Big Idea's popular children's animated series "3-2-1 Penguins!" is returning to DVD after a five-year hiatus with the Aug. 30 release of Save the Planets! The DVD features the first three, 22-minute episodes from the show's recent re-launch on NBC.

Although the adventures of brother and sister Jason and Michelle and their space-faring penguin friends Zidgel, Midgel, Fidgel and Kevin are not overtly Christian, they are biblically based. Sol, one of the characters new to the TV version of the show, dishes out pearls of wisdom based on Proverbs, and Jason and Michelle's "Grandmum" reads from the "good book" and prays.

Big Idea has also created a $3.97 retail DVD sampler exclusively for Christian retailers called Meet the Penguins!, which includes an original episode, sneak peeks at future installments of the series and a Save the Planets! coupon.

The first "3-2-1 Penguins!" DVD originally launched in the Christian market in 2002 and landed the top spot on the children's video chart for about 40 weeks, eventually selling more than 1.5 million units. However, Big Idea cancelled the DVD series after six episodes around the time the company was bought by Classic Media, according to Greg Fritz, senior vice president of marketing for Big Idea.

In 2007, the series found new life alongside the VeggieTales TV show as part of NBC's Qubo programming block Saturday mornings and became a hit with audiences. The penguins now occupy the No. 1 spot in the block, Fritz said.

Read more in the Aug. 11 issue of Christian Retailing.

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