120: Pixelspix.com (prod 117)

Original airdate: July 11, 2005

Story by Inger Le Gue

Written by Noah Zachary, Cole Louie, Magnus Scheving

Directed by Raymond P. Le Gue

Executive producers - Magnus Scheving, Ragnheidur Melsted, Raymond P. Le Gue, Mark Read, Brown Johnson, Kay Wilson Stallings

Starring Magnus Scheving, Stefan Karl Steffanson, Julianna Rose Mauriello

Puppeteers - Ronald Binion, Gudmondor Thor Karason, Jodi Eichelberger, David Matthew Feldman, Julie Westwood, Amanda Maddock

I like Pixel. I love making websites. I love LazyTown. What will I think of a LazyTown episode about Pixel’s website - Pixelspix?

The episode begins with a recycled cold open from Sportafake.. except that Pixel is watching it in his computer. At 23 seconds in the episode, the video plays backwards and forwards, and then Pixel’s media player frame is revealed.

 

In response to Ziggy asking how Pixel made the video go in reverse, Pixel says that with his new multi-media player which can play many video files, anything is possible. And Ziggy understands none of that. To rephrase - Pixel has computer. On computer he can watch video. And then he shows Ziggy his creation - Pixelspix.com, his very own webpage featuring everyone in LazyTown. The way he makes the icon is by scanning a photo of someone (he of course uses Stephanie as example), and when he clicks the icon, a video of her dancing plays.

If this was a real webpage, I’d go on it all the time! Thankfully we have the Flash Nick Jr. promotional version. Anyways, they play ’Have You Ever’ on the computer. But Robbie is eavesdropping, and Pixel plays a video of Stingy trying to teach him how to brush his teeth… which woulda taken 3 seconds if Ziggy hadn’t asked to press play, got the mouse stuck to his hands (coffee, taffy, caramel covered hands), had to have Pixel pull it off and get it stuck to HIS OWN head, and then finally clicked it.

Sometimes I just don’t know about that boy. So then the video plays - and Ziggy gets his toothbrush. A BIG. GIANT. TOOTHBRUSH. Not even CaseOh would need that. Then he takes his regular nasty toothbrush with chewed candy all over it (I just threw up a bit in my mouth..) then Stingy offers to give him the brand new toothbrush he’s never used before. (I swear, if Stingy uses it after that, then I’m going crazy) Then Stingy says you need to put something on the toothbrush, and can you guess Ziggy’s first guess?

CHOCOLATE. So Stingy corrects him by telling him he needs to put on TOOTHPASTE. Ziggy likes the flavour of the toothpaste and he asks for more but Stingy says ‘no’. Not to be stingy, but because you can definitely have enough toothpaste. Then Stingy says to go twenty times up and down and the two sing the Twenty Times song.

Meanwhile Robbie is annoyed about how Pixel left him out so he devises a plan with one of those really skinny debating boards. But then he drops it on his feet and start massaging them as if it hurts. LOL.

Meanwhile, Pixel is watching HIS files on Pixelspix which is a bunch of clips of him from the past nineteen episodes (are there cameras EVERYWHERE in the town??) and then he watches the Sportacus file. Pixel describes him perfectly. When they watch a clip of Sportacus falling down from his airship and then landing on the brick wall, Pixel says 'he sure isn’t doing anything in a cool way!’.

Magnus (Sportacus) wrote this episode alongside the two OTHER main writers for this season, but I’m guessing that was all him. Also, Pixel uses Linux but his video player looks like Windows Media Player 11 (the greatest media player EVER!!!!). While the two are watching clips from the show (I know these are from past episodes, but technically speaking, in the LT universe, who filmed the videos??), Robbie enters somebody else’s property without that person knowing.

Aren’t there any laws in this goddamn town? And why does Pixel have two yellow cushions and one blue cushion on the blue bed? How ugly is THAT? Anyways, Robbie puts his hand on the duck on Pixel’s window frame (why does he have that? I was thinking he just had some device to shower him) and he falls off the ladder.

So, Pixel’s screensaver says it’s time to 'Get up and Move’, which coincidentally was the name of the game that was used to promote LazyTown before the first episode aired. A nice throwback! So anyways, they go to get a snack from the kitchen and Robbie has climbed back into the room. He tries to delete the webpage but a video of Sportacus plays (which looks like it was produced very very early in the production of Season 1).

He tries to get it off but he keeps on skipping five seconds further.. LOL!! So he tries to figure out what the vacuum Pixel is using does (didn’t he eavesdrop like 5 minutes ago..?) by licking it and smelling it. Robbie has never seen a vacuum cleaner yet his lair is actually pretty organized and clean. Anyways, he finally scans himself in.

Robbie then asks himself the five W’s 'who? what? when? where? WHY!!??!!’. Then he finally realizes he is in Pixelspix. He trips over a pencil then he tries to rub out Stingy’s icon, but It’s Mine plays. He does NOT like it. I did! Anyways, Pixel and Ziggy have came back from the kitchen. Pixel says he will add games to the website (foreshadowing Pixels Brix!) and Ziggy asks about a Rotten game because Robbie is teasing them.

I’d just punch the computer. Anyways, Pixel goes boringly and tries clicking Robbie but the self proclaimed Computerized Man is too fast for them. Kinda funny how the laziest guy in town is so quick.

Robbie picks up a brush and is going to paint Trixie’s icon away until Ziggy unplugs the computer cord not knowing what it does. HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW WHAT THAT DOES???!!! Then he plugs it back in and Robbie has been lying down as if he’s dead. LOL!!!

They try clicking him away, but they can’t. They call on Sportacus for help. Meanwhile, Robbie has SOMEHOW got a cannon and cannonball and is firing at Milford’s video. But instead, the video plays but a bunch of boring tech stuff overlays it then he writes a script and the video is back to normal.

They try clickity clacking Robbie over and over but he is MUCH too fast for them!! Luckily, here comes our hero! Also, doesn’t it ever irk anyone when he doesn’t say 'Platform down’ once he goes on the ladder?

Anyways, Ziggy takes him to Pixel’s house and he tells them that they need some help doing a very hard task. They aren’t sure he can do it, but he says he can.. until he finds out that task is STANDING STILL. LOL! So they scan him in the WEB SITE, and Sportacus says he will delete Robbie from the program. Below screenshot is hilarious.

It’s a chase scene and Robbie is desperate to hide. He hides behind Stephanie’s dances folder and yet Sportacus doesn’t get him. whaaaa? Robbie is running around the folder really fast in hopes Sportacus doesn’t get him. But if only he knew. LOL!!

Robbie hides in the folder and Sportacus starts to shake it then he jumps into it. It’s a shortcut to Pixel’s video storage drive and they keep jumping into folders. Robbie is too scaredy-cat blooded so he jumps out and Sportacus comes right after him, not letting him get into the folders.

So what in the world does Robbie do? Give up, hurt Sportacus, or jump in the trash bin? You can probably guess which one he does but, just in case..

He jumps in the trash bin. Also, did anyone notice that some of Sportacus’ shirt blends in with the background. Not very good rotoscoping. So, the mission has been completed. Sportacus outruns Robbie, and he outsmarts him. Pixel empties the recycle bin and they bring back Sportacus. Good screenie below.

Sportacus compliments Pixel’s webpage, considering he was just in it for the past few minutes, and Pixel wants to show him something else but Sportacus stops him and goes back to the airship. Meanwhile, they play Bing Bang on Pixel’s computer. Then once the song ends, Ziggy falls down. LOL!! Meanwhile, Robbie has actually been in the trash can and he drops the lid.

I absolutely love this episode, but absence of Stephanie was kinda annoying, but not surprising considering it takes place in Pixel’s room. She probably would’ve said something witty.

9/10

 

119: Prince Stingy (prod 132)

Filming in November 2004. This photo shouldn't have been taken - switch off the cameras so you don't give the crazy fans the attention they want.

Original airdate: June 10, 2005

Story by Magnus Scheving

Written by Noah Zachary, Cole Louie, Magnus Scheving

Directed by Raymond P. Le Gue, Magnus Scheving

Executive producers - Magnus Scheving, Ragnheidur Melsted, Raymond P. Le Gue, Mark Read, Brown Johnson, Kay Wilson Stallings

Starring Magnus Scheving, Stefan Karl Steffanson, Julianna Rose Mauriello

Puppeteers - Ronald Binion, Gudmondor Thor Karason, Jodi Eichelberger, David Matthew Feldman, Julie Westwood

I never really liked Stingy. An episode about him? What will I think about it?

Sportacus is in the airship and he is hitting apples with a bunch of tennis rackets, making sure they all land on the floor in a square-shaped bunch. FOOD WASTING!!! Actually, he is finishing off his Sports Candy Castle. FORESHADOWING!!!

The kids are outside doing some roleplaying and fighting with balloon swords. Sportacus decides to see what they’re doing through his telescope, which I must admit, I have always wanted. Meanwhile, Robbie is trying to sleep and gets woken up by their battle cries.

He then says those kids don’t understand the joy of sitting around doing nothing all day. Funny thing is, Magnus Scheving does. He himself says that everyone is Robbie Rotten sometimes. Anyways, Pixel, Stephanie & Trixie are declaring themselves the 3 musketeers and Stingy is declaring himself the prince. FORESHA- Oh, the episode is literally titled ‘Prince Stingy’.

The kids want to take a juice and snack break but Stingy says that they don’t want to stop and they have to listen to him because he is a prince. Way to take advantage. Robbie is eavesdropping and realizes 'Sticky’ wants to be a prince. He has a brilliant idea to make his wish come true. Meanwhile, Stingy throws his paper crown away in hopes for a real one.

Sportacus’ crystal beeps while he is still looking at the telescope. Stingy is driving his car, and he is in trouble. Then plays a recycled and re-edited rescue scene from 'The Great Crystal Caper’. The stories in this season are so captivating and awesome but so many shots, scenes and songs are reused it just annoys me a lot.

After that Stingy asks Sportacus what is wrong with the world and if he thinks Stingy’s a prince. Sportacus says Stingy is a nice guy (nice my butt, he broke a gift in the Christmas special out of curiosity) but he is interrupted by Stingy who won’t listen any further.

Sportacus has much better things to do then convince an eight year old brat who’s so stingy that his parents literally named him 'Stingy’ as soon as they saw him come out of the womb that he is in-fact a prince. Anyways, Robbie is in his lair, finalizing his plan.

His plan is to go into a disguise as a knight, convince Stingy he is a prince, lock him in a castle, make new laws, and kick Sportacus out of the town! I can think of a bunch of ways this would go wrong, but.. ok. Sportacus is in town and calls for the sky chaser and he goes somewhere. But we have to figure out later.

Because.. IT’S DISGUISE TIME!! Robbie finds the perfect knight disguise (There is only one episode in history where Robbie can’t find a good disguise..) after Lazycus (too hero) & Fordmill Meansbad (too “zero”, get the joke?). Sportacus is going back to the airship.. to drive it into town. Sportacus was in town, he got the sky chaser to drive back to his airship, then he drives the airship back to town??? WHAT??? The logic in this show is non-existent sometimes, and you have to admit that no matter how big a fan you are.Anyways, the kids are still roleplaying when Sir Rottenham comes into the town and tells them who he is. The costume comes with a horse and fake legs on the side. We can see the real legs slightly, LOL!

Robbie is showing them a scroll and pointing the royal seal about how LazyTown used to be ruled by royalty and that he is on a mission to find the lost prince. Stingy is of course interested so he drives over. Robbie then parodies Cinderella by claiming that whoever can fit in Stingy’s shoe is the lost prince.

How in the world did he get his shoe? Something to think about.. so he tries it on Pixel (who actually fits it but Robbie keeps moving the shoe) and Stingy (who pushed Ziggy out the way, this is why I hate him). Of course, it perfectly fits on Stingy. Now the stage is put up, Stingy has a robe.

And then he sings the undeniably awesome song - ’I am a Prince’. This song should’ve been released as a single. It’d fly to the top of the charts in a week! Anyways, Stingy is acting bratty, telling Rottenham to not let the robe touch the floor, and nobody likes it.

Then comes some hilarious dialogue from Ziggy: 'There was once a time when Stingy was just our friend.. it seems like it was yesterday.’ It’s funny because it WAS yesterday. They all get over it and have a sword fight 3 seconds after sulking. Meanwhile, Rottenham tells Stingy to have some laws, but Stingy wants things: toys, candy, electronic devices. Then Rottenham shows him the castle, and he sheds a single tear.

It’s not that deep.. so anyways, Rottenham tells him to look in the castle, and inside is a treasure chest. Inside is a mountain of gold, and it’s shiny. Stingy then shuts the door on Rottenhamburger and the plan is going just how Rottenham wanted it.

Does anyone notice how in the screenshot above, the sky outside the window is purple? The editors were a bit lazy working on LazyTown. Anyways, the kids are still having a sword fight and Rottenham brings a long list of laws “Stingy” has ordered. The first being “No one can play sports anymore forever”. The second being “No more dancing”.

Stephanie is annoyed and says that he can’t do that but he says that she has never slept on a king or queen size bed (I mean.. he got a point..) and knows nothing about royalty. Stephanie has a feeling Stingy isn’t making up these rules, and she says Sportacus will come to the rescue. (I know he’s a superhero, but can’t these kids defend themselves for once?) Then Robbie says the third rule - the blue elf must leave LazyTown forever. Now everybody mad. This bad. Steph sad.

While Stingy is telling knock knock jokes to a coin, he quickly realizes that he wants his friends back. and Robbie locks him in the castle, saying that he’s got everything he wanted. Stingy says he wants his friends, but Rottenham lies and says his friends don’t want him. Robbie tests out his lever that drops you into the ground (seen later in Secret Agent Zero) that is covered by fake grass.

His friends decide that even if he is acting weird, they are all for one and one for all. Stephanie is my favourite kid of them all. She has no health problems and she cares about her friends. This episode proves it further. Meanwhile, Stingy has walked to the top of the ladder and yells for help.. he just put himself in further trouble… what???!!!

Sportacus sees him and uses the Sky Chaser (again..) to save him. But the kids are on it.. until Ziggy, Pixel and Trixie fall in Robbie’s trap. The thing is that, Robbie has pulled the lever, they look down, and THEN they fall.

Honestly, Robbie is so devious, trapping three kids in a hole just so they can be lazy. This show needed to cover the topic of not getting what you want and dealing with it. Anyways, Stephanie has thrown a hook up to the castle and is climbing up.

…and she is in trouble herself now because she doesn’t know how to get down. *sigh* I love this show, but can anyone think?? Then Sportacus comes to the rescue to do exactly what Stephanie did but with an exciting twist.

Because if Magnus (a 39 year old man) visibly touched Julianna (a 13 year old girl) on screen, all the Nick Jr. sissy moms would FREAK, Sportacus wraps one end of the hook over a tree branch, and the other to the airship’s platform.

He calls for a slider from the airship and Stephanie is practically riding on Sportacus’ back, who is on a zipline. All in all a very fun way to get rescued. Then Sportacus CLIMBS UP THE CASTLE to save Stingy by putting him on his back while he goes on the zipline. On the way down, he kicks the lever.

Honestly, I’d get in trouble purposely so he could save me again because that is JUST EPIC! So anyways, Sportacus, Stephanie and Stingy see the kids and they all say 'Oh no’ at different times. Who wrote this part and why? Or were the two rubbing off on Magnus, and caused him to say it on accident?

So he pulls them all up and the episode ends with everyone in safety! NOT. Rottenham still has to serve the consequences for trapping and lying to the kids. So Sportacus uses the sky chaser.. again.. and he stops him.

One thing I notice a lot is that the LazyTowners seem to use anything around them to do something. In Zap It, Pixel uses the soda nearby as an example for the Zapper 6000, and in Rottenbeard, Robbie fights Sportacus using balloon swords. In this episode, Rottenham is going to try to mop Sportacus out of LazyTown!

Sportacus grabs the nearby mop, and the two collide. Robbie is super dizzy (HOW????) and he falls into his own trap. Sportacus offers to help but Robbie says no.

So then they all sing Bing Bang to celebrate… being trapped in a castle and a pit hole, loneliness and lies. All in one episode of a television show targeted at eight year olds. Anyways, Robbie is still trapped in the pit hole, and his puppet horse sneezes on him twice. WHAAATTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!???????????

Ehhhhhhhh..

Not much to say.

6/10