Original Top Ten

      It's UN-be-LIEV-able!  If you didn't follow, that's unbelievable, with the first and third syllables emphasized.  The reason?  Not sure.  I didn't originate it!  One of the central characters in today's topic movie did!  

     Did you ever have a favorite childhood movie?  You could just watch it over and over, without getting bored of it?  I have!  But one particular movie didn't impact me until I was an older kid.  It kind of struck a chord in me, and I thought maybe it was just me.  But over the years, I have shown this movie to numerous kids (young children, elementary, and even teenage summer missionaries), and all of them have adored it!  The movie in question?  The Kingdom Chums, Original Top Ten.  If you're familiar, you'll for sure enjoy this review, and may want to comment!  If you are not, keep reading anyway.  You might want to learn about this movie, in case you want to show it to children you know.  The link to watch it at the end.

     I became aware of this movie when it played on TV for the ABC weekend special in 1992.  I was in fifth grade at the time.  I remember my parents remarking how it amazed them that regular TV would show this movie, because it was about the Ten Commandments.  The gist of it is, three human children are drawn into another world for a short while (though no time has passed when they return), where they meet the Kingdom Chums (animals who know Bible stories witnessed by their ancestors), and these characters have a contest, where the children are put in challenging situations that lead them to learn about each commandment, and there is a fun, upbeat song for each one.  It is done like a "Top Ten" countdown, and the kids get golden records.  Today, it wouldn't seem as surprising to have something like this on TV, as there is a lot more Christian media out there now, and Christians have a lot more of a voice in the public spectrum.  But at the time, it seemed kind of UN-be-LIEV-able!  I later found it on VHS at the Christian bookstore, and I spent the 90's taking this video to all the kids I babysat, and they always loved it.  I spent the 2000's showing this to my AWANA kids for movie night, and they loved it!  I even showed it to my teenage summer missionaries, and they were addicted to it!  When my husband and I were engaged, I made him watch it with me, and he enjoyed it.  

     The scene opens at this malt shop (pictured below).  It's a 50's style establishment, with little juke boxes at the tables.  I'll add that this movie appears to take place in modern times (for when it was made, early 90's), but has a mid-20th-century feel to it, with the characters being into more classical rock.  There are records, at a time when CD's were replacing vinyl records (although that seems to be reversed now). When I showed this to kids in the later 90s and 2000's, kids assumed the records were CD's.  Presumably, the malt shop is the big hangout in town.  We meet Petey and Annie, siblings, sitting at a booth.  Annie is quizzing Petey on oldies hits, and Petey is spouting off the group and year for each song.  We get the picture that they are "good kids," though Petey is a little obsessive.  His signature line throughout the whole 45-minute film is "UN-be-LIEV-able!" as I already stated.  

     Just as their order arrives (a huge plate of fries--seriously, who orders just that???), they are joined by the neighborhood bully, Osborn.  Osborn braggingly shows off a record he stole.  Petey and Annie are shocked by his admitted crime.

     Annie begins talking to her stuffed lion, "You hear that, Christopher?  Osborn broke one of the Original Top Ten."  We later learn she is referring to the Ten Commandments.  

     This catches Osborn's attention and he demands to know, "Did you say the Original Top Ten?  Like the very first top ten?"  

     Annie replies, "Uh-huh, the most wonderful collection of all time, right Christopher?" She addressees the last part to her stuffed lion.  

     Osborn looks confused and asks, "Christoper?  Who are you talking to?"  

     Petey narrows his eyes at Osborn and says, "You wouldn't understand!"  As if Osborn is incapable of understanding a child talking to her toys.  It's a complex idea, admittedly!  Of course, we soon learn there is a lot more to it.

     Osborn ignores Petey and asks Annie, "What songs?"

     Annie tells him, "Don't bear false witness."  

     Osborn snaps "Never heard of it!"

     Petey jumps in and asks in a singsong voice, "How about, don't you go stealin' 'round here!"  At Osborn's confused look, Petey gets defensive and says, "See!  I knew you wouldn't understand!"  

     Osborn then looks really threateningly at them and says, "All I know is, I'd kill to get my hands on the original top ten for my record collection!"  Really violent child!  

    Petey says, "UN-be-LIEV-able!"  That's actually the second time he says it--the first was in his dialog with Annie before Osborn came.  

     Annie appears to be listening to her stuffed animals (the lion Christopher, and a tiger we learn is named Marvelous Mose).  She tells Osborn, "Marvelous Mose says the Kingdom Chums would be glad to help you find them.  Christopher says all you have to do, is follow the love light!"  

     At this point, three rainbows come out of the juke box, and one surrounds each child, and then pulls them inside the juke box.  

     Osborn says, "Hey!  What's going on?"

     Annie says, "We're on our way to meet the Kingdom Chums, and collect the Original Top Ten!"  

     Petey says--you guessed it-- "UN-be-LIEV-able!"

     

     They wind up flying through the air, and then land in flowers.  Pretty realistic movie, right?  Petey and Annie are happy, only slightly amazed.  They just roll with it.  But Osborn is his own threatening self.  He yells at the flower to let go, "Before I punch your petals off!"  Annie and Petey kindly help Osborn out of the flower, and Annie asks, "Are you okay, Osborn?"  Osborn retorts, "Better than you're gonna be!  I want the original tope ten, and you almost give me a heart attack!"  He points right at Petey as he says this, as if he considers all of this his fault.  

     Suddenly, they are distracted by the beauty around them.  Annie says that it's wonderful, and Petey says it's "UN-be-LIEV-able!" Osborn wants to know where they are, and a voice answers, "In the Kingdom of the Kingdom Chums, Osborn."  They turn to see a lion--Annie's stuffed lion from earlier, only now as tall as a human adult, fully dressed, talking to them.

     Annie happily yells, "Christoper!" and runs and hugs him.  

     Osborn is initially freaked out.  Petey and Annie act like this is all normal, leading the viewer to conclude they have been here before (actually, there is another movie about these characters, which chronologically comes before this one.  I'll talk about it later).  Christopher explains to Osborn and the viewers that the Kingdom Chums are special animals, born knowing the stories their ancestors witnessed in the Bible.  Christopher is the Lion of Love, and he witnessed the stories of Jesus.  

     They also meet Marvelous Mose, Annie's stuffed tiger come to life.  He knows the story of Moses, and the Ten Commandments.  

     Mose and Christopher propose a contest between Petey and Osborn, to see if they can discover what the commandments are.  Whoever can guess what each song is about wins that original top ten, and whoever gets the most wins the whole set.  Petey says that he already knows the Original Top ten.  Mose, knowing Petey is a little prideful in his goodness, says, "Perhaps you know them in your head, Petey, but what about in your heart?"  This spurs him to accept the challenge, and the contest is on!  Annie is the scorekeeper.  She gets to carry the top ten carrying case, where the records will go after each song.  Annie is admonished by Christopher to joyfully yell out the score after each song, which gets a little annoying!  The only rule they are given is "Just follow the love light!"  This is a mysterious light that guides them.  I'm sure it is supposed to be a metaphor for being guided by love.  

     Throughout the ten songs, we are introduced to the Kingdom Chums.  Number ten, Don't Covet, is the first one, and it is hosted by Marvelous Mose (whom we have already met).  After the song, Petey says, "Don't covet means we shouldn't want something that belongs to someone else!"  He wins the first one, and Annie yells, "One for Petey and none for Osborn!"  You can guess Osborn loves that!  

     The next one, number nine, starts with a hallway full of doors.  The final door has the love light glowing behind it.  Osborn gets there first, and he tries to open the door, but breaks the doorknob.  He quickly hides it in his pocket.  Petey and Annie catch up.  When they notice someone broke the doorknob, Osborn says, "I didn't break nothing--yet!"  He shakes his fist at them.  What a thug, really!  They are then met by a new Kingdom Chum, Little David (who knows about David and Goliath--and side note, Little David's story is in the other Kingdom Chums special mentioned).  Little David is an adorable little raccoon, about the height of Annie. 

     Little David sings a catchy little song called L-I-E-S, about lying.  At the end, Petey tries to get it by saying, "By telling lies, you're only hurting yourself," which isn't technically the commandment.  It is a statement about lying that may well be true, but that isn't actually the command.  Osborn feels scared and guilty (Little David indicates he knows Osborn lied about the door and is hiding the knob).  Osborn confesses.  Petey smirks and says, "Oh, so, you were lying?"  Osborn hems and haws, but then admits he was lying, and is awarded number 9.  Petey is mad and says, "Wait a minute!  I guessed it!"  Little David says, "Understanding a commandment comes from the mind.  Practicing it comes from the heart."  Annie yells, "One each!"  

     This leads them to Top Ten number 8, Stop Before You Steal!  You'd think Osborn learned his lesson in number 9, but nope.  Number 8 is a toy room, and the gold record is in the toy train.  Osborn steals it, and Marvelous Mose returns, singing the song.  At the end of the song, Petey is given number 8, not because he won it, but because Osborn lost it.  Annie yells, "Two for Petey and one for Osborn!"  

     Number 7, No Adultery is kind of tricky.  The children try to make their way across a log bridge over a ravine.  Osborn promises to help the other two, but then backs out.  He tells them, "Promises are made to be broken!"  As he says that, an earthquake knocks them all down into the ravine, unharmed.  Petey is indignant, "Thanks a lot, Osborn, you ever heard of loyalty?"  They then meet Essie, a pretty white cat, the Kingdom Chum of Loyalty.  It is implied she is Christopher's wife, as Christopher is with her, and together, they sing the song, which echoes with the line Be loyal to the one you love.  While marital faithfulness is part of the message, the song kind of implied that all disloyalty is adultery.  It is implied that Osborn committed adultery against Petey and Annie by not helping them across the bridge, which sounds really creepy!  At the end of the song, Petey says, "Are you getting all of this, Osborn?  No adultery means be loyal by not breaking promises!"  Well, not exactly...yeah, we'll stick with that to keep it G-rated!  Petey gets that one.  Annie happily calls out, "Petey three, Osborn one!"       

      Notice how every one so far (other than ten) Osborn did something wrong.  Well, six is no different.  They are climbing this mountain that looks like it is made of ice, but since no one is shivering, I assume it is glass.  Osborn loses his temper that he is losing the contest so far, and he starts threatening to kill Petey.  Kind of out of proportion if you ask me.  Petey doesn't take it seriously, and says, "Sorry, Osborn, but you can't even get up this hill!"  Suddenly an adult female voice says, "Oh yes you can!"  We meet a cute little bear named Little Miriam, the Yes-You-Can Kingdom Chum.  She sings this little song that says: Yes you can, just go ahead an do it.  Yes you can, there's really nothing to it!  Don't give up!  Can you stick to your plan?  The answer is yes!  Yes you can!  

     In case you don't know, the sixth commandment is Thou shalt not kill.  Little Miriam gets to this, but I'm really not sure what the initial "Yes you can!" pep talk has to do with it.  It sounds like she's encouraging Osborn to go ahead with his plan to kill Petey!  But then, she goes into this song about human life being worthy of respect and protection.  One line in the song says, They say don't kill, and that's not very odd, since we're all created by God.  That's the right message.  But Osborn still goes crazy and tries to murder Petey.  Real nice guy, that Osborn.  Petey kind of gets drawn into it too.

     Osborn kicks a piece of glass/ice at a bigger piece of glass/ice, and it crumbles and lands on top of Petey.  Annie is terrified.  Osborn freaks out when he realizes he might have killed him and he apologizes and says he didn't mean it, and that he cares about Petey and then says, "I mean, I love you!  I'm sorry!"  Petey then reveals he is okay.  The pile of glass/ice on him turns into butterflies and flies away.  Petey gets up.  He asks, "Did Osborn just say what I thought I heard him say?"  Osborn looks embarrassed, and Annie repeats, "I love you?"  To which Little Miriam says, "You heard right, Petey!"  Osborn gets that top ten, for learning the lesson.  Yeah, he almost kills someone and gets rewarded!  Great message!  He kind of toughens up and says, "Forget that love stuff, Petey!  I'm just glad you're safe and sound, and around to see me scoop the next five!"  Reminding the audience they are halfway through!  Petey follows him, yelling, "Dream on!"  This reminds us that this is very much a product of the late 80s/early 90s!  

     Number 5 is a cute song called Respect Your Mom and Dad.  The backdrop of this one is a house, and the song is about obeying parents when being asked to do things.  Little David hosts this one (by this point, the audience has met all the Kingdom Chums).  For once, Osborn doesn't do anything wrong in this one.  He just acts bored, and falls asleep at the end.  Petey gets that one.  

     Annie says, "Osborn two, Petey four."  This wakes Osborn up and he snaps, "Yeah?  Well if you think I'm dropping out of this contest, you're crazy," at which point, the couch they were sitting on drops out from under them, and they are free falling.  Annie says her brother's line "UN-be-LIEV-able!"  They land in a body of water on the couch that had dropped from under them.  They flow toward a water fall, and it goes upward.  Once it hits the top, they are sent sailing off of it through the air, and land in the water.  As they emerge, they meet Christoper, who says, "A helpful hint you can't ignore is to keep the Sabbath, that's Top Ten number 4."  Out of all of them, I think this is the least specific about what the command entails.  The song emphasizes that we should thank God for everything we get to do the other six days, but have one day to rest and pray, but it doesn't show the kids going to church in the song (I failed to mention this, but a lot of the songs show these roll plays with the three kids doing things that are about what is being sung about, and this song shows them doing all these fun things, like going to the zoo, the movies and circus.  But it doesn't show them going to church for the day of rest and prayer.  It just shows them sitting in the gazebo singing "Thank you!"  It looks like they have a hymnal, so maybe that is supposed to resemble singing in church.  As that song ends, Osborn says the meaning is to think about all the good things they have every day, but to set aside one day to say thanks."  Osborn gets that one.  

     For once, Petey isn't defensive that he didn't get it, but he does get a little sarcastic, saying, "I didn't know you had it in you, Osborn."  Osborn replies (obviously trying to sound like he doesn't care) "It was just a guess."  Annie says, "Way to go, Osborn," and hugs him, to which Osborn's violent tendencies rear their head again and he curses with God's Name, followed by, "Give me a break!  It was just a guess.  I swear to God!"  Right then, some wind comes and carries Osborn away.  Annie and Petey look horrified, but Essie appears and says, "You shouldn't worry."  Yeah, don't worry.  Your friend just got blown away.  But don't worry about it!  Essie continues.  "Something tells me Osborn is already working on Top Ten number three,"  Annie says, "Right Essie, whether he knows it or not."  Petey and Annie go to catch up with him.  Meanwhile, Osborn is flying through the air, cursing at the wind (not really cursing, but yelling and railing at it, and says, "I swear to-" but before he can say God's Name, he is flung into this tunnel of love kind of passage, and Essie sings a song called Honor His Name.  It's not as fun or catchy, but it is good and reverent, and captures the idea of using God's name in love and respect, and thinking about who God is and all He's done for us before using His Name.  The end of the song has Osborn going over a small waterfall, and he promises never to swear with God's Name again.  Petey and Annie have arrived to meet him, and Osborn asks, "What happened?"  Petey quips, "Maybe it was something you said." to which Osborn replies, "Something I used to say!"  Marvelous Mose pops out just then and gives Osborn that one, since (once again) he learned the lesson through his own error.  Annie says, "The score is tied.  Four all!"  Petey is kind of mad this time and says, "I didn't even have a chance on that one!"  Feeling a bit threatened that his victory is being challenged.  

     Marvelous Mose replies, "No swearing with God's Name is the lesson learned.  Another gold record has been earned.  There's still two left.  Let's see what you do.  No idols is Top Ten number two!"  The scene changes to all these statues of Petey's favorite rock stars.  Petey goes crazy about them and starts running all over like a lunatic, worshipfully eyeing them.  I'm thinking, "Come on, kid!  They're statues.  It's not even like they're the real people!"  But they were trying to make graven images applicable.  This is the only one where Petey does the wrong thing being sung about.  Annie and Osborn look worried.  Osborn says, "He sure is hooked on music," and Annie adds, "The way some people are hooked on cars, or movies stars or money."  They try to stop Petey from worshiping the statues (if that's what he's doing--it's not totally clear, it's just weird!).  The statues start randomly crumbling and falling down, but Petey doesn't even notice for a while, but he finally does, and then Annie and Osborn catch him, and Osborn says the most wise thing he ever does in the whole movie.  "Petey!  Don't you get it?  It's okay to have heroes we want to be like, but when we start worshiping them, they become idols.  False gods.  That's wrong!"  Immediately, Osborn is given the gold record.  Petey is repentant, and he says, "You're right.  Idols are here today, gone tomorrow.  They never last.  They ultimately crumble.  Just like these statues."  I can't really picture a ten-year-old boy saying something like that, but it was written as a teaching tool, and it's correct.  

     Annie says, "Osborn five, Petey four," and the scene changes to a very pretty cliff overlook the ocean.  Christopher comes up behind them and says, "You've found the truth and every stop.  You've climbed so high, you're at the top.  After this, the top ten are done.  There's only one God, and He's number one."  He goes into a very pretty song (probably my favorite) about how there is only one God, and He is all we need, and we shouldn't put anything before Him.  The chorus says, He's all we need; He's the glory and the power.  He's all we need; every minute every hour...  It shows some very pretty (albeit animated) scenery that reminds me very much of a trip I once took to the sea cliffs of Maine, and then turns into a scene that reminds me of the rolling hills of the Midwest in the spring.  Very nice animation all through, and especially with this song.  Christopher ends the song, and Osborn says, "I can't remember when I felt this good.  Hey, Petey, it's yours, take it," so Petey says, "There's only one God we should love and worship.  One we don't need to see in order to believe.  There's only one God who's the greatest." And Petey is given top ten number one.  He thanks Osborn, and Osborn replies, "Don't say I never gave you nothing!"  

     Annie happily says, "It's a tie!  Five of the original top ten each!"  

     Marvelous Mose says, "Five for Osborn, and five for Petey!" in this really chirpy tone (I only mention this because when I showed this to my teenage summer missionaries in the 2000's, they got hooked on that line and kept saying, "Five for Osborn, five for Petey" all summer and it drove me crazy!  One of the teens named her new pet bird Petey just because of that line.  

     Back to the movie.  Osborn asks, "Who wins all ten?"  Petey repeats Osborn's statement and says, "Don't say I never gave you nothing," and he hands Osborn the heart-shaped pouch Annie had been carrying all along.  It looked cute on a little girl, but it looks a little too feminine for the bully to be seen in public with!  Oh well.  Osborn gets all excited and yells, "I won!  Thanks Petey!"  Petey replies, "We both won, Osborn.  We both won."  Yeah, Petey was sweet and unselfish, but he still has to remind Osborn that he won too.  One student I showed it to read more into that, and said that Petey really meant that he won by learning the Ten Commandments in his heart and not just in his head (as Marvelous Mose stated at the beginning).  Perhaps that's it.  I like that better than just his need to be petty.

     All the the carrying case transforms into a giant juke box, and the ten commandments are reviewed, and I think they are stated well: 1) Only one God. 2) No idols.  3) No swearing with God's name. 4) Keep God's day special. 5) Honor your mother and father.  6) Do not kill.  7) No adultery; be loyal.  8) Don't steal.  9) Don't lie.  10) Don't covet.  

     The children are then admonished that if they have a hard time remembering the top ten, they can love one another.  All the Kingdom Chums arrive then, and they all sing this song about loving each other as we love ourselves.  That's great, but a slight error.  Love one another isn't the summation of the Ten Commandments.  It is to Love God with everything that you are, and love others as yourself.  So they cut out the first part.  

     The kids are sent back to the restaurant they started at.  Osborn has the top ten carrying case.  Petey looks at his watch (which wasn't there the whole movie) and says, "There and back in a millisecond while time stood still here."  Osborn then says Petey's line of "UN-be-LIEV-able!"  Annie giggles and says, "You sound like my brother."  By the way, this is the only reference in the whole movie where it actually says Petey and Annie are siblings.  It could be assumed, because why would a little girl (probably about six years old) hang out with a ten-year-old boy (I guess his age here) unless they were siblings.  Osborn determines he will return the record he stole at the beginning and he leaves.  Petey and Annie resume their game of guessing songs, but instead of being a classic rock song, it's "Follow the Love Light" which is sort of a little chorus sung between a lot of the top ten during their adventure (I failed to even mention it, because it's not every time, and doesn't otherwise contribute to the plot).  

     One of my very spiritual teen summer missionaries asked me a good question.  "Why don't Petey and Annie witness to Osborn at the end, and invite him to their church?"  That would be very good for a Christian story.  I just told this girl that Petey and Annie weren't as spiritual as she was.  Also (I didn't tell her this part), this movie is more Judeo-Christian than full-on Christian.  During the ending credits, it says that a Reverend, a Priest and a Rabbi were consulted in the making of the film.  They still do have the Protestant Ten Commandments (the Catholic version doesn't include the no idols, and splits up not coveting between two commandments).  Also, with Christopher being the leader of the Kingdom Chums, and him being so named because he witnessed Jesus' story, there is a Christian slant to an already Judeo-Christian story.  

     As I said, another story had been written about the Kingdom Chums, entitled Little David's Adventure.  This one aired on TV in the late 80's a few years before the Original Top Ten.  I saw that one at the time as well, but wasn't really thinking about it when the Original Top Ten came out, and didn't draw the parallel until I saw the first one again and realized they were the same characters.  Even the animation is different (see below):

  Little David's Adventure is also a book, which I was able to find and buy.  There are some differences.  In that one, the only Kingdom Chums we meet are Christopher, Mose and Little David (and Mose's name is Magical Mose, not Marvelous Mose).  The children in that story are siblings, but their names differ slightly.  Instead of Petey and Annie, they are Peter and Mary Ann.  A boy who went by Petey would obviously be short for Peter, and a girl named Mary Ann could possibly go by Annie, but it seems odd that they would change it if they're supposed to be the same kids.  Mary Ann has the same cute, sweet little girl personality Annie has, and she has her Kingdom Chums stuffed animals who supposedly talk to her.  Peter's personality is quite different than Petey's.  In this movie, he is sort of a scientific type, a bit more serious, whereas Petey in the second movie has more of a laid-back, pleasant but competitive personality (and is obsessed with music).  Also, Peter in the first movie doesn't say UN-be-LIEV-able.  Peter (or Petey) had a new personality by the second film. The reason I point this out is because, almost without exception, (and I can't account for this) Petey is the favorite character of everyone I show The Original Top Ten to (I've had some of the teenage girls say they wished Petey was real, so they could go out with him!  Boys watching it often would say, "I get to be Petey!").  It's almost bizarre how much everyone roots for Petey the whole film, and I don't think they would get as drawn into the character of Peter from the first movie.  In Little David's Adventure, Osborn is the bully, but he doesn't go with them to meet the Kingdom Chums.  They have a Jewish friend named Sauli who gets picked on by Osborn, and then Peter, Mary Ann and Sauli go to witness Little David in a David and Goliath story.  It's fun and cute, but I personally like The Original Top Ten better.  

     In conclusion, I think the Kingdom Chums creator, Squire Rushnell, was planning to create more stories about them, but never did.  He was the Vice-President of children's programming at ABC, which was how he got his shows onto the ABC weekend specials.  I don't know anything about his faith, but he clearly wanted to teach children Bible stories, and that was a good thing.  The Original Top Ten is a fun and creative way for children to learn the Ten Commandments.  Is it dated?  Certainly now, and it almost was even back in 1992.  But kids don't care!  I have never had a child or teen complain that it was dated.  I've had a few adults concerned about it, but kids really don't care!  Below are the links to The Original Top Ten, and I'll throw in Little David's Adventure too!

The Original Top Ten: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdNsA1c4rEI

Little David's Adventure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqaRlYpzPZM