American science fiction computer-animated Christian children's television series
3-2-1 Penguins!
|
---|
|
Created by
| |
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Developed by
| Mike Nawrocki
Phil Vischer
Ron Smith
Everett Downing Jr.
|
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Directed by
| Tod Carter
Tom Bancroft
Tim Hodge
Ron Smith
|
---|
Voices of
|
- Mark Marten
- Melissa Peterson
- Annie Walker-Bright
- Ron Wells
- Greg Mills
- Page Hearn
- Ron Smith
|
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Theme music composer
| Kurt Heinecke
Mike Nawrocki
|
---|
Opening theme
| "
3-2-1 Penguins!
Theme Song"
(lyrics by Mike Nawrocki)
|
---|
Ending theme
| "Fly"
(music by Kurt Heinecke)
|
---|
Composers
| Kurt Heinecke
Adam Frick
|
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Country of origin
| United States
[1]
|
---|
Original language
| English
|
---|
No.
of seasons
| 3
|
---|
No.
of episodes
| 6 (direct-to-video)
21 (TV series)
27 (total)
|
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|
Executive producers
| Tim Hodge
Terry Pefanis
Phil Vischer
|
---|
Producers
| Jon Gadsby
J. Chris Wall
Joe Barrouao
Sean Roche
David Pitts
Steven Lynette
|
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Editor
| John Wahba
|
---|
Running time
| 30 minutes (video)
22 minutes (television)
|
---|
Production companies
| Big Idea Entertainment
DKP Effects
(2002-2003)
UTV Software Communications
(2007-2008)
|
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|
Network
| Direct-to-Video
|
---|
Release
| November 14, 2000
(
2000-11-14
)
?
July 1, 2003
(
2003-07-01
)
|
---|
Network
| Qubo
|
---|
Release
| October 6, 2007
(
2007-10-06
)
?
November 13, 2008
(
2008-11-13
)
|
---|
|
VeggieTales
Larryboy: The Cartoon Adventures
|
3-2-1 Penguins!
is an American
science fiction
computer-animated
Christian
children's television series
, initially launched on November 14, 2000 as a direct-to-video episode
[2]
by
Big Idea Entertainment
with videos released between 2000 and 2003. The direct-to-video series held the top spot on the
Soundscan
kid video sales charts for its first 18 weeks of release,
[3]
was the #1 seller on
Christian Booksellers Association
's video list in 2001,
[4]
and had sold 1.5 million videos as of February 2009.
[5]
The television series aired on the
Qubo
blocks on
NBC
,
Ion Television
and
Telemundo
as well as the
Qubo
channel, and later on
TBN
and
Smile of A Child.
It ran for three seasons, with the first season consisting of television broadcasts of the six original home videos. Following its conclusion in 2008, it continued in reruns until 2014. The series was a top-ranked show on NBC's Qubo Saturday morning kids block in 2008.
[6]
Overview
[
edit
]
Twin siblings Jason and Michelle are spending the summer with their British grandmother, who they call Grandmum, in
Pennsylvania
's
Poconos
region. She has a collection of kitschy ceramic figurines, the most prized of which is four penguins in a rocket ship, a honeymoon gift from her late husband. In the first video, the twins accidentally drop the ship; instead of breaking, it flies into the air and reveals the four penguin figurines are alive and are the crew of the spaceship. One of the twins is then pulled into the ship, using the crew's Galeezle (shrinking) device, and taken on a galactic adventure.
[7]
The ensuing adventure ties into the moral dilemma Jason and Michelle had struggled with in the opening scene. For example, in the debut episode,
Trouble on Planet Wait-Your-Turn
, the twins struggle with taking turns playing a new video game and looking through their Granddad's telescope before Jason is transported to a planet of alien vacuums who also have trouble taking turns.
[8]
Characters
[
edit
]
Main
[
edit
]
- Zidgel (voiced by Ron Wells (season 1) and
John Payne
(seasons 2?3)) is the Rockhopper's captain and a king, who resembles both
James T. Kirk
and
Ted Baxter
.
[9]
- Midgel (voiced by Greg Mills (season 1) and
Paul Dobson
(seasons 2?3)) is the Rockhopper's engineer and pilot. He sometimes shouts "Banzai!" and pulls out a
bonsai tree
to trim a branch before driving the ship.
[9]
- Fidgel (voiced by Page H. Hearn (season 1) and
Lee Tockar
(seasons 2?3)) is the doctor and scientist of the Rockhopper's crew. Many of his inventions are odd, but can also be useful, such as the Galeezle.
[9]
As shown in photos in the first episode, he physically resembles Grandmum's deceased husband.
- Kevin (voiced by
Ron Smith
(season 1) and
Michael Donovan
(seasons 2?3)): Although he does not have a specific job on the ship other than cleaning, he is always ready to help when needed.
[9]
He also sometimes answers questions or solves problems without realizing.
- Jason T. Conrad (voiced by Mark Marten (season 1) and
Quinn Lord
(seasons 2?3)) is a 7-year-old boy and Michelle's twin brother, who goes on adventures with the penguins.
[9]
- Michelle Frances Conrad (voiced by Melissa Peterson (season 1) and
Claire Corlett
(seasons 2-3)) is a 7-year-old girl and Jason's twin sister, who also goes on adventures with the penguins.
[9]
She is five minutes older than him.
- Grandmum (voiced by Pamela Thomas (2000), Annie Walker-Bright (2001), Kymberly Mellen (2001?2003), and Ellen Kennedy (seasons 2?3)) is Jason and Michelle's British grandmother, who often gives them advice from "The Good Book".
Recurring
[
edit
]
- Baron von Cavitus (voiced by
Garry Chalk
): Originally known as Bert Bertman, he was a classmate of Fidgel when they were students at the Academy and is the inventor of the Galeezle. After others made fun of him for being a hamster, he turned evil and attempted to take over the Academy. Some time later, he built himself a robot suit and attempted to take over the galaxy.
- Admiral Strap (voiced by Dale Wilson) is the Penguin's commanding officer. Despite seeming strict and militaristic, he has a soft spot for Michelle. In the original six videos, he is never seen and communicates to the penguins via
fax machine
. In the series, he interacts via
speakerphone
with the Penguins to give them their missions.
- Sol (voiced by Garry Chalk) is a wise old bartender at the Comet Lounge and a friend of Jason, Michelle, and the penguins, whom he also advises.
Episodes
[
edit
]
Season
|
Episodes
|
Originally aired
|
First aired
|
Last aired
|
Network
|
|
1
|
6
|
November 14, 2000
(
2000-11-14
)
|
July 1, 2003
(
2003-07-01
)
|
Direct-to-video
|
September 9, 2006
(
2006-09-09
)
|
November 17, 2006
(
2006-11-17
)
|
Qubo
|
|
Special
|
December 2, 2006
(
2006-12-02
)
|
|
2
|
13
|
October 6, 2007
(
2007-10-06
)
|
April 12, 2008
(
2008-04-12
)
|
|
3
|
7
|
October 2, 2008
(
2008-10-02
)
|
November 13, 2008
(
2008-11-13
)
|
Season 1 (2000?03)
[
edit
]
The first season was broadcast on
Qubo
from September 9, 2006 to December 2, 2006 and consisted of televising the
direct-to-video
shows that were originally released from November 14, 2000 to July 1, 2003. At the end, each episode, with the exception of the first episode, has the Penguins perform at the Comet Lounge, singing a song related to the moral lesson of the episode.
Special (2006)
[
edit
]
Season 2 (2007?2008)
[
edit
]
After airing the original videos in Season 1, Big Idea released new stories that were first aired on television for Season 2 and 3.
Season 3 (2008)
[
edit
]
Broadcast
[
edit
]
After originally being released exclusively on direct-to-home videos,
3-2-1 Penguins
first aired on the
Qubo
blocks on
NBC
,
Ion Television
, and
Telemundo
, as well as on the Qubo channel with the airing of the original videos. This was soon followed with new episodes that premiered on television. The show also aired on
TBN
and its children's block
Smile of a Child
on Saturdays until 2018. It also airs on
DreamWorks Channel
in select countries.
As of July 2020, the entire series was made available to watch for free on
Peacock
following its launch.
As of June 2022, 25 episodes were made available to watch on
Yippee
.
Home media
[
edit
]
The first six videos were released in
direct-to-video
format from November 14, 2000 to July 1, 2003 prior to airing on Qubo.
The first DVD compilation of the TV series
Save the Planets!
was released on September 1, 2008,
[19]
including three episodes from the second season: "The Green-eyed Monster", "More is More" and "Give and Let Give". The second DVD compilation
Blast in Space!
was released on February 1, 2009,
[20]
including three episodes from the second season: "Wiki Tiki", "Lazy Daze" and "Compassion Crashin'". The third compilation,
Escape from Planet Hold-A-Grudge!
was released on October 20, 2009,
[21]
including three episodes from the third and final season: "Do Unto Brothers", "Oh, Mercy!" and "Between an Asteroid and a Hard Place".
The first video, "Trouble on Planet Wait-Your-Turn", was released as a bonus episode in the two
VeggieTales
DVD re-issues of
Lyle the Kindly Viking Special Edition
and
Where's God When I'm S-Scared? 15th Anniversary Collector's Edition
. The fourth video, "Runaway Pride at Lightstation Kilowatt", was also released in the re-issue of
King George and the Ducky Special Edition
.
On September 18, 2012, a two-disc complete DVD set contained the first three season-one episodes and the first ten season-two episodes, for a total of 13 episodes.
3-2-1 Penguins!
home video releases
Season
|
Title
|
Episodes
|
Release date
|
|
1
|
Trouble on Planet Wait-Your-Turn
|
November 14, 2000
|
The Cheating Scales of Bullamanka
|
July 20, 2001
|
The Amazing Carnival of Complaining
|
November 16, 2001
|
Runaway Pride at Lightstation Kilowatt
|
September 21, 2002
|
The Doom Funnel Rescue
|
December 21, 2002
|
Moon Menace on Planet Tell-a-Lie
|
July 1, 2003
|
|
2
|
Save the Planets
|
3 ("The Green-eyed Monster" ? "More Is More" ? "Give and Let Give")
|
September 1, 2008
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Blast in Space
|
3 ("Lazy Daze" ? "Compassion Crashin'" ? "Wiki Tiki")
|
February 1, 2009
|
|
3
|
Escape from Planet Hold-A-Grudge!
|
3 ("Oh, Mercy!" ? "Do Unto Brothers" ? "Between an Asteroid and a Hard Place")
|
October 20, 2009
|
Complete series box set
|
26
|
August 8, 2016
|
Reception
[
edit
]
Common Sense Media
gave the show a three out of five stars, saying, "Parents need to know that this series carries clear moral messages and comes from a Christian perspective (the main characters say their bedtime prayers at the end of each episode). The messages themselves -- such as the virtue of patience -- are hard to argue with no matter what your religious bent."
[22]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"3-2-1 Penguins!#Country of origin"
.
IMDb
.
- ^
Tubbs, Sharon (November 2, 2000).
"In the beginning, there were veggies: Now there are penguins. The Christian video shelf just got bigger"
.
St. Petersburg Times (Online)
. St. Petersburg, Florida
. Retrieved
July 9,
2011
.
- ^
Craig von Buseck.
"3-2-1 Penguins: Good Message ? Mainly For The Kids"
.
Christian Broadcasting Network, Video Review
. Virginia Beach, VA.
Archived
from the original on 7 June 2011
. Retrieved
July 9,
2011
.
- ^
John Gaffney (2001, April). Veggie tales: Success no matter how you slice it. Video Business, 21(17), 31.
- ^
"Latest '3-2-1 Penguins!' to take off"
.
- ^
Kate Calder (July 2008). "Onward Christian Prodcos".
KidScreen
, p.16.
- ^
Child's Play, Moira McCormick, Billboard, 6 November 2000
- ^
a
b
Gustafson, Donna (2002-10-03).
"3 2 1 Penguins?Trouble on Planet Wait-Your-Turn ? Movie Reviews for Parents"
. Parentpreviews.com
. Retrieved
2012-07-18
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
"Qubo.com"
. Qubo.com. Archived from
the original
on 2013-03-28
. Retrieved
2012-07-18
.
- ^
"3-2-1 Penguins! ? Trouble on Planet Wait-Your-Turn"
. Rotten Tomatoes. 2006-05-25
. Retrieved
2012-07-18
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
s
t
u
v
w
x
y
z
TVGuide.com ? 3-2-1 Penguins! Episodes
- ^
"3-2-1 Penguins! ? The Cheating Scales of Bullamanka"
. Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^
Children's Books That Nurture the Spirit: Choosing and Using the Best
, Louise Margaret Granahan; Wood Lake Publishing Inc., 2003
- ^
"3-2-1 PENGUINS! THE CHEATING SCALES OF BULLAMANKA ? Christian Movie Review"
. Movieguide.org. 1999-11-29
. Retrieved
2012-07-18
.
- ^
"3-2-1 Penguins: Good Message...Mainly For The Kids: Craig von Buseck"
. CBN.com
. Retrieved
2012-07-18
.
- ^
"3-2-1 Penguins 3: The Amazing Carnival of Complaining DVD at Christian Cinema.com"
. Christiancinema.com. 2003-01-07
. Retrieved
2016-06-11
.
- ^
"3-2-1 Penguins! "Runaway Pride at Lightstation Kilowatt" DVD Review"
. Jesusfreakhideout.com. 2002-09-21
. Retrieved
2012-07-18
.
- ^
"3-2-1 Penguins! ? Moon Menace on Planet Tell-a-Lie"
. Rotten Tomatoes. 2003-07-01
. Retrieved
2012-07-18
.
- ^
"3-2-1 Penguins: 7 ? Save The Planets ? Christian Movie/Film DVD | Find Christian Movies on CFDb: Largest list of Christian Films"
. Christianfilmdatabase.com. 2010-10-03
. Retrieved
2012-07-18
.
- ^
"3-2-1 Penguins: 8 ? Blast in Space ? Christian Movie/Film DVD | Find Christian Movies on CFDb: Largest list of Christian Films"
. Christianfilmdatabase.com. 2010-10-03
. Retrieved
2012-07-18
.
- ^
"3-2-1 Penguins: 9 ? Escape From Planet Hold-A-Grudge ? Christian Movie/Film DVD | Find Christian Movies on CFDb: Largest list of Christian Films"
. Christianfilmdatabase.com. 2010-10-03
. Retrieved
2012-07-18
.
- ^
"VeggieTales Presents: 3-2-1 Penguins! - TV Review"
. 27 September 2006.
External links
[
edit
]