The Ball That Saved Christmas

The Ball That Saved Christmas is the sixth episode of ObjectTales and the first holiday special of the series.

## Plot

(Grandpa) Joe Coatrack (In a role similar to S.D. Kluger from Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town) finishes up a bedtime story for his granddaughter Annie Coatrack. She asks for another one, but he tells her that she needs to get some sleep, otherwise she'll be exhausted the next day. However, after all the begging, he tells a Christmas bedtime story to his granddaughter Annie. In the story, Mr. Bowlingpin is the owner of a toy company who, via television commercial, is spreading the word of his newest toyline, "Ball," with a working hook built into his trunk and a trigger in his side that makes him tell kids to get more toys (though delivery isn't available in Puggslyville due to the collapse of the bridge linking the paths of the factory and village). After seeing the commercial, the kids of Zinkletown (the town Joe claims he used to deliver mail to) begin begging their parents for more toys. As Ball toys roll off the production line, one of them inexplicably comes to life and escapes the factory to search for the true meaning of Christmas.

On Christmas Eve, Jerry, Mario, and Little Tommy go sledding. They happen upon the escaped Ball, who asks the Objects for help. Mario suggests that they go see (Grandpa) Joe Coatrack who reads the Nativity of Jesus from Luke and explains that the true meaning of Christmas is to give, not get. The kids are heartened by the news and plan a way to tell the rest of the people about the true meaning of Christmas before Christmas Day. Jerry, Mario, Little Tommy, and Ball sneak into Mr. Bowlingpin's factory and succeed in avoiding his security guards and broadcast a message using his TV studio's equipment. Shortly after, Mr. Bowlingpin discovers the group and decides to get rid of them by tying them to a sled and sending them away, though is interrupted by the families of Zinkletown, who intervene. Realizing the error of his ways, Mr. Bowlingpin repents after being given a teddy bear as a gift. However, Mr. Bowlingpin inadvertently presses a button and sends the sled with Mario, Roger, Little Tommy, and Ball down through the restricted Puggslyville tube. Panicking, Mr. Bowlingpin and several of his penguin workers get on their own sleds and give chase in an attempt to save the four. However, Ball saves the Objects by diverting the sled's course, leaving Mr. Bowlingpin alone racing toward the broken bridge. Ball and the penguins are able to save Mr. Bowlingpin just as he is about to fall down the ravine. The story concludes with everybody in Zinkletown, including Mr. Bowlingpin, getting together to celebrate a Christmas party.

## Trivia

* This episode was the first for several things:
	+ The first Christmas episode.
	+ The first episode Luis Contreras worked on.
	+ The first appearance of Annie, Percy Feather Duster and his brother Lil' Feather Duster, Larry's mother and brother, and Ball.
	+ The first episode to not show countertop. The silly song doesn't count.
	+ The first episode where they use arms and legs.
	+ The first episode to have different animations.
	+ The first episode not to have the ObjectTales theme.
	+ The first episode to be reanimated. It was reanimated in 1998 prior to the airing of the ObjectTales Christmas Spectacular!.
* The footage used for the television broadcast is in a different frame rate than the rest of the episode. Zack states that they did this so it makes it look like a home video.
* The pajamas Annie is wearing have the same pattern as the background Xwerty uses for the verses.
* There is a picture in Joe's house of Joe in a sailor's uniform in the reanimated version. It is possible he may have been a Navy veteran at some point.
* The episode features the debut of Ball who, like several other main/title characters in later ObjectTales episodes (e.g. Ella in Ella... The Lady Who Became Queen, and Little Nicky from Saint Jackson: A Story of Joyful Giving), doesn't return in later episodes.
* John Danen, Zack Nawrocki, Eddie Olsen and Bob Smith were shocked to see that Wilbert Ellis was animating in a bathing suit.
* All of the Ball's in their boxes are just still images.
* The kids state they have been waiting for Christmas for a million hours. A million hours is actually 41,667 days, and equates to a total of 114 years.
* The 1998 Lyrick Studios releases of the episode would either contain the original or 1998 version.
* In the 1998 version, Joe's pickup truck is full of wrapped packages as he's driving, but when he delivers the only package addressed to Zinkletown, it's nearly empty. On that note, why is that package not wrapped in Christmas paper like all the others?
* The TV in Little Tommy's house turns on by itself to play the Ball commercial.
* Only a single, yard-long fence with a skull head 'Danger' sign is being used to protect bypassers from the collapsed bridge.
* Somehow, the protagonists were able to climb up the steep mountaintops without any proper mountain-climbing equipment.
* Upon seeing the protagonists 'borrowing' his TV studio, Mr. Bowlingpin is much more concerned about someone ruining "his" Christmas than the toy he made inexplicably coming to life.
* The protagonists are tied up in such a way they could easily hop off the sled if they wanted to. Strangely enough, they somehow manage to stay ON the sled (even after Ball cuts the rope apart) despite the fact it's cruising through the tube and down the mountaintops at incredibly fast speeds!
* The single, yard-long fence holds up pretty well as Mr. Bowlingpin crashes right through it and is left alone racing towards the collapsed bridge.
* Ball's furniture is all toy-sized and as such it's purpose is negated.
* A few references from Jeff, Austin and Yugo were used here:
	+ Mr. Wario mentions about Nebby K. and his pizza factory.
	+ Joe narrating the story.
	+ Mr. Bowlingpin trying to get rid of the main protagonists, but later redeeming himself.
* When the gang first come upon Mr. Bowlingpin's television studio, you'll notice pictures of the "Forgive-o-Matic" skit from the second episode and the couch from "I Love My Lips."
* When Joe delivers the presents to Zinkletown, there is a shot which shows Christmas presents. One of the presents features wrapping paper covered with various ObjectTales characters. It's only featured in the newly animated version after the initial 1996 release.
* Joe's truck and job is a nod towards S.D. Kluger from Rankin-Bass' "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town".
* Mouse Trap is a board game where to goal is to play against each other by getting the other player trapped in one of the Rube Goldberg-like mouse traps.
* Bumblyburg later became the city where Captain Timerpants resides.
* Mario would later say his famous words in a later Christmas special.
* Mr. Bowlingpin with a teddy bear would be a reference in Robin Clip, where his character sleeps with one.
* The skull head logo would be used as the first logo on Pa Broomstick's pirate hat in The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything and as the dead-end zone which is actually the entrance to the Timer-cave used in Captain Timerpants! and the Goo from Planet Mars!.

## Goofs

* Some white on Annie's mouth can be seen when she turns her head on the pillow. This could be from the pillow clipping through her mouth.
* Larry was missing his mouth in one shot.
* As Little Diana and her family are watching the protagonists' broadcast about the true meaning of Christmas, Little Trixie's mom blinks, but loses half of her eyeliner in the process.
* When the rope is first seen,there are knots on the rope, but when the rope is thrown, there are no knots.