Sheerluck Holmes and the Golden Ruler

Sheerluck Holmes and the Golden Ruler
File:Veggietales dvd sheerluck.jpg DVD cover
Directed by	Mike Nawrocki
Written by	Robert G. Lee
Produced by	David Pitts
Starring	Phil Vischer, Mike Nawrocki, Jim Poole, Tim Hodge, Rachael Pitts, Cydney Trent
Music by	Kurt Heinecke, Phil Vischer, Mike Nawrocki
Distributed by	Sony Wonder
Release date	March 2006
Running time	52 minutes
Language	English

Sheerluck Holmes and the Golden Ruler is the 28th episode in the VeggieTales series. It was released in early 2006 in both DVD and VHS format. Subtitled "A Lesson in Friendship", it features two stories that illustrate what it means to be a good friend. The first is a parody of Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes. The second is a parody of the Sherlock Holmes novels and stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Synopsis

As with most episodes, Sheerluck Holmes opens with the countertop sequence, hosted by Bob and Larry who receive a message from a child from Minot, North Dakota asking how to get friends. After Larry insults South Dakota with a series of puns (stating its inferiority to North Dakota), Bob begins the show.

"Asparagus of La Mancha" starts with Knight Don Quixote facing three Peas in a surrealist world made of cooking utensils and foods. Then he wakes up. It was a dream. He and his best friend Poncho work in a Spanish restaurant. However, Jean Claude comes in to inform the duo of a new restaurant opening across the street called The Food Factory, the most successful restaurant in the world. With their customers abandoning them, Don is sure they will go out of business.

After losing another game of Spanish checkers to Poncho, Don goes back to sleep. He assumes his latest dream has informed him to try different themes to win back their customers. This fails, and shortly after, the Food Factory manager offers Poncho a job at the Food Factory. Poncho refuses.

Don's next dream suggests that he takes on the Food Factory. Don does so and gets arrested. While there, Poncho learns that Don's addiction to his super-spicy salsa is causing the bad dreams. He weans Don off the salsa, much to Don's disappointment. The next morning, Don claims he slept well. Sheriff Bob claims he'll let Don go if he quits the salsa. Poncho has an idea to open their restaurant for breakfast, as the Food Factory doesn't open until lunchtime.

In the Silly Song, Larry's ball ends up in a fenced community. Three singing neighbors from the Gated Community sing a fancy song about their community, seemingly oblivious to Larry's presence or at least disregarding it. At the end, Larry finally receives his ball and thanks them.

"Sheerluck Holmes" opens up to Sheerluck and Wattson entering Doylie's ice cream parlor, claiming they have "The Howling Dogs of Baker Street" case wrapped up. Sheerluck takes all the credit, upsetting Wattson. After leaving, Scooter informs the duo of a plot to steal the Golden Ruler, the kingdom's most valuable treasure. At the palace, they meet up with the Prime Minister and Fish and Chips, who want to solve the case themselves.

Back at Doylie's, Wattson finally cracks and leaves, saying to Sheerluck, "When you want to treat me like a friend, come talk to me." Later, at Sheerluck's apartment, Scooter informs him that the Golden Ruler has been stolen. He arrives at Wattson's apartment, only to be battered by Wattson's maids.

At the palace, Sheerluck is clueless without Wattson. He finally realizes the Golden Rule, after which Wattson appears; he has been disguised as one of the palace guards. In a CSI-type method, he explains that the thief is a palace guard who is a French spy imposter. The guard is arrested, and Sheerluck and Wattson celebrate at Doylie's.

Back at the countertop, Larry apologizes for insulting South Dakota and receives a musical message from South Dakota which shows their/its acceptance for his apology. Following this, Bob and Larry finish (except Larry is Larryboy in the second half of the conclusion and he is getting ready for "Larryboy & The Bad Apple") and roll the credits.

Cast of Characters

Asparagus of LaMancha

• Archibald Asparagus as Don Quixote (pronounced KEE-HO-TAY)
• Mr. Lunt as Poncho
• Mr. Nezzer (Nebby K. Nezzer) as the Food Factory Manager
• Bob the Tomato as the Sheriff
• Jean Claude Pea as himself
• Other Spanish citizens

Gated Community

• Larry the Cucumber as himself
• Matthew West and Matthew Ward as the Gated Community Singers

Sheerluck Holmes and the Golden Ruler

• Larry the Cucumber as Sheerluck Holmes
• Bob the Tomato as Dr. Watson
• Archibald Asparagus as the Prime Minister
• Pa Grape as the King of England
• Madame Blueberry as the Queen of England
• Philippe Pea as the criminal
• Jimmy and Jerry Gourd as the ice cream patrons
• Scooter carrot as the English citizen
• Mr. Nezzer as Detective Bill Trout
• Mr. Lunt as Sergeant John Spud
• Other London citizens
• Other ice cream patrons

Segments

• Opening Countertop
• The Asparagus Of La Mancha
• Gated Community
• Sheerluck Holmes and the Golden Ruler
• Closing Countertop

Songs

In addition to the ubiquitous "VeggieTales Theme" and "What We Have Learned," this episode contains the following songs:

• The Gated Community (Silly Song), sung by Larry and the Gated Community Singers
• Call on Me, sung by Sheerluck
• Call on Us, sung by Sheerluck and Wattson
• Kaci Dakota Carson, sung by the Kaci Dakota Carson Singers

DVD Content

Big Idea has consistently packed the VeggieTales DVDs with a variety of additional features intended to appeal to both children and adults alike. This section itemizes the content of the DVD.

Chapters

• 1. Bob's Letter
• 2. Don's Charge
• 3. Food Factory
• 4. Faithful Friend
• 5. Don in Jail
• 6. Gated Community
• 7. Doylie's
• 8. The Game's Afoot!
• 9. Sheerluck Solo
• 10. Dr. Watson's Surprise
• 11. What We Have Learned
• 12. Credits

Bonus Features

Behind the Scenes – Sheerluck & the Super Sleuth – Studio Commentary – Bob & Larry's Playhouse – Veggie Commentary – Art Gallery – Video Trivia – Sing Along – Interactive Storybook – Mystery Adventure Game – Watson's Family Activity – Bean Dip of Lamancha – How to Draw – Easter Eggs – Previews for LarryBoy and the Bad Apple and Gideon: A Lesson In Trusting God – DVD-ROM Fun!

Notes and Trivia

• The character Sheerluck Homes is a play on words sounding like Sherlock Homes and having the phrase sheer luck which in the episode is how he solved most cases
• This show features a tribute to South Dakota.
• Poncho's tooth is from his role as Ahem in the previous show, Lord of the Beans.
• Jim Poole reprises his voice as Scooter for the first time since A Snoodle's Tale.
• Larry-Boy makes a brief cameo at the end of the countertop, marking his first video appearance since Larry-Boy and the Rumor Weed.
• This is the first show to be rendered in Mental Ray.
• Instead of the usual "A-pop" Big Idea logo, the end of the credits features the Big Idea logo from the beginning of Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie, which makes it their new logo now that the new VeggieTales videos are longer than a half hour.
• The potato sacks bear a "Spuds" logo, which was originally supposed to be on Larry's hat during the silly song, but DKP just guessed that the texture was to be applied to the potato sacks.
• The jail Don is in is a completely remodeled version of the jail from The Star of Christmas and The Ballad of Little Joe.
• Mr. Nezzer is seen here as the proprietor of yet another factory: the Food Factory restaurant. See also Rack, Shack, and Benny (chocolate factory), The Toy that Saved Christmas (toy factory), and An Easter Carol (Easter Egg factory).
• The spinning spatulas atop the Food Factory are an interpretation of the windmill attacked by Don Quixote in Don Quixote de la Mancha.
• The name of the ice cream parlor Doylie's is a nod to Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
• The ice cream parlor setting is also a nod to Cheers and Jimmy and Jerry Gourd are dressed as Cliff Clavin and Norm Peterson.
• The Sheerluck Holmes case "The Howling Dogs of Baker Street" seems to be a play of words on Sherlock Holmes novel The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
• The waitress at Doylie's was originally played by Petunia, and though later in production they changed the character, they kept Petuina's voice.
• When the main part (Sheerluck Holmes) airs on Qubo, Bob, the tomato went fast on the countertop to save time. In fact, he didn't even let Jimmy, the Mailgourd finish the song.

Quotes

• (on Qubo countertop)

Jimmy the Mailgourd (singing): Mail, mail, here is your mail...

(Bob, in a hurry, takes the letter.)

Jimmy: Hey, I didn't finish the song!

• (also on Qubo countertop)

Larry: How do you know that we needed a letter for a very long story?

Bob: Oh, I read the script.

Larry: You read the script? It's like you know what you're going to say before we're going to say it! It's like predicting the future! Seeing the winner of the Super Bowl! Where do they keep these scripts?

Bob: I don't know.

Larry: Aw, rats!

External links

• Official Website
• Veggietales at Christian Cartoons Online
• Ultimate Veggie