"Alive N Chicken" is the first part of the Twenty Third Episode of "101 Dalmatians The Series".
This episode is notably famous for it was banned from airing after the 9/11 Attacks.
Plot
After overhearing Anita and Nanny talking, Spot believes she is going to die imminently. Cadpig takes this as an opportunity to teach her to "live it up."
Synopsis
The Episode begins with Spot, happy and content, when she comes across a pile of Corn. As she eats, she over hears Nanny & Anita talking over how it’s Curtains for a Spot and will be history by the night. Spot thinks they’re referring to her but as soon as she runs off however, it is revealed the two were actually talking about a spot on a dress which Anita plans to turn into Curtains, just like how she made Roger a shirt out of Dishtowels.
As Spot worries on this, she sees Nanny making a wooden box, which is Spot’s size, making Spot think it’s her coffin. In reality, it’s a Platter Box for Nanny’s Herb Garden.
Spot then sees Roger digging a hole to which Spot thinks is to put her Six Feet Under. She runs off again and it turns out that Roger was digging the hole to bury the Dish Towel Shirt, Anita made him.
Spot runs into Lucky, Cadpig & Rolly and they ask her what’s troubling her. Spot explains what she saw but the Pups are able to guess exactly what each really meant. Spot isn’t convinced and goes off to spend her day alone.
Cadpig then realises that they can take Spot’s Death Paranoia to advantage and treat the day for Spot to ‘Live it Up’. She convinces Lucky & Rolly to help with this.
First, Rolly sets Spot up with a massage and large picnic. Spot is concerned at first, due to having digestive trouble, but Cadpig notes that if today is her last day, it doesn’t matter. Spot as a result eats not only the entire picnic but also an apple tree and a field of corn. She shows up later, quite plump and wonders what they’re going to do next. Cadpig says it’s that she’s going to face her fears and stand up to someone who has not only damaged her pride, but devalued her as an individual.
Cadpig brings Spot to confront Steven the Aligator. Spot runs off in fear Steven will eat her, but once again, Cadpig tells Spot that if it is her last day, she’s got nothing to loose.
Spot is soon able to stand up to Steven and rant to him on what she dislikes about his attempts to eat her. Spot at first feels proud of this but nearly gets eaten by Steven as a result.
Once saved from Steven, Lucky says that Spot will now fly, Spot states she is a chicken, so can already fly, but Lucky comments that she’s ‘Never Actually Soared’.
Lucky then constructs a plane for Spot and, after two unsuccessful flights; Spot is able to fly the contraption around. During her flight, Spot crashes her way through a pile of trash, Swamp Rat has set up, before flying over a Football Match catching the ball and soaring it through the goal posts. The plane then flies through Villa Devil, where her propeller shaves Cruella’s head, whilst Horace & Jasper are busy styling it, Fortunately for them, Cruella loves the result. Spot’s soon flies her plane into some pylons and is shocked, but she sees the sun setting and remembers what Anita said.
She then collides into a Windmill and her plane falls into a sack of flour. Seeing herself white and what looks like a stairway to heaven, Spot thinks she’s dead. However, the Dalmatians inform her that she is still alive (Spot being white is due to the flour and the stairway is in fact a dented wing to the plane). The group then see Nanny & Anita, proving to Spot that they were indeed talking about a spot on a dress, which has now been made into curtains.
Spot is shocked that she had all that fun for nothing, but Cadpig notes that’s how she should live every day; with Gusto, Passion and Courage.Spot rejoices that she’s going to live; however Steven shows up and chases Spot into the Sunset.
Notes
- The title of this episode is based on the phrase; “Alive N’ Kickin”
- This episode was banned from airing after the 9/11 attack of 2001, Due to the scene in “Alive N Chicken” where Spot flies her plane around the Chow Tower, along with crashing into the Windmill with the cloud of flour for it resembles the 9/11 attack.
- This was and is the only episode that was banned from airing.
- The Sequence which Spot talks about what happened bares a close resemblance to the Twilight Zone.
- When Spot arrives after eating the Corn field, her steps cause water in a dog bowl to ripple. This is similar to signal the Dinosaurs approach in Steven Spielberg’s ‘Jurassic Park’.
- Lucky later constructs another plane in; “Easy On The Lies”.
- When Spot crashes through Swamp Rats Trash Pile, it takes the shape of the Tower of Piazza.
- Apparently, the local High School is called ‘Devil High’ with a Football team known as the Bears.
- Ed, who later appears in “Close But No Cigar” seems to be refereeing the Football match.