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A fantastically realised collection of nine European fairy stories - incredibly skilled actors (Sir John Hurt in one of his best roles, Bob Peck, Joely Richardson, Sean Bean, Alison Doody, Jane Horrocks, Dawn French, Reece Dinsdale, Eric Richard, Miranda Richardson, Jonathan Pryce, Jennifer Saunders, Brenda Blethyn to name but a few) work seamlessly alongside some of Jim Henson's greatest creations (the story teller's dog, who once let slip his knowledge of ancient Greek, is my absolute favourite character in the Jim Henson universe - masterfully puppeteered by Brian Henson) and all accompanied by excellent music from Rachel Portman. Credit should also go to Anthony Minghela for his skill in rewriting the tales, This is one of the best pieces of television ever made - why it only won one Emmy and only ran for one series is a mystery.Read full review
Verified purchase: No
Jim Henson's The Storyteller is a great series that was originally shown in the late 1980s but has been very, very rarely repeated. Since it offers excellent entertainment and a star-name cast, the reason why it's been reshown so infrequently is a bit of a mystery. The series features human actors alongside creations from Jim Henson's Creature Shop (more of the Dark Crystal type than the Muppets type). It consists of nine episodes, with each episode running for approximately 30 minutes. Every episode tells a story based on a different European folktale that will probably be new to you. The entire series is held together by the Storyteller (John Hurt, in great form) and his dog companion, sitting by the fireside telling the tales. The starry cast includes Miranda Richardson, Sean Bean, Brenda Blethyn, Gabrielle Anwar, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Jane Horrocks, Jonathan Pryce, Bob Peck, Joely Richardson, Alun Armstrong, and many other faces you'll recognize. The screenplays for all of the episodes are written by Anthony Minghella. The stories are well told, with good performances by all involved. The visual style is a striking mixture of location filming, studio sets, and animation. It's a style that stuck in my mind from the first viewing, and there's never really been anything else that looks like it before or since. Nevertheless, there are a couple of disappointments with this DVD release. No efforts appear to have been made to carry out restoration of the film. As restoration often seems to be carried out on these older shows ahead of a DVD release, it's a shame it hasn't been done here. The picture quality is a little fuzzy/grainy. It's not so distracting that it would effect your enjoyment, but viewers who are used to ultra sharp picture quality could find it disappointing. The other missed opportunity is that the second series, The Storyteller: Greek Myths (in which Michael Gambon replaced John Hurt as the Storyteller), isn't included in this set in spite of it being entitled 'The Complete Collection'. It's possible this second series may be lined up for a future release in its own set but, considering the second series only has four episodes, it should really have been included in this DVD set. In conclusion, this is a great series, with a great cast, and is a long awaited DVD release. Solid family entertainment that you'll probably be happy to watch multiple times. It's ideal cosy winter evening viewing. The DVD is rated 'U' and is appropriate for most children. Very young ones would likely struggle to understand some of the stories and there may be the potential for highly sensitive children to be frightened by some of the Creature Shop creations, but I'd expect that to be the exception rather than the rule. Strongly recommended.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I don’t remember this when it first came out, but enjoyed it very much. John Hurt always was a great actor.......
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
An amazing series forgotten about ...bring this back kids would love this ...very entertaining an character s defantly capture you ...timeless ..
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
for those who enjoy a taste of nostalgia, and fond of the works, made by jim henson, this show is for you! as one who grew up on it, i reccomend it full heartly
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
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