''Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater'' is an animated series based on the Japanese character
Hello Kitty
, also known by her full name , is a fictional character created by Yuko Shimizu, currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi, and owned by the Japanese company Sanrio. Sanrio depicts Hello Kitty as an anthropomorphized white cat with a red bow and n ...
,
produced by
DIC Enterprises and animated by
Toei Animation
() is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including '' Sally the Witch,'' '' GeGeGe no Kitarō,'' '' Mazinger Z'', '' Galaxy Express 999'', '' Cutie Honey'', '' Dr. Sl ...
. The series involves Hello Kitty and her friends (and occasionally family) doing their own version of popular
fairy tales and stories. Each of the 13 episodes consisted of two 11-minute cartoons, for a total of 26 "shows"; each show was a spoof of a well-known fairy tale or movie.
Characters
*
Hello Kitty
, also known by her full name , is a fictional character created by Yuko Shimizu, currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi, and owned by the Japanese company Sanrio. Sanrio depicts Hello Kitty as an anthropomorphized white cat with a red bow and n ...
(voiced by
Tara Charendoff) - the cheerful and kind kitten director of the theater. In many tales she is the
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
or a supportive fairy.
* Mama Kitty (voiced by
Elizabeth Hanna
Elizabeth Hanna is a Canadian film and television actress, most notable for her voice acting work in animated films. She later complemented her voice acting skills by becoming a speech-language pathologist. She is also the voice of Miss Biscuit ...
) – Kitty's mother, who plays motherly roles in the tales.
* Papa Kitty (voiced by
Len Carlson
Len Carlson (September 2, 1937 – January 26, 2006) was a Canadian voice actor who has voiced various characters on many animated television series from the 1960s onward, an occasional live-action TV actor, and a Kraft Canada TV pitchman duri ...
) - Kitty's father, who plays fatherly roles in the tales.
* Grandma Kitty (voiced by
Elizabeth Hanna
Elizabeth Hanna is a Canadian film and television actress, most notable for her voice acting work in animated films. She later complemented her voice acting skills by becoming a speech-language pathologist. She is also the voice of Miss Biscuit ...
) - Kitty's grandmother. She casts as supporting roles in the tales.
* Grandpa Kitty (voiced by
Carl Banas
Carl Banas (born January 23, 1929) is a Toronto-born retired radio personality and actor. He is best known for his voice roles in ''Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'' (1964) and '' The Raccoons: Let’s Dance!'' (1985). As a television actor, he ...
) - Kitty's grandfather. He casts as supporting roles in the tales.
*
Tuxedo Sam (voiced by
Sean Roberge
Sean Brené Roberge (November 1, 1972 – July 29, 1996) was a Canadian actor.
Life and career
Roberge was born in Toronto, Ontario to parents Rene and Brenda Roberge. He began his career at age 13, appearing in guest roles until landing th ...
) - a happy penguin stage helper of the theater. In many tales he is the
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
or Kitty's sidekick or love interest.
*
My Melody (voiced by Mairon Bennett) - a very timid supporting bunny actress who is Kitty’s best friend. Her roles are often smaller and she needs assistance to perform perfectly.
* Chip (voiced by
Noam Zylberman) - a cheery supporting white seal pup actor. He has supporting roles with the
protagonists
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
.
* Catnip (voiced by
Cree Summer
Cree Summer Francks (born July 7, 1969) is a American-Canadian actress and singer. She has worked extensively in animation, voicing long-running characters such as Susie Carmichael in ''Rugrats'' and Elmyra Duff in ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' and ...
) - a green
Siamese Cat
The Siamese cat ( th, แมวไทย, Maeo Thai; แมวสยาม, Maeo Seeaam) is one of the first distinctly recognized breeds of Asian cat. Derived from the Wichianmat landrace, one of several varieties of cat native to Thailand ( ...
, who is the diva-like frenemy of Hello Kitty but is sociable, and does have a friendly side. She often takes the role of the
antagonist in the tales (such as a
mobster
A gangster is a criminal who is a member of a gang. Most gangs are considered to be part of organized crime. Gangsters are also called mobsters, a term derived from ''mob'' and the suffix ''-ster''. Gangs provide a level of organization and r ...
,
Captain Hook
Captain James Hook is a fictional character and the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play '' Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate capt ...
,
Count Dracula
Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered to be both the prototypical and the archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some ...
,
Ebenezer Scrooge
Ebenezer Scrooge () is the protagonist of Charles Dickens's 1843 novella '' A Christmas Carol''. At the beginning of the novella, Scrooge is a cold-hearted miser who despises Christmas. The tale of his redemption by three spirits (the Ghost of ...
, etc.).
* Fangora (voiced by Denise Pidgeon) - a purple Siamese Cat and Catnip's mother. She sometimes fills in for the role of a secondary
antagonist in the tales.
* Grinder (voiced by Greg Morton) - a dim-witted, naive and competent bulldog who often takes the role of a secondary
antagonist, a bumbling accomplice to Catnip, or a supporting character sometimes.
* Mouser (voiced by
Fred Savage
Frederick Aaron Savage (born July 9, 1976) is an American actor and director. He is known for his role as Kevin Arnold in the American television series '' The Wonder Years'' (1988 to 1993). He has earned several awards and nominations, such a ...
) - a trickster mouse who scares and plays tricks on Hello Kitty and her friends in the last episode, and is the original owner of the theater who makes a deal at the end with Kitty to all be the owners. He is very skilled at playing the pipe organ.
Format
Each episode opens with a big huge modern theater located in the big city of
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, England filling up with patrons, and usually a look at some comical goings-on backstage. The play then begins (with Hello Kitty or Tuxedo Sam saying "Once upon a meow") and the stage transforms into whatever setting the story calls for, like outer space, the
American Old West
The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...
, the
Great Depression or the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
. Each show is a light-hearted takeoff of a children's story or a popular movie. Catnip and Grinder were usually typecast as the villains.
At the end, the stage returns to normal, and the actors take their bow.
One exception to this format is the cartoon "The Phantom of the Theater", which begins after the actors have finished a show (specifically "Robin Penguin"); all the action in this story takes place backstage.
Episodes
Television broadcast
North American television debut
In the USA, ''Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater'' aired on September 19, 1987 on CBS.
International broadcast
In the UK, the cartoon was broadcast on the music and entertainment channel
MTV
MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
from September 27, 1987.
TV program for 27-09-1987
/ref>
Release
Region 1
On March 24, 1998, MGM Home Entertainment
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC ( d/b/a MGM Home Entertainment and formerly known as MGM Home Video, MGM/CBS Home Video and MGM/UA Home Video) is the home video division of the American media company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
History ...
released two VHS videocassettes each containing three cartoon shorts, as well as the opening and closing sequences.
* ''Hello Kitty: Kitty and the Beast'' (also includes "Grinder Genie and the Magic Lamp", "Hello Mother Goose" and "Little Red Bunny Hood")
* ''Hello Kitty: Wizard of Paws'' (also includes "Snow White Kitty", "Sleeping Kitty" and "Peter Penguin")
In 2003-2004, MGM Home Entertainment under their MGM Kids label released 5 DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
's each containing five cartoon shorts; the only one of the 26 not to be included was "The Year Scroogenip Swiped Christmas". The opening and closing sequences are not included.
* ''Hello Kitty Becomes a Princess'' (February 4, 2003: "Cinderkitty", "Kittylocks and the Three Bears", "Sleeping Kitty", "Kitty and the Beast", "Snow White Kitty and the One Dwarf")
* ''Hello Kitty Goes to the Movies'' (February 4, 2003: "K.T. The Kitty Terrestrial", "The Wizard of Paws", "Kitty and the Kong", "Cat Wars", "Paws: The Great White Dog Shark")
* ''Hello Kitty Saves the Day'' (February 4, 2003: "Peter Penguin", "Tar-Sam of the Jungle", "Paws of the Round Table", "Crocodile Penguin", "Grinder Genie and the Magic Lamp")
* ''Hello Kitty Plays Pretend'' (February 17, 2004: "The Phantom of the Theater", "Frankencat", "Catula", "The Pawed Piper", "Rumpeldogskin")
* ''Hello Kitty Tells Fairy Tales'' (February 17, 2004: "Robin Penguin", "Hello Mother Goose", "The Ugly Quackling", "Pinocchio Penguin", "Little Red Bunny Hood")
Region 2
The same DVDs that were released in the United States were released in Region 2 by MGM Home Entertainment
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC ( d/b/a MGM Home Entertainment and formerly known as MGM Home Video, MGM/CBS Home Video and MGM/UA Home Video) is the home video division of the American media company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
History ...
and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Studios Home Entertainment (commonly referred to as 20th Home Video, or 20th Home Entertainment, formerly known as 20th Century-Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video, Fox Video, and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) is a home video label of ...
. ''Becomes a Princess'', ''Goes to the Movies'' and ''Saves the Day'' were all released in September 2004, using the same prints as the US versions without the opening and closing sequences.
''Plays Pretend'' and ''Tells Fairy Tales'' were not released in the United Kingdom until October 2012. These prints are not the same as the US versions, and do include the opening and closing sequences. Another DVD titled ''Hello Kitty Has Fun at Halloween'' was also released in the same year, featuring 3 episodes from ''Plays Pretend'' and an episode from ''Goes to the Movies''. A boxset was also released, featuring all 5 of the original DVDs.
References
External links
*
''Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater'' episode guide
at the Big Cartoon DataBase
The Big Cartoon DataBase (or BCDB for short) is an online database of information about animated cartoons, animated feature films, animated television shows, and cartoon shorts.
The BCDB project began in 1997 as a list of Disney animated feat ...
''Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater''
at Toonarific.com
{{Children's programming on CBS in the 1980s
Hello Kitty
1987 American television series debuts
1987 American television series endings
1980s American animated television series
1987 Canadian television series debuts
1987 Canadian television series endings
1980s Canadian animated television series
1987 anime television series debuts
American children's animated adventure television series
American children's animated comedy television series
American children's animated fantasy television series
Canadian children's animated adventure television series
Canadian children's animated comedy television series
Canadian children's animated fantasy television series
Japanese children's animated adventure television series
Japanese children's animated comedy television series
Japanese children's animated fantasy television series
English-language television shows
Animated television series about cats
Animated television series about children
Television series by DIC Entertainment
Television series by MGM Television
CBS original programming