The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1988 TV serial)

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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Written byC.S. Lewis
Alan Seymour
Directed byMarilyn Fox
StarringRichard Dempsey
Sophie Cook
Jonathan R. Scott
Sophie Wilcox
Barbara Kellerman
ComposerGeoffrey Burgon
Country of originUnited Kingdom
No. of series1
No. of episodes6
Production
ProducerPaul Stone
Production locationsManorbier Castle, Wales
Running time172 minutes
Release
Original networkBBC
Picture format4:3
Original release13 November (1988-11-13) –
18 December 1988 (1988-12-18)
Chronology
Followed byPrince Caspian/The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Related showsThe Chronicles of Narnia

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a British children's television drama first broadcast by the BBC in 1988.[1] It was the first series of The Chronicles of Narnia that ran from 1988 to 1990.[2]

Plot[]

Narnia is the home of the great lion Aslan. During his long absence, his arch-enemy, the evil White Witch places Narnia in an eternal winter. However, with the return of Aslan and the arrival of the four Pevensie children, the Narnians are given a hope to end the tyranny of the Witch.

Cast[]

Episodes[]

No.Original air date
121 December 1988 (1988-12-21)

During the Blitz, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie are evacuated to the countryside to live with Professor Diggory Kirke.

The youngest, Lucy, soon finds a wardrobe in the spare room. On entering it, she finds herself in the land of Narnia. She meets a kind faun called Mr. Tumnus and goes to have tea in his cave. However, Mr. Tumnus tearfully tells Lucy that he is employed by the tyrannical White Witch who has made it always winter but never Christmas in Narnia and has instructed Mr. Tumnus to hand over any humans to her. The faun realises he cannot do so and, at his own risk, shows Lucy the way home.

Lucy tells her siblings about Narnia but they find nothing when they look in the wardrobe, leading them to believe she is lying. A few days later, during a game of hide and seek, Edmund follows Lucy into the wardrobe and realises she was telling the truth about Narnia.
28 February 1989 (1989-02-08)

Edmund is approached by a white-skinned lady on a sleigh who introduces herself as the Queen of Narnia. When she learns Edmund is a son of Adam (human) she acts kindly towards him, giving him a hot drink and turkish delight. In conversation, she learns that he has three siblings and of Lucy's prior encounter with Mr. Tumnus. Edmund agrees to bring his siblings to meet the Queen, tempted by the offer of more turkish delight and the chance to be king of Narnia.

Edmund soon finds Lucy who tells him that Mr. Tumnus has not been caught by the White Witch - Edmund realises that the White Witch is none other than the woman he just befriended but does not inform Lucy of this. Lucy tells Peter and Susan that Edmund also visited Narnia, but Edmund lies by saying that he and Lucy were playing a game, angering Peter and Susan. The professor, however, attempts to convince them that Lucy is indeed correct.

A few days later, the four children are hiding from the professor's housekeeper and find themselves in Narnia. Peter is angry at Edmund for making out Lucy was lying. The children find Mr. Tumnus' cave ransacked and a note which states Mr. Tumnus is under arrest for fraternising with humans.
315 February 1989 (1989-02-15)

Lucy convinces her siblings to try and save Mr. Tumnus, feeling responsible for his arrest. The children soon encounter Mr. Beaver who proves to be an ally. He takes them to his dam where he and his wife inform them that Mr. Tumnus was taken to the Witch's castle where he will have been turned to stone. The beavers also give the children information about Aslan the lion, the true king of Narnia who is on the move to stop the White Witch. The children learn they are part of a prophecy which states that two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve will be crowned kings of Narnia, ending the tyranny of the White Witch.

They all soon realise that Edmund has gone - Mr. Beaver correctly infers that he has gone to meet the White Witch, having allied himself with her on his previous visit. The beavers realise the Witch will be after them and make their way to the stone table to seek help from Aslan.

Edmund arrives at the Witch's castle. The Witch is furious that he came without his siblings and even more furious when she learns Aslan has returned.
422 February 1989 (1989-02-22)

The Witch sends Maugrim, her chief of police, to kill Edmund's siblings and the beavers. However, when Maugrim and another wolf arrive, they find the Pevensies and the beavers have already left, so make their way to the stone table.

The next morning, the beavers and the Pevensies are delighted to meet Father Christmas, a sign that the Witch's magic is weakening. Peter receives a sword and shield to fight in the battle. Susan is given a horn to call for help when in danger. Lucy is given a dagger and a cordial to heal any wound.

The eternal winter eventually melts into spring: a sign of Aslan's return.
51 March 1989 (1989-03-01)

The children and the beavers are welcomed at the stone table by Aslan and his followers. Aslan agrees to help save Edmund when he learns of his betrayal.

Peter is shown a far off sight of Cair Paravel. Maugrim attacks the camp and Peter slays him, being knighted by Aslan. Some of Aslan's army follow Maugrim's second wolf to save Edmund which they do just as the Witch is about to kill him (to prevent the prophecy of Cair Paravel).

Edmund patches up with his siblings. The Witch approaches the stone table and demands her right to kill Edmund as all traitors belong to her, according to the deep magic. However, in a private conversation, Aslan persuades her to let Edmund go.

He advises Peter on the battle, informing him that he himself may not be there. That night, Susan and Lucy accompany Aslan out of camp, where they witness the Witch and her followers bind Aslan to the Stone Table. It is revealed that Aslan agreed to be killed in Edmund's place. The witch uses her knife to kill Aslan but not before telling him that she will kill Edmund too once Aslan is gone.
68 March 1989 (1989-03-08)

Susan and Lucy spend the night by Aslan's body. The next morning, the stone table cracks and Aslan reveals he is alive and well, much to the relief of Susan and Lucy. Aslan tells them he was saved by a deeper magic which the Witch did not know: when a willing victim who has committed no treachery is killed in place of a traitor, death will work backwards, thus the victim will come back alive.

Aslan brings Susan and Lucy to the Witch's castle where he restores all of the Narnians she had turned to stone, including Mr. Tumnus who happily reunites with Lucy. Meanwhile at the battle, Edmund is able to destroy the Witch's wand but get wounded. Aslan arrives with the Narnians he saved, managing to kill the Witch himself.

Edmund and the others injured in the battle are restored by Lucy's cordial. The next day, Aslan brings his followers to Cair Paravel where he crowns the Pevensies as rulers of Narnia. He then leaves much to the sadness of the Pevensies. Mr. Beaver comforts them by assuring that Aslan will come and go as he has other countries to attend.

The Pevensies rule Narnia for many years, keeping peace. Whilst travelling, they see the same lamp post they discovered when they first entered Narnia and find themselves back through the wardrobe as children again. They realise no time has gone by since they entered Narnia. They tell the professor of their adventures and he easily believes them.

References[]

  1. ^ "CS Lewis feared film would ruin Narnia". TheGuardian.com. 29 November 2005.
  2. ^ Fordy, Tom (23 December 2021). "How the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe made the BBC take children seriously". The Telegraph.

External links[]

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