''The Wizard of Oz'' is a 1990
animated television series produced by
DIC Animation City to capitalize on the popularity of the 1939
film version
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...
, to which DiC had acquired the rights from
Turner Entertainment, Co. The series aired for thirteen episodes and premiered on
ABC, starting on September 8, 1990.
[See www.tvguide.com/tvshows/wizard-oz/205567 (accessed on January 19, 2011)] The show presented a number of stories and characters from
L. Frank Baum
Lyman Frank Baum (; May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author best known for his children's books, particularly ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and its sequels. He wrote 14 novels in the ''Oz'' series, plus 41 other novels (not includ ...
's original
Oz series
The Oz books form a book series that begins with ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900) and relates the fictional history of the Land of Oz. Oz was created by author Lyman Frank Baum, L. Frank Baum, who went on to write fourteen full-length Oz books ...
.
Author Jeff Lenburg mentioned an aspect of the series wherein Dorothy has to learn to believe in herself.
Plot
Dorothy has decided to return to
Oz with
Toto using the
ruby slippers
The ruby slippers are the magic pair of shoes worn by Dorothy Gale as played by Judy Garland in the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical film '' The Wizard of Oz''. Because of their iconic stature, the ruby slippers are among the most valuable items ...
that showed up on her doorstep. Upon arriving there, she reunites with
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley ...
,
Tin Man, and
Cowardly Lion
The Cowardly Lion is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is depicted as an African lion, but like all animals in Oz, he can speak.
Since lions are supposed to be "The Kings of Beasts," the Cowardl ...
. Dorothy learns from
Glinda
Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Coun ...
that the
Wicked Witch of the West
The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character who appears in the classic children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900), created by American author L. Frank Baum. In Baum's subsequent ''Oz'' novels, it is the Nome King who is ...
has been resurrected by Truckle and his fellow
winged monkeys
Winged monkeys are fictional characters created by American author L. Frank Baum in his children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). They are jungle monkeys with bird-like feathered wings. They are most notably remembered from the fam ...
. With the Wicked Witch of the West back from the dead, the
Emerald City
The Emerald City (sometimes called the City of Emeralds) is the capital city of the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's Oz books, first described in ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900).
Fictional description
Located in the center of the L ...
has been taken over by her and she has stolen the gifts that were given to Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion.
The
Wizard is in his hot air balloon, which is under a spell that causes it to be constantly blown around by an evil wind. Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion set out to rescue him and defeat the Wicked Witch once and for all.
Comparison with source material
The series incorporated music and visual elements from the 1939
film version
A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...
, including the Scarecrow's diploma and Dorothy's
ruby slippers
The ruby slippers are the magic pair of shoes worn by Dorothy Gale as played by Judy Garland in the 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer musical film '' The Wizard of Oz''. Because of their iconic stature, the ruby slippers are among the most valuable items ...
. At the same time, the character of Dorothy was designed with an appearance similar to that of
Ariel
Ariel may refer to:
Film and television
*Ariel Award, a Mexican Academy of Film award
* ''Ariel'' (film), a 1988 Finnish film by Aki Kaurismäki
* ''ARIEL Visual'' and ''ARIEL Deluxe'', 1989 and 1991 anime video series based on the novel series ...
from
Disney's
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
''
The Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a ...
'' and was not intended to resemble
Judy Garland
Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...
.
Episodes
Principal voice actors
* Liz Georges –
Dorothy Gale
Dorothy Gale is a fictional character created by American author L. Frank Baum as the protagonist in many of his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's classic 1900 children's novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and reappears in most of it ...
*
David Lodge –
Scarecrow
A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley ...
*
Hal Rayle
Hal Rayle (born January 4, 1955) is an American voice actor. He has done many roles for both animated series and live action movies.
Career
Rayle has had a number of voice acting jobs over his career. Rayle's animated series roles include Miss Pi ...
–
Tin Man
*
Charlie Adler –
Cowardly Lion
The Cowardly Lion is a character in the fictional Land of Oz created by American author L. Frank Baum. He is depicted as an African lion, but like all animals in Oz, he can speak.
Since lions are supposed to be "The Kings of Beasts," the Cowardl ...
*
Frank Welker –
Toto, Hyena (ep. 6)
*
Tress MacNeille
Teressa Claire MacNeille (née Payne; born June 20, 1951) is an American voice actress, whose credits include voicing Dot Warner on the animated television series '' Animaniacs'', Babs Bunny on ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', Chip and Gadget Hackwrenc ...
–
Wicked Witch of the West
The Wicked Witch of the West is a fictional character who appears in the classic children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900), created by American author L. Frank Baum. In Baum's subsequent ''Oz'' novels, it is the Nome King who is ...
, Miranda (ep. 10)
*
B.J. Ward –
Glinda
Glinda is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum for his ''Oz'' novels. She first appears in Baum's 1900 children's classic ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', and is the most powerful sorceress in the Land of Oz, ruler of the Quadling Coun ...
*
Alan Oppenheimer
Alan Oppenheimer (born April 23, 1930) is an American actor. He has performed numerous roles on live action television since the 1960s, and he has had an active career doing voice work since the 1970s.
Early life
Oppenheimer was born in New Yor ...
–
Wizard of Oz
Additional voices
*
Jack Angel
Jack Angel (October 24, 1930 – October 18, 2021) was an American voice actor, comedian, and radio personality. He provided voice-overs for animation and video games. Angel had voiced characters in shows by Hasbro and Hanna-Barbera such as '' S ...
–
*
Hamilton Camp
Hamilton Camp (Born Robin S. Camp, 30 October 1934 – 2 October 2005) was a London-born actor and singer, who relocated to the United States with his family when he was a young child. He became an American folk singer during he 1960s, and ev ...
–
*
Pat Fraley – Truckle the
Winged Monkey[Lenburg, Jeff, ''The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons (Third Edition)'', Facts on File, 2009, p. 670]
*
Bibi Osterwald
Margaret Virginia "Bibi" Osterwald (February 3, 1920 – January 2, 2002) was an American actress.
Life and career
Osterwald was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, the daughter of Dagmar (Kvastad) and Rudolf August Osterwald, a hotel own ...
–
*
Rob Paulsen –
*
Ken Sansom
Frank Kenneth Sansom (April 2, 1927 – October 8, 2012) was an American actor. Among his best known roles, Sansom voiced Rabbit in animated television series, television specials, and films for Disney's ''Winnie the Pooh'' franchise from 1988 to ...
–
*
Susan Silo –
Munchkin
A Munchkin is a native of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books by American author L. Frank Baum. They first appear in the classic children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900) where they welcome Dorothy Gale to their city in ...
Mayor (ep. 1)
Crew
*
Susan Blu – Voice Director
*
Ginny McSwain
Ginny McSwain is an American voice actress, voice casting director, and animation production professional from Los Angeles, CA.
Life and career
McSwain graduated from Stephens College in 1974, before moving to Los Angeles. She has worked as cas ...
– Casting Director
International and re-airings
After its run on ABC, the series reaired on
Syndication
Syndication may refer to:
* Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system
* Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips
* Web syndication, ...
on
Bohbot Entertainment's
Amazin' Adventures block from 1992 until 1993. The series also reaired on
Toon Disney from the channel's launch in 1998 until 2002. The series also reaired on
HBO.
In Canada, the series aired on
YTV from 1990 to 1995.
Home media
United States
"The Marvelous Milkmaid of Mechanica" has never been released in the United States in any home video format. "The Lion that Squeaked" is available only on VHS.
International
United Kingdom
See also
*
Adaptations of ''The Wizard of Oz''
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wizard of Oz (TV Series), The
1990s American animated television series
1990 American television series debuts
1990 American television series endings
American Broadcasting Company original programming
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
Animated television shows based on films
Animated television series based on The Wizard of Oz
American television shows based on children's books
Television series by DIC Entertainment
Television about magic
Witchcraft in television
Wizards in television
American children's animated adventure television series
American children's animated fantasy television series
Television series based on adaptations
Animated television series about orphans
Animated television series about dogs
Animated television series about lions