Bad Hare Day/TV episode

Bad Hare Day is the fourth episode of Season 2 of the Goosebumps TV series. It premiered on Fox Network on September 14, 1996. The episode was based on the Goosebumps book of the same title. It was directed by John Bell.

Cast

 * Dov Tiefenbach as Tim Swanson
 * Robert Hamilton as Foz
 * Harvey Atkin as Mr. Malik
 * Tabitha Lupien as Ginny Swanson
 * Mike Carbone as Amaz-O
 * David Ferry as El Sydney


 * Suzanne Cyr as Mrs. Swanson (uncredited)
 * Colin Mochrie as Heavy (uncredited)

Differences from the book

 * Unlike the book, Ginny accidentally makes herself disappear (by the magic curtain), not transform into a rabbit. Ginny is also not into karate as she is in the book.
 * Tim does not attempt a rabbit trick like he did in the book. His friend Foz plays a much smaller role in the episode, only appearing in the opening magic shop scene.
 * Unlike the book, the rabbit is an evil magician named El Sydney, in the book, it says that Amaz-O is the rabbit. Amaz-O had turned El Sydney into a rabbit to prevent him from using magic to take over the world. El Sydney had lied to Tim before, saying that he was Amaz-O's biggest fan, but was conned into being part of the act as a rabbit. There is no mention of Amaz-O being a wooden puppet at all in the episode.
 * Tim does not take a peek at the magic kit among arriving home the night of the performance; he and Ginny actually open it together as planned. Instead of an explosion sound effect, the case makes stereotypical cartoon sounds, ending in a fart-like noise (but still manages to startle the two nonetheless.) There is no ball-and-cup trick, and Amaz-O's jacket only has a single phony snake that Tim knows right away is fake.
 * The ending of the television episode is a cliffhanger. At the rising action, El Sydney is now human and takes over the act by performing a decapitating "trick" on his two new rabbits (who are actually Amaz-O and Tim) as he asks for a volunteer. When Amaz-O says that he will figure out a way to get out of the situation, Tim replies "What, and quit show business?" The last sound made is a rimshot.

Trivia

 * This television episode was adapted into Goosebumps Presents Book #10
 * This is the second of three television episodes on the DVD Go Eat Worms.
 * Tabitha Lupien (Ginny Swanson) played Jamie Gold in the Season 3 episode Click.
 * The scene with Malik pretending to have his hand hit by the blade was cut from some airings of the television episode, possibly to avoid.
 * Mr. Malik's actor Harvey Atkin is known for voicing Bowser "King Koopa" in the Super Mario Television series.
 * The closing credits for this television episode used an alternate version of the main theme song. The altered theme uses an organ, trumpets, and drum-rolls to mimic carnival music.