Peter and the Wolf (TV special) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Peter and the Wolf |
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PAL DVD cover
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| Written by | George Daugherty Janis Diamond |
| Directed by | George Daugherty Jean Flynn |
| Starring | Kirstie Alley Lloyd Bridges Ross Malinger |
| Music by | Cameron Patrick |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | George Daugherty David Ka Lik Wong |
| Producer(s) | Linda Jones Clough Christopher Kulikowski Adrian Workman |
| Cinematography | David E. West |
| Editor(s) | Joel Goodman |
| Running time | 48 minutes |
| Production company(s) | IF/X Productions |
| Distributor | BMG Entertainment International Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Audio format | Surround |
| Original release | December 8, 1995 |
Peter and the Wolf is a special TV show from 1995. It mixes real actors with cartoons. The show is based on a famous musical story called Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev. It was directed by George Daugherty, who is a conductor. The show first aired on December 8, 1995, on the ABC network in the United States. The music was played by the RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra.
The cartoon parts of the show were designed by the famous cartoonist Chuck Jones. He also helped guide the whole project.
Contents
The Story of Peter and the Wolf
This TV special tells the classic story of Peter and the Wolf. It starts with a boy named Peter and his mom, Annie, visiting Peter's grandfather. The grandfather lives in a house near a big, open meadow. He thinks Peter and his mom spend too much time in the busy city. He wants Peter to explore nature and have adventures.
Peter's Adventure Begins
Annie starts telling Peter a story about the meadow. It's about what happened there a long time ago.
One sunny spring day, Peter goes into the meadow. He leaves the garden gate open. His friend, a little bird, is there. The bird is sitting on six eggs. While Peter and the bird play, a duck from the yard waddles out. The duck wants to swim in a nearby pond.
The duck and the bird start arguing. The duck says, "What kind of bird are you if you can't fly?" The bird replies, "What kind of bird are you if you can't swim?"
Suddenly, Peter's pet cat sneaks up quietly. Peter warns the bird, and it flies away just in time. The cat then tries to catch the duck, but the duck escapes into the pond.
Peter's grandfather comes out and scolds Peter. He tells him it's dangerous to be in the meadow alone. "What if a wolf came out of the forest?" he asks. He takes Peter back inside the house.
The Wolf Appears
Annie continues the story. Peter says, "But what could happen with just a cat, a duck, and a silly little bird?" Soon after, a "big, grey wolf" really does come out of the forest!
The cat quickly climbs up a tree to safety. But the poor duck, who is still in the pond, is caught by the wolf. The wolf swallows the duck whole!
Peter's Brave Plan
Peter is very brave. He gets a rope and climbs over the garden wall. He wants to save the duck. He asks the bird to fly around the wolf's head. This distracts the wolf. While the wolf is dizzy and tired, Peter slowly lowers the rope. He catches the wolf by its tail!
The wolf struggles to get free, but Peter ties the rope to the tree. The more the wolf struggles, the tighter the rope gets.
Hunters and a Happy Ending
Some hunters, who have been looking for the wolf, come out of the forest. They are ready to shoot it. The wolf gets scared. It suddenly spits out the duck, who is still alive! The duck starts dancing happily.
The hunters are about to shoot the wolf. But Peter tells them not to. The wolf tries to grab the duck again, but the hunters stop it. Peter asks the hunters to help him build a cage for the wolf. They take the wolf to a zoo.
Then, everyone has a victory parade! Peter, the bird, the hunters leading the wolf, the cat, and Peter's grandfather all celebrate. In this version of the story, Peter's grandfather is very proud of him. Also, the female bird's eggs hatch!
As the story ends, Peter finds the duck shivering by the pond. Peter tells the duck he will always protect it.
Is it Real?
Peter wonders if the story really happened. His grandfather shows him the clothes he wore that day. Peter gets excited and puts them on. The special ends with Peter going back into the meadow. He finds the cat, the duck, and the bird from the story. It's a mix of real-life and cartoon scenes.
Characters and Voice Actors
- Kirstie Alley plays Annie: She is Peter's mother in the real-life parts of the show. She tells the story of Peter and the Wolf. She also uses her voice for the bird, the cat, and the duck in the cartoon parts.
- Ross Malinger plays Peter: He is Annie's son. He visits his grandfather, who wants him to have adventures.
- Lloyd Bridges plays Grandfather: He is Peter's grandfather. He wants Peter to explore and enjoy nature. He also voices Peter's grandfather in the cartoon parts.
- George Daugherty voices the wolf.
- David Ka Lik Wong voices the hunters.
How the Show Was Made
The idea for this special started in 1992. Chuck Jones, a famous animator, and George Daugherty, the conductor, teamed up. They formed a company called Impossible Productions to create the Peter and the Wolf special.
The animation for the show was done by a company called Cosgrove Hall Films. George Daugherty wanted an animation company that could bring Chuck Jones's characters to life in a way that matched his famous style. Jean Flynn, the animation director, said that making the animation fit the music was a challenge.
"Long before I was a director and a writer, I was a conductor and a musician. And Peter and the Wolf was the first piece of music I ever conducted, way back when I was 14 years old. I've loved this piece of music ever since I was a little kid. And so for me, it's all come full circle now."
Chuck Jones himself said that he always wanted to tell this story. Even though he didn't direct the animation for this special, he was pleased with it.
Music and Soundtrack
| Sergei Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf – Full Soundtrack Recording | |
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| Soundtrack album by
George Daugherty and Cameron Patrick
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| Released | April 16, 1996 |
| Recorded | 1995 at L.A. Studios East, Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Genre | Classical |
| Length | 62:38 |
| Label | BMG RCA Red Seal Records |
| Producer | David Ka Lik Wong Christine Losecaat |
A soundtrack album for the special was released in 1996 by RCA Red Seal Records. It was later re-released by Sony Masterworks. The album includes the music from the show. Some tracks have Kirstie Alley's narration, and others are just the music without any talking.
Release and Awards
The Peter and the Wolf special was released on VHS in March 1996. Later, it came out on LaserDisc and DVD. The DVD version, released in 2003, had some fun extras. These included an educational game about animals and musical instruments. Reviewers liked the DVD for young children.
There were also documentaries about the making of the film. One was called Beyond the Meadow. Another, The Music of Peter and the Wolf, taught viewers about the symphony orchestra.
Awards and Nominations
The special won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program in 1996. It also received another Emmy nomination for its music. The writers, George Daugherty and Janis Diamond, were nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award. The show also won several other awards, including a Gold Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival and a Parents' Choice award.
Merchandise
Before the special came out, some products were made based on Chuck Jones' Peter and the Wolf.
An interactive CD-ROM was released for computers. It had games, concept art, and educational videos about the orchestra and musical instruments. The cartoon parts on the CD-ROM were a bit different from the TV special. The CD-ROM also came with an audio CD that had the story with narration and another with just the music.
A hardcover book and a read-along book with an audio cassette were also released.
