Randolph Smiley (Robin Williams) is the host of "The Rainbow Randolph Show", a popular children's television series broadcast on the fictional network Kidnet. Despite his friendly appearance on-stage, off-stage he is a corrupt and alcoholic businessman who secretly accepts bribes from parents who want to put their kids on his show. After an FBI sting exposes him, Randolph is fired and his show is cancelled. He is also kicked out of his corporate penthouse and loses all of his money, leaving him homeless, unemployed, and broke. Kidnet replaces Randolph with the "squeaky clean" Sheldon Mopes (Edward Norton) and his character, Smoochy the Rhino. Mopes is uniquely sincere and thoroughly interested in providing quality child entertainment, and despite doubts from his hardened producer Nora Wells (Catherine Keener), his show quickly becomes tremendously popular. Meanwhile, Randolph turns to his former associate Marion "Frank" Stokes (Jon Stewart) and pleads to help him get his job back, but