Chris Cuddington
Director
Famous Classic Tales (1970)
Season 1
Famous Classic Tales is a series that airs cartoons from production companies such as Filmation, Rankin-Bass, Ruby-Spears, Air Programs International, Hanna-Barbera, Hanna Barbera Australia, and Southern Star Group. Famous Classic Tales was shown on CBS, and distributed by Kids Klassics Home Video and Storybook World. It had cartoons from API's Family Classic Tales. Featured cartoons included adaptions of classic literature such as Gulliver's Travels, Treasure Island, Black Beauty, Moby-Dick, and many others. The creation of a series of animated features based on classic children's stories was conceived by Jack Thinnes, Media Director at Sive Advertising in Cincinnati, Ohio. The series was created for a Sive client, Kenner Products, and each program was fully sponsored by Kenner on CBS Television Network on Sunday, late afternoon or early evening, during the prime toy selling season before Christmas. The idea to use classic children's books sprang from Thinnes' viewing of a two minute demo of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, which was produced by Walter Hucker's studio, API, of Sydney, Australia. API was purchased later by Hanna-Barbera Studios after Thinnes introduced the owners of the studios to one another. After the series ran on CBS for nearly ten years, it was moved into local syndication by Sive's syndication department. However, their adaptation of A Christmas Carol was such a favorite that it continued to run on the network for fifteen years.
Released Nov. 1, 1970
Episode 47 min
2+
S1E1 - Tales Of Washington Irving
Based on "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and "Rip Van Winkle" by Washington Irving
Nov. 1, 1970, midnight
S1E2 - A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court
This animated version updates this classic story to a modern day Connecticut factory worker who is transported back in time to the year 528 and the days of the court of King Arthur.
Nov. 29, 1970, midnight
S1E3 - A Christmas Carol
An old bitter miser is given a chance for redemption when spirits visit him on Christmas Eve.
Dec. 13, 1970, midnight
S1E4 - The Legend Of Robin Hood
None
Nov. 14, 1971, midnight
S1E5 - Treasure Island
None
Nov. 28, 1971, midnight
S1E6 - Travels of Marco Polo
None
Jan. 2, 1972, midnight
S1E7 - Robinson Crusoe
Based on the original novel by Daniel Defoe.
Nov. 19, 1972, midnight
S1E8 - The Prince and the Pauper
Based on the original story by Mark Twain.
Nov. 26, 1972, midnight
S1E9 - The Count Of Monte Cristo
None
Sept. 23, 1973, midnight
S1E10 - Kidnapped
None
Oct. 21, 1973, midnight
S1E11 - The Swiss Family Robinson
None
Oct. 28, 1973, midnight
S1E12 - Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea
Based on the novel by Jules Verne and produced by Hanna-Barbera Australia.
Nov. 22, 1973, midnight
S1E13 - The Three Musketeers
None
Nov. 23, 1973, midnight
S1E14 - The Black Arrow
None
Dec. 2, 1973, midnight
S1E15 - The Gentlemen Of Titipu
None
Jan. 13, 1974, midnight
S1E16 - Moby Dick
None
Jan. 1, 1975, midnight
S1E17 - The Mysterious Island
None
Nov. 15, 1975, midnight
S1E18 - The Last Of The Mohicians
None
Nov. 27, 1975, midnight
S1E19 - Ivanhoe
None
Nov. 27, 1975, midnight
S1E20 - From The Earth To The Moon
None
Jan. 1, 1976, midnight
S1E21 - Off On A Comet
Based on the original novel by Jules Verne.
Jan. 1, 1976, midnight
S1E22 - Master Of The World
None
Oct. 23, 1976, midnight
S1E23 - Davy Crockett On The Mississippi
None
Nov. 20, 1976, midnight
S1E24 - A Journey To The Center Of The Earth
None
Nov. 13, 1977, midnight
S1E25 - Five Weeks In A Balloon
None
Nov. 24, 1977, midnight
S1E26 - Black Beauty
None
Oct. 28, 1978, midnight
S1E27 - Gulliver's Travels
None
Nov. 18, 1979, midnight
S1E28 - The Adventures Of Sinbad
None
Nov. 23, 1979, midnight
S1E29 - Daniel Boone
None
Nov. 27, 1981, midnight
S1E30 - The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn
None
Nov. 24, 1983, midnight
S1E31 - Beauty And The Beast
None
Nov. 25, 1983, midnight
CBS
47 min/ep
2068 min
Nov. 1, 1970
June 15, 1992, midnight
Ended
NR / 2+
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