The Storyteller

The Storyteller is a television series devised and produced by Jim Henson, and first aired in 1988.

Related Topics:
Television series - Jim Henson - 1988

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The series retold various fairy tales, created with a combination of actors and puppets. The framing device had an old storyteller (John Hurt) sitting by a fire telling each tale to his (talking) dog (a puppet, performed and voiced by Brian Henson).

Related Topics:
Fairy tale - John Hurt - Brian Henson

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Each half-hour episode was written by Anthony Minghella. Only nine were completed:

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• "The Soldier and Death"*
• "Fearnot"
• "The Luck Child"
• "A Story Short"
• "Hans My Hedgehog"
• "The Three Ravens"*
• "Sapsorrow"*
• "The Heartless Giant"*
• "The True Bride"*

* - this episode first aired in the US as part of The Jim Henson Hour.

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Henson later attempted a follow-up, The Storyteller: Greek Myths, which had a different story-teller (Michael Gambon), but the same dog.

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Only four episodes of this series were made:

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• "Daedalus and Icarus"
• "Orpheus and Eurydice"
• "Perseus and the Gorgon"
• "Theseus and the Minotaur"