??[rock 'n' roll music playing]
[birds chirping]
uh, just my luck!
The super bowl party's in 10 days
and my television goes on the disabled list.
Why don't we just get a new t.v.?
Well, I wish that was possible, son ,
but the terrible truth is that america,
the best country in the history of the world,
no longer make s television sets.
If I let this one fall apart,
I let a piece of america die.
Well, couldn't we just buy, like, a japanese one?
Bobby, go to your room .
[humming]
luanne, telephone! It's buckley!
[gasps]
hello, buckley.
What?
Ah! Oh!
Of course not.
We could go to the outlet stores next week.
It's not like they're having a sale or anything.
They have everyday low prices.
[sighs]
why are people so mean, aunt peggy?
It's been 2,000 years since jesus was born,
but we're still acting like cavemen.
Oh, honey.
Peggy, we're going shopping
for the super bowl party, not your feminine items.
Diet soda?
Hank,
we have got a situation here.
Luanne has come down with a bad case of the "why me's?"
come on, do something to cheer her up, please.
[sighing]
hey, uh, luanne?
Me and bobby are heading over to the mega-lo mart.
You want to go for a ride?
Is it ok if I don't feel like talking?
Sure. Why not?
[sighs]
it's not just buckley. It's everything.
The world's going to pieces.
I mean, look at any newspaper.
Aliens are getting autopsies
and devil-babies are being born every day.
Well, that may be true, luanne,
but it's up to each of us
to make the world a better place.
Take me, for example.
I sell a clean-burning , energy-efficient fuel.
Oh, well, do you think I could sell propane?
[laughs]
no, what I'm saying is
you've got to find your own calling.
Yeah, you're probably right.
You're always probably right.
Garage sale.
[tires screeching]
this is it.
One deflection coil, made in the u.s. Of "a."
With this in our set, the only thing beyond our control
is the size of the n.f.c. Victory.
Why don't we just watch the game at Mr. Dauterive's house?
I like it there.
He keeps snacks in his couch cushions.
No, bobby. The super bowl party goes:
bill, hank, dale, boomhauer.
This is hank year, and I want everything to be perfect.
People are still talking about super bowl xxiv.
Boomhauer's dip was so thick,
our chips were snapping like joe theisman's birdie leg.
[gasps]
oh!
my name is luanne. What's yours?
I'm Mr. Cat. "meow" do you do?
[giggling]
you're pretty good with those.
Mmm, I used to play with the puppets
. all the time, with the social worker
hey, uh, how much for the puppets?
[gasps]
you mean it?
Well, if it costs 25 cents to make you smile, it's a bargain.
Look, dad! An old wig!
] [sighs
bobby, take that off.
I'm not saying it was a miracle, reverend thomason,
but I don't usually trip into boxes.
I think god has a plan for me.
And it involves puppets.
, Luanne, I--I like the idea of a christian puppet show
but try to see things from my perspective,
as the spiritual leader of this congregation.
. We just laid new carpe t in the activities room
. you put 30 kids in there and lose their attention..
[grunts]
fruit punch all over my new carpet.
Oh, please just hear me out.
You know how baby jesus was born in a manger?
Ok, baby jesus was born in a manger.
Now, what if, reverend, what if,
the barnyard animals who witnessed
the miracle birth of the son of god,
had a show of their own?
Mmm-hmm.
But jesus only spent a few days in the manger,
and after luke 2:16, there's no mention of the animals.
Are you sure?
Trust me, luanne.
After he leave s the manger,
the bible pretty much sticks with jesus.
Well, maybe that's good,
because then the animals are kind of like us.
They're just waiting for jesus to come back.
And in the meantime,
don't you think they'd have all sorts of crazy adventures?
I call it the manger babies.
[giggles]
we're headlining next week in the activities room.
Ha. Manger babies, how do you like that?
This is gonna be a great show, luanne.
I know.
But now I've got so much work to do.
I have to write a script, build a puppet theater,
learn to talk without moving my lips.
If you want you can make a theater
out of that old refrigerator box in the garage.
. I keep it pretty clean
oh, uncle hank,
[rasping voice] thank you.
Uh, hey, who said that?
[laughs]
you're doing a great job, luanne.
yup.
Mmm-hmm.
Thanks, guys. But if you have any suggestions--
[men chattering]
(dale) you might want to spell "theater" "r-e."
It looks classier that way.
For those of you who misse d my sermon this morning,
i'd like to remind you
that spilling anything on a new carpet is a sin.
. Now, please give a warm welcome to Miss luanne platter
[audience applauding]
once upon a time,
almost 2,000's of years ago
our lord and savior, jesus christ, was born,
in a manger.
And in that manger, there were the cutest little animals.
??[music playing]
this is their story.
? After jesus left and herod came ?
? Demanding first-born sons ?
? He cast an evil spell on them ?
? Freezing everyone ?
? Yes, baby, I bought a nativity scene ?
? At a yard sale secondhand ?
? They came to life and then, amen! ?
? I met the manger babies ?
There's obediah the donkey. He says, heehaw.
Hosea the cat, meow, meow.
An octopus, too. Gurgle, gurgle.
But let's not forget a very british bird,
sir reginald featherbottom iii.
Charmed, I'm sure, guvnor.
? They are the manger babies ?
? Getting in trouble the manger babies ?
? Spreading that message of love, manger babies ?
? Manger babies! ??
[audience applauding]
darn it! I left a finish nail sticking out a quarter inch.
Hank. Shush.
Today's episode,
going to the movies.
Who wants to go to the movies?
Heehaw, I do. Heehaw.
Uh-oh!
There are 5 of us, and I only have 4 tickets.
One of us blokes could sneak in, what, what!
Count me out!
Isn't sneaking wrong?
Heehaw, everybody's doing it. Heehaw.
Gurgle, gurgle.
"meow-kay," let's go.
? La la la la la la ?
? We're going to the movies ?
? La la la la la ?
Yeah, but it reflects poorly on my craftsmanship.
That's all I'm saying.
Hank, you're the only one who notices.
[murmuring]
yeah, yeah. You know what I think, shawdy work, huh.
Here you go, 4 tickets.
But there are 5 of you.
You were trying to sneak into the movies.
You manger babies are in a lot of trouble.
I'm locking you in a closet.
[gasps]
no! No!
And that's why you shouldn't sneak into the movies.
The end.
(girl) the end--the end.
hmm.
[children murmuring]
(boy #1) well, do they get out of the closet?
Uh, sure, I guess.
(boy #2) I don't think it's the end.
how?
How do they get out?
Um...
[sighs]
i'm bored.
[gasping]
(boy #3) I don't understand.
[crying]
, (luanne) ok, luanne
how do they get out of the closet?
[gasps]
oh!
no, that won't work.
[whispering] jimmy the lock with a coat hanger.
What?
I don't. I can't.
Hmm, what?
Jimmy the lock with the...
uh,
I'll save you, manger babies.
You will?
[clears throat] yes.
uh, 'cause I'm the assistant manager of this movie theater.
I sell popcorn and popcorn accessories.
And you are fired.
! We're free! We're free
[children cheering]
(boy #4) I knew they....
Thank you, assistant manager.
"meow" can we ever repay you?
By never forgetting this lesson:
sneaking into the movies is wrong.
As wrong as spilling juice on a new carpet.
Bravo! Bravo!
You know, luanne reall y shouldn't waste this kind of talent on church.
If you want, I could show her tape to my boss at channel 84.
He's always lookin' for quality children's programming
and home videos of things blowin' up.
Well, luanne really could use a boost right now.
But I could not take advantage of our friendship like that. No.
Oh, peggy, honey, this is show business.
[laughing]
. that's what friends do
done.
All right, bobby, it's saf e to plug her back in now.
Uh, oh, ok.
. Another super bowl, another can of scotchguard
it would be a lot simpler if you would just ask bill
not to wipe his hands on the cushions.
I got a better idea.
You sit here.
. Boomhauer, dale, me and bobby will sit here
we'll do a zone defens e around the chips.
What if bill tries scrambling around the coffee table?
He doesn't have that kind of quickness, peggy.
Not anymore.
Uh, aunt peggy,
? could you please pull your car out of the garage
me and the babies need to rehearse.
The t.v. Station could call any minute.
They'd be crazy not to.
That was the best dang christian puppet show
. I have ever seen. Ever
well,
[giggles]
I couldn't have done it without your help, uncle hank.
You saved the day.
That's why this time,
I wrote a part especially for you.
Well, that's very nice, luanne,
but my appearance was one night only.
But you got to do it.
Well, who else am I gonna get to play god?
god?
Sure.
You were great as the hero of my last show, so I figured,
why not have you play the greatest hero of 'em all?
[laughs]
I tell you what, luanne, uh,
just as soon as I finish turning beer into water,
i'll meet you in the garage.
Great!
[sighs]
she made me god.
Hey, if you're god, I guess that makes me jesus.
[gasps]
bobby, honey, you really shouldn't say that.
That is for luanne to decide.
Let there be light.
And it was good.
Yeah, that's super , uncle hank.
But can we get bac k to the script?
. We're at the part where you meet your archenemy
bobby's g.i. Joe?
Joe 6 pack.
h He's a drunk driver who died in a car cras
and was sent to hell.
And then he borrowed satan's pick-up truck without asking
and trashed it, so got kicked out of hell.
And now he roams the earth , riding buses and doing evil.
Like he won't call you on your birthday
and he throws beer bottles at your head.
What? He crashed a truck?
You will feel my wrath.
[laughing]
what're you throwing out, grandpa?
? The money I poured into the social security system
[chuckling]
it's for luanne's puppet show.
I'm playing god.
d Well, maybe we ought to ask go
who's gonna win the super bowl.
Going to win? The game was pre-taped 6 months ago
in the same nevada hangar where they faked the moon landing.
Yeah, man, it's like that dang old capricorn one, man,
a good movie, but they ain't gonna fake no
stayin' on the ground like that little dude, that old neil armstrong.
Well, I hope you're ready for that party, hank,
. because you only got..
4 more days till the super bowl.
Bill, the super bowl is in 3 days.
Oh, damn.
oh.
God's not angry on that line. He's vengeful.
. Let's try it again
, (peggy ) luanne
it's the t.v. Station.
[gasps]
hello. Uh-huh.
Oh, hank, look how excited she is!
You know, just a few days ago, she was talking like,
like the world was coming to an end.
You're a good man.
man?
[squeals]
we did it! We did it!
Channel 84 is putting manger babies on the air!
It's u.h.f., uncle hank, ultrahigh frequency.
Oh, luanne, you have thrust your hands
into somethin' wonderful this time.
We had better get back to work.
We got a whole hou r to fill on sunday.
That doesn't give us much time to get ready.
I mean, sunday is...
Sunday?
Now, is that before or after the super bowl?
During. Can you believe it?
They put us on against the highest-rated television event of the year
because they know we're the one show that can beat it.
[sighs]
it's a huge responsibility , but I know I can do it
with god on my side.
[sighs]
[laughing nervously]
. uncle hank, I just realize d my octopus only has 6 legs
hmm,
if I call him a "sextopus,"
do you think i'll offend sensibilities?
Uh, I'm sure you'll figure it out before super sunday.
I call it "super sunday"
because that's when they play the super bowl,
this sunday.
Uh-huh.
[sighs]
I guess what I'm trying to say is,
i'm gonna stay home and watch the game.
What? But you're in my show.
Luanne, the super bowl is an event.
We're having a party. I'm the host.
So, you mean you're not coming?
[sniffles]
uh, no, that's not what I said, exactly.
I said I'm gonna watch the game.
But it could end early due to injuries
or a terrorist attack.
Yeah, who knows?
[chuckling]
you think I want to Miss the super bowl?
No, sir, I've got enough money on this game
to cover the bath I took on the dinah shore classic.
But I will sit through that puppet show
because luanne asked me to.
Uh, come on,
i'll be god some other time, like, uh, easter.
? That's during baseball season. Who cares
hank, luanne believes in you.
How can you allow sufferin' in her world
when you have the power to prevent it?
Suffering is a par t of every religion, peggy, I mean,
look at what the jews have been through,
and you never hear the m complaining.
(man on t.v.) ? Home of the ?
? Brave ??
[crowd cheering]
ok, who had 3 minutes and 40 seconds?
yo.
Well, goodbye, hank. Enjoy the "selfish bowl."
, Uh, luanne, I want you to know
if uncle hank let you down,
honey, it doesn't mean that the world is a bad place.
Oh, yes, it does.
mmm.
Check it out! Look at that play!
[hooting]
[music playing on t.v.]
made it to the commercial.
What the hell do tina turner's legs
have to do with auto insurance?
oh!
hey! Wait a minute.
This just in from the super bowl.
With 48 seconds left in the first quarter,
it's 63 degrees and partly cloudy.
Now stay tuned for the premiere
of luanne platter' s manger babies.
What are you doing, hank?
If I wanted to spend super bowl sunday staring at my wife,
I would have married fran tarkenton.
I didn't do anything.
[crowd cheering]
lord jesus, please....
Ooh, uncle...
oh.
Ok, luanne, you're on in 5, 4,
3, 2...
??[music playing]
hey, look at this! He's broken free!
Yeah!
(all) go! Go! Go!
The manger babies...
Come on, man! Turn it back.
. I didn't change it
oh!
damn, we missed it!
Well, at least we get to watch him dance in the end zone.
That's right. Come on.
Uh-huh, uh-huh!
ok--
(dale) oh, come on, switch it back.
Hey, man, come on, man.
What the hell is this?
(bill) what is this we are watching?
Come on, manger babies.
I'll give you a ride.
We don't need it.
God is the designated driver tonight.
God doesn't care about you.
How can you say that?
God does care, and he will show it.
[sighs]
this is getting old, hank.
It's not me. I--
. It's this damn remote control
bill must have dripped crumbs in it or somethin'.
[crowd yelling]
[birds chirping]
maybe god had a flat tire or...
What the hell is going on?
All I know is, this is the part of the movie where I start thinking,
"why don't they just get out of the house?"
don't be an idiot, luanne.
God's not coming.
He's watching the super bowl. Now, get in.
Heehaw, we better do what he says. Heehaw.
Well, he is our only ride.
Luanne, no! Don't get in the car!
[door opens]
heehaw,
if god doesn't get here soon, we're all going to die.
. Maybe it's bes t that we do die
? who wants to live in a world without god
you're right.
hey!
Joe 6 pack,
why don't you just point your car at those oncoming headlights
and let's get this thing over with.
[audience gasps]
] [screaming
oh, my god!
Yes, I have come.
oh!
Thank you, uncle...
Lord, we never stopped believing in you.
The manger babies' faith has been rewarded.
You are all saved.
[children cheering]
and as for you, joe 6 pack,
anyone who drinks and drives is a real jackass.
Heehaw!
hey!
[children applauding]
[laughing]
[children chattering]
so, hank, how does it feel doin' the right thing?
Pretty good, I guess.
Of course, not as good as getting
to watch the end of the super bowl.
Ah, the super bowl's always a blowout.
This puppet show, it was a real knuckle-biter.
Oh, my lord! It's troy aikman!
What are you doing here, son? Sir?
Well, it's kind of a funny story.
Some guys were snapping towels in the locker room,
so I went to bible study to get some perspective on it.
And I saw a flier for this puppet show.
Sort of a little miracle, i--I guess.
You know, it was kind of a miracle that brought me here, too.
You see, I was watching my t.v.
And it started flipping channels.
, Mom, I hope you don't mind
but I borrowed the batteries from your remote control.
What remote control? I--I don't have a remote control.
Sure you do, in your purse.
The universal remote that can change
a channel on any brand of television.
I borrowed the batteries for my game boy.
When?
Before the super bowl.
But if the remote had no batteries,
how did I...
Or after the super bowl. I don't remember.
??[music playing]
??[rock 'n' roll music playing]
(bill ) that's right, come on.