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| Rabbit Ears Productions | |
|---|---|
| Narrated by | Various |
| Composer | Various |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 65 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Mark Sottnick and Mike Pogue |
| Running time | 30 minutes per episode |
| Original release | |
| Network | Direct-to-video Showtime |
Rabbit Ears Productions is a production company best known for producing three television series that feature individual episodes adapting popular pieces of children's literature. Rabbit Ears episodes have been released on home video, broadcast on Showtime, and rerun on PBS. The series features actors, such as Robin Williams, Raul Julia, Laura Dern, Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, John Hurt, Danny Glover and others narrating children's books that are either well known in the United States or around the world. The series made use of a limited animation technique whereby still images are moved throughout the scene, similar to modern motion comics. Rabbit Ears Productions has also won numerous awards, including Parents' Choice Awards and Grammy Awards.
The stories were released on CDs, VHS, and DVD by several distributors, including Random House Home Video (1985 to 1986), Sony Video Software (1987 to 1990), and Uni Distribution Corp.
Rabbit Ears Productions was acquired by Vanguard Animation in early 2024; the studio then began uploading full episodes of its programs onto its official YouTube channel.
Stories
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Storybook Classics
From 1984 to 1990, Rabbit Ears Productions created a set of storybook classics that were well known around the world. Probably the most popular storybook classic from Rabbit Ears Productions was The Velveteen Rabbit, the first story that Rabbit Ears Productions had created. The Velveteen Rabbit also received many awards, such as a Parents' Choice Award and a nomination for a Grammy Award. Showtime acquired the broadcast rights to Storybook Classics in 1987.
We All Have Tales
From 1991 to 1995, Rabbit Ears Productions created the next set of stories that were collected from around the world, including the countries of Russia, France, Jamaica, England, Germany, Colombia, Scandinavia, Japan and India.
American Heroes and Legends
From 1992 to 1993, Rabbit Ears Productions made another set of stories that originated in the U.S., about great American heroes, such as John Henry, Johnny Appleseed, and many other heroes and heroines who made a great impact on American society.
The Greatest Stories Ever Told
From 1991 to 1993, Rabbit Ears Productions created its final installments, relating to stories from the Bible.
The Bible stories are:
- The Creation
- Noah and the Ark
- Joseph and His Brothers
- Moses in Egypt
- Moses the Lawgiver
- Ruth in Cannaan
- David and Goliath
- The Story of Esther
- Daniel and the Lions' Den
- Jonah and the Whale
- The Savior is Born
- Parables That Jesus Told
Of the 13 Bible stories, the first 11 focus on stories from the Old Testament (Genesis, Exodus, Ruth, Samuel, Esther, Daniel and Jonah), and the final 2 focus on stories from the New Testament.
This series was not shown on television. Of the 13 Bible stories, 9 were released on VHS and DVD. None were in the order found in the Bible, except The Creation (which was first) and Parables That Jesus Told (which was last).
In The Creation video, the narrator concludes that Adam and Eve ventured into the world. They "went out into the world until they returned to the ground from which they were made".
Holiday Classics
Holiday Classics are stories that are found throughout all the Rabbit Ears Productions series, whether they are Christmas, Halloween or Easter-themed.
Cast and Stories
Cast
- Holly Hunter: told The Three Billy Goats Gruff / The Three Little Pigs
- Meg Ryan: told Red Riding Hood / Goldilocks
- Denzel Washington: told John Henry / Anansi
- Robin Williams: told The Fool and the Flying Ship / Pecos Bill
- Jonathan Winters: told Paul Bunyan
- Danny Glover: told Brer Rabbit and Boss Lion / Brer Rabbit and the Wonderful Tar Baby / How the Leopard Got His Spots / Moses in Egypt
- Meryl Streep: told The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher / The Tale of Peter Rabbit / The Velveteen Rabbit / The Night Before Christmas / The Tailor of Gloucester
- Glenn Close: told The Emperor and the Nightingale / The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
- John Hurt: told Aladdin and the Magic Lamp
- Raul Julia: told The Monkey People
- Kelly McGillis: told Thumbelina / Noah and the Ark
- Laura Dern: told The Song of Sacajawea
- John Candy: told Stormalong
- Morgan Freeman: told Follow the Drinking Gourd / The Savior is Born
- Jack Nicholson: told The Elephant's Child / How the Rhinoceros got his Skin / How the Camel got his Hump
- Sigourney Weaver: told Peachboy
- Whoopi Goldberg: told Koi and the Kola Nuts
- John Lone: told The Five Chinese Brothers
- Anjelica Huston: told Rip Van Winkle
- Ben Kingsley: told The Tiger and the Brahmin / Moses the Law-giver
- Jason Robards: told Jonah and the Whale
- Nicolas Cage: told Davy Crockett
- Mel Gibson: told David and Goliath
- Garrison Keillor: told Johnny Appleseed / Parables that Jesus Told
- Bob Hoskins: told The Bremen Town Musicians
- Rubén Blades: told Joseph and his Brothers
- Amy Grant: told The Creation / The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat / The Lion and the Lamb
- Christopher Reeve: told The Lion and The Lamb
- Keith Carradine: told Annie Oakley
- Michael Keaton: told Mose the Fireman
- Jodie Foster: told The Fisherman and His Wife
- Geena Davis: told Princess Scargo and the Birthday Pumpkin
- Graham Greene: told Squanto and the First Thanksgiving
- Susan Saint James: told A Gingerbread Christmas
- Max von Sydow: told East of the Sun, West of the Moon
- Susan Sarandon: told The Firebird
- John Gielgud: told The Emperor's New Clothes
- Jeremy Irons: told The Steadfast Tin Soldier
- Sissy Spacek: told The Talking Eggs
- Cher: told The Ugly Duckling
- Emma Thompson: told The White Cat
- John Cleese: told Tom Thumb
- Kathleen Turner: told Rumpelstiltskin
- Danny Aiello: told Pinocchio
- William Hurt: told The Boy Who Drew Cats
- Tracey Ullman: told Puss in Boots
- Michael Palin: told Jack and the Beanstalk
- Michael Caine: told King Midas and the Golden Touch
- Catherine O'Hara: told Finn McCoul
Crew
- Mark Sottnick: Executive Producer, Producer, Director
- Mike Pogue: Executive Producer
- Eric Metaxas: Writer
- Brian Gleeson: Writer
- C.W. Rogers: Animation Department, Film Editing, Production Design
- Tim Raglin: Illustrator, Art Direction, Director
- Paul Elliott: Art Director
- Ken Hoin: Producer
- Doris Wilhousky: Executive Producer
- Susan C. Anderson: Production Director
Episodes
Storybook Classics
| No. | Title | Narrated by | Illustration and music | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Velveteen Rabbit" | Meryl Streep | Illustrated by : David Jorgensen Music by : George Winston | March 9, 1985 (1985-03-09) (public television stations) | |
| When a young boy receives a toy rabbit for a gift, the toy rabbit realizes that when someone loves you so much, you can become real. | |||||
| 2 | "The Ugly Duckling" | Cher | Illustrated by : Robert Van Nutt Music by : Patrick Ball | 1985 (1985) (VHS) October 5, 1987 (1987-10-05) (Showtime) | |
| When a young duckling is rejected from his family because of his ugly looks, he embarks on a journey to realize the true meaning of beauty. | |||||
| 3 | "The Elephant's Child" | Jack Nicholson | Illustrated by : Tim Raglin Music by : Bobby McFerrin | 1986 (1986) (VHS) September 14, 1987 (1987-09-14) (Showtime) | |
| When a curious elephant child wants to know about the crocodile that lives in the river, he gets a big surprise that might change his life forever. | |||||
| 4 | "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" | Jeremy Irons | Illustrated by : David Jorgensen Music by : Mark Isham | 1986 (1986) (VHS) October 12, 1987 (1987-10-12) (Showtime) | |
| This is the story of a one-legged tin soldier who goes through many perilous adventures in the outside world to get back to his true love, the ballerina. | |||||
| 5 | "The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher / The Tale of Peter Rabbit" | Meryl Streep | Illustrated by : David Jorgensen Music by : Lyle Mays | 1987 (1987) (VHS) September 28, 1987 (1987-09-28) (Showtime) | |
|
The Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher: Mr. Jeremy Fisher, the frog, wants to go fishing for minnows for his dinner. Unfortunately, he is about to find out the dangers of going fishing alone. The Tale of Peter Rabbit: Naughty Peter Rabbit goes off to Mr. McGregor's garden against his mother's warnings, but he soon learns about the consequences of disobeying his mother. | |||||
| 6 | "The Emperor and the Nightingale" | Glenn Close | Illustrated by : Robert Van Nutt Music by : Mark Isham | 1987 (1987) (VHS) September 21, 1987 (1987-09-21) (Showtime) | |
| When the Emperor of China finds out about the beautiful music of the nightingale, he wishes to have the nightingale by his side. That is, until a new rival, a mechanical bird, shows up and outstages the nightingale. But, when the Emperor faces death, he will soon realize that the nightingale is the one who truly cares for him in his time of need. | |||||
| 7 | "How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin / How the Camel Got His Hump" | Jack Nicholson | Illustrated by : Tim Raglin Music by : Bobby McFerrin | 1987 (1987) (VHS) October 19, 1987 (1987-10-19) (Showtime) | |
|
How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin: When the Rhinoceros rudely eats the Parsee Man's cake, the Parsee Man's revenge causes the Rhinoceros to have the skin he has today. How the Camel Got His Hump: When the Camel refuses to do any work in the desert, it is up to the Djinn of the desert to set him straight. | |||||
| 8 | "Pecos Bill" | Robin Williams | Illustrated by : Tim Raglin Music by : Ry Cooder | 1988 (1988) (VHS) July 3, 1988 (1988-07-03) (Showtime) | |
| Join the legendary cowboy Pecos Bill on his adventures of being raised as a coyote to being the hero when a cyclone threatens Texas. | |||||
| 9 | "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" | Glenn Close | Illustrated by : Robert Van Nutt Music by : Tim Story | 1988 (1988) (VHS) October 10, 1988 (1988-10-10) (Showtime) | |
| Washington Irving’s eerie tale of romantic rivalry along the Hudson pits the new schoolmaster Ichabod Crane against the local hero and bully, Brom Bones, for the hand of Katrina Van Tassel. This haunting drama climaxes with the appearance of one of the great, legendary ghosts of all time: the Headless Horseman. | |||||
| 10 | "The Tailor of Gloucester" | Meryl Streep | Illustrated by : David Jorgensen Music by : The Chieftains | 1988 (1988) (VHS) April 1, 1988 (1988-04-01) (Showtime) | |
| When a poor tailor has to make a lovely Christmas coat for the mayor on his wedding day, he gets help from an unexpected source. | |||||
| 11 | "The Fisherman and His Wife" | Jodie Foster | Illustrated by : Diana Bryan Music by : Van Dyke Parks | 1989 (1989) (VHS) December 18, 1989 (1989-12-18) (Showtime) | |
| When a poor fisherman discovers a magic flounder in the sea, he goes home to tell his wife. But, as his wife's greed for the better life comes to the point where she wants to take over the world, the fisherman soon realizes that his wife's greed will get the best of them yet. | |||||
| 12 | "Thumbelina" | Kelly McGillis | Illustrated by : David Johnson Music by : Mark Isham | 1989 (1989) (VHS) September 12, 1989 (1989-09-12) (Showtime) | |
| A long time ago in Denmark, a childless couple is blessed with a radiantly beautiful baby girl. She is no bigger than a thumb, so she is called Thumbelina. Snatched from her family by an ugly toad who wants to marry her, Thumbelina escapes, befriending various creatures of the forest. Ultimately, she meets the king of the flower angels, with whom she finds happiness forever. | |||||
| 13 | "How the Leopard Got His Spots" | Danny Glover | Illustrated by : Lori Lohstoeter Music by : Ladysmith Black Mambazo | 1989 (1989) (VHS) November 27, 1989 (1989-11-27) (Showtime) | |
| When all the animals in the forest has fled to the jungle to avoid being eaten, the Leopard and the Ethiopian both have to change their colors in order to blend in with the jungle and find the animals. | |||||
| 14 | "The Three Billy Goats Gruff / The Three Little Pigs" | Holly Hunter | Illustrated by : David Jorgensen Music by : Art Lande | 1989 (1989) (VHS) October 17, 1989 (1989-10-17) (Showtime) | |
|
The Three Billy Goats Gruff: When a troll threatens to eat up the billy goats who want to eat the grass on the other side of the bridge, the biggest billy goat is the one who teaches the troll a lesson he'll never forget. The Three Little Pigs: When the Big Bad Wolf eats up the first and second little pigs, he'll learn the hard way that he shouldn't mess with the smartest pig of the three little pigs. | |||||
| 15 | "The Emperor's New Clothes" | Sir John Gielgud | Illustrated by : Robert Van Nutt Music by : Mark Isham | 1990 (1990) (VHS) November 6, 1990 (1990-11-06) (Showtime) | |
| Like everyone else in the kingdom, two clever swindlers understand the Emperor's passion for new clothes. Claiming to be creators of the richest and most beautiful cloth in the world, they cleverly announce that the "magical" garments they are weaving for the Emperor are invisible to anyone lacking intelligence. Who will have the courage to speak the truth? | |||||
| 16 | "Paul Bunyan" | Jonathan Winters | Illustrated by : Rick Meyerowitz Music by : Leo Kottke | 1990 (1990) (VHS) October 2, 1990 (1990-10-02) (Showtime) | |
| Big as a mountain and strong as a grizzly bear, Paul Bunyan was the greatest lumberjack to swagger through the North American forests. All the larger-than-life characters in Paul's supporting cast are here, including Babe the Blue Ox, eating her ton of grain a day, and Hot Biscuit Sally with her acre-and a half griddle. | |||||
| 17 | "Red Riding Hood / Goldilocks" | Meg Ryan | Illustrated by : Laszlo Kubinyi Music by : Art Lande | 1990 (1990) (VHS) September 6, 1990 (1990-09-06) (Showtime) | |
|
Red Riding Hood: When a young girl with a red cape encounters the Big Bad Wolf in the woods, she learns the hard way that nothing good comes out of talking to strangers. Goldilocks: When a spoiled girl goes to the house of the three bears and sneaks inside, she will soon get a surprise of her life when the bears come home from their walk. | |||||
| 18 | "Brer Rabbit and the Wonderful Tar Baby" | Danny Glover | Illustrated by : Henrik Drescher Music by : Taj Mahal | 1990 (1990) (VHS) March 1, 1990 (1990-03-01) (Showtime) | |
| When Brer Fox gets tired of Brer Rabbit's sassiness, he decides to make a Tar Baby that will trap Brer Rabbit for sure. But Brer Fox soon finds out that Brer Rabbit is trickier than he looks. | |||||
| 19 | "The Talking Eggs" | Sissy Spacek | Illustrated by : Neil Brennan Music by : Michael Doucet with BeauSoleil | June 4, 1995 (1995-06-04) (PRI) | |
| A young girl named Ruby Rouge befriends a mysterious old woman who gives her magical eggs. | |||||
We All Have Tales
| No. | Title | Narrated by | Illustration and music | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Fool and the Flying Ship" | Robin Williams | Illustrated by : Henrik Drescher Music by : Klezmer Conservatory Band | April 9, 1991 (1991-04-09) (Showtime) | |
| A story from Russia. When the Tsar of Russia proclaims that whoever builds a flying ship will marry his daughter, a country fool takes the challenge and meets some odd superhumans along the way. | |||||
| 2 | "Peachboy" | Sigourney Weaver | Illustrated by : Jeffrey Smith Music by : Ryuichi Sakamoto | May 7, 1991 (1991-05-07) (Showtime) | |
| Set in Ancient Japan, a young child is found inside a peach by an old couple, and he must embark on a journey to rescue people from a band of ogres. | |||||
| 3 | "Jack and the Beanstalk" | Michael Palin | Illustrated by : Edward Sorel Music by : David A. Stewart | June 4, 1991 (1991-06-04) (Showtime) | |
| A story from England. When Jack sells his cow for some lousy looking beans, his mother goes into a rage and throws the beans out the window. However, Jack soon discovers that those beans were no ordinary beans and he begins a journey to get the riches that lies on top of the beanstalk. However, Jack soon discovers that the riches are not the only things on the beanstalk. | |||||
| 4 | "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" | Max von Sydow | Illustrated by : Vivienne Flesher Music by : Lyle Mays | June 5, 1991 (1991-06-05) (VHS) July 10, 1991 (1991-07-10) (Showtime) | |
| A story from Scandinavia. When a young girl befriends a mysterious bear, she learns about the curse that has been set upon the bear and embarks on a journey to set him free from the curse. | |||||
| 5 | "Anansi" | Denzel Washington | Illustrated by : Steven Guarnaccia Music by : UB40 | September 10, 1991 (1991-09-10) (Showtime) | |
| Two stories from Jamaica feature Anansi the Spider outsmarting various creatures to get their stories. The first story involves Anansi tricking Snake to get the stories from Tiger. The second story involves Anansi trying to admit to the other animals that he is a man after his mother-in-law dies. | |||||
| 6 | "The Tiger and the Brahmin" | Ben Kingsley | Illustrated by : Kurt Vargo Music by : Ravi Shankar | October 1, 1991 (1991-10-01) (Showtime) | |
| A story from India. When a Brahmin accidentally releases a tiger, the tiger is bent on eating the Brahmin. However, a clever jackal is the one who helps the Brahmin in his time of need. | |||||
| 7 | "The Boy Who Drew Cats" | William Hurt | Illustrated by : David Johnson Music by : Mark Isham | November 5, 1991 (1991-11-05) (Showtime) | |
| A story from Japan. A young boy who draws cats goes on an adventure to save his village from a demon. | |||||
| 8 | "King Midas and the Golden Touch" | Michael Caine | Illustrated by : Rodica Prato Music by : Ellis Marsalis featuring Yo-Yo Ma | December 13, 1991 (1991-12-13) (Showtime) | |
| A story from Greece. When King Midas is given the gift to turn objects into gold, he learns that there are things that are more precious than any gold in the kingdom. | |||||
| 9 | "The Monkey People" | Raúl Juliá | Illustrated by : Diana Bryan Music by : Lee Ritenour | January 7, 1992 (1992-01-07) (Showtime) | |
| A story from Colombia. When a small village starts neglecting their duties, they get help from a mysterious old man who carves leaves in the shapes monkeys that come to life. | |||||
| 10 | "Puss in Boots" | Tracey Ullman | Illustrated by : Pierre Le-Tan Music by : Jean-Luc Ponty | February 18, 1992 (1992-02-18) (Showtime) | |
| A story from France. Claude, a youngest son of Miller, feels short-changed leaves him nothing more than a tomcat. However, when Claude decides to do away with his feline inheritance, the cat devised a plan to transform his dim-witted owner into a prince. | |||||
| 11 | "Rumpelstiltskin" | Kathleen Turner | Illustrated by : Peter Sis Music by : Tangerine Dream | March 8, 1992 (1992-03-08) (Showtime) | |
| A story from Germany. A greedy king tells a young daughter of a miller that she must spin a room full of straws into gold by morning, or die. Then a little man tells her anything she please. | |||||
| 12 | "Koi and the Kola Nuts" | Whoopi Goldberg | Illustrated by : Reynold Ruffins Music by : Herbie Hancock | April 7, 1992 (1992-04-07) (Showtime) | |
| A story from Nigeria. When a young boy by the name of Koi leaves his village because the village does not know how to treat the son of a chief, he embarks on a journey to find a village that will treat him with respect. Koi then makes a few unexpected jungle friends along the way. | |||||
| 13 | "Finn McCoul" | Catherine O'Hara | Illustrated by : Peter de Sève Music by : Boys on the Lough | June 11, 1992 (1992-06-11) (Showtime) | |
| A story from Ireland. Finn McCoul is the greatest champion in all of Ireland. But when the brutish giant Cucullin is after him, he is a bit nervous. | |||||
| 14 | "Pinocchio" | Danny Aiello | Illustrated by : Brian Ajhar Music by : Les Misérables Brass Band | 1992 (1992) (VHS) May 9, 1994 (1994-05-09) (Showtime) | |
| A story from Italy. A woodcarver named Geppetto creates a young puppet named Pinocchio that somehow comes to life. | |||||
| 15 | "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp" | John Hurt | Illustrated by : Greg Couch Music by : Mickey Hart | February 1994 (1994-02) (VHS) April 5, 1994 (1994-04-05) (Showtime) | |
| A story from the Middle East. This enchanted tale is based on "One Thousand and One Nights" where a young rogue receives wishes from a genie and wins the hand of the Sultan's daughter in marriage. | |||||
| 16 | "The Bremen Town Musicians" | Bob Hoskins | Illustrated by : David Johnson Music by : Eugene Friesen | March 1994 (1994-03) (VHS) January 9, 1995 (1995-01-09) (Showtime) | |
| A story from Germany. A gang of farmyard animals form a band and travel to the German town of Bremen. | |||||
| 17 | "The Five Chinese Brothers" | John Lone | Illustrated by : Kurt Vargo Music by : Bill Douglass and David Austin | June 14, 1994 (1994-06-14) (Showtime) | |
| A tale of ancient China; five brothers who each have their own unique gifted strength and power help each other to overcome the challenges when a fateful disaster comes. | |||||
| 18 | "The Firebird" | Susan Sarandon | Illustrated by : Robert Van Nutt Music by : Mark Isham | July 12, 1994 (1994-07-12) (Showtime) | |
| A story from Russia. A young archer named Ivan gives a feather from the legendary Firebird to the Tsar of Russia, and he must go on a quest to capture the Firebird. | |||||
| 19 | "Tom Thumb" | John Cleese | Illustrated by : Tim Gabor Music by : Elvis Costello | May 28, 1995 (1995-05-28) (PRI) | |
| 20 | "The White Cat" | Emma Thompson | Illustrated by : Barbara McClintock Music by : Joe Jackson | September 24, 1995 (1995-09-24) (PRI) December 5, 1996 (1996-12-05) (Showtime) | |
| A story from France. A prince falls in love with an enchanted cat queen. | |||||
American Heroes and Legends
| No. | Title | Narrated by | Illustration and music | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Annie Oakley" | Keith Carradine | Illustrated by : Fred Warter Music by : Los Lobos | October 14, 1992 (1992-10-14) (Showtime) | |
| The true story about the real life exploits of a sharp shooter from the Wild West. | |||||
| 2 | "Brer Rabbit and Boss Lion" | Danny Glover | Illustrated by : Bill Mayer Music by : Dr. John | October 21, 1992 (1992-10-21) (Showtime) | |
| Brer Rabbit teaches Boss Lion a lesson. | |||||
| 3 | "Stormalong" | John Candy | Illustrated by : Don Vanderbeek Music by : NRBQ | October 28, 1992 (1992-10-28) (Showtime) | |
| The tale of a giant sea captain and his adventures on the open sea. | |||||
| 4 | "Rip Van Winkle" | Anjelica Huston | Illustrated by : Rick Meyerowitz Music by : Jay Ungar and Molly Mason | November 4, 1992 (1992-11-04) (Showtime) | |
| A lazy man goes to the Catskill mountains with his dog and accidentally ends up sleeping for 20 years. | |||||
| 5 | "Davy Crockett" | Nicolas Cage | Illustrated by : Steve Brodner Music by : David Bromberg | November 11, 1992 (1992-11-11) (Showtime) | |
| A story about the outlandish adventures of a wild man who eventually becomes a hero. | |||||
| 6 | "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd" | Morgan Freeman | Illustrated by : Yvonne Buchanan Music by : Taj Mahal | November 18, 1992 (1992-11-18) (Showtime) | |
| A family of slaves try to escape from their masters by following a song. | |||||
| 7 | "John Henry" | Denzel Washington | Illustrated by : Barry Jackson Music by : B.B. King | November 25, 1992 (1992-11-25) (Showtime) | |
| A young but strong African American must beat a mechanical steam drill. | |||||
| 8 | "Princess Scargo and the Birthday Pumpkin" | Geena Davis | Illustrated by : Karen Barbour Music by : Michael Hedges | March 1993 (1993-03) (VHS) September 26, 1993 (1993-09-26) (Showtime) | |
| A young Native American princess gives must give up her birthday present in order to save her village. | |||||
| 9 | "Johnny Appleseed" | Garrison Keillor | Illustrated by : Stan Olson Music by : Mark O'Connor | September 19, 1993 (1993-09-19) (Showtime) | |
| A man named John Chapman goes all throughout the country planting apple trees. | |||||
| 10 | "The Song of Sacajawea" | Laura Dern | Illustrated by : Jack Molloy Music by : David Lindley | October 3, 1993 (1993-10-03) (Showtime) | |
| Tells the story of how Sacajawea helped Louis and Clark. | |||||
| 11 | "Mose the Fireman" | Michael Keaton | Illustrated by : Everett Peck Music by : John Beasley and Walter Becker | October 10, 1993 (1993-10-10) (Showtime) | |
| A fireman named Mose Humphrey saves burning buildings in the 1800s. | |||||
The Greatest Stories Ever Told: 1991–1994
| # | Title | Year released | Summary | Narrator | Illustrator | Music |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Creation | 1991 | Tells the story of how God created the world, while also telling the story of Adam and Eve. | Amy Grant | Stefano Vitale | Bela Fleck and the Flecktones |
| 2 | Joseph and his Brothers | 1991 | Tells the story of how Joseph was abused, but later became second in command of the Pharaoh of Egypt. | Rubén Blades | Garnet Henderson | Strunz and Farah |
| 3 | Jonah and the Whale | 1992 | Jonah, a prophet, must escape God after being tasked to go to the city of Nineveh. | Jason Robards | Jeffrey Smith | George Mgrdichian |
| 4 | David and Goliath | 1992 | David, a young shepherd boy must defeat a giant Philistine warrior named Goliath. | Mel Gibson | Douglas Fraser | Branford Marsalis |
| 5 | The Savior is Born | 1992 | Tells the Story of the Birth of Jesus | Morgan Freeman | Robert Van Nutt | The Christ Church Cathedral Choir |
| 6 | Noah and The Ark | 1992 | God tells a man named Noah that he will flood the world for 40 days and 40 nights, so Noah and his family must build a giant ark with two of every animal in it. | Kelly McGillis | Lori Lohstoeter | The Paul Winter Consort |
| 7 | Moses in Egypt | 1993 | Tells the story of Moses, and his journey to free his fellow Israelites from Slavery. | Danny Glover | Phil Huling | The Sounds of Blackness |
| 8 | Moses The Lawgiver | 1993 | Tells the story of how Moses created The Ten Commandments. | Ben Kingsley | John Collier | Lyle Mays |
| 9 | Parables That Jesus Told | 1994 | Jesus Tells the stories of The Sower, The Good Samaritan and The Prodigal Son. | Garrison Keillor | Stan Fellows | David Lindley |
Holiday Classics: 1986–1994
| # | Title | Year released | Summary | Narrator | Illustrator | Music | Holiday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santabear's First Christmas | November 22, 1986 (1986-11-22) (ABC) | A young bear cub is appointed by Santa Claus to deliver toys on Christmas. | Kelly McGillis | Buck Lewis | Michael Hedges | Christmas |
| 2 | The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat | December 3, 1990 (1990-12-03) (Showtime) | A puppy and a kitten fall out of Santa's bag and now must journey to their new home. | Amy Grant | Laszlo Kubinyi | Chet Atkins | Christmas |
| 3 | A Gingerbread Christmas | 1991 | The Prince and Princess of Gingerbread must save Christmas from being cancelled. | Susan Saint James | John Spiers | Van Dyke Parks | Christmas |
| 4 | Squanto and The First Thanksgiving | 1991 | Tells the story of Squanto, and how he helped the Pilgrims. | Graham Greene | Michael A. Donato | Paul McCandless | Thanksgiving |
| 5 | The Night Before Christmas | December 20, 1992 (1992-12-20) (Showtime) | A retelling of the classic poem of the same name. | Meryl Streep | William Cone, Greg Couch, Vivienne Flesher, Robert Van Nutt, Bill James, and Tom Christopher | Mark O'Connor, The Edwin Hawkins Singers, The Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Van Dyke Parks, Sarah W. Neill and Meryl Streep | Christmas |
| 6 | The Lion and the Lamb | 1994 | A story based on European Legends. | Amy Grant and Christopher Reeve | Bill Kroyer | Lyle Mays | Christmas |
Audiobooks
Many of the stories have been made available as audiobooks through Listening Library.
References
- Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 898–899. ISBN 978-1476665993.