celebrate by going to Disney World... so that he could destroy it.
Fans of the series have expressed a desire to see a spin-off incarnation of Zorc and Pals, but despite requests and fan-driven projects, nothing concrete has happened. The closest fans have been from a full series was the episode made by LittleKuriboh for April Fool's Day, titled ("The One With the Confusing Circumstances"), a parody of the titling style of Friends episodes. In it, Zorc has to deal with a visit from his mother, and forces Bakura to pretend Zorc is a lawyer (and that they're married). After the farce falls through, Marik appears on the scene ("With science!") to reveal he is the real wife of Zorc. The episode ends in a cliffhanger.
However, "Single White Shemale" shows what was supposedly the final episode: Bakura tells Zorc he's leaving him. Zorc takes out his anger on the studio audience and destroys them just like he destroyed the world, at which point Bakura says they "are so canceled".
In "Melvin'd", Yami Marik faces off against Bakura and Marik to try and cancel Yu-Gi-Oh!; he says Bakura could go and be on "Zorc and Pals" if Yu-Gi-Oh! was cancelled, to which Bakura responds, saying the show was already cancelled a few months ago, and that Zorc went on to appear in "The Suite Life of Zorc and Cody", a take on Disney's "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody". A portion of the show is played (animated from scratch rather than dubbing over an actual show) showing Mr. Moseby telling Zorc (though he calls him Zack) and Cody to be on their best behaviour as a special VIP guest is visiting. Cody decides they should play a practical joke on him and Zorc's dragon/snake appendage kills the VIP with a fireball (to which Cody responds "Holy s**t! I think he's dead."). Zorc then mentions a cameo appearance on "Hannah Montana", showing a squished Hannah under Zorc's foot (again, Cody says, "Holy s**t! I think she's dead.").
In "Marik's Evil Council of Doom 4" Bakura is told that "Zorc and Pals" have been renewed for a second season. It turned out that Bakura was just dreaming, and it told by Zorc that "Zorc and Pals" is so 2006, much to Bakura's dismay.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||