What's Going On With Big Idea?

Hey there, fellow Veggie fans. I know it's been way too long since I last posted anything. It's partly due to the fact that life has been busy, but a lot of it also has to do with the state of VeggieTales today.

I'm absolutely not complaining about In the House/In the City; I still want to write some on my favorite episodes in the series. But admittedly, the shorter-length Netflix format doesn't make it as easy to write about as the longer direct-to-videos. There are so many new stories at once, it's hard to know where to begin sometimes. But I'm not writing this post to discuss my reasons for not writing in three years, I'm writing because I have some questions I'm hoping someone might know something about.

I believe the last episode of In the City aired last year. Bye Bye, Bacon Bill was the only ITH/ITC episode to end with a "the end," and felt like a sweet way to close out the series overall. But this came without any announcement or warning. And since then, I've noticed some things that have me a little concerned.

First of all, it seems the only thing on the socials lately has been these promotional images featuring Bible verses, inspirational quotes, jokes, and the like. You've most likely seen them and know what I'm talking about. They're very cute, and it's always good to have something encouraging pop up on the feed, but they don't give us much idea of the goings-on at the company, or what they may have planned next after ITC.

Second, it seems that VeggieTales.com has become solely a shopping site. And its spot under DreamWorks/Classic Media doesn't give much information either (except, perhaps, for the interesting note from four years ago that they had more releases planned than actually happened). Again, on both accounts, I wish there was more to say from the company directly about news and updates, especially if something's wrong.

Perhaps the most alarming was the company address I found today on an email:

Big Idea Entertainment, LLC
386 Park Avenue South
16th Floor
New York, NY 10016 

They moved to New York? When did that happen?
This could just be the merchandising branch of the company, but I'm not sure.

None of this is truly to say they aren't still a thriving company with some new, exciting tricks up their sleeves. But... I don't know. I wish I did.

The biggest "sign of life" I've seen with Big Idea lately was a Facebook Saturday Silly Song Sing-Along with Nicole C. Mullen a few weeks back. It was encouraging to know they were doing something, but it still doesn't really answer my questions.

I recently re-read the portion of Phil Vischer's book, Me, Myself, and Bob, regarding Big Idea's original downfall, and I was re-reminded of the challenges and difficulties of running a small animation company. I'm sure there are still challenges and difficulties today, even with DreamWorks' ownership.

I know that seemingly much of the fandom is divided on ITH/ITC, but as far as I knew, the shows were still doing well overall. Could there have been enough of a dent from viewers who didn't like it to ultimately hurt the company? I certainly hope not.

I care about Big Idea and the amazing people who work there. I miss hearing from them through featurettes, audio commentaries, interviews, and articles. There is so much creativity there, and most importantly, a fierce desire to make sure kids -- and the rest of the world -- know that God made them special and loves them very much! I want to know what they have planned next for VeggieTales, or if they have something totally new and different in mind. I'm glad they're still making some neat merchandise (I love my mini blind bag Larry!), but I don't think that's the future of Big Idea.

VeggieTales is not merely a lifestyle brand for preschoolers and parents.
VeggieTales is not dead.
VeggieTales is something special.
It's funny, it's genuine, it speaks truth.
It's for everyone.
And there's never been anything like it.
Same for the brave little company and the amazing people who created it 25 years ago.

I know most of you out there don't know the answers any more than I do, but I just wanted to put these thoughts out here, just in case.

Keep Big Idea in your prayers for whatever happens, whether The Bob and Larry Movie will finally be realized (one can hope!), or if it's ultimately the end of VeggieTales silliness.

Hopefully you'll see more posts soon!

GMUS & <3sUVM,
 - Chandler

Silly Song Saturday... Will You Be Celebrating?

Image credit: my own DVD.

Hey to my brothers and sisters in the VT fandom! Need something to spice up your weekend?

Well, I thought I'd introduce you to one of my own personal traditions that's coming up tomorrow... Silly Song Saturday! Why? Because it's the second Saturday in September! (Which just sounds kind of silly, doesn't it?) And it's the perfect day to sit down and watch all those Silly Song singalong collections I don't watch nearly enough!

Basically, I like to watch all the Silly Songs I know, from The Water Buffalo Song all the way down to the wonderfulness that is Perfect Puppy! It's easy to watch the episodes as they are, but I find it's really nice to just sit down and enjoy these timeless, charming, and funny songs on their own!

So, I'd love to get some more folks to join me in the silliness this weekend! Think we can make #SillySongSaturday a thing? Or even #SillySongSunday? Lettuce revel in the silliness this weekend as Veggie fans united! (Oops, where'd that veggie pun come from?)

And apologies I don't have the review up for Celery Night Fever yet... look for that coming soon!

GMUS&<3sUVM,
- Chandler

The Countertop Joins Twitter, Plus Other News

There have been times when I had something VeggieTales related that I wanted to say, but it just wasn't long enough to justify a blog post. For a long time now I've toyed around with the idea with opening a Twitter account for The Countertop so that I have a place to share these thoughts. Well, today I finally did it! You can now follow @CountertopTweets if you have a Twitter account, or you can simply keep up with our latest Tweets in the handy little widget up in the corner.

In other news, Ultimate Veggie (a VeggieTales fan website started back in the late 90s) was completely updated and relaunched. They've got tons of new features, and it's pretty awesome! You can check out the website at: www.ultimateveggie.com.

Recently, cookbook author Christy Jordan got to take a tour of Big Idea. You can read the full account of her visit and enter to win a copy of God Wants Me To Forgive Them? here. I must say, I'm rather jealous of her. I've always wanted to visit Big Idea and meet the people who make VeggieTales. Maybe someday...