"The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe" (1988) TV series

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

13 November 1988 (UK)

Genre:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy

Plot:

4 kids travel to the magical land of Narnia where they must battle an evil queen with the direction of the Lion, Aslan.

Plot Keywords:

Sibling | Beaver | Betrayal | Irish Wolfhound | Winter

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy. Another 1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Richard Dempsey	...	Peter / ... (6 episodes, 1988)
Sophie Cook	...	Susan / ... (6 episodes, 1988)
Jonathan R. Scott	...	Edmund / ... (6 episodes, 1988)
Sophie Wilcox	...	Lucy / ... (6 episodes, 1988)
Barbara Kellerman	...	The White Witch (6 episodes, 1988)
Big Mick	...	Little Man (5 episodes, 1988)
Kerry Shale	...	Mr. Beaver (4 episodes, 1988)
Lesley Nicol	...	Mrs. Beaver (4 episodes, 1988)
Martin Stone	...	Maugrim (4 episodes, 1988)
Ailsa Berk	...	Aslan (3 episodes, 1988)
William Todd Jones	...	Aslan (3 episodes, 1988)
Keith Hodiak	...	Aslan's Satyr (3 episodes, 1988)
Garfield Brown	...	Aslan's Satyr (3 episodes, 1988)
Jeffrey S. Perry	...	Mr. Tumnus (3 episodes, 1988)
Michael Aldridge	...	The Professor / ... (3 episodes, 1988)

Also Known As:

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe

Runtime:

171 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | UK:U | USA:Unrated | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Manorbier Castle, Manorbier, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Goofs:

Continuity: When Peter is mad at Edmund for lying about being in Narnia before, his hair is moving free in the wind. In the next scene, that is at the same time period, his hair is gelled down and styled.

Quotes:

[the children and beavers are planning to go on the run to find Aslan and Mrs Beaver is insisting on taking loads of supplies]
Mrs. Beaver: I don't suppose the sewing machine is too heavy to take?
Mr. Beaver: Yes it is! Anyway you didn't think you'd be able to use it when we were on the run now did you?
Mrs. Beaver: I just can't abide the thought of that witch fiddling with it and breaking it or stealing it most likely as not.

Movie Connections:

Followed by "The Silver Chair" (1990)

Classic BBC

I have just purchased this on DVD for my seven year old son, after I recalled watching it when it was first screened in the eighties, on the prime Sunday "teatime" spot on BBC1 in the UK. It is a typical BBC production, working with a limited budget, they manage to make a magical & intelligent interpretation of C.S. Lewis's work. The Children who play Peter, Susan, Edmund & Lucy do so with some style, Peter especially, playing his role as the older brother to perfection. Although the budget constraints do show, especially with the animation/live action mix, some of the costumes still look good even now, in this age where CGI enhancement is king. I would recommend this production to anyone, it is classic story-telling in the finest sense.