Series synopsis
Faerie Tale Theatre is an American drama family sci-fi & fantasy comedy television series that premiered on Showtime on September 11, 1982. It ended on November 14, 1987.
A live-action children's television anthology series retelling popular fairy tales.
Premise
A live-action children's television anthology series retelling popular fairy tales.
Premise: 26 ways to live happily ever after.
Cast and characters
Guest cast
- Shelley Duvall as Self - Host
- Candy Clark as Queen Gwynneth / Candy
- Gena Rowlands as Witch
- Diane Ladd as Mother
- Mick Jagger as The Emperor
- Leonard Nimoy as The Evil Moroccan Magician
- Howard Hesseman as King
- Carole King as Goldilocks' Mother
- Nancy Allen as Princess Elizabeth
- Conchata Ferrell as Thumbelina's Mother
- Elizabeth McGovern as Snow White
- Peter MacNicol as Martin
Episodes
This series spans 6 seasons with 27 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 2 | September 11, 1982 | October 16, 1982 |
| Season 2 | 6 | February 5, 1983 | December 5, 1983 |
| Season 3 | 7 | January 9, 1984 | September 17, 1984 |
| Season 4 | 7 | February 12, 1985 | October 5, 1985 |
| Season 5 | 2 | July 14, 1986 | August 11, 1986 |
| Season 6 | 3 | March 23, 1987 | November 14, 1987 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Tale of the Frog Prince Robin Williams and Terri Garr star in this wonderful adaption of the frog prince. Angered by the lack of an invitation to the christening, the prince's godmother goes into a rage and transforms the baby into a frog. A few years later the beautiful and vain princess loses her magic ball down the well,the frog takes pity on her and gets it out in exchange for a night in the castle, he will eat with her and sleep with her.she tries to blow him off but the king (Rene` Auberjournois) finds out and forces her to let the frog stay.after a brilliant battle with a scorpion the princess kisses him and "POOF," he turns back into a prince. |
September 11, 1982 |
| 2 |
Rumpelstiltskin Boasting about one's daughter is one thing, Telling the king she can spin straw into gold is quite another- especially when the penalty for failure is death!What will the millers daughter do? call on the assistance of a strange little man who in exchange for spinning straw into gold -- wants her first born child! The only way to save herself from a terrible fate is to guess the little man's name. |
October 16, 1982 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Rapunzel From High atop a tower, a beautiful young woman lets down her hair - and lets in love. Thats the time-honored story of Rapunzel. Shelly Duvall, producer of the entire Faerie Tale Theatre series of which Rapunzel is a part , stars as the maiden.Jeff Bridges is the prince who climbs to Rapunzel's balcony via her long , long hair.And Gena Rowlands is the lovely, but wicked witch who tries to keep them apart. |
February 5, 1983 |
| 2 |
The Nightingale Cathay, a kingdom with harmony and peace. A simple kitchen maid, whose mother is very sick, learns of magical faeries and a root that can cure even the worst disease. She also comes across a beautiful bird, the nightingale, that she soon falls in love with its song. The emperor, is unpleased to learn that his great and vast palace does not completly please the poets, rather a simple bird, the nightingale, does. His royal court gets the bird, with the help of the kitchen maid, and the emperor is very pleased. After a while, an artificial bird is given to the emperor as a gift. He banishes the other the nightingale. But when the artificial bird breaks, he suddenly becomes deathly ill. It's up to the nightingale to save him, but will she after he banished her? Mick Jagger portrays the emperor very well, Barbara Hershey is superb as the kitchen maid, and Edward James Olomos is great as the prime minister. The Nightingale has a great message and great fun! |
May 10, 1983 |
| 3 |
Sleeping Beauty Christopher Reeves and Bernadette Peters star in this charming adaption of the classic story, an evil witch puts a curse on a beautiful princess which entails that by her 16th birthday she will stick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die!!, the curse is somewhat lifted by a good fairy so that instead of death it is sleep. When the evil curse comes true the good fairy puts a spell on the castle to place everyone asleep until the princess is wakened by loves first kiss. |
July 7, 1983 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Goldilocks And The Three Bears It's probably the most famous story of trespassing in fiction. In this version, its unquestionably the most entertaining. Tatum O'Neal stars as the mischievous but lovable heroine in this story of a child who invades the lives of 3 bears. The amusing threesome is headed by Alex Karras. Carole king and John Lithgow and Hoyt Axton are included in the talented supporting cast. |
January 9, 1984 |
| 2 |
The Princess and the Pea Prince Richard is looking for something to complete his life. The royal fool(jester). Helps him decide that he needs a wife, with a demanding mother and a dumbfounded father, that's all he needs in his life, until Alicia comes along. She is kind and gentle, and persists that she's a princess. Richard has had it with the demands of his mother and hates all of the princess presented to him, so he decides to marry Alicia. The mother however, is not so sure Alicia, so she puts her to a test to see if she is a real princess which has hilarious consequences! Liza Minelli is classically funny as Alicia. "The Princess and the Pea" is great family fun! |
April 16, 1984 |
| 3 |
Pinocchio James Coburn, Carl Reiner, Paul Reubens and Lainie Kazan star in this amazing version of the Carlo Collodi's classic tale. A magical blue fairy brings a marionette named Pinocchio to life in order to grant a woodcutter's wish. Now Pinocchio must prove himself kind and loving in order to become a real, live boy. But, if he is bad, which sometimes he is, his nose will grow and only until he realizes his mistake will it shrink back to a valid size. This is one of the best Faerie Tale Theatre episodes, and one of the best versions of this classic Faerie Tale! |
May 14, 1984 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Three Little Pigs If you work hard you can overcome the most formidable obstacles. Thats the morale of this most popular of fairy tales. Billy Crystal and Valerie Perrine are in trouble when they come up against Big Bad Wolf Jeff Goldblum. Billys older brothers just miss ending up on the wolfs plate by the hair of their chin-ee chin chins when he blows there houses of straw and sticks away. Billy the more practical pig, takes his time and constructs his house out of sturdy brick. when the cigar-chomping wolf arrives- he huffs and puffs but can't blow Billy's house down. |
February 12, 1985 |
| 2 |
The Snow Queen Kay and Gerda are best friends. A wicked goblin who likes to cause trouble casts a spell on Kay to separate the friends. The Snow Queen snatches Kay away to her castle. Gerda must go find him. Will she ever find Kay? Is the Snow Queen helping Kay or is she freezing his heart forever? |
March 11, 1985 |
| 3 |
The Pied Piper of Hamelin Eric Idle plays a wandering piper who is hired by a selfish mayor to rid his town of rats. The piper is good to his word and leads the rats to a watery grave.However when he asks for payment the mayor reneges, thus causing the piper tp play his pipe for an alternate result -- this time leading all the children out of Hamelin never to be seen again. |
April 5, 1985 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp Sometimes getting everything you wish isn't everything you wished for. It certainly isn't in the fantastic tale of Aladdin where he is left in a cave to die with nothing but an oil lamp! But Lo and behold rubbing it produces a fantastic Blue Genie, who will grant him every wish-- even the wish to marry the princess! but the evil Moroccan Magician attempts to get in the way by stealing the lamp! an absolutely stunning version From Tim Burton. |
July 14, 1986 |
| 2 |
The Princess Who Never Laughed Ellen Barkin is a forlorn princess yearning for laughs. Howard Hessman is her stern father (the king) who demands to be addressed as "your seriousness". Growing up without humor, the princess becomes more and more morose, finally locking herself in the royal bedchamber and refusing to leave. The king in desperation, decrees a royal laugh-off to make his daughter happy. Enter Howie Mandell as "Weinerhead Waldo" and his pet pig Boris. Together they show the princess what the funniest act in the kingdom really is. |
August 11, 1986 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Rip Van Winkle Rip Van Winkle is off in the Catskill mountains one day when he finds a gathering of ghosts. After drinking wine and socializing all day, he falls fast asleep. When he awakes, he discovers it is 20 years later! An interesting version of the Washington Irving Tale. |
March 23, 1987 |
| 2 |
The Little Mermaid Pam Dawber makes a deal with a sea witch after rescuing a human from drowning -- she wants to become human. The witch agrees to give her legs, but the prince must fall in love with her or she is doomed to be sea foam forever on the sea. The Witch also takes away her voice and warns her that every step she takes will feel like she is walking on knives. Even with all odds against her, the little mermaid follows her heart, no matter where it may lead! |
April 6, 1987 |
| 3 |
The Dancing Princesses An overbearing king learns from his daughters that being overprotective is as unwise as being to permissive. The trouble starts when he learns that his 6 daughters dancing slippers nearly worn to bits Every morning (which is very costly). He wonders how they accomplish this when he locks them in their room every night. Where do they possibly go dancing? The secret isn't discovered until a wise soldier shows up at the palace and follows them by aid of an invisible cloak to a stunning fantasy world where the girls dance the night away with their dream men. This is one of the finest episodes of Faerie tale Theatre! |
November 14, 1987 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | Showtime |
|---|---|
| First aired | September 11, 1982 |
| Last aired | November 14, 1987 |
| Runtime | 51 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Monday |