| The Toy that Saved Christmas | |
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DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Phil Vischer Chris Olsen |
| Produced by | Chris Olsen |
| Written by | Phil Vischer |
| Starring | Phil Vischer Mike Nawrocki Lisa Vischer Kristin Blegen Dan Anderson Ken Cavanagh Shelby Vischer Bridget Miller |
| Music by | Kurt Heinecke Phil Vischer Mike Nawrocki Alan Moore Jason Moore |
| Editing by | Mike Nawrocki |
| Studio | Big Idea Productions |
| Distributed by | Everland Entertainment Lyrick Studios |
| Release date(s) | October 1996 |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Language | English |
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 October 1996 on VHS. Unlike its predecessors it does not feature an opening/closing countertop. Like the other holiday episodes, it also has no "A Lesson In…" subtitle. The lesson is apparent enough anyway, clearly presenting the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus.
This can be presumed as a spin-off of Rack, Shack, and Benny, as the villain is Wally K. Nezzer's brother and Mr. Lunt reprises his character from Rack, Shack, and Benny.
The Toy That Saved Christmas was shown as a holiday special in Shine TV. Its silly song, "Oh Santa!", is the only song not in The Ultimate Silly Song Countdown.
Contents |
Grandpa George tells a story about Wally P. Nezzer, the owner of a toy company, who is spreading the word via television commercial that the meaning of Christmas is to get more and more toys. After seeing this, the Dinkletown kids were whining 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.
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. Bob suggests that they go see Grandpa George. George reads the Gospel according to Luke Chapter 2: verses 8-14 in the Contemporary English Version which is as follows:
"That night in the fields near Bethlehem, some shepherds were guarding their sheep. All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord and the brightness of the Lord's glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened. But the angel said, 'Don't be afraid! I have good news for you which will make everyone happy. This very day in King David's hometown, a Savior was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. You will know who he is because you will find him dressed in baby clothes and lying on a bed of hay.' Suddenly many other angels came down from heaven and joined in praising God They said, 'Praise God in heaven! Peace on earth to everyone who pleases God.'" 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 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 "Belt" and "Hat." 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 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 show ends. It was edited from the TV version due to the show's length only for thirty minutes.
The studio was on a tight schedule in late 1996 to get the film done. But then, the air conditioning turned off in the office, and a heat wave hit Big Idea. Many people started sleeping over at the office, trying to get The Toy that Saved Christmas done. After it wrapped, Phil Vischer was said to be taken to the hospital, as that bacteria was hurting his heart.
One problem with the plot was that Mr. Nezzer couldn't become a bad guy in the episode, because he became a nice guy in Rack, Shack, and Benny. The animators solved this by making the villain Nebby K. Nezzer's twin brother, Wally P. Nezzer, and giving him a big nose. The silly song, "Oh Santa!" was inspired from when Vischer saw the musical Kiss of the Spider Woman with Chita Rivera.
The Toy that Saved Christmas is broken into the following segments:
Due to the format of the show, this episode does not contain the usual "VeggieTales Theme Song" and "What We Have Learned", although the "VeggieTales Theme" is still present. It also contains the following songs: