Super RTL has always been the children’s division of the broadcaster RTL. As a child, you could watch Spongebob, Chip and Dale, or Fillmore for the first time. Especially the latter series should be re-watched as an adult, because even the first episode reminds one of an iconic thriller that everyone knows.
What is Fillmore? The series aired originally from 2002 to 2004 and is a cartoon series by Disney. The series is about Fillmore and Ingrid, who are part of the hallway patrol in their school. They solve various cases.
At its core, the series is a parody of old police and crime stories. Each episode tells a different case that always happens in the context of the school. Be it a stolen Tamagotchi or simple vandalism.
However, even in the first episode, the series reminds one of a classic thriller that everyone has heard of: The Silence of the Lambs.
Randall Julian and Hannibal Lecter
What happens in the first episode? A new case of vandalism occurs at the school. Someone named Stainless
is vandalizing the toilets of the school. But the hallway patrol investigators have no leads. To advance the case, Fillmore and Ingrid go to Randall, the vandal. He was once a gifted art student but couldn’t handle the bad grades, which is why he covered the school in graffiti.
He himself is a former vandal who is now only taught in a white room with screens and is watched by a guard. Before Fillmore and Ingrid go to see him, they have to leave anything that could possibly be used as a writing instrument.
Randall himself wears an orange jumpsuit and enjoys keeping his hands behind his back while standing. With tips on drawing structure and analyses of the new vandal, he helps the investigators catch him. Even though he escapes himself when someone forgets a pencil with him.
The parallels to The Silence of the Lambs are obvious. First of all, the premise is the same. For a new case, the investigators seek help from an expert who is himself a criminal
. Both Hannibal and Randall wear a jumpsuit with a white shirt underneath.
Comparing the speech patterns, one notices that in both the German and English versions, both speak quite slowly and cryptically. They give tips to catch the perpetrator, but rather in the form of riddles.
Hannibal and Randall are both artists.
The most obvious reference is in the names of the two characters. Hannibal rhymes with Cannibal in English. Randall is initially referred to as Randall the Vandal in the episode. In English, it’s also a rhyme, Randall the Vandal. Here too, the rhyme represents the actions of the characters.
Both also escape their prison by the way. Unlike Hannibal, Randall puts his vandalism aside and focuses again on art.
Where can you watch Fillmore? Although it is a Disney production, you cannot watch the series on Disney Plus. Currently, the series is only available for purchase on platforms like Amazon. This is unfortunate because there are surely many more references hidden in the series. If you need more animated content, you might find here: 6 underrated animated films that every fan of Disney and Pixar should see
