| P. T. Barnum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vital statistics | |
| Planet of Origin: | Earth |
| Original era: | 19th Century |
| Species | Human |
| Gender: | Male |
| Appears In: | The Ocean Demons |
| Portrayed By: | Burl Ives |
Talk Page 
| |
Phineas T. Barnum was an American showman and hoaxer who had to be extricated from a tight spot involving angry aliens by the Third Inspector. He was played by American actor and singer Burl Ives in Season 9.
"The Ocean Demons"[]
Visiting Barnum's American Museum on Earth in 1842, the Third Inspector and Yosif discover that the famous "Feejee Mermaid" is in fact a hibernating Ocean Demon—one of the most dangerous aquatic lifeforms in the galaxy. Worse, a spaceship full of them is submerged in the East River in preparation to retrieve their comrade by force. With the aid of Barnum and his sideshow attractions to cause diversions, the Inspector is able to keep the invading Ocean Demons occupied while a fake mermaid is constructed and switched with the real one.
At the end of their adventure, the Inspector refuses to take Barnum along as a temporal tourist, telling him, "You can fool all the people some of the time, and you can fool some of the people all the time, but you of all people cannot fool with time."
Trivia[]
The "Feejee Mermaid", a.k.a. an Ocean Demon
- Although the BTV special effects depart did an unusually thorough job re-creating the look of Barnum's hoax, many fans thought that the props looked even less convincing than usual.