"The Storyteller" (1988) TV series

User Rating:

8.9/10   

Creator:

Jim Henson

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

15 May 1988 (UK)

Genre:

Fantasy

Plot:

An old storyteller and his sarcastic dog tell obscure fairtales.

Plot Keywords:

Princess | Wedding | Forest | King | Half Human

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

John Hurt	...	The Storyteller (9 episodes, 1988)
Brian Henson	...	Storyteller's Dog / ... (9 episodes, 1988)

Also Known As:

Jim Henson's The Storyteller (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

225 min (9 episodes) | 25 min (9 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Certification:

Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Elstree Film Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company:

Henson Associates (HA)

Trivia:

The number "3" features in every episode of the series: - Hans My Hedgehog - The Princess, after marrying the Grovelhog, learns he sheds his quills each night and she has to keep it a secret for 3 nights in order to break the curse. When she fails and he runs away, she searches the world and wears out 3 pairs of iron shoes in the process. - Fearnot - Fearnot comes from a family of 3 (father, brother and Fearnot) and was tricked by 3 bullies early in the story. It takes 3 encounters before he finally learns how to shudder (encountering the swamp creature, the half demon in the castle, and the thought of losing his sweetheart). - A Story Short - The Storyteller loses to the Beggar 3 times while playing Dice. He loses his money, his wife and his own self. - The Luck Child - Lucky survives 3 attempts on his life by the wicked king (thrown over a cliff, sent to the castle with a letter instructing the queen to kill him, and being sent to the Griffin's lair). - The Soldier and Death - The Soldier helps 3 beggars and is rewarded each time. He also captures 3 geese the first time he uses the Magic Sack. - The True Bride - The girl completes 3 tasks given to her by the troll (with the help of the Thought Lion). The Lion also gives her 3 walnuts with gifts hidden inside to barter with the Trollop. - The Three Ravens - After the Princess's 3 brothers are transformed into ravens, she has to keep silent for 3 years, 3 months and 3 days to break the curse. She also gives birth to 3 sons after marrying the Prince. - Sapsorrow - Youngest of 3 daughters, Sapsorrow commissions the making of 3 dresses to stall the arranged marriage with her Father. She then wears those 3 dresses on 3 different nights to woo the Prince. - The Heartless Giant - Youngest of 3 princes, Leo tries to find the Heartless Giant that he released. On the way, he helps 3 animals (bird, fish and wolf) who later aid him. When Leo tries to find where the Giant's heart is hidden, he finds out on the third try.

Quotes:

The Storyteller: [opening lines] When people told themselves their past with stories, explained their present with stories, foretold the future with stories, the best place by the fire was kept for... The Storyteller.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: (#34.11)" (2005)

The best

This is the best television series for children (and adults) ever. John Hurt is a great actor, with many excellent performances over many years, but he was born to play the storyteller. The scripts for almost every episode are superb pieces of craftsmanship, and the productions run the gamut of the emotions, being alternately funny, sad, happy, exciting, and always hauntingly beautiful. It is hard to pick a best episode from so many excellent contenders, but "The Soldier and Death", with its timeless pathos, is unbeatable. It is a series to watch with your children, over and over again.