Long Ago and Far Away (TV series) facts for kids

An opening screenshot from Long Ago and Far Away

Long Ago and Far Away was a cool TV show that aired on PBS from 1989 to 1992. It was made by WGBH, a public TV station in Boston, Massachusetts. Since WGBH is part of PBS, kids all over the country could watch the show.

Meet the Host: James Earl Jones

Each episode started with the famous actor James Earl Jones as the host. He would sit in a special room that looked like it was floating in space. The walls were blue with white dots, like stars in the night sky.

James Earl Jones would talk at the beginning of each show. Then, he would tell the story for the rest of the episode. The series shared many traditional folk and fairy tales. These stories were brought to life in different ways. Some episodes used stop-motion animation. Others featured live-action actors or traditional animation. James Earl Jones hosted the first two seasons. He was not the host for seasons three and four.

Guest Narrators and Voices

Long Ago and Far Away also had many special guest narrators. These included Tammy Grimes, who told "The Happy Circus." Kim Loughran narrated "Bill and Bunny." David Suchet narrated "The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship." Mia Farrow narrated "Beauty and the Beast" and "Pegasus." Peter Chelsom narrated Bill the Minder. Robert Hardy narrated "Pied Piper of Hamelin." Kevin Kline narrated "Merlin and the Dragons."

Some episodes also featured famous voices for characters. In "Emperor's New Clothes," Regis Philbin was the voice of the Emperor. For "The Wind in the Willows," David Jason voiced Mr. Toad. In "The Reluctant Dragon," Simon Callow was the voice of the dragon.

The show stopped airing new episodes in 1992. However, it continued to be shown in reruns. You could still watch it until September 4, 1994.

Awards and Recognition

Long Ago and Far Away won several important awards. These awards recognized its quality and educational value for children.

• National Education Association Award, Advancement of Learning through Broadcasting
• Action for Children's Television, Achievement in Children's Television Award
• National Catholic Association of Broadcasters and Communicators, Gabriel Award, Best National Children's Program
• International Film and Television Festival of New York, Gold Medal
• Connoisseur Magazine, Connie Award, Best National Children's Series
• International Reading Association, Broadcast Media Award

Episode Guide

The show had four seasons with many different stories.

Season 1 (1989)

• The Pied Piper of Hamelin (January 28, 1989)
• The Reluctant Dragon (February 4, 1989)
• Abel's Island (February 11, 1989)
• The Happy Circus (February 18, 1989)
• Hungarian Folktales (February 25, 1989)
• The Talking Parcel (March 4, 1989)
• The Talking Parcel (March 11, 1989)
• Wind in the Willows (March 18, 1989)
• Svyatogor (March 25, 1989)
• The Sleeping Princess (April 1, 1989)
• As Long As He Can Count the Cows (April 8, 1989)
• The Man Who Planted Trees (April 15, 1989)
• The Silver Cornet (April 22, 1989)
• Bill and Bunny (April 29, 1989)
• Frog and Toad are Friends (May 6, 1989)
• Frog and Toad Together (May 13, 1989)

Season 2 (1990)

• Beauty and the Beast (September 8, 1990)
• Noah's Ark (September 15, 1990)
• Rarg (September 22, 1990)
• Circus Dreams (September 29, 1990)
• More Hungarian Folktales (October 6, 1990)
• The Boy in the Oak Tree (October 13, 1990)
• Oh, Mr. Toad! Part 1 (October 20, 1990)
• Oh, Mr. Toad! Part 2 (October 27, 1990)
• Bill the Minder (November 3, 1990)

Season 3 (1991)

• The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship (October 5, 1991)
• The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship (October 12, 1991)
• The Emperor's New Clothes (October 19, 1991)
• Uncle Elephant (October 26, 1991)
• Jazztime Tale (November 2, 1991)
• Merlin and the Dragons (November 9, 1991)
• Pegasus the Flying Horse (November 16, 1991)

Season 4 (1992)

• Nightengale (November 21, 1992)
• Mouse Soup (November 28, 1992)
• The Talking Eggs (December 5, 1992)