About this season
Long Ago and Far Away is a TV series that aired on PBS Television from 1989 to 1993. It was created by WGBH, a public television broadcast service located in Boston, Massachusetts. WGBH is a member of PBS, which allowed for this TV series to be viewed on various other PBS stations. Each episode began with host James Earl Jones sitting in a chair in a room with a table, lamp and window. The walls were blue with white dots in order to make it appear as if these living room items were sitting out in space. James Earl Jones talks during the short opening section, then acts as narrator for the balance of an episode. This series, aimed at children aged six to nine years old, presents stories based on traditional fairy tales. A number of presentation methods were used to tell these stories, with stop motion animation, live-action or cel animation being used depending on the episode. Long Ago and Far Away also featured a number of guest narrators including: Tammy Grimes, Kim Loughran, David Suchet, and Mia Farrow.
Episodes (9)
1. Beauty & the Beast
Aired 1 January 1990 • 30 min
A beauty agrees to live in a beast's castle.
2. Noah's Ark
Aired 1 January 1990 • 30 min
God commands Noah to build an ark. Animated.
3. Rarg
Aired 1 January 1990 • 30 min
People discover they exist in a man's dream.
4. Circus Dreams
Aired 1 January 1990 • 30 min
Three tales in clay animation. Circus Dream - by Franck Flanquart and Pierre Scarella; The Elephant and the Whale - by Jacques-Remy Girerd; Timber the Woodsman - by Alexandre Fletchet
5. More Hungarian Folk Tales
Aired 1 January 1990 • 30 min
The Poor Man’s Vineyard; First the Dance, Then the Feast; The Wandering of the Needle, the Dog, the Egg, and the Rooster; The Astronomer, the Thief, the Hunter, and the Tailor
6. The Boy in the Oak Tree
Aired 1 January 1990 • 30 min
A boy refuses to eat peas.
7. Oh, Mr. Toad! - Pt.1
Aired 1 January 1990 • 30 min
Weasels capture Toad Hall.
8. Oh, Mr. Toad! - Pt. 2
Aired 1 January 1990 • 30 min
Friends help Toad save his house.
9. Bill the Minder
Aired 4 February 1990 • 30 min
Bill babysits his cousins.