The Neverending Story (TV series)

*The Neverending Story*
The Neverending Story
Genre	Animation, Fantasy
Developed by	Peter Sauder
Directed by	Mike Fallows
Starring	Christopher Bell
Voices of	Janet-Laine Green; Dominic Zamprogna; Chris Wiggins; Christopher Bell; Neil Crone; Marilyn Lightstone; Benedict Campbell; John McGrath; Lisa Yamanaka; Richard Binsley; James Rankin; John Stocker; Colin Fox; Dan Hennessey; Gary Krawford; Howard Jerome; Don Francks; Wayne Robson; Len Carlson; Ellen Ray Hennessey; Geoffrey Bowes; Harvey Atkin; Jayne Eastwood
Composer	Milan Kymlicka
Country of origin	Canada; France; Germany
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	26 (list of episodes)
Production
Production companies	CineVox Entertainment; Ellipse Programmé; Nelvana
Release
Original network	HBO (United States); Family Channel (Canada)
Original release	December 2, 1995 –; May 25, 1996

The Neverending Story is an animated television series, produced by CineVox Entertainment and animated by Ellipse Animation and Canada's Nelvana Limited. It aired for one season (1995–1996) on HBO, and ran for 26 episodes.^[1] The series is loosely based on Michael Ende's book, The Neverending Story (1979).^[2]

Plot[]

A young boy named Bastian helps yet again the Childlike Empress and her people of Fantasia, an imagination land that can be accessed and influenced through a magic neverending book called The Neverending Story, because the horrifying Nothing and other villains like the evil sorceress Xayide still threaten it. In the process, Bastian learns valuable lessons and gains many magical friends like the wooden Bark Troll, the luckdragon Falkor and many others.

Differences between the TV series and the film[]

In the animated series, the Nothing is a recurring villain. The Nothing is portrayed as a hole with evil red eyes, which belongs to that of a white wolf, and is the television version of Gmork. The evil sorceress Xayide, unlike in the first sequel film, wears green robes with an eye mask with yellow slits. In the original film, her face is created by a special magical cream. The Rockbiter, in the latter two sequel films (including the third film), actually has a wife and a son, Junior. His wife and son appear in the series as well.

Cast[]

Janet-Laine Green as Xayide
Dominic Zamprogna as Atreyu
Chris Wiggins as Carl Conrad Coreander
Christopher Bell as Bastian Balthazar Bux
Neil Crone as Nimbly
Marilyn Lightstone as Ygramul
Benedict Campbell as Shadow Goblin
John McGrath as Blubb
Lisa Yamanaka as The Childlike Empress, Junior Rockbiter
Richard Binsley as Barktroll
James Rankin as Three Head
John Stocker as Gluckuk, Gluckuk's racing snail
Colin Fox as Large Head
Pam Hyatt as Morla
Ellen Ray Hennessy as Southern Oracle
Dan Hennessey as South Wind Giant
Gary Krawford as Graograman the fire lion
Howard Jerome as Falkor the luckdragon
Don Francks as Gmork
Wayne Robson as Engywook
Barbara Byrne as Urgl
Len Carlson as Vermin
Geoffrey Bowes as Barney Bux
Harvey Atkin as Rockbiter, Mr. Rockchewer
Jayne Eastwood as Mrs. Rockchewer

Episodes[]

No.	Title	Written by	Original air date
1	"The Tears of Sadness"	Peter Sauder	December 2, 1995 (1995-12-02)
When Bastian arrives in Fantasia he discovers that some of the citizens have turned into frozen statues. Realizing it's coming from the water, Bastian collects a strange potion from Urgl and travels with Bark Troll and Falkor to the Fountain of Life.
2	"The Meek and the Mighty"	J.D. Smith	December 9, 1995 (1995-12-09)
Bastian arrives in the Tinies Village to see that it has once again been demolished by Junior.
3	"The Purple Buffalo"	Alan Templeton & Mary Crawford	December 16, 1995 (1995-12-16)
When Bastian arrives on the Grassy Plains of the Greenskin tribe, he finds out that the Purple Buffalo have disappeared along with his great warrior friend, Atreyu.
4	"Morla's Wish"	Story by: Erika Strobel Teleplay by: Bob Ardiel	December 23, 1995 (1995-12-23)
Bastian is on his way to see Morla, the giant turtle that lives in the Swamp of Sadness. The Nothing finds out about this and sets a trap.
5	"Spook City"	Story by: Erika Strobel Teleplay by: Alan Templeton & Mary Crawford	December 30, 1995 (1995-12-30)
In the Forbidden Forest, Bastian meets a scared little spook named Gaya, who tells Bastian about her brother Meeka's capture into Spook City.
6	"To Save Falkor"	Story by: Erika Strobel Teleplay by: Alan Templeton & Mary Crawford	January 6, 1996 (1996-01-06)
When Bastian has the flu, he takes little notice of doctor's orders to stay in bed, choosing to visit his friends in Fantasia instead, but is forced into a desperate quest when his cold does the impossible and makes Falkor sick.
7	"Missing Memories"	Story by: Erika Strobel & Dennise Fordham Teleplay by: Frank Diteljan & Nicola Barton	January 13, 1996 (1996-01-13)
When huge pieces of Fantasia are beginning to disappear, including the Childlike Empress' memories, it's up to Bastian to find out what's going on before he and his friends are 'erased' as well.
8	"Perilin"	Bob Ardiel	January 20, 1996 (1996-01-20)
When Grograman, the Fire Lion, gets captured and Perilin, the Night Forest, starts spreading to the rest of Fantasia, only Bastian can help.
9	"The Sea of Mist"	Story by: Michaela Rothmund Teleplay by: Bob Ardiel	January 27, 1996 (1996-01-27)
When Engywook returns from an exploration in the Sea of Mist, he shows Bastian his rare find: the Ancient Sea Scrolls, which legends say holds the answers to all of Fantasia's mysteries.
10	"Promises"	Story by: Erika Strobel Teleplay by: J.D. Smith	February 3, 1996 (1996-02-03)
When giant fissures crack through the Grassy Plains, Bastian follows the great warrior Atreyu, and his sister Saiya back to the Greenskins camp to discover its source.
11	"Through the Misty Mountains"	Vince Grittani	February 10, 1996 (1996-02-10)
Bastian investigates the rumors of a monster inhabiting the Misty Mountains.
12	"A Friendship That Flames"	Story by: Dale Schott Teleplay by: Frank Diteljan	February 17, 1996 (1996-02-17)
When Bark Troll is jealous of Bastian's newly formed friendship with an interesting character named Axin, he goes to all limits to prove he is the better friend.
13	"The Three Feeling Stones"	Story by: Dale Schott Teleplay by: Bob Ardiel	February 24, 1996 (1996-02-24)
The story begins with Xayide successfully unearthing two of the three ancient Feeling Stones of Fantasia; purposely removing all the good feelings across the land.
14	"The Belt of Invisibility"	Nicola Barton	March 2, 1996 (1996-03-02)
Shadow Goblin and Vermin find a Belt of Invisibility and they use it to commit various thefts. To combat this, Bastian ends up having to turn to Xayide for help.
15	"Good Deeds"	Erika Strobel	March 9, 1996 (1996-03-09)
Bastian arrives to see that Bark Troll has been pleasantly rewarded (with faerie dust) for his efforts when he inadvertently helps a town of Faeries.
16	"Bark Troll's Blame"	Bruce Robb	March 16, 1996 (1996-03-16)
When a fire erupts in the Howling Forest, all eyes cast suspicious blame on Bark Troll.
17	"The Searcher"	Story by: Dale Schott Teleplay by: Nicola Barton	March 23, 1996 (1996-03-23)
When Engywook takes the egg of a Llorp, mistaking it for the crystal key to the Vault of Wisdom, he travels on an expedition to the Land of Cold Fire to obtain all the knowledge he can.
18	"End of Time"	Story by: Dale Schott Teleplay by: Bob Ardiel	March 30, 1996 (1996-03-30)
Bastian arrives in Fantasia to see the world and all his friends slowly winding down into a world of suspended animation.
19	"Thunder and Lightning"	Story by: Erika Strobel Teleplay by: Laurel L. Russwurm	April 6, 1996 (1996-04-06)
When the Gnomic Forest is experiencing a devastating drought, Engywook doubles his efforts to build a Rain-Making Machine.
20	"The Everlasting Night"	Alan Templeton & Mary Crawford	April 13, 1996 (1996-04-13)
When Xayide misuses a stolen recipe book of Urgls to concoct a spell, it only backfires and sends her into a deep sleeping trance.
21	"After the Falls"	Alan Templeton & Mary Crawford	April 20, 1996 (1996-04-20)
When bark trolls crushes on a beautiful tree named Willow is challenged by a brute named Ash, its Bastian who convinces Bark Troll to accept Ash's challenge to log roll on Splinter Falls.
22	"Mirror, Mirror"	Story by: Erika Strobel Teleplay by: Bob Ardiel	April 27, 1996 (1996-04-27)
Xayide uses a special mirror that creates an evil version of Bastian and a good version of herself.
23	"The Dreaming Fields"	Story by: Erika Strobel Teleplay by: Bob Ardiel	May 4, 1996 (1996-05-04)
Xayide has placed Nightmare Weeds into the Dreaming Fields which causes everyone's dreams to come true until it goes horribly awry.
24	"The Atonal Trolls"	Joel Berger	May 11, 1996 (1996-05-11)
When the shrieking Atonal Trolls abandon their homeland, the Mountains of Harmony, and head towards the Ivory Tower, they threaten its very existence with the decibel level of their shrieking voices.
25	"The Race for the Ivory Tower"	Story by: Ken Sobel Teleplay by: Frank Diteljan	May 18, 1996 (1996-05-18)
Everyone in Fantasia (with the exception of Falkor, as his luck would give him an unfair advantage) is participating in The Race including Gluckuck on his racing Snail, Mr. Rockchewer on his stone bicycle, Engywook on his Kitzblitz Flying Machine, and Night Hob aboard his sleepy bat Thessle.
26	"The Perfect Gift"	Story by: Erika Strobel Teleplay by: Peter Sauder	May 25, 1996 (1996-05-25)
Bastian arrives in Fantasia hoping to find the perfect gift idea for Fathers Day.

Home release[]

In 1996, a single episode of "The Neverending Story: The Animated Adventures of Bastian Balthazar Bux" was released by HBO Home Entertainment (under HBO Kids Video).
In 2005, the first three episodes of The Neverending Story: The Animated Adventures were released on DVD by FUNimation Entertainment, LTD. (under its Our Time Family Entertainment children's/pre-school entertainment label) in a compilation entitled "Bastian to the Rescue".
All episodes are currently available on Amazon Video format on Amazon.com.

References[]

^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 582. ISBN 978-1476665993.
^ Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 424–425. ISBN 978-1538103739.

External links[]

The Neverending Story at IMDb

[1] Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 582. ISBN 978-1476665993.

[Perlmutter-2] Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 424–425. ISBN 978-1538103739.

[1]

[2]

v t The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
Films	The NeverEnding Story (1984) The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (1990) The NeverEnding Story III (1994)
Television	Animated series (1995-1996) Tales from the Neverending Story (2001-2002)
See also	Characters "The NeverEnding Story" (song) The Real Neverending Story Part 1: Auryn Quest
Category

v t Children's programming on CBS in the 1990s
First-run animated series	Dink, the Little Dinosaur (1989–91) Muppet Babies (1984–91) The California Raisin Show (1989–90) Garfield and Friends (1988–94) Rude Dog and the Dweebs (1989–90) The Adventures of Raggedy Ann and Andy (1988–90) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990–97) Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventures (1990–91) Mother Goose and Grimm (1991–93) Back to the Future (1991–93) Where's Waldo? (1991–92) Fievel's American Tails (1992–93) The Little Mermaid (1992–95) Raw Toonage (1992–93) Marsupilami (1993–94) All-New Dennis the Menace (1993–94) Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (1993–94) Conan and the Young Warriors (1994) Beethoven (1994–95) Aladdin (1994–96) Skeleton Warriors (1994) Wild C.A.T.s (1994–95) Stickin' Around (1994) The Adventures of Hyperman (1995–96) Timon & Pumbaa (1995–97) Santo Bugito (1995–96) The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat (1995–97) The Mask (1995–97) Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1995–97) Project G.e.e.K.e.R. (1996–97) Franklin (1998–99; 2000-02) Anatole (1998–2000) Dumb Bunnies (1998–99) Flying Rhino Junior High (1998–2000) Birdz (1998–99) Mythic Warriors (1998–2000) New Tales from the Cryptkeeper (1999–2000) Blaster's Universe (1999–2000) Rescue Heroes (1999–2000)
First-run live-action series	Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986–91) Riders in the Sky (1991) The Amazing Live Sea Monkeys (1992) Beakman's World (1993–98) Really Wild Animals (1995–96) Bailey Kipper's P.O.V. (1996–97) Secrets of the Cryptkeeper's Haunted House (1996–97) The New Ghostwriter Mysteries (1997–98) Wheel 2000 (1997–98) Fudge (1997) The Weird Al Show (1997–98) The Sports Illustrated for Kids Show (1997–98) In the News (1997–98)
Rebroadcasts	Inspector Gadget (1991–92) Cyber C.O.P.S. (1993) CBS Storybreak (1993–95, 1996–98) Rupert (1999)
Related topics	Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue (1990) Modern animation in the United States