Garfield in the Rough

Garfield in the Rough

Title card
Created by Jim Davis
Written by Jim Davis
Directed by Phil Roman
Starring Lorenzo Music
Thom Huge
Gregg Berger
George Wendt
Desiree Goyette
Hal Smith
Orson Bean
Theme music composer Ed Bogas and Desiree Goyette (music and lyrics)
Desiree Goyette, Lou Rawls, Lorenzo Music and Thom Huge (vocals)
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
Production
Executive producer(s) Jay Poynor
Producer(s) Phil Roman
Editor(s) Sam Horta
Running time 24 minutes
Production company(s) Film Roman
United Media Productions
Release
Original network CBS
Original release October 26, 1984
Chronology
Preceded by Garfield on the Town
Followed by Garfield's Halloween Adventure

Garfield in the Rough is a half-hour animated television special based on the Garfield comic strip. It once again featured Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield. The special was first broadcast October 26, 1984 on CBS. It has been released on both VHS and DVD home video.

Storyline

Garfield is living in a boring, black and white world, claiming that all the color has gone out of his life (which explains the subtitle at the beginning "Please do not adjust your sets, all the color has temporarily gone out of Garfield's life"). Jon agrees that all the color has gone and suggests a vacation as a remedy. The color suddenly comes back into Garfield's life. He is excited that Jon wants to take him and Odie on vacation, where he imagines himself in places such as Acapulco, Honolulu and Venice. After realizing that each destination has its drawbacks, Garfield concludes it doesn't matter because they won't be staying home. This joy is short-lived once Jon announces that they're going camping. But Jon forces Garfield to go.

After a long, exhausting journey (from Garfield's point of view), the trio arrives at the campgrounds to check in, while Garfield immediately taking a dislike to one of the camp rangers for insulting him. After a few shananigans at their campsite, including placing a live fish in the coffee pot, Jon finally gets his new "super deluxe" tent set up, although the result doesn't really match the ad. Unlike Jon, who is very enthusiastic about it, Garfield doesn't take to the outdoors, stating that "it would be greater if it were inside". As night falls, the trio listen to the radio which is interrupted by news of a black panther that has escaped from a zoo lurking in the Lake Woebegone woods area. Right after this news on the radio, the announcer says: "We now return to our regular broadcast of fun music." It then plays very depressing music. Garfield and Odie are terrified and want to leave but Jon assures them that Lake Woebegone is miles from their location and that they're perfectly safe. Following the announcement they sing a song (and endure Jon's banjo playing) then go to bed. After they go into their tent, on the hilltops, the panther comes out and growls as it eyes their campsite.

The next day, Odie wakes Jon up at the crack of dawn by licking his feet. This sends Jon rolling down the hill into the lake while still in his tent with Garfield in tow. Odie then runs off into the nearby woods, passing a sign that reveals to be the Lake Woebegone area that the panther is lurking in. The forest rangers are hunting for the panther, and attempt to warn Jon to evacuate, but, after finding no one there, leave a note and move on. This proves unfortunate as a gust of wind kicks up after they leave, tossing the message into a recently extinguished campfire, where it burns up. Despite not hearing a man-eating beast growling in the night, Jon does find out that Garfield and Odie(to a lesser extent) have eaten all the food for the week, except for the dried fruit. Garfield decides to pass off Jon's rant and heads into the woods to wait for the heat to die down. While there, he starts to appreciate the beauty of nature, until he meets two forest animals named Dicky Beaver and Billy Bunny who warn Garfield about the escaped panther, claiming it has already attacked other forest animals. Odie appears, after scaring all but Garfield away by accident, and the two eavesdrop on the two rangers passing by with a tranquilizer gun, hoping to capture the panther. The two decide now is the time to collect Jon and leave before they are attacked by the beast and run all the way back to the campsite.

Upon their return, Garfield tries to warn Jon of the danger but Jon insists that there is nothing to worry about and refuses to move while Garfield tries desperately to convince Odie to get into the car. However, during the commotion the full moon comes into view and shines down on the camp to reveal that the panther has now entered their campsite and is approaching the three as they look on in horror. Garfield runs up a tree while Jon and Odie hide in the tent, followed by the car as the panther tears the tent to shreds and then manages to break into the vehicle by smashing through a window. Scared but unable to watch his family being killed, Garfield leaps from the trees and takes on the panther, clawing at its head and neck but is shaken off. Garfield is in serious danger until the park rangers enter the campsite and subdue the beast with a tranquilizer dart. Jon congrats Garfield for being a hero, Then the rangers come by and told Jon that they were heroes too for saving Garfield from the panther, if they didn't make it on time or if the dart missed the panther, Garfield, Jon & Odie would've been killed, Jon then says he feels they have had enough adventure and recommends they break camp and return to civilization, much to Garfield's joy, The rangers return the panther to the zoo, while Garfield, Jon & Odie set off for home with Garfield bragging over how he took on the panther.

Cast

Songs

Awards

Quotes adapted from the strips

External links

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