VeggieTales Promo: Take 38

VeggieTales Promo: Take 38 is a rare promo created by Phil Vischer in 1992.

This video was made to showcase VeggieTales to Christian bookstores.

Plot

As this is a test promo, There is no plot in particular, but it begins with a clapperboard stating this is take #38 of the promo, complete with the director stating in a tired, monotone drawl. In this, Bob makes a speech in the style of Martin Luther King Jr. about citizens of the kitchen coming together with one purpose: to create a fantastic Christian children's series full of positive values, light-hearted stories, songs, and educational materials. In typical fashion, while Bob is making his serious speech, Larry is seen in the background, running back and forth, looking for his blue, plastic, wind-up lobster.

After the speech, Archibald states that he was against the idea from the start, and claims that you may use vegetables in salads, as side-dishes or occasionally a garnish, but not on television, as he puts it "it's simply not done". his wife Lovey (who at the time uses Lisa's model) states she kind of likes the idea.

Characters

• Bob the Tomato
• Larry the Cucumber
• Archibald Asparagus
• Lovey
• The Blue Wind-Up Lobster

Production

According to Phil Vischer's autobiography, before production on Where's God When I'm S-Scared?, he tried to sell the show with this promo to Christian video distributor companies in hopes that he'd get the money to make it, but ultimately failed. Phil managed to get the money from a man at his church who dipped into his retirement funds and gave him $60,000.

Fun Facts

Trivia

• This promo marks the first for several things:
  • The first appearances of Bob, Archibald Asparagus, and Lovey.
  • The first time when Larry speaks.
  • The first instance someone said That's Right!, as said here by Lovey.
  • The first instance Larry is mistaken for a pickle.
• This promo was commercially released for the very first time in 2003 when it was included on the 10th Anniversary Edition DVD of Where's God When I'm S-Scared?, where it is featured (along with Mr. Cuke's Screen Test) on a behind-the-scenes feature about the show's early animation screen tests. This version of the DVD can be extremely difficult to find today, as further DVD releases of the episode do not include this promo nor the behind-the-scenes feature for some odd reason (even though the stock music used at the end of the promo was protected under the first amendment). Besides this, the promo and the behind-the-scenes feature were both also included on the 2004 VHS release of the VeggieTales Classics version of Where's God When I'm S-Scared?.
• This is one of the few works from Big Idea created during the time when American president George H. W. Bush was in office. By the time when the series premiered, Bill Clinton was already in office.
• Contrary to "Me, Myself and Bob" and other sources, Bob does not say "I have a dream" in this promo.

Remarks

• There were a few differences between the promo and the series afterwards:
  • In the promo, Bob mentions small kitchen appliances coming together. We never see any talking kitchen appliances in any episode, possibly over fears that it would infringe copyrights on The Brave Little Toaster, or simply because the appliances would be too complex to render in SoftImage. In Lord of the Beans, though, there would be characters based after sporks that serve Scaryman.
  • Compared to his later voices, Larry's original voice here sounded similar to (or in some cases, later used for) Scallion #2 (from the 2000s episodes), Jerry (from Are You My Neighbor?) and Jean-Claude (only without the French accent).
  • Bob and Archibald have slightly higher voices, and Bob also has a slight Southern accent.
  • The animation here is slightly more wackier than usual (eg. Bob's eyelid movements, Archibald's bow tie and Lovey's hair stalks, and Archibald's mouth is more crooked).
  • Archibald stating he was against the idea for VeggieTales. This idea would be used later for the early Silly Songs.
  • Dimpled chins on Archibald and Lovey. This would be (somewhat) used again for Junior and Archibald in God Wants Me to Forgive Them!?!
• The canisters in the background which have their spices labeled on it were reused from the Mr. Cuke's Screen Test animation. The markings are taken off later by the time the series' first episode, Where's God When I'm S-Scared?, was produced.
• There are hints here that VeggieTales is going to be a television show, but a year after this promo was made, VeggieTales ended up being a home video series instead. An actual TV series based on VeggieTales did not exist until 2006, fourteen years after this promo was released.
• The number 38 becomes a recurring gag for later episodes.
• The stock music that played at the end is the passepied movement of Johann Sebastian Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 1 in C Major.
• Lovey's model used here is the same as Lisa's. By the time the first video was in development, Junior Asparagus and his family were created, and the old Lovey model was reserved for Lisa while a new Lovey model was made for the second video.

Goofs

• Bob's shadow stops moving.
• The shadows change around a little bit.
• The countertop flickers a tad bit.
• When Bob says "VeggieTales!", his mouth clips through the countertop.

Transcript

• Transcript

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