The Trouble With Miss Switch is a two-part animated special by Ruby-Spears that aired in 1980 during the ABC Weekend Special block. The special is based on a 1971 children’s book by Barbara Brooks Wallace.
Rupert Brown, on his first day of fifth grade, has noticed something strange about his new teacher, Miss Switch (Janet Waldo). Not only can she clean the entire blackboard with one swipe of an eraser, but her eyes crackle, and she can see things behind her without turning around. A spitball Bill Swanson aims at her back stops in mid-air, as if hitting a force field, then falls to her desk — and then flies right back to Bill and hits him in the face.
Determined to find out what’s going on, Rupert sneaks over one night to the window of the fifth-grade classroom at Pepperdine Elementary School. To his amazement, he and his classmate Amelia Daley (who had seen Rupert and had also snuck over to see what was happening) discover that Miss Switch is a witch, with a talking black cat named Bathsheba.
Miss Switch reveals that she has summoned Rupert because she needs his scientific mind. She has been condemned by the evil Head Witch Saturna (June Foray) and her Comput-o-witch for having witchcraft ideas that are old-fashioned and out of date. Now on probation, she is allowed to work as a teacher but is facing banishment to the Dead Forest if she cannot prove her innocence within twenty-four hours — and she needs Rupert to provide an original, scientific witchcraft idea as evidence. Together, Rupert and Amelia come up with an idea that will show Saturna that Miss Switch is anything but old-fashioned and out of date.
After the initial airing, the special proved to be quite popular and was frequently re-run, to the point where a second special, based on the sequel story Miss Switch To the Rescue, was produced in 1982.
This cartoon contains examples of:
- All Witches Have Cats: Played with. Miss Switch has a talking Familiar black cat named Bathsheba. Saturna, though, does not like cats.
- And Here He Comes Now: In the classroom at night, Miss Switch and Bathsheba are alone with Rupert and Amelia... or so they think. Just as Miss Switch starts to explain who Saturna is, the voice of the Head Witch, who had been spying on Miss Switch through the Bunsen burner’s flame, is heard, and an image of her appears in a cloud of green smoke. Miss Switch pushes Rupert and Amelia out of sight just in time.[Miss Switch has just explained that, when she summoned Rupert, Amelia must have picked up Miss Switch’s thought waves and that anyone who can do that may have the potential to be a witch as well.]
Rupert: Oh, great. It’s not bad enough... [catches himself, then gulps loudly]
Miss Switch: Bad? Rupert, were you about to suggest that witches all are bad?
Rupert: Well, they... they gotta be. I hate to be unfair to such a fair teacher, but if you are a witch...
Miss Switch: Rupert, let me clear up your confusion. There are indeed witches, and I am a good one... unlike the Head Witch, Saturna. If you want a perfect example of a bad witch...
Saturna’s voice: Did someone mention my name?
[An evil cackle is heard as a cloud of green smoke begins to rise out of the Bunsen burner.]
Miss Switch: [pushing Rupert and Amelia down in their seats] It’s Saturna! She mustn’t see you. - The Anticipator: Miss Switch is quite aware of Rupert and Amelia peeking at her through the classroom window, especially since she has summoned Rupert. Much to their shock, she turns to face them, then levitates them in through the open window.Miss Switch: Come in. I’ve been expecting you.
- Bat Out of Hell: Saturna has bats that acts as spies for her and perform other evil deeds.
- Beauty Equals Goodness: Miss Switch is quite a pretty lady and very nice, compared to the evil witch Saturna, who is quite ugly.
- Cool Teacher: Her fairness and her ability to make learning fun, on top of her cool magic, make Miss Switch a big hit with the Pepperdine students.
- Cowardice Callout: Rupert, on learning about Saturna and the Comput-o-witch, tells Amelia that maybe they shouldn’t get involved with helping a witch. Amelia knows right away that he’s afraid, and she calls him out on it.Rupert: Amelia, maybe we shouldn’t get involved.
Amelia: What do you mean?
Rupert: I mean, can we trust her? After all, she’s a witch, and...
Amelia: She’s a good witch! Just like she’s a good teacher. Don’t you know the difference between that awful Saturna and her? You’re scared, that’s what!
Rupert: [nervously] Uh... I’m thinking of you. What might happen to you!
Amelia: Think of what might happen to Miss Switch! And think fast, Rupert Brown. There isn’t much time. - Crystal Ball: Saturna has one, which she uses to spy on Miss Switch.
- Dark Is Not Evil: Miss Switch is a witch with dark hair and cat-like eyes, but is a generally sweet lady.
- Embarrassing Middle Name: One day, Miss Switch asks the students their middle names. Rupert hates his — Peeveley — and says he doesn’t have one. Rudy Lopez immediately reveals it, and other kids start laughing. An unamused Miss Switch immediately punishes Rudy for this.Miss Switch: I don’t like tattletales. You will write “My name is Rudy Tattletale Lopez” a hundred times, starting now!
- Fixing the Game: With a game coming up for Pepperdine’s football team, Rupert suggests that an original witchcraft idea would be to bewitch Harvey Fanna, quarterback #15, to make him score a touchdown every time. When Saturna learns that Miss Switch has bewitched the number 15, she magically changes the number of a quarterback on the opposing team from 12 to 15, causing him to score a touchdown every time as well, and Pepperdine loses by one point. Rupert later apologizes to Miss Switch, realizing that he was having her do an unfair thing.
- Flying Broomstick: Miss Switch has one of these, which she, Bathsheba, Rupert, and Amelia ride on when traveling to Witch Mountain.
- Forced Sleep: At Witch Mountain, Saturna creates a red haze that causes Miss Switch to fall asleep and temporarily removes her power.
- Friend to All Children: Miss Switch adores children and quickly becomes popular among the Pepperdine students for being a fair-minded and kind teacher who treats all of her students with respect and fairness, including the more obnoxious bullies (one of whom begins bringing her flowers). Rupert and Amelia contest to the Comput-o-witch that Miss Switch’s ability to spread love and joy to others makes her an excellent and original witch. The Comput-o-witch pronounces Miss Switch not guilty, then explodes. Saturna is banished, and the Council appoints Miss Switch the new Head Witch.
- Good Witch Versus Bad Witch: The main object of the story. Miss Switch, the good witch, against Saturna, the bad witch.
- Hot Teacher: Before meeting Miss Switch for the first time, the boys all assume she’ll be another crotchety old meanie, but everyone’s stunned on seeing how beautiful she is.
- Loophole Abuse: Miss Switch’s justification for (magically) fixing the football game: there’s no rule about not using witchcraft.
- Magic Cauldron: To enchant Harvey Fanna, Miss Switch concocts a brew in one of these, with Eye of Newt as one of the ingredients.
- Make an Example of Them: When Saturna became Head Witch, she convinced the Witches’ Council that witches had to be up to date, and the Comput-o-witch was brought in to test the witches. Miss Switch, the only one to stand up to Saturna, was the only one tested by the machine, which declared her witchcraft ideas to be old-fashioned and out of date. By making an example of Miss Switch, Saturna made the other witches obedient out of fear.
- Punny Name: Miss Switch is a Miss Witch.
- Smart People Wear Glasses:
- Rupert, who wears glasses, does scientific experiments in his room.
- Miss Switch, who has a vast knowledge of witchcraft and other subjects, also wears glasses, but only while working as a teacher.
- Suddenly Speaking: Rupert's turtle, Caruso, and his guinea pigs, Hector and Guinevere, start talking to him on the night Miss Switch asks for his help.
- Thrown Down a Well: While Miss Switch, Bathsheba, Rupert, and Amelia are on their way to Witch Mountain, Saturna’s bats break the broom. They carry Miss Switch to Saturna and throw Rupert, Amelia, and Bathsheba down a well in the Dead Forest.
- Twinkle in the Eye: Played with. Rupert notices that when the spitball flies back and hits Bill Swanson, Miss Switch’s eyes twinkle for a few seconds... or, as Rupert puts it, they crackle.
- Weird Moon: A full moon is shining as Miss Switch, Bathsheba, Rupert, and Amelia are traveling on the broom to Witch Mountain. The weather begins to turn foggy, and misty shapes form across the face of the moon, making it resemble a skull. Miss Switch explains that the moon always looks this way when someone’s nearing Witch Mountain.
- Wicked Witch: Saturna is the very spiteful and corrupt head of the Witches’ Council, who condemns Miss Switch and tries to banish her from Witch Mountain. Her skin is green, her hair is gray, and she also has a long, pointed nose and an equally long, pointed chin.
- Winds of Change: While Rupert is going over his notes about Miss Switch and wondering how she does things like clean the blackboard in one swipe, a gust of wind blows through his open window and flips his notepad to a page that has “MISS SWITCH” written on it. The wind then curls up the bottom left corner of the paper, changing “MISS SWITCH” to “MISS WITCH”.Rupert: Witch? Miss Switch... is a witch?
- Witch Classic: Miss Switch and Saturna, like many of the witches on Witch Mountain, wear long dark dresses, cloaks, and pointed hats. Played with in that Miss Switch, while working as a teacher, wears glasses and a long pink dress, with no hat or cloak.
- Writing Lines: Miss Switch punishes Rudy by making him write “My name is Rudy Tattletale Lopez” one hundred times after he reveals Rupert’s Embarrassing Middle Name.
- Youthful Freckles: Rupert, who is in his pre-teen years, has a sprinkling of freckles across his face.