The Flubber franchise consists of American science fiction-comedy films, with three theatrical releases, and two made-for-television films. The overall story, is based on the short story, A Situation of Gravity, written by Samuel W. Taylor in 1922. The plot of the films center around an absent-minded college professor (with differing names and played by depending on the adaptation), who works tirelessly to find the next great invention. The Professor wants to make scientific history, while working to save the school at which he works, the Medfield College.