Famous Classic Tales
GenreAnthology
Television special
Country of originUnited States
Australia
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes31
Production
ProducersNeil Balnaves
Walter J. Hucker
William Hanna
Joseph Barbera
Running time30–60 minutes
Production companiesHanna-Barbera Pty, Ltd.
Air Programs International
Ruby-Spears Enterprises
Original release
NetworkCBS
Release1970 (1970) –
1984 (1984)
Related
Family Classic Tales
ABC Afterschool Special
The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie

Famous Classic Tales is an animated anthology television series featuring animated adaptations of classic stories and the other are classic children's stories which aired on CBS from 1970 to 1984. The series was produced by the Australian division of Hanna-Barbera and Air Programs International (API), also from Australia. However, the thirtieth installment was animated by Ruby-Spears Enterprises.

Overview

Famous Classic Tales was broadcast on CBS and distributed by Kids Klassics Home Video and Storybook World. It had cartoons from API's Family Classic Tales. Featured cartoons included adaptions of classic literature such as Gulliver's Travels, Treasure Island, Black Beauty, Moby-Dick, and many others.

The creation of a series of animated features based on classic children's stories was conceived by Jack Thinnes, Media Director at Sive Advertising in Cincinnati, Ohio. The series was created for a Sive client, toy manufacturer Kenner Products, and each program was fully sponsored by Kenner on CBS Television Network on Sunday, late afternoon or early evening, during the prime toy selling season before Christmas. In 1983, the show was billed as Kenner Family Classics.

The idea to use classic children's books sprang from Thinnes' viewing of a two-minute demo of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, which was produced by Walter J. Hucker's studio, Air Programs International (API), of Sydney, Australia. API was acquired by Hanna-Barbera in 1972 after Thinnes introduced the owners of the studios to one another. After the series ran on CBS for nearly ten years, it was moved into local syndication by Sive's syndication department. However, their adaptation of A Christmas Carol was such a favorite that it continued to run on the network for fifteen years.[1]

A similar series, Festival of Family Classics, was produced by Rankin/Bass and aired in syndication in 1972–1973.[2]

Episode list

Nº Title Airdate Director(s) Production
1Tales of Washington Irving[3]November 1, 1970Zoran JanjicAir Programs International
2A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court[4]November 26, 1970Zoran JanjicAir Programs International
3A Christmas Carol[5]December 13, 1970Zoran JanjicAir Programs International
4The Legend of Robin Hood[6]November 14, 1971Zoran JanjicAir Programs International
5Treasure Island[7]November 28, 1971Zoran JanjicAir Programs International
6Travels of Marco Polo[8]January 1, 1972Leif GramAir Programs International
7Robinson Crusoe[9]November 23, 1972Leif GramAir Programs International
8The Prince and the Pauper[10]November 26, 1972Chris CuddingtonAir Programs International
9The Count of Monte Cristo[11]September 23, 1973William Hanna, Joseph BarberaHanna-Barbera Pty, Ltd.
10Kidnapped[12]October 22, 1973Leif GramAir Programs International
11The Swiss Family Robinson[13]October 28, 1973Leif GramAir Programs International
12Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea[14]November 22, 1973William Hanna, Joseph BarberaHanna-Barbera Pty, Ltd.
13The Three Musketeers[15]November 23, 1973William Hanna, Joseph BarberaHanna-Barbera Pty, Ltd.
14The Black Arrow[16]December 2, 1973Leif GramAir Programs International
15The Gentlemen of TitipuJanuary 15, 1974Leif GramAir Programs International
16Moby-Dick[17]January 1, 1975Richard SlapczynskiAir Programs International
17The Mysterious Island[18]November 15, 1975Leif GramAir Programs International
18The Last of the Mohicans[19]November 27, 1975Charles A. NicholsHanna-Barbera Pty, Ltd.
19Ivanhoe[20]November 27, 1975Leif GramAir Programs International
20From the Earth to the Moon[21]January 1, 1976Richard SlapczynskiAir Programs International
21Off on a Comet[22]January 1, 1976Richard SlapczynskiAir Programs International
22Master of the World[23]October 23, 1976Leif GramAir Programs International
23Davy Crockett on the Mississippi[24]November 20, 1976Charles A. NicholsHanna-Barbera Pty, Ltd.
24A Journey to the Center of the Earth[25]November 13, 1977Richard SlapczynskiAir Programs International
25Five Weeks in a Balloon[26]November 24, 1977Chris CuddingtonHanna-Barbera Pty, Ltd.
26Black Beauty[27]October 28, 1978Chris CuddingtonHanna-Barbera Pty, Ltd.
27Gulliver's Travels[28]November 18, 1979Chris CuddingtonHanna-Barbera Pty, Ltd.
28The Adventures of Sinbad[29]November 23, 1979Richard SlapczynskiAir Programs International
29Daniel Boone[30]November 27, 1981Geoff CollinsHanna-Barbera Pty, Ltd.
30Beauty and the Beast[31]November 25, 1983Rudy LarrivaRuby-Spears Enterprises
31The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn[32]November 23, 1984Paul McAdamAir Programs International

Home video release

Several of the Famous Classic Tales specials were released on VHS by Worldvision Home Video, GoodTimes Entertainment, Fox Lorber, Kids Klassics, Hanna-Barbera Home Video and Turner Home Entertainment. Several other stories made it to DVD afterwards, including a 2007 release from Southern Star by Koch Vision titled Hanna-Barbera Storybook Favorites which featured The Last of the Mohicans, Black Beauty and Gulliver's Travels. All of these are now out of print.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (via Turner Home Entertainment) currently handled home video distribution rights to several of the Famous Classic Tales specials (due to Neil Balnaves's death of boating accident on February 21, 2022).

References

  1. ↑ Famous Classic Tales.
  2. ↑ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 204. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  3. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 408–409. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  4. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 95–97. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  5. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. p. 76. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  6. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 243–244. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  7. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 422–423. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  8. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 263–264. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  9. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 342–343. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  10. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 314–315. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  11. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 98–99. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  12. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. p. 231. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  13. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. p. 404. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  14. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 431–433. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  15. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 416–417. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  16. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. p. 34. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  17. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. p. 276. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  18. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 283–284. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  19. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 240–241. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  20. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 232–233. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  21. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 163–164. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  22. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. p. 293. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  23. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. p. 264. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  24. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 106–108. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  25. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. p. 230. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  26. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 147–148. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  27. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 34–35. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  28. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 180–181. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  29. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 3–4. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  30. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. pp. 105–106. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  31. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. p. 3. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  32. ↑ Woolery, George W. (1989). Animated TV Specials: The Complete Directory to the First Twenty-Five Years, 1962-1987. Scarecrow Press. p. 29. ISBN 0-8108-2198-2. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
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