* IF YOU LIKE TO TALK TO

TOMATOES *

THAT SILLY THEME SONG

SERVES AT "VEGGIE TALES"

WELL-KNOWN SIGNATURE.

MIKE IS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL

CREATORS AT BIG IDEAS

PRODUCTION, WHICH LAUNCHED

THE COMPUTER-ANIMATED SERIES

IN 1993, JUST IN TIME FOR

CHRISTMAS.

COMPUTER ANIMATION AT

THAT TIME WAS SO LIMITED,

YOU COULDN'T REALLY DO LIMBS

OR ARMS OR HAIR OR CLOTHES.

SO WE NEEDED VERY SIMPLE

CHARACTERS.

Reporter: THAT'S WHY HE

AND A COLLEGE BUDDY CHOSE TO

ANIMATE VEGETABLES.

NO ONE UNDERSTANDS, THOUGH,

HOW THEY CREATED MORE THAN

40 EPISODES, SOLD MORE THAN

70 MILLION D.V.D., AND HAVE

NOW JOINED FORCES WITH

ANIMATION GIANT DREAMWORKS.

I REMEMBER THINKING, WE

DID IT, WE DID ONE SHOW OF

ANIMATION.

AND THEN WE WERE ABLE TO DO

A SECOND AND A THIRD, AND

THEN IT REALLY CAUGHT ON IN

CHRISTIAN BOOKSTORES AND

WITH FANS.

Reporter: FANS'

FAVORITES ARE THE SERIES'

HOST, THE CUCUMBER AND THE

TOMATO.

I DO THE VOICE FOR LARRY

AND FOR JEAN CLAUDE AND FOR

JERRY GORD, AND OSCAR, AND

SEVERAL SCALLOPS OF

TURNUPS.

LARRY, THE CUCUMBER,

THAT'S RIGHT.

Reporter: LARRY, THE

CUCUMBER, AND BOB, THE

TOMATO, HAVE BEEN INSPIRING

KIDS FOR 20 YEARS.

SOME THINGS HAVE CHANGED

DURING THAT TIME, BUT THE

MESSAGE HAS STAYED THE

SAME.

I MESSED UP.

WELL, I MESS UP ALL OF

THE TIME, ALL OF THE TIME,

AND GOD FORGIVES ME.

WE THOUGHT THERE WAS A

NEED FOR STORIES TAUGHT FROM

THE ASSUMPTION THAT THERE IS

A GOD WHO LOVES US AND HAS A

PLAN FOR OUR LIVES.

Reporter: AND THERE YOU

NEW CHARACTERS ADDING THEIR

STORY TO THE PLATE.

MERIBEL IS THE SWEET POTATO

IN "BEAUTY AND THE BEET."

AND ACTOR TERRY CRUZ IS

BRUCE THE ONION IN "CELERY

NIGHT FEVER."

I'VE BEEN A FAN FOR THE

LONGEST TIME.

MY OLDEST IS 27 NOW.

I REMEMBER THE SONGS AND THE

LESSONS, THEY JUST COME BACK

AT YOU.

IT REALLY STAYS IN YOUR

BRAIN AND IT NEVER LEAVES.

AND THAT GOES FOR PARENTS,

TOO, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO

PLAY IT OVER AND OVER

AGAIN.

BUT WE ENJOY IT, TOO.

Reporter: THE ADDED

STAR POWER IS EXPANDING

"VEGGIE TALES" AUDIENCE.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO IS

STILL THE SAME FOR ME.

I WANT TO HELP BRING

BIBLICAL VALUES TO KIDS AND

FAMILIES EVERYWHERE.

Reporter: THE BIG

IDEA'S TEAM RECENTLY RENEWED

THAT SPECIAL TO FAMILY, AND

OPENED ITS DOORS EXCLUSIVELY

TO CBN NEWS AND MOMS FROM

ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WHO

WRITE SOME OF THE LEADING

PARENTING BLOGS.

THE "VEGGIE TALES" DAY

INCLUDED A LOOK AT THE

ARTISTRY.

I DO A CIRCLE LIKE THAT

FOR THE HEAD.

Reporter: AND THE AUDIO

WORK.

GIVE A BIG HAND TO THE

VEGGIE TONES.

Reporter: AND EVEN I

GOT A CHANCE TO JOIN THE

CAST.

COME ON, MERIBEL, YOU CAN'T

LOVE SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T

LOVE YOU BACK, ESPECIALLY

THAT OLD CROW.

KATRINA, WE CAN ALL BE

NASTY, BUT EVERYONE DESERVES

TO BE LOVED.

Reporter: A SNEAK PEEK

AT THE NEW TV SERIES --

THIS STUFF IS ROUGH

ANIMATION.

IT IS NOT THE FINAL.

Reporter: -- GAVE THESE

MOMS THE CHANCE TO FALL IN

LOVE ALL OVER AGAIN.

THERE ARE ADULTS MY AGE

WHO REMEMBER IT FROM

CHILDHOOD.

THERE IS NOTHING LIKE

INTRODUCING YOUR KIDS TO

SOMETHING THAT YOU LOVED

WHEN YOU WERE A KID.

I THINK IT IS UNIQUE THAT

IT IS FAITH-BASED, BUT IT IS

NOT PREACHY.

I THINK THEY HAVE DONE AN

AMAZING JOB OF DOING A

MELTING POT, SO MUCH INTO

ONE SHOW.

AND BEING A CHRISTIAN

MYSELF, I LOVE HAVING THE

FAITH-BASED VALUES INTO

EVERYTHING AND STILL MAKING

IT FUNNY.

* VEGGIE TALES, VEGGIE

TALES *

Reporter: THIS

VEGETABLES WITH A MESSAGE

ARE STILL FRESH FOR ANOTHER

GENERATION.

DID YOU EVER THINK YOU WOULD

BE AROUND THIS LONG?

AS A CUCUMBER?

I DON'T KNOW, I MUST BE

GENETICALLY MODIFIED BECAUSE

20 YEARS FOR THE SHELF LIFE

OF A CUCUMBER IS A PRETTY

LONG TIME.