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The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Grown-Ups
Season 2, Episode 9b
Series: The Berenstain Bears (2002)
Trouble with Grown Ups
Air date September 15, 2003
Written by John de Klein
Directed by Gary Hurst & Kervin Farla
Preceded by
The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Vacation
Followed by
The Berenstain Bears Go to the Doctor

“Both grownups and cubs learn a lesson about how families work best when they work problems out.”
Mama Bear

The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Grown-ups is the second segment of the ninth episode in season 2 of The Berenstain Bears. It first aired on September 15, 2003 and is based on the book of the same name.

Summary[]

When Mama and Papa are under a lot of stress from quilt orders and broken jigsaws, they've been taking their anger out on the cubs when Sister uses the phone to call Lizzy and Brother uses Papa's newspaper without his permission to paint.

The cubs then get with their friends to make a play based on their experience. When Mama and Papa find out about it, they decide to dress as the cubs for one day and the cubs themselves act as the parents.

Plot[]

Mama's time in the kitchen is hectic as she is cutting squares for Mrs. Honeypot's Christmas quilt while simultaneously making dinner for her husband and her cubs. In Papa's workshop, as he was working on a chair order, his jigsaw's motor blew up. He and Mama explain they're both having a bad day. Just then, Mama hears the phone ring and races inside the treehouse to answer it.

To her surprise, Sister is on the phone talking to her friend Lizzy about a school play they're working on. Papa races inside and tells Sister that he needs to use the phone to call the hardware store, but Sister ignores his and Mama's pleas, telling them that her phone call with Lizzy is important. When Sister hangs up, Papa calls the hardware store, but nobody answers. Mama hands Papa the newspaper so he can look for a used jigsaw, and as Papa browses the newspaper, he notices the "For Sale" page missing.

In the cubs' bedroom, Papa notices Brother using the "For Sale" section of the newspaper to keep the paint off of his desk. He takes it back and tells Brother that he should've asked if he could borrow it. When Brother tells Papa that nobody reads the For Sale page, Papa feels offended and reads it. Just as Mama goes to ask Papa if he found the page, the phone rings again and Mama, thinking it's Mrs. Honeypot, goes to answer it.

Sister talks to Lizzy, but her conversation is cut short as Mama approaches her and hangs up. Mama sternly reminds Sister that she had been waiting for Mrs. Honeypot to call her and orders her to stay off the phone until the next day. She then races into the kitchen as the pot tops clatter and says to Sister that it's her turn to set the table.

Before school the next day, Brother and Sister tell Mama that they have to stay after school to work on their play for the Night of Plays. Sister hands Mama a note that, to Mama's shock, is over a week old. After hearing Mama's rant about not being able to get tickets, especially for Gramps and Gran, the school bus arrives and the cubs get their backpacks and race out of the treehouse. Mama goes to talk with Mrs. Honeypot just as the phone rings.

On the bus, Sister, Lizzy, Brother, and Cousin Freddy come up with an idea for what play they could perform at the Night of Plays. Brother and Cousin Freddy suggest doing Franken-Bear and The Return of Franken-Bear, but Sister and Lizzy disagree as Too-Tall already planned on doing Dracu-Bear. Brother and Sister then tell them how grumpy Mama and Papa were the night before, and Sister remarks that being a cub isn't easy. Brother suddenly gets an idea about writing a play based on how hard it is being a cub, and Sister titles it The Trouble with Grown-Ups.

Later at school, the cubs spend time getting the backdrops ready, Gran makes costumes for Brother and Sister, who look like Papa and Mama respectively, Brother hands Mama tickets to the Night of Plays, and later he and Sister are in their room rehearsing. Mama and Papa have noticed the cubs had been very busy lately and are excited to see what their play was about. However, Mama and Papa both apologize to the cubs for how hard they've been on them earlier that week, with Papa's broken jigsaw and Mama's quilt orders. They make it up to the cubs by taking them out to dinner after the play the next night, with Brother and Sister getting permission to choose the place.

At the Night of Plays, Mama, Papa, Gramps, and Gran are in the front row eagerly waiting for Brother and Sister's play. Just then, Teacher Jane stands in front of the curtain and announces the last play of the night: The Trouble with Parents. The play opens with Papa, played by Brother, entering the living room to scold Brother for taking his newspaper and Brother, played by Cousin Freddy, tells him he's using it to avoid getting paint on the table he made in his workshop. Papa then grumbles about how the cubs make him so mad.

In the audience, Papa recoils at how accurately Brother portrayed him as Gramps, Gran, and Mama laugh. Papa himself responds with a light chuckle.

The play continues with Sister, played by Lizzy, answering the phone to talk to her friend Terry. Mama, played by Sister, enters the scene asking about Mrs. Waterspout. Angered, Mama blows her top by castigating Sister for being on the phone all day.

In the audience, Gramps, Gran, and Papa laugh at Sister's portrayal of Mama. Mama herself gives off a faint laugh.

Later, as the play nears its climax, Brother and Sister run around the stage as Mama and Papa give them orders. After realizing how accurate the play was, the real Mama and Papa laugh at themselves. The play concludes with parents growing out of blowing their tops and becoming grandparents, and they never blow their tops.

Later at dinner, Mama and Papa tell their cubs they enjoyed the play and realize that being a cub and parent isn't always easy, but Brother and Sister think that parents have it easy because they get to tell their cubs what to do. Suddenly, Mama and Papa get an idea. The following Saturday, Brother and Sister race into the kitchen to find Mama and Papa dressed as them. Papa thinks that he and Mama should be the cubs and Brother and Sister be the parents, but they aren't allowed to drive the family car.

Sister pipes up at the idea and she and Brother both go change into their costumes. Papa asks the cubs what's for breakfast, and they get the cereal with milk. Mama adds berries and toast to that. After breakfast, Mama and Papa leave behind their mess on the table and the cubs get to work trying to clean it up. After doing so, Brother and Sister go to the living room to find Mama and Papa watching TV. The exhausted cubs sit on the couch, but Mama and Papa both want to play tag and hide-and-seek. As the parents jump on the couch, the cubs realize they're the parents and they chase each other around the house.

After their game of tag, Papa and Mama go play with Cousin Fred and Lizzy, leaving Brother and Sister to clean up the messy living room. Later, the living room is now spotless, and Papa and Mama race inside the treehouse asking the cubs various questions. Finally, the cubs have had enough and learn that being a parent is just as hard as being a cub, so they ask if Mama and Papa could be the parents and they could be the cubs.

The parents agree to the idea, especially since they are exhausted from running around all day. Sister promises not to hog the phone, and Brother promises to get newspapers from the recycle box the next time he needs to use some. Mama and Papa both agree to be patient, and teach their cubs that someday they'll be all grown up and have cubs of their own. Brother and Sister agree to skip that part and become grandparents, and the family shares a laugh.

Characters[]

Differences From the Book[]

  • In the book, the play act at the Parents Night Talent Show was called "The Trouble With Grownups". In the cartoon, it was called "The Trouble With Parents".
  • In the book, in "The Trouble With Grownups" play, Lizzy as Sister was calling her friend "Lizzy". In the cartoon, she was calling "Terry."
  • In the book, in "The Trouble With Grownups" play, Brother as Papa was telling the audience that he was going to sit down and read his newspaper. In the cartoon, he wasn't talking to the audience, but to Cousin Freddy as Brother.
  • In the book, Brother was reading the rest of Papa's newspaper. In the cartoon, he was painting over them.
  • In the book, Brother, Sister, Cousin Freddy, and Lizzy came up with an idea about putting on a play about "The Trouble With Grownups" and they slap hands together at the stage room. In the cartoon, they did this on the bus.
  • In the cartoon, Brother and Sister as Mama and Papa (who were wearing masks) were chasing Cousin Freddy and Lizzy as Brother and Sister around the stage. In the book, it was never seen.
  • In the cartoon, Brother and Sister were wearing their own parents' costumes when Mama and Papa were wearing their cubs' costumes. In the book, Brother and Sister just wear their own clothes during this.
  • In the cartoon, the Bear Family went out to eat after the Night of Plays. In the book, they were not shown at the restaurant.
  • In the book, Lizzy was wearing her headband in the "The Trouble With Grownups" play. In the cartoon, she wasn't wearing her headband.
  • The dinner scene wasn't shown in the television episode like it did in the book.
  • Papa wasn't seen in the breakfast scene in the television episode like how he did in the book.
  • Confetti falls out when Lizzy screams.

Goofs[]

  • During Sister and Lizzy's act in the play, when Sister as Mama blows her top, Sister is seen in place of Lizzy.

Watch Episode[]

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