An old storyteller tells European folk tales to his sarcastic dog.An old storyteller tells European folk tales to his sarcastic dog.An old storyteller tells European folk tales to his sarcastic dog.
- Won 1 Primetime Emmy
- 4 wins & 3 nominations total
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- TriviaSir John Hurt loved working on this series, and wished it could've lasted for more than one season. Jim Henson also planned to use more detailed folktales and the Creature Shop to make more episodes, some possibly being hour-long specials. However, despite critical acclaim, low ratings due to parents feeling the series was too frightening for children led to the series being canceled after its first season. Some completed scripts included ones based on Petrosinella, an Italian version of Rapunzel; The Witch Baby, which was used in the 2011 Storyteller graphic novel anthology; and Vasilissa the Beautiful, which was adapted into four issue comic book miniseries "The Storyteller: Witches" in 2014 which was followed by more miniseries each year including "The Storyteller: Dragons" in 2015, "The Storyteller: Giants" in 2016, "The Storyteller: Fairies" in 2017, "The Storyteller: Sirens" in 2019, "The Storyteller: Ghosts" in 2020, "The Storyteller: Tricksters" in 2021 and "The Storyteller: Shapeshifters" in 2022. It is unknown if there will be further additions to the series.
- 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.
- Crazy creditsA bird flies through various scenes, before emerging from the Storyteller's mouth and dropping a ring on a stone, which forms the O in the series title.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Troldspejlet: Episode #3.1 (1990)
Featured review
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.
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