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Of all sad words of mouth or pen, the saddest are these: it might have been.
—John Greenleaf Whittier |
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| Length: | 225 minutes
(3 hours 45 minutes) | | MPAA Rating: | UR | | Suggested Event Use: | Halloween | | Sorting Category: | TV Show |
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| | Classifications: | - Fantasy
- Kids
- Family
- Puppets
- Drama
- Romance
- Action
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Synopsis: A man with a dog tells stories of magic and wonder.
Reaction: Great for the entire family. The Jim Henson Workshop does a beautiful job at bringing these stories to life.
Personal Rating: 8/10
Highlights
"The Soldier and Death" and "Sapsorrow" |
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Random Trivia For This Title: - As is typical in many fairy tales, 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.
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| Episode List: | | Episode Name | Disc Order | Directors | Writers | Synopsis | Reaction | IMDB | Personal Rating | | Hans My Hedgehog | 1 | Steve Barron | Anthony Minghella | A poor woman, desperate for a child, makes a fateful wish and the child born to her turns out to be more than anyone could have expected. | This story containts elements that should seem familiar to most but it is told in a uniquely Muppet fashion. | 7.5 | 9 | | Fearnot | 2 | Steve Barron | Anthony Minghella | A young lad is sent out to learn what it is to be afraid. | A good tale that has been told in other forms but done with Muppet charm. | 8.1 | 7 | | A Story Short | 3 | Charles Sturridge | Anthony Minghella | The Storyteller tells of one time when his life was put in danger for want of one more story. | This episode is a bit on the unusual side, even compared to the other stories in the series. | 8.1 | 7 | | The Luck Child | 4 | Jon Amiel | Anthony Minghella | A baby is born and a prophecy is given. A series of both fortunate and unfortunate events appears to be his lot. | Not the best but still a charming tale. | 8.3 | 7 | | The Soldier and Death | 5 | Jim Henson | Anthony Minghella | A soldier returns from war and earns a series of wondrous gifts that become both a boon and a bane to him. | This is one of the best in this set of stories. Beautifully shot and wonderfully told. | 9.1 | 10 | | The True Bride | 6 | Peter Smith | Anthony Minghella | A young girl, raised by a troll, is aided by a mysterious lion and eventually finds happiness in the arms of a lowley gardener. | Well made and fun to watch, elements of the story may feel familiar, but this is a unique treasure. | 7.6 | 9 | | The Three Ravens | 7 | Paul Weiland | Anthony Minghella | A widdower king marries a woman who turns out to be a witch who attempts to rid herself of his children. | This is a fairly sad episode in many ways, but it's very well done and has a (mostly) happy ending. | 8.2 | 9 | | Sapsorrow | 8 | Steve Barron | Anthony Minghella | A young princess is forced to run away and disguise herself to avoid being forced to marry her father. In disguise, she meets a prince and comes to love him. | This is very much the story of Cinderella in many ways, but still uniquely set apart. | 8.3 | 9 | | The Heartless Giant | 9 | Jim Henson | Anthony Minghella | A young boy befriends and is tricked by a giant who, it turns out, has no heart with which to love. | The sad ending may be a bit hard on a few of the younger viewers, but otherwise, this is a very well made story. | 7.7 | 8 |
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