Faerie Tale Theatre
Award-winning anthology retelling classic fairy tales with celebrity casts.
Faerie Tale Theatre (also known as Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre) is an American live-action fairytale fantasy drama anthology television series created and presented by actress Shelley Duvall. The series originally ran on Showtime from September 11, 1982, until July 14, 1987, and was one of the first examples of original cable programming, alongside HBO's Fraggle Rock. It is notable for featuring numerous Hollywood actors and famous celebrities portraying costumed characters, with episodes directed by well-known directors.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Anthology / Fairytale fantasy / Adventure / Drama
- Runtime
- 39–58 minutes
- Creator
- Shelley Duvall
- Executive Producer
- Shelley Duvall for Gaylord Production Company, Lion's Gate Films and Platypus Productions / Fred Fuchs
- Starring
- see below
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Num Seasons
- 6
- Network
- Showtime
- Company
- Gaylord Production Company / Lion's Gate Films / Platypus Productions
- First Aired
- 1982-09-11
- Last Aired
- 1987-11-14
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Episodes were produced and shot from 1982 to 1985, mostly videotaped at ABC Television Studios in Burbank, California. The series was followed by three other short anthology series produced by Duvall: Tall Tales & Legends (focusing on American folklore), Nightmare Classics (4 of 6 intended episodes, aimed at older audiences), and Bedtime Stories (12 episodes).
Reader's Guide
Faerie Tale Theatre is significant as one of the earliest examples of original cable programming, helping to establish Showtime's identity in the early 1980s. Its format—a live-action anthology with celebrity guest stars and notable directors—influenced later fairy-tale adaptations and anthology series. The series won awards and was sold internationally, airing in countries including Italy, Brazil, Hong Kong, Mexico, India, Malaysia, Bulgaria, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Its home media releases spanned VHS, Betamax, CED, Laserdisc, Video8, and DVD, with some episodes having scenes cut in certain releases. The series remains a touchstone for nostalgic viewers and a reference point for the intersection of Hollywood talent and classic storytelling.
Did You Know?
- The pilot episode 'The Frog Prince' was written, narrated, and directed by Monty Python's Eric Idle, and starred Robin Williams.
- Episode 18 is based on the poem 'The Pied Piper of Hamelin,' not on a traditional fairy tale.
- The 27th and final episode is a framing device titled 'Grimm Party,' not a reunion special.
- When released on DVD by Starmaker II and Koch Vision, certain scenes were cut, though the exact cut material is not widely documented as a confirmed fact.
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