This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the book. |
Noah's Ark | |
---|---|
Directed by | |
Produced by | |
Written by |
Len Uhley |
Music by | |
Distributed by |
Anderson Merchandisers |
Released |
2014 (Production year) March 3, 2015 |
Runtime |
50 minutes |
Previous episode |
Noah's Ark is the fifty-first and final episode of the original VeggieTales series. This is the only episode to have the character designs used in the Netflix shows. VeggieTales was cancelled after this episode. However, in 2019, a revival show was introduced, known as The VeggieTales Show.
It is a biblical adaption of Noah's Ark from the book of Genesis.
Plot
Opening Countertop
The countertop opens with Bob and Larry remarking how they look different, and Larry telling Bob about the elephant in the room. He introduces his pal roger, which Bob is puzzled about why there's an elephant on the countertop. Larry hints to Bob that they are telling the story of Noah because they got an email from this kid named Chris who hails from Raton, in the state of New Mexico who has a new baby sister, but in truth, Chris wanted a baby brother.
Act 1
The scene opens in a forest, Shem and his wife sing about 2`s, and see.... A HUMONGOUS ORANGE SLICE?!?! Shem goes no-no, and he meets his two brothers, Shem and Japheth, and their wives. He later meets Noah, and they sing their own plans, one goes with God, the other goes to his own plans then the boat gets built for a long time, then when they finish, they put on Navy suits and sing, and take animals along then rain strikes then leaks, then it stops after 40 days and they sing, after that, Shem dreams of leaving the ark. Then he decides to take a hamster and sends him away. His mate does a final wave and salutes goodbye.
Silly Song
- Main article: My Golden Egg
Act 2
Then, a big squid pops up and starts swallowing his Plan B (Plan A was for the hamster), and Noah tells it to leave. Also, a big storm tosses and turns them! Then, at night, 6 months later, the blueprint text gets thrown out. In the morning, Noah sings again and then a dove comes back (prior they play some games) and when they go on a mountain, they name it Ararat. Then they head off and have fun with the animals. Also, the hamster`s mate came back!
Closing Countertop
Characters
- Pa Grape (Noah)
- Shem
- Sabrina (Sadie)
- Roger
- Bob the Tomato (Japeth)
- Larry the Cucumber (Ham)
- Madame Blueberry (Naamah)
- Petunia Rhubarb (Dot)
- Katrina (Nell)
- The French Peas (Silly Song Only)
- Laura Carrot (Silly Song Only)
- Junior Asparagus (Silly Song Only)
- Reginald
- Archibald Asparagus (picture cameo)
- Mr. Lunt (picture cameo)
- Khalil (picture cameo)
- Percy Pea (picture cameo)
Songs
- VeggieTales Theme Song
- Come in Twos
- I've Got Plans
- Trust Song
- Welcome You Aboard
- Silly Songs with Larry: My Golden Egg
- No More Rain
- I Had Plans
- Dove Song
- God's Got Plans
- What Have We Learned
Home Media
- Main article: Noah's Ark/Home Video
Features
Trailer Appearances
Origins/Production
In 1998 and 1999, Big Idea wanted to do a 45-minute VeggieTales video. They thought about Noah's Ark but then decided on Jonah due to fur being hard to animate. While writing, the story of Jonah didn't even start when on the 17th page, so they decided to make it a full theatrical release instead and they released in 2002 as Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie.
According to an episode of The Phil Vischer Podcast, Big Idea went through three different versions of the script before ending up with the version that had 10 songs when 20 were written in total.
According to concept artist Cedric Hohnstadt, when the show was first put into production the characters still sported the classic designs. However, this was changed once the redesigns were introduced. Additionally, concept art from Cedric reveals that one of the initial versions of the script would've been a more traditional Biblical setting for the story with Noah being portrayed as an entirely new character and Shem being portrayed as a little boy, indicating that there likely would've been a flashback sequence.
Further concept art from Cedric reveals that Shem went through several different types of vegetables and/or fruit before ending up as broccoli including a scallion, a banana and what appears to be a gourd.
As confirmed on their Tumblr, Elena and Olivia Ceballos (the twin sisters who redesigned the characters for VeggieTales in the House) provided the redesigns for Katrina and Sabrina (who plays Shem's wife Sadie) from Beauty and the Beet for this show.
Fun Facts
Moral
- It's always best to trust in God's plans rather than our own.
Explanations
- "Elephant in the room" is an idiom for not explaining the truth either ignored or going unaddressed. This was clearly joking about the series being redesigned.
- Bacon and Pork Chop are named for the type of meats based around pork, which is from pigs. This also connects towards Ham, another kind of meat from a pig.
- Tar is a sort of black liquid, commonly used to mend roads.
- Job (jobe with a silent e) is a Bible story from the Old Testament.
Trivia
- This is the last VeggieTales episode to be released during Barack Obama's presidency, as well as the series finale.
- This marks the first appearances of the redesigns of Bob, Larry, Pa Grape, Laura, the French Peas, Madame Blueberry, and Petunia.
- This is the only episode for several things:
- The only episode to use the designs from the Netflix series.
- The only episode where Tress MacNeille takes over as the voices of Junior Asparagus, Laura Carrot, Madame Blueberry, and Petunia Rhubarb.
- There were a few differences between pre-production and the final version.
- The credits show different pieces of concept art of the Ark, meaning it was staged differently than the final pitched. Concept artist Cedric Hohnstadt stated in his blog that the characters were changed from what was pitched.
- During the opening sequence, pictures from almost all of the previous episodes are shown, all of which consist of the artwork on the front cover of each episode (some of the earlier episodes' photos are from the DVD reissues, as opposed to the original VHS artwork), possibly to introduce the redesigns.
- Given that this is the last episode of the original VeggieTales, this is justifiable.
- Bob and Larry break the fourth wall by referencing they have new designs, unlike the other episodes.
- Shem also breaks the fourth wall by crumpling up a blueprint which is a time card.
- This is the last episode for a several things:
- The last appearance of Qwerty until LarryBoy and the Cape-Coat Caper.
- The last appearance of the What Have We Learned song.
- The last original production to involve Kurt Heinecke as music composer. He later returned as a music composer for The VeggieTales Show.
- The last Big Idea Production where Mike Nawrocki directed.
- The last Big Idea Production to be animated by Huhu Studios.
- The last Big Idea Production J. Chris Wall worked on.
- The last appearance of the Silly Song Announcer, Benny, and Katrina to date.
- The last Big Idea production Mike Nawrocki wrote until Plane vs. Train.
- This is also the last production that Cory Edwards and Len Uhley wrote until they both returned on The VeggieTales Show with Cory's first episode being Naaman Takes a Bath and Len's being LarryBoy and the Menacing Mushroom.
- The names of the three wives of Shem, Ham and Japeth are given as Sadie, Dot and Nell. These are condensed versions of the more complex sounding Sedeqetelebab, Adataneses and Na'eltama'uk, respectively, which were the given names for them from the Ethiopian Orthodox Book of Jubilees. Conversely, the name of Noah's wife, Naamah, is commonly accepted name in modern Christianity.
- In the YouTube version on the official channel, the My Golden Egg song gets removed late 2023- early 2024.
- This is the first (and only) episode to have VITC/VITH Graphics
Remarks
- In spite of VeggieTales redesign, several characters and animals retain their previous designs (ie; Qwerty, the penguins, pigs, etc.)
- The back of the DVD states it includes sing-along versions of No More Rain and God's Got Plans.
- In the Studio Store section, the original character designs were kept in.
- Shem and Sadie are able to bike with the pedals still going, even though they don't have any legs.
- The Ark took around 60-70 years to build, so there's no way that it could of been built that quickly during Shem and Sadie's honeymoon.
Goofs
- One shot shows Katrina losing her lipstick.
- Shem loses his eyebrows in one shot, but regains them on the next shot.
Inside References
- A few nods from Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie were used here:
- The camels originated from Reginald.
- A puzzle of the movie poster can be seen.
- The whale appearing when the wave was about to hit the Ark.
- The characters use umbrellas just like the one in Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah's Umbrella.
- Ham's line "What does it mean" what uttered by Butler Larry in Madame Blueberry in the same tone.
- During the opening countertop scene, Bob and Larry lampshade the fact they have been redesigned. Larry then says he thinks he & Bob should just address the elephant in the room. Bob says "Ya think so?". Larry says yes and addresses the literal elephant in the room by saying hey to his elephant pal Roger.
Real-World References
- Nell's line "Hasta la vista, leakies!" is a parody of one of the lines from Terminator 2: Judgment Day. A similar variant of that quote was previously said in Larry-Boy and the Rumor Weed.
- The monkey eating the puzzle pieces is probably a reference towards the Curious George story Curious George Goes to the Hospital.
- The veggies entering the ark when the flood comes, which having modern elements is a reference to Evan Almighty (2007).
- "Your heart will go on!" is a reference to the song in Titanic (1997).
- The scream used when the squid attacks the Ark is the iconic Wilhelm Scream. It originated from the movie The Charge at Feather River by actor Sheb Wooley. It has been used in countless movies, television shows, and video games.
- Shem's fourth wall break is similar to Patrick's in the SpongeBob episode "Wet Painters".
- The ark at the top of the cliff after the flood is a reference to the Fantasia 2000 segment "Pomp and Circumstance" by Edward Elgar, a tune commonly played at graduation ceremonies.
Fast Forward
- The story of Noah's Ark would later be told again in The VeggieTales Show episode, "Patience Takes Practice".
- The Wilhelm Scream sound effect would later be used in Making and Being Friends