Moon Menace on Planet Tell-a-Lie!

"See? You gotta tell the truth. 'Lies will get any man into trouble, but honesty is its own defense.' It's wrong to lie. And when you do, it feels like the weight of the world is on you!"

— Jason

Moon Menace on Planet Tell-a-Lie!
Directed by	Ron Smith
Produced by	Steven Lynette
Written by	John Crane Charles Eston
Music by	Nick Nolan
Distributed by	Warner Home Video (Mass market) Chordant Distribution Group (Christian market)
Released	2002 (copyright date error) July 1st, 2003
Runtime	31 minutes
Previous episode	The Doom Funnel Rescue
Next episode	I Scream, You Scream!

Moon Menace on Planet Tell-a-Lie! is the 6th and final direct-to-video episode for 3-2-1 Penguins!

Plot

In the attic, Jason is pretending to be a humonga gila monster rampaging through a small town made of cardboard boxes. Michelle is pretending to be the frightened citizens, albeit using a monotone voice. Jason takes a dartboard and rolls it across the attic and down the stairs where Grandmum catches it. Jason asks her if she's okay. Grandmum answers that she's fine. She says that she hasn't seen the dartboard in ages. Jason asks where it came from. Grandmum says that it was one of Granddad's prized possessions and a photo album tells the whole story.

After Jason gets the photo album, Grandmum starts to tell the story behind the dartboard. The story begins with Granddad participating in a dartboard tournament with the queen of England's guards. As the tournament was coming to an end, Granddad needed just one bulls-eye. The whole crowd was in a stir. Just as Granddad prepared to throw his final dart, the dartboard slipped from its position. Granddad threw that dart anyway and hit a bulls-eye. After Grandmum finishes telling the story, Michelle asks if she saw all this. Grandmum answers that she was the one who took the pictures for the London Evening Times. She shows Jason and Michelle a picture of her taking a picture of him. She also tells them that from then on, Granddad was called the king of darts. At the end of the photo album, there is a dart which Jason grabs. He and Michelle ask if they can play with it. Grandmum tells them that it's too dangerous and that they can when they're older. She then tells them to put the photo album back where they found it.

As soon as Grandmum goes downstairs, Jason takes the dart out and tells Michelle to set the dartboard on a step on the staircase. Michelle does so and asks what he's going to do. Jason replies that he's going to throw a bulls-eye. Michelle reminds him of what Grandmum told them. Jason brushes what Michelle said off and says that it wouldn't hurt to throw only one dart. Michelle doesn't feel too good about this. Jason reassures her that he'll be careful. He aims carefully when Grandmum asks them if they're coming downstairs. Jason throws the dart at the board. He doesn't get a bulls-eye, and the board falls off the staircase and breaks. Grandmum asks what that noise was. Jason tells Michelle not to tell Grandmum what really happened. Michelle replies that she isn't going to lie. Jason begs her to not get him in trouble. Michelle points out that he was the one who broke it. Before their conversation can go on any longer, Grandmum walks upstairs and asks what happened to the dartboard. Jason lies that the dartboard just fell by itself and he didn't throw a dart at it. Michelle ponders how to respond for a few seconds and agrees with what Jason said happened. Grandmum believes them because they know what the Good Book says. "Lies will get any man into trouble, but honesty is its own defense," she quotes. She says that means when you tell a lie, it may have looked like a good idea, but you end up with the feeling of carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Before she goes downstairs, she tells Jason and Michelle to come down before their lunch gets cold. Michelle looks at Jason and says that she can't believe he made her lie. Jason thinks about what she said as he goes upstairs.

Just as he puts the album back, he hits his head on the ship. The ship starts flying and Jason gets galeezeled aboard. Fidgel welcomes Jason aboard as he gets stuck in Kevin's collar. Midgel flies the ship out of the attic and into outer space.

While the ship is flying in outer space, Fidgel apologizes for galeezeling Jason so suddenly. Midgel says that there's an emergency on Planet Tell-a-Lie. When Jason asks where Zidgel is, Midgel answers that he's "preparing" for the mission. By "preparing", he means Zidgel is just in the bathroom trying on some glasses. The emergency that Midgel mentioned is that Tell-a-Lie's giant moon has gone out of its orbit and is falling at a swift rate. After Zidgel exits the bathroom, he tells Jason what Midgel and Fidgel already said. Midgel adds that this situation could cause a chain reaction, like a flood, a fire, a flood on fire, or the cable going out. Jason asks how a giant moon could just slip out of its orbit. Fidgel answers that since something like that couldn't occur naturally, it's caused by someone doing something they shouldn't have. Midgel announces that they're approaching Tell-a-Lie. He asks how many points he needs. Fidgel looks at the score board and answers that he needs one more bulls-eye. Midgel ejects the landing gear which makes the ship work like a dartboard. The ship lands smack-dab in the middle. Fidgel comments on how Midgel's landing was a lucky shot as he and the rest of the crew exit the ship.

On the planet, Zidgel is looking for its inhabitants when something sharp lands on his foot. He cries out in pain and removes the object. He asks who threw that dart. The dart answers that it was him. He lands on Zidgel's foot again and Zidgel asks him what he's doing. The dart welcomes the crew to his planet. Zidgel introduces himself and his crew to the dart and tells him he'd like to speak to the king. The dart claims that he's the king and he was out for a stroll with his subjects. Fidgel points out that he doesn't look like the king. The dart explains why he looks the way he does by claiming that he lost weight, shaved his mustache, had his nose shortened, and replaced his glasses with contact lenses. Zidgel informs the dart that their moon is falling towards their planet and something must be done before it's too late. The dart replies that it isn't too late. Zidgel reassures him and the other two darts that there's no need to worry since danger is not that close and that all the floods and the fires will be taken care of. And they'll also get their cable back. Midgel points up at the sky to let Zidgel know that the moon is closer than it was before. Zidgel gives up and says they're doomed as he orders the crew to go back to the ship. However, he won't be able to enter the ship since Midgel has the keys. Midgel tells the darts that they were just warning their king of the giant moon. The second dart claims that the first dart isn't the king, he's the real king. Jason gets confused because the first dart said he was the king. The first dart denies ever saying that while the second dart says that he did say that. As all this is going on, Zidgel returns to the crew and tells Midgel that he needs the keys. Midgel says that the second dart is claiming to be the king. Zidgel asks the second dart if he used to look anything like the king in the photograph. The second dart says that he did. However, a female dart claims that she's the king. Midgel calls for a huddle. In their huddle, Jason thinks that everyone on Tell-a-Lie is lying. Midgel asks why they are doing so and how they can find the real king. The crew concludes that if they can find the palace, they'll find the king. Jason gets an idea on how to get to the palace. Jason asks the darts for the direction to the palace. The three darts answer that it's north, south, and east. The crew concludes that the palace is west and start heading in that direction.

While they're approaching the palace, the two darts say that the palace is bigger and blue. Fidgel tells them that the palace is the only tower on the planet. The three darts respond that they plan on building ten more towers. Zidgel tells Fidgel that one of the darts told him he was a handsome, brilliant leader. Fidgel replies that they don't tell the truth. Fidgel has been calculating the moon's rate of falling and finds out that it wasn't falling constantly, it's falling erratically.

At the palace, Midgel says that they still have no idea which dart is the king. Zidgel does the same thing that Jason did earlier and asks the darts where their king is. Some darts say he's this way, other darts say he's that way. Suddenly, the moon lands on the palace. The darts think their palace stopped the moon and start cheering. The first dart starts to brag about how only the strongest materials were used in the palace when the moon lowers even further, flattening the palace. The darts immediately panic when the palace flattens even further. Using his scanner, Fidgel discovers that the Tell-a-Lie citizens are doing something that's causing the moon to drop. Zidgel tells the darts that they're doing something that's causing the moon to fall. He orders them to name something they do frequently. A dart answers that they arm wrestle. Jason points out that they don't have arms. That dart responds that he didn't say they were good at it. Fidgel says that there's a connection between the darts' speaking and the rate of the moon dropping. Zidgel tries to solve the problem by ordering all the darts to never speak again for the rest of their lives.

After Zidgel congratulates himself for doing a good job, the moon drops even further. Everyone wonders what should be done next. Jason tells the darts to stop lying and urges them to tell the truth. He repeats the Bible verse that Grandmum told him earlier and tells them that when they lie, it feels like the weight of the world is on them. Fidgel's scanner shows that the tower can only hold for three more lies. When Zidgel replies that he knew that, the moon lowers. Now the tower can only hold for two more lies. After Zidgel apologizes, he says that he normally doesn't tell fibs. His second lie causes the moon to drop even lower. Jason begs that no one tells a lie. After a short period of silence, the real king reveals himself. He tells everyone what he did to cause the moon to drop. He pressed a red button that had a "Do Not Touch" sign. That button released the moon from its orbit. The king told everyone to lie for him so that he didn't get in trouble. The female dart says that they feel awful for lying all the time. Jason replies that he knows how they feel. Fidgel eventually discovers that telling the truth makes the moon rise. Zidgel then urges everyone to tell the truth. The king thanks the crew for saving Planet Tell-a-Lie. As a way of showing gratitude, the king prepared the ship for launching into space.

Back aboard the ship, Jason says that it does feel great to tell the truth. Midgel then begins the countdown before the ship gets launched. Before the countdown is finished, Zidgel is about to say something, but decides not to say it. When the countdown finishes, the ship gets launched into outer space like a dart.

At Grandmum's cottage, the dartboard is repaired. Michelle is going downstairs when Jason asks where she is going. Michelle says that she is going to tell Grandmum what really happened to the dartboard. Jason tells her that she's not going to tell because he is going to tell. Jason goes downstairs and tells Grandmum how the dartboard really broke. He tells her that when she came upstairs, he made Michelle lie for him. Michelle adds that she made the choice to lie, Jason didn't make her do it. Both kids apologize for lying. Grandmum admires them for doing the right thing by telling the truth.

Later on that night, both Jason and Michelle ask God to forgive them for lying and to help them to always tell the truth. Michelle asks God's blessings for her mom, dad, and Grandmum. And Jason asks for God's blessing for Michelle, even thought he doesn't always act like it, he loves his twin sister.

Quotes

Good people of Tell-a-Lie, I respectfully ask that you all be silent. Well, there you have it! Citizens, we have discovered your problem! You will be happy to know that you will all be safe and sound, as long as none of you speak again for the rest of your lives, ever. Goodbye, you're welcome, and please don't worry, I know you are all cheering for me in your hearts. Problem solved, I'm a genius.

- Zidgel

Home media

It was released July 1st, 2003 by Chordant Distribution Group.

Fun Facts

Explanations

• The story involving three kings and a donkey that Zidgel mentioned he heard somewhere is referencing the story of the birth of Jesus.

Trivia

• This is the last 3-2-1 Penguins! episode to be released on VHS.
• According to the DVD Rom, the script was revised on August 26, 2001.
• This is the only episode in which Grandmum's face is shown.
• This is the last episode animated by Jam Filled Toronto.

Remarks

• The dartboard was already broken before it fell to the ground.
• It never revealed what happened to the broken piece of the dartboard before Grandmum repaired it.
• The credits states the video was released in 2002, but it didn't come out until July 2003.
  • It was likely that the video was intended to be released in 2002, but it got pushed back.

Goofs

• The Rockhopper disappears in the last frame after Jason gets galeezeled.
• While the first dart was lying that he changed his appearance, Midgel's left eye clips through when he blinks.

Inside References

• The episode's plot is similar to the first episode, as a planet is doomed due to the inhabitants causing the problem.
• The crew huddling is similar to the second episode.

Episode Transcript

• Transcript

Gallery

3-2-1 Penguins! episodes Season 1 Trouble on Planet Wait-Your-Turn | The Cheating Scales of Bullamanka | The Amazing Carnival of Complaining | Runaway Pride at Lightstation Kilowatt | The Doom Funnel Rescue! | Moon Menace on Planet Tell-a-Lie! Season 2 I Scream, You Scream! | The Green-Eyed Monster | Lazy Daze | More is More | Give & Let Give | Practical Hoax | Comedy of Errors | Compassion Crashin' | Wiki Tiki | Invasion of the Body Swappers! |Git Along Little Doggies! | Wise Guys | Hogs and Kisses Season 3 12 Angry Hens | Kennel Club Blues | Oh, Mercy! | Promises, Promises | Do Unto Brothers | Between an Asteroid and a Hard Place | In the Big House