“ | Bob: DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT WAS TO GET A NETWORK TO TURN OVER AN HOUR OF AIRTIME TO A BUNCH OF VEGETABLES?!?! |
” |
— Larry tells Bob that the film is missing and Bob doesn't take it well. |
VeggieTales Christmas Spectacular! is the first VeggieTales Christmas special to air on TV, premiering on PAX in 1998.
Synopsis[]
The special takes place on a big stage where the Veggies have ostensibly booked time with a major network to air The Toy that Saved Christmas as part of the VeggieTales Christmas Spectacular! Bob the Tomato introduces the special, saying that Larry the Cucumber is ready to play the special. However, one big problem becomes almost immediately clear - Larry can't find the film. Given this discouraging news, the Veggies attempt to fill the time with a variety of musical performances.
First up is Junior Asparagus who is being uplinked by satellite live from the Holy Lands. He sings the song "While By My Sheep" surrounded by a flock of sheep that bleat along with the melody. When the satellite uplink is lost, the Veggies continue to scramble while Pa Grape attempts to buy time with the network, which is threatening to pull the plug on the production.
Next up is "Silly Songs With Larry" were Larry sings "Oh Santa!" Larry is waiting on Christmas Eve for Santa Claus (Bob) so he can give him a plate of cookies. However, before Santa appears, Larry is greeted by a bank robber, a viking (Pa Grape), and an IRS agent. Larry gives both the robber and viking a cookie, still waiting for Santa to come. Santa then appears, and recognizes that both the robber and viking stole his hat and belt. He chases the two out of Larry's house, while the IRS agent comes in and takes Larry's last cookie. Larry wishes him a Merry Christmas, and the song ends.
The third musical number features Archibald Asparagus singing a German folk song, "Ring, Little Bells", while ringing some bells. Larry joins in, but as the song ends the Veggies learn that the network is about to pull the plug. Fortunately the film reel is found by Jimmy Gourd, with The Toy that Saved Christmas being played.
Grandpa George tells a flashback Christmas story, to his daughter, about Wally P. Nezzer, the owner of a toy company, who is spreading the word via a television commercial for Buzz-Saw Louie that the meaning of Christmas is to get more toys, which led the Dinkletown kids to whine about wanting more toys. He explains to his assistant, Mr. Lunt, that this is a strategy to create demand for his toys in order to boost sales. The toy in question is called "Buzz-Saw Louie", the only toy featuring an actual working buzz saw built into his right arm. That night, one of the dolls comes to life and objects to Mr. Nezzer's values and decides to escape the factory to find the true meaning of Christmas. He narrowly evades one of the penguin guards and makes it outside. Unfortunately, he trips on the icy stairway and tumbles down the hill, rolling himself into a snowball and falling off a cliff.
On Christmas Eve, while most of the Veggie children are filled with a mad desire for the new toy, Larry, Bob, and Junior go sledding. They happen upon the lone Buzz-Saw Louie stuck on a snowdrift. They free him and he explains them where he is heading. Bob suggests that they go see Grandpa George. He reads the following from the Holy Bible, which is as follows:
“ | That night in the fields near Bethlehem, some shepherds were guarding their sheep. |
” |
— King James, Luke 2 |
In this, George explains to them that the true meaning of Christmas is not to get, but to give, the way God gave us Jesus, the greatest gift of all. The children are heartened by the news, but puzzle about how to tell the rest of the Veggies before Christmas Day.
The characters' solution is to sneak into Mr. Nezzer's toy factory and use his television studio to broadcast the message to all the surrounding towns. The plan is a huge success, except that Mr. Nezzer finds them out and threatens to get rid of them. He ties them to a sled and is about to send them downhill into a deep ravine when the other Veggie families intervene. Laura Carrot shows him kindness by giving him a gift, and he quickly repents the errors of his ways. However, the sled with Bob, Larry, Junior, and Louie is accidentally sent on its fateful course in the process but the Dinkletown kids were begging for more toys.
A chase scene ensues in which Mr. Nezzer and a half dozen Penguins attempt to save the doomed Veggies. The tables turn, however, when Buzz-Saw Louie is able to divert the sled's course, leaving Mr. Nezzer alone racing toward the ravine. Louie again springs into action, using his buzz-saw to rally the Penguins and save Mr. Nezzer just as he is about to plummet to certain death. Then, Buzz-Saw Louie puts the buzz-saw for good use making furniture and the special ends.
After the special, Pa Grape tells Bob and Larry that the network loved the special. However, after hearing from the description of the network, Bob and Larry realize that they were describing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and that they missed the Toy that Saved Christmas. Bob and Larry at least hope that the audience enjoyed the special, and end the "Spectacular!"
Songs[]
- "While By My Sheep"
- "Oh, Santa!"
- "Ring, Little Bells"
- "Can't Believe it's Christmas"
- "Grumpy Kids"
- "Away in a Manger" (briefly)
- "Can't Believe it's Christmas" (reprise, credits only)
In addition, in one shot where Junior, Louie, Bob, and Larry sneak past a penguin doing dishes, a portion of "Feliz Navidad" from the A Very Veggie Christmas album can he heard in the background.
Cast[]
Voice actor/actress | Character(s) |
---|---|
Phil Vischer | Bob the Tomato/Santa Claus Pa Grape/The Viking Jimmy Gourd Archibald Asparagus The Silly Song Announcer Scallion #1/ The Bank Robber Grandpa George Percy Pea Mr. Nezzer (Wally P. Nezzer) Mr. Lunt Dad Pea Dad Carrot |
Mike Nawrocki | Larry the Cucumber Jerry Gourd The Peach/The IRS Agent |
Lisa Vischer | Junior Asparagus |
Dan Anderson | Dad Asparagus |
Kristin Blegen | Laura Carrot |
Bridget Miller | Lenny Carrot |
Shelby Vischer | Annie Onion |
Lesly Benodin | Lil' Pea |
Ken Cavanagh | Buzz-Saw Louie |
Production[]
Sometime in 1998, Phil Vischer started talking with the people at PAX TV about the possibility of taking over their Saturday Morning block, with Bob and Larry introducing each show alongside VeggieTales. They seemed interested in the idea, but they decided to give an hour-long Christmas special instead.
This was a bit of an issue, considering their only Christmas special at the time, The Toy that Saved Christmas, was only about a half-hour long. They eventually decided to include the VeggieTales Theme Song and create around 14 minutes of new animation to introduce/conclude the special in order to fill the time needed for the airing. They found a way to fill up the extra time with a dilemma to happen in the special and two songs from their CD A Very Veggie Christmas. They began making the new animation after their most recent episode, "The End of Silliness?" just finished production. The special aired on Pax TV from 1998 to 2000.
Trivia[]
- This was included on the DVD releases of The Toy That Saved Christmas as a bonus feature, but was played as the main episode on both the VHS and DVD releases of the Holiday Double Feature which also had The Star of Christmas.
- The clips used in the introduction for each character were from past episodes such as "Rack, Shack & Benny", "Dave & the Giant Pickle", "Larry-Boy! & the Fib from Outer Space!", "Josh & the Big Wall!", "Madame Blueberry", and "The End of Silliness?"
- Mr. Nezzer's chair moving up and down like an elevator was more of an easy solution than having him hopping up and down stairs, which would have been pretty difficult to animate.
- Mr. Nezzer becoming a good guy at the end of "Rack, Shack and Benny", would make it impossible for him to return to as the antagonist. So they made a decision for him to come back with a slightly bigger nose than he did before and label him as his own brother.
Goofs[]
- On the 2002 Toy That Saved Christmas DVD, Bob's line "This is network television" was glitched and hard to make out. But that wasn't the case when the line was said in the behind the scenes bonus feature "The Toy That Changed a Company". This issue was fixed later on, when the DVD was re-released as part of the Holiday Double Feature.
- Annie's hair can be seen clipping into the pillow on several occasions.
- At one point while the children are singing, George's mustache turns white.
- When Louie falls off the shelves, he's placed close to the exit, but he's in the middle of the room when he starts running towards it. And the box he was in was removed in that running shot.
- Larry's tooth is missing in the Oh Santa! title card.
- Laura and Lenny's mouths were missing after they bumped into each other while they whined for Buzz-Saw Louie.
- In one shot, The penguins' sleds briefly turn red before returning to grey in the next shot.
Gallery[]
See also[]
- The Toy that Saved Christmas
- The Star of Christmas
- Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving
- It's a Meaningful Life
- Christmas Sing-Along Songs!
- The Little Drummer Boy
- Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas
- Beauty and the Beet
- The Best Christmas Gift
- The Gift of Giving
External links[]
- Big Idea Wiki: VeggieTales Christmas Spectacular!
- VeggieTales Christmas Spectacular! at the Internet Movie Database
Veggietales | |
Episodes | The Toy that Saved Christmas • The Star of Christmas • Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving • "It's a Meaningful Life" • "The Little Drummer Boy" • "Merry Larry and the True Light of Christmas" • "Beauty and the Beet" • "An Ichabeezer Christmas" • A Christmas Play • "The Best Christmas Gift" • "The Gift of Giving" |
Silly Songs | "Oh, Santa!" • "Donuts for Benny" • "Goodnight Junior" • "The Eight Polish Foods of Christmas" • "Wrapped Myself Up for Christmas" • "Mac and Cheese" |
Album | A Very Veggie Christmas • The Incredible Singing Christmas Tree • Saint Nicholas: Give This Christmas Away • 25 Favorite Christmas Songs • O Holy Night: Journey of a Little Drummer Boy • The Best Christmas Gift: Songs and More • A Very Veggie Christmas Collection • Merry Christmas Collection |
Other | VeggieTales Christmas Spectacular! • Christmas Sing-Along Songs! |