What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedFlubber
Les Mayfield · Film · 1997
If you loved Flubber, start with Phineas and Ferb (Dan Povenmire, 2007) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Flubber across media.
You loved Flubber because you enjoy watching brilliant, eccentric inventors turn wild, impossible ideas into chaotic adventures that reshape their world.
Books on the same thread
Madame Bovary
Gustave Flaubert · Book · 1993
Explores: Boredom and ennui, Romantic disillusionment, Adultery and infidelity.
If Flubber hit, Madame Bovary shares the thread.
Flowers for Algernon
Daniel Keyes · Book · 2004
Explores: Intelligence, Ethics of Science, Human Experimentation.
This story explores the ethical consequences of scientific breakthroughs on the human mind, providing a more serious, psychological look at the themes of invention and transformation seen in Flubber.
Bouvard and Pecuchet
Gustave Flaubert · Book · 2005
Explores: The Absurdity of Knowledge, Failed Intellectualism, Critique of Bourgeois Society.
If Flubber hit, Bouvard and Pecuchet shares the thread.
Flatland
Edwin A. Abbott · Book · 2022
Explores: Dimensionality, Social Hierarchy, Perception.
If Flubber hit, Flatland shares the thread.
Series on the same thread
Seinfeld
Series · 1989
Explores: Friendship, Dating, Urban Life.
If Flubber hit, Seinfeld shares the thread.
Phineas and Ferb
Dan Povenmire · Series · 2007
Shares 3 threads with Flubber: Invention, Mad Scientist, Slapstick Comedy.
Like the inventive Professor Brainard in Flubber, these stepbrothers channel their boundless energy into elaborate daily projects, capturing the same spirit of playful, high-stakes engineering and slapstick suburban wonder.
The Flintstones
William Hanna · Series · 1960
Shares a thread with Flubber: Slapstick Comedy.
The Flintstones offers the same lighthearted, family-friendly humor found in Flubber, grounding its whimsical technological mishaps in the relatable, everyday struggles of working-class domestic life and long-standing friendships.
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Joel Hodgson · Series · 1989
Explores: Friendship, Coping with Boredom, Satire.
If the mad scientist antics of Flubber appealed to your sense of humor, you will appreciate how this show uses witty commentary to mock the absurdity of bizarre scientific experiments.
Podcasts on the same thread
Huberman Lab
Scicomm Media · Podcast · 2026
Explores: self-optimization, evidence-based living, cognitive health.
If Flubber hit, Huberman Lab shares the thread.
Ologies with Alie Ward
Alie Ward · Podcast · 2026
Explores: intellectual curiosity, scientific wonder, human obsession.
Just as Professor Brainard turns his scientific curiosity into a magical substance, this podcast explores the fascinating, often bizarre obsessions of experts with the same infectious sense of wonder.
Common questions
Is Flubber the first movie Professor Phillip Brainard appears in?
The 1997 film Flubber follows Professor Phillip Brainard as he attempts to save Medfield College. The movie focuses on his invention of a new energy source while he struggles to balance his scientific work with his relationship with Sara, the president of the college.
What is the primary goal of Professor Brainard in Flubber?
In Flubber, Professor Phillip Brainard works to create a new source of energy to save Medfield College from financial trouble. His efforts are complicated by his personal life, as he attempts to finally marry his sweetheart, Sara, the president of the college, after missing two previous wedding attempts.
What does the substance in Flubber actually do?
In the movie Flubber, the substance created by Professor Phillip Brainard allows objects to fly through the air. This discovery is the result of his research into developing a new source of energy intended to help save Medfield College from its current predicament.
Who helps Professor Brainard create the substance in Flubber?
Professor Phillip Brainard works with his assistant, Weebo, to create the substance known as flubber. Together, they conduct research to develop this new energy source while the professor simultaneously tries to manage his commitment to his wedding and the future of Medfield College.