Yes. A Chuck E. Cheese Christmas Special. On TV. No joke, but one question: Who asked for this? OK, a second question: Have we not suffered enough?
While no network or streaming service has reached an agreement to carry the show, someone will certainly do so and will break an unwritten agreement that America has with the Chuck E. Cheese franchise: That they can have vermin (the animatronic version of which are being phased out) promoting their pizza, but all such activity stays within the walls of the establishment. What happens in Chuck E. Cheese stays in Chuck E. Cheese.
But not now. Now we have "The Chuck E. Cheese Christmas Special" . . . and perhaps more.
According to an article in Variety, the show will be written and produced by the people who did the same thing for "Phineas & Ferb" and "Be Cool Scooby Doo!" There are already a bunch of actors providing the voices for Chuck E. and his pals and the show will feature at least one original song. (Perhaps "My Rat Will Go On," "Can You Fear the Rat Tonight?" or "Chuck. E.'s In Love?")
We don't know anything about the plot, but we can assume it involves parents taking a group of overamped kids to a child casino, where those kids are exposed to flashing lights, loud noises and various viruses. Maybe there will be a kid who is sad about Christmas and a giant rat (there remains some controversy over what Chuck E. Cheese is, but it's pretty clear that he's a rat) hands him 1.5 million coupons, enough for him to get a pencil at the front counter.
I'm just spit balling. The Chuck E. Cheese people are free to run with my idea, though.
The Christmas special is horrifying (and answers the question: "There are so many Hallmark Christmas movies! What could be worse?"). But there is even worse news.
The people who run Chuck E. Cheese Entertainment were quoted as saying the show, “is not just a seasonal moment – it’s the beginning of a long-term vision to transform beloved characters into a storytelling universe for today’s kids and families.”
You read that right. This is the gateway to a world filled with Chuck E. Cheese shows. The "Chuck E. Cheese Valentine's Day Special." "Happy Easter, Chuck E. Cheese!" "Chuck E. Cheese's Red-White-and-Blue July 4 Fireworks-o-Rama Special." "Ten-Hut! The Chuck E. Cheese Veteran's Day Special."
In the Variety article, Chuck E. Cheese's vice president of global media, licensing and entertainment was breathlessly quoted.
“This is more than just a TV special – it’s a milestone moment for the Chuck E. Cheese brand,” said Melissa McLeanas “We’re entering the entertainment arena in a way that builds on our nostalgic legacy while charting a new future for our characters as a storytelling franchise.”
OK. All I know is that the Chuck E. Cheese franchise terrified a generation of children (including my oldest son) with their giant animatronic band. Chuck E. Cheese also horrified a generation of parents (including me) with noisy games, sweaty kids, bad pizza and cheap giveaways.
Now we get a Christmas special. It's a Rat-a-ful Life, indeed.
Reach Brad Stanhope at bradstanhope@outlook.com.