The Toy that Saved Christmas
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| The Toy that Saved Christmas | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Phil Vischer, Chris Olsen |
| Produced by | Phil Vischer, Chris Olsen |
| Written by | Phil Vischer |
| Starring | Phil Vischer, Mike Nawrocki, Lisa Vischer, Kristin Blegen, Dan Anderson, Ken Cavanagh |
| Music by | Kurt Heinecke, Phil Vischer, Mike Nawrocki |
| Distributed by | Sony Wonder |
| Release date(s) | 1996 |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
The Toy that Saved Christmas is the sixth episode of the VeggieTales animated series and the first holiday special in that series. It was released in 1996. Unlike its predecessors it does not feature an opening countertop. Like the other holiday episodes, it also has no “A Lesson In…” subtitle. The lesson is apparent enough anyway, clearly presenting the Biblical story of the birth of Jesus as the true meaning of Christmas.
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[edit] Synopsis
Wally P. Nezzer is the owner of a toy company who is spreading the word via television commercial that the meaning of Christmas is get more and 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 arm.
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 a lone Buzz-Saw Louie toy that has questioned Mr. Nezzer’s values and escaped the factory to find the true meaning of Christmas. Junior suggests that they go see Grandpa George. 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 story is interrupted by a Silly Song entitled "Oh Santa!" Larry is staying up late awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus, eager to give him some home-made cookies. Instead of Santa, however, he is visited first by a bank robber (Scallion #1), then by a Viking (played by Pa Grape), and finally by an agent of the IRS (played by a Peach). They all take refuge is his home and eat his cookies (except for the IRS agent who Larry evidently considers too loathsome to invite inside). Santa finally shows up, but rather than being jolly he angrily chases after Scallion #1 and Pa Grape for stealing his props. Larry is left without any cookies, and no santa or friends.
Returning to the story, 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.
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.
[edit] VeggieTales Christmas Spectacular!
There was a special that aired on PAX in 1997 that featured this episode but added an opening on a big stage where the Veggies have ostensibly booked time with a major network to air a special film for the "VeggieTales Christmas Spectacular!" However, one big problem becomes almost immediately clear: Larry the Cucumber 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 the Silly Song with Larry called “Oh, Santa!”
The third musical number features Archibald Asparagus singing a German folk song 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 and the feature, The Toy that Saved Christmas, begins.
This TV special is available as a special feature on The Toy that Saved Christmas DVD.
[edit] Cast of Characters
[edit] VeggieTales Christmas Spectacular!
- Mr. Nezzer as the announcer
- Bob the Tomato as the host
- Larry The Cucumber running the film projector
- Pa Grape as the director
- Junior Asparagus, live from the Holy Lands
- Jimmy and Jerry Gourd, helping to find the film
- Archibald Asparagus, doing a musical number
[edit] Oh, Santa!
- Larry The Cucumber as himself
- Scallion #1 as a bank robber
- Pa Grape as a Viking
- The Peach as an IRS agent
- Bob the Tomato as Santa Claus
[edit] The Toy that Saved Christmas
- Grandpa George as the narrator and mailman
- Annie as his granddaughter
- Bob the Tomato as himself
- Larry The Cucumber as himself
- Wally P. Nezzer as the owner of the Nezzer Toy Factory
- Mr. Lunt as his "little elf helper"
- Buzz-Saw Louie as himself
- Laura Carrot as herself
- Lennie Carrot as himself
- Various other Peas, Carrots, and Asparaguses as townsfolk
- Delivery Penguins
[edit] Segments
The Toy that Saved Christmas is broken into the following segments:
- The Toy that Saved Christmas: First Half
- Silly Song: Oh, Santa!
- The Toy that Saved Christmas: Second Half
The show's integration with the "VeggieTales Christmas Spectacular!" adds several segments of new material to the beginning of the main feature. In this format, the Silly Song is also relocated to the prefatory material. The modified sequence is:
- VeggieTales Christmas Spectacular!
- While By My Sheep
- Silly Song: Oh, Santa!
- Ring, Little Bells
- The Toy that Saved Christmas
[edit] Songs
Due to the format of the show, this episode does not contain the usual "What We Have Learned", although the "VeggieTales Theme" is still present. It also contains the following songs:
- Can't Believe It's Christmas, sung by the Veggie children
- Grumpy Kids, sung by Buzz-Saw Louie
- Oh, Santa! (Silly Song), sung by Larry, Bob, Scallion #1, and Pa Grape
The "VeggieTales Christmas Spectacular!" adds the following songs:
- While By My Sheep, sung by Junior Asparagus and his Sheep
- Ring, Little Bells, sung by Archibald Asparagus
[edit] Notes and Trivia
- This is the second VeggieTales episode in which a Mr. Nezzer sends Bob, Larry, and Junior to their doom. The first was Rack, Shack, and Benny. However, this Mr. Nezzer is Wally P. Nezzer, the brother of Nebby K. Nezzer.
- The story is reminiscent in many ways of the Rankin/Bass production Santa Claus Is Coming To Town:
- The opening scene with the narrator driving a delivery truck into a snowy town.
- An evil character who is transformed by the receiving of a gift.
- The stated purpose of “explaining” Christmas to the viewers.
- The inclusion of a heroic penguin(s).
- When the network threatens to pull the plug, they plan to fill the time slot with an episode of Bonanza. Coincidentally, PAX (now the i network) currently runs Bonanza on its schedule.
- Mr. Nezzer briefly considers sending Bob, Larry, and Junior to Bumblyburg, home of Larry-Boy; note, however, this episode was released before the first Larry-Boy installment.
- The technical demands of animating characters with limbs (Buzz-Saw Louie and the Penguins) were nearly insurmountable with the available equipment and software at Big Idea studios.
- Additional "VeggieTales Christmas Spectacular!" Trivia
- At the end there is a reference to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer; apparently the network executives were busy watching "that funny little elf" pull the teeth from the "abdominal snowman" during the show.
- The Peach, who previously appeared in "The Hairbrush Song", has no name. He is introduced simply as "The Peach" by Mr. Nezzer during the show's opening.
- A soundtrack based on this movie, A Very Veggie Christmas, was released around the same time of the film. Bob is hosting a Christmas party at his house, but the Veggies are getting very hungry and Oscar the Polish Caterer hasn't shown up yet. Towards the end of the disc, Oscar eventually does show up and the Veggies become stuffed. The soundtrack culminates with the singing of "The Big Medley" of popular Christmas songs. The disc features audio-only versions of "I Can't Believe It's Christmas," "Grumpy Kids," and "Oh, Santa!". In addition, odd-numbered tracks on the disc are mostly Veggies talking.
