What PBS show was this?
Asked by
Zone36 (
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December 23rd, 2009
I know I’m not crazy and I am certain this show existed.
It was a show that read fairly classic children’s stories and made them into cartoons. I’m not talking about Reading Rainbow.
The set was really simple. I hanging window with a starlit sky. A smoking chair. Those fancy looking wooden ones with the padding and fabric stitched on. And a tall lamp. The set was darkly lit.
Here’s the format of the show as I remember it. They would start on the set. There would be sitting James Earl Jones, or some other heavyset black guy with a big voice. I’m not really sure if it was him or not. He would do an introduction and then the story/cartoon would begin.
I remember they did something like Abel’s Island. There was also this other story that showed king Arthur as a teen where he talked to Merlin about nightmares he had. He was dreaming about these blue and red dragons sleeping under the earth beneath two castles. And as they breathed it would shake them and topple the castles. In the end the dragons did battle.
Another story I vaguely remember had a rooster in it and it was set in winter.
If you have a clue what I’m talking about please tell me.
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19 Answers
What time period are you talking about?
Was it Gulliver’s Travels?
Electric Company might fit your description. It mixed skits and cartoons.
I remember seeing this show late 80’s early 90’s. But that’s just me. Maybe it was earlier and I was just catching reruns. It didn’t seem old though.
Definitely not electric company. This was a show in and of it self.
What do you mean by Gulliver’s Travels? I’ve never heard of a show like that.
It wouldn’t be Wishbone by any chance would it?
I’m thinking Wishbone. It was like that, kinda.
Anybody ever seen the new Electric Company? It’s SO stupid!! It could help kids learn to read, but kids that don’t like getting tricked into educational things (like I was) won’t like it. Ick.
That was a PBS show, wasn’t it?
Yup that was a PBS show. I only saw, maybe, 10 episodes last summer while PBS was switching around their schedule and it was on their secondary channel. Otherwise I was this little kid watching my brother watch it. But fits the description. Kinda.
I don’t think it’s Wishbone. Wishbone, the dog is the most notable feature, and there was no “heavyset black guy with a big voice” doing an introduction nor was there ever any cartoons in Wishbone. But, Wishbone was an excellent children’s show, my favorite.
Hmm…I have a feeling I’m too young to have seen it then.
ok I wll say it is defintely not Monsterpeice theater of Seamse street.
and it is not Todays’ Special,
I know what it is , but I cannot think of it..
I’ll be back ,,
I know this was a separate show in and of itself.
Thank you! This has been bugging be forever. I even tried looking at James’ wiki and imdb, but I probably glossed over it.
I must say one thing though. It’s too bad that if they aren’t going to broadcast it or put it on dvd. They should make it available to the public. I’d love for my kids to see this show.
Thanks I managed to find a couple of them up on youtube as well.
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