| This article is about the episode. You may be looking for the character. |
| |
| Madame Blueberry | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | |
| Produced by |
Phil Vischer (executive producer) |
| Written by |
Mike Nawrocki |
| Music by | |
| Released |
July 1st, 1998 |
| Runtime |
37 minutes |
| Previous episode | |
| Next episode | |
Madame Blueberry is the tenth episode of VeggieTales. This is loosely based on the French novel "Madame Bovary".
Plot
The show opens up with Bob alone with Larry driving a vehicle in the background. When Larry drives up, he says that it's his new "Soo-Vee Action Jeep", a thing that Larry has been wanting for a long time. He also says that he needs the "Soo-Vee Action Camper." Wondering how much stuff that Larry needs to be happy, Bob asks for a story based on Larry's desires for new stuff. Hearing Bob's request, the French Peas come by and tell the story of "Madame Blueberry."
In the story, Madame Blueberry is a very sad lady because she is ungrateful for all the things she owns. Everyday, her butlers (Bob and Larry) come to her tree house to help her around the house. One day, after she cries over things that she doesn't own, Madame Blueberry, Bob, and Larry look out her window and see a new store being built. Then, three crooked salesmen (The Scallions), come by and say that they represent a new store being built down the street, called the Stuff-Mart. They then begin to manipulate Madame Blueberry (through song) that she will be very happy if she buys a lot of items that she doesn't need. Madame Blueberry agrees to go shopping, much to Bob's dismay.
On the way to the stuff mart, Madame Blueberry and the rest of the gang notices a poor little girl (Annie) celebrating her birthday with one piece of pie that her family could only afford. She then sings about being thankful for what she has. Madame Blueberry begins to wonder what makes her happy despite being dirt poor, but forgets upon entering the Stuff-Mart. Once inside the giant store, she begins to buy a lot of useless products and has them shipped to her house. At the food court, Madame Blueberry notices a little boy (Junior) excited about a train set that he's always wanted, but his dad says that he can't afford it and asks if he'd like a ball instead. The boy says yes to the ball, and sings the same song the poor girl sang earlier. Wondering why the children who don't have a lot are happy and she is grumpy while she has a lot, Madame Blueberry realizes that they have happy hearts and that buying a lot of useless things isn't making her any happier. She dismisses the Scallions and heads on home.
As the trio head on out, they notice that Madame Blueberry's house is tipping over from the excessive amount of bought items. The gang get in shopping carts (except Larry, who is in a carrying basket) and head over to the house to stop the remaining deliveries from flooding the house. As they head there, the back door begins to open all the items begin to pour out and land in the lake behind the house. Bob thinks that her house is alright, but right on cue, the sudden loss of weight causes the house to be flung across the town and crash-land upon impact.
Later that evening, after the disaster, Madame Blueberry is comforted by her butlers, the poor girl's family, and the little boy with his dad at the picnic table. They begin to sing the same song that the poor girl and the little boy sang earlier and Madame Blueberry believes that everything will turn out alright in the end.
Back on the countertop, Bob and Larry are sad about the story, that they start crying. The French Peas appear again and, now in a bossy manner, remind them that they need to wrap up the episode as soon as possible. Then, they head over to Qwerty for the bible verse of the day. The Bible verse is Proverbs 15:27a: "He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house." Larry decides that he will not get the camper for his jeep and will be happy for what he already owns as the show ends.
Characters
- Bob
- Larry
- Junior Asparagus
- The Scallions
- The French Peas
- Madame Blueberry
- Dad Asparagus
- Annie's Parents
- Goliath (Banner)
- Fibrilious Minimus (Banner)
- Jimmy Gourd (Banner)
- Jerry Gourd
- Mr. Lunt
- Burger Bell Clown
- Archibald Asparagus
- Buzz-Saw-Louie (Banner)
- Phil Winklestien (Banner)
- Art-Bigotti (Banner)
- Gladis Mushroom (Banner)
- Woman Voice (Singing)
Songs
- VeggieTales Theme Song
- I'm so Blue
- The Stuff-Mart Suite (The Salesmen Rap)
- His Cheeseburger
- The Thankfulness Song
Production
Madame Blueberry was actually conceived during the early process of VeggieTales when Phil Vischer and Mike Nawrocki were thinking of spoofing classic literature, before Where's God When I'm S-Scared? even came up. Mike Nawrocki read a book on Madame Borvary for college, and after production on VeggieTales started, he wanted to adapt a happy version of the story after seeing how it reminds him about everyone in his life. He also took some basis from Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", where the main character has a change of heart and a big climax.
Home media
VHS
- Word Entertainment (original release)
- Lyrick Studios (October 5th, 1999)
- Warner Home Video (May 20th, 2003)
- Sony Wonder (May 21st 2003)
DVD
- Word Entertainment (regular release)
- Warner Home Video (May 20th, 2003)
- Sony Wonder (May 21st, 2003)
Fun Facts
Moral
- Be thankful for what you have.
Explanations
- The kitchen sink being the last item is a visual gag on the term "Everything but the kitchen sink".
- Toaster ovens are miniature ovens that work the same way as a regular stove-top one.
Trivia
- This episode was the first for several things:
- The first appearance of Madame Blueberry, as well as the first episode of her and Bob's relationship.
- The first episode Annie appears with other characters known as her parents. She first appeared in The Toy That Saved Christmas with her Grandpa George.
- The first episode John Wahba and Daniel Patrick O'Brien worked on.
- The first episode to update the cold open by featuring Bob and Larry speaking with more up-to-date voices.
- The first episode to feature the 1998 logo and opening montage.
- This episode was the last for several things:
- The last episode Chris Olsen worked on. He's been working on VeggieTales at Big Idea since Where's God When I'm S-Scared?.
- This was also the last episode where Mike Nawrocki was given an editor's credit, but only during the His Cheeseburger song.
- Mike Nawrocki read the interactive storybook version on King George and the Ducky.
- This is the second episode where Bob and Larry don't receive a letter from a real kid who needs help.
- This is the first time What Have We Learned started without Bob saying It's Time To Talk About What We Learned Today and We're Over Here By Qwerty To Talk About What We Learned Today.
Remarks
- Aside from the end, the continuity on Madame Blueberry's hair when she's in the store is off. After Scallion One tells them its time to shop, she her blonde hair. But when he suggests to her about dropping he stuff at her house, she has her regular hair.
- The poster depicts the Fib with electric powers, which he never displayed in the episode he was in.
- This episode continues the "End of Silliness" story arc started in the previous episode, in which the disastrous results of "The Song of the Cebú" saw Silly Songs with Larry cancelled until further notice, while management fielded other ideas for mid-show songs.
- Towards the end of the episode, Bob and Larry are seen crying without any tears in their eyes.
Goofs
- The inside of Blueberry's mouth is missing while shopping through the aisles.
- When Larry drives, he is first seen without a mouth.
- The shadows on the train set are out of place.
- As the camera turns during Junior and his dad singing, the flags and carts in the background were buzzing. The shadows were flickering as well.
- When Madame Blueberry moves while sitting, she often clips through the cushion.
- After Blueberry gets off the cart, the pea driver glitches a bit.
- Annie in one shot is shown with no mouth.
- After most of the stuff falls out of the house, both Bob and Madame Blueberry are smaller than how they were from the previous shot.
- The air compressor clips through the wall when it flies out the door. Also in the same shot, one of the wood supports for the house glitches a bit.
- When the house is flying, there is a black hole in the middle of the house's wood ground.
- When Junior and Annie are shown singing in the end, the plate is missing and then it reappeares. They are at the end in one shot in the further away shot they are back in the middle of the table.
- Still waters are shown.
Inside References
- The Scallions as salesmen is likely a reference to what Scallion One was in the Forgive-o-matic segment.
- The way Bob said "Whaddaya suppose that is?" is in the same manner Percy said in the first Larry-Boy episode.
Real-World References
- Jerry Lewis, born in Newark, NJ, was a comedian and actor, known for his works such as 1963's "The Nutty Professor". He was known currently for hosting telethons supporting the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He passed away on August 20th, 2017.
- The way Jean Claude narrates some parts in rhyme is a similar manner towards the Madeline series (a children's series about a little girl in France, and the narrator would rhyme in a dime).
- Jeep is a car manufacturer.
Episode Transcript
Gallery
