Intergalactic Thanksgiving

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Intergalactic Thanksgiving
Directed by	Clive A. Smith
Starring	Sid Caesar Martin Lavut Catherine O'Hara
Distributed by	Warner Home Video (VHS, 1980s)
Release date(s)	October 1979
Running time	23 min
Country	Canada
Language	English
Preceded by	Romie-0 and Julie-8 (1979)
Followed by	Easter Fever (1980)
IMDb profile

Intergalactic Thanksgiving (also known by its on-screen title, Please Don't Eat the Planet) is the fourth television special from the Canadian animation company, Nelvana.

[edit] Story

When the space farmer family the Spademinders (Maw, Paw, Victoria, and trusted hound Cromwell), "bump into" the planet Laffalot, they decide to set up a homestead. The planet is home to a race that values humor to such an extent that the funniest person on the planet becomes the king. The current king's son is probably not going to inherit the throne because he's not funny. In fact his name is "Not Funny Enough" ( a little joke from his father).

Even though the farmers are straightlaced, hard working folk, the natives find them the funniest things on the planet. Their enjoyment in watching the farmers work is a nuisance to the farmers and a threat to the king's rule. The howling masses all praise King Spademinders, the funniest in the land.

Prince Not Funny Enough, (with Cromwell escorting), shows Victoria around the planet. She learns that the inhabitants of the planet don't have to work because their food is mined instead of grown.

During a confrontation between the King and the ursurper farmers, Victoria, Cromwell, and the prince fall into the interior of the planet. There they discover that over-mining has caused the whole planet to become unstable. They also find a group of industrious bugs who are working hard to shore up the planet and keep it from falling apart. When the prince wonders why they hadn't warned everyone, they reply: "Who listens to bugs?"

The King's tears at losing his son, and the planet's natural fecundity result in giant crops springing up. Victoria and Prince Not Funny Enough are saved when they cling to the roots of the harvested plants.

In the end, the natives of Laffalot learn that they have to give back to the planet and that there is more to life than joking around. The plant's roots do such a good job of holding the planet together, that the bugs are able to take a break. Unfortunately, they pick up the bad habit of telling lousy jokes.

[edit] Trivia

In the opening credits, the boy and his goose from "A Cosmic Christmas" can be seen riding in the back of one of the "wagon train's" spaceships. They appear to be a little befuddled at being there.