"Gargoyles" (1994) TV series 1994-1996

Creator:

Greg Weisman

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Release Date:

24 October 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Action | Crime | Family | Fantasy | Thriller

Tagline:

One thousand years ago superstition and the sword ruled. It was a time of darkness. It was a world of fear. It was the age of gargoyles.

Plot:

A clan of heroic night creatures pledge to protect modern New York City as they did in Scotland long ago

Plot Keywords:

Castle | Gargoyle | New York City | Detective | Magic

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Keith David	...	Goliath / ... (74 episodes, 1994-1996)
Salli Richardson-Whitfield	...	Elisa Maza / ... (71 episodes, 1994-1996)
Jeff Bennett	...	Brooklyn / ... (58 episodes, 1994-1996)
Edward Asner	...	Hudson / ... (49 episodes, 1994-1996)
Frank Welker	...	Bronx / ... (49 episodes, 1994-1996)
Thom Adcox-Hernandez	...	Lexington / ... (48 episodes, 1994-1996)
Bill Fagerbakke	...	Broadway / ... (48 episodes, 1994-1996)
Jonathan Frakes	...	David Xanatos / ... (43 episodes, 1994-1996)
Brigitte Bako	...	Angela (38 episodes, 1995-1996)

Runtime:

USA:30 min (78 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:PG (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) (DVD release) | USA:TV-PG | Argentina:Atp

Company:

Buena Vista Television

Trivia:

References many William Shakespeare plays with its character names: Queen Titania and Puck from "A Midsummer Night's Dream", Ophelia from "Hamlet", Princess Katherine from "Henry V" and MacBeth from "Macbeth". In addition, the relationship of the various personalities of Coldstone mirrors the central characters of "Othello" and are named as such in the scripts. However, MacBeth's backstory in "City of Stone" is based more on the history of the actual King MacBeth of Scotland.

Goofs:

Continuity: Throughout the series, the Gargoyles (including Demona) frequently forget that Demona can only die by MacBeth's hand.

Quotes:

Goliath: One thousand years ago, superstition and the sword ruled. It was a time of darkness, it was a world of fear, it was the age of Gargoyles. Stone by day, warriors by night, we were betrayed by the humans we had sworn to protect, frozen in stone by a magic spell for a thousand years. Now, here in Manhattan, the spell is broken and we live again! We are defenders of the night, we are Gargoyles!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Big O: Roger the Wanderer (#2.1)" (2003)

The most unique and original TV series ever produced--there has never been anything like it, and there never will be.

I have just one question: How can Disney Television Animation produce such a wonderful show as "Gargoyles" for a couple of seasons and then go back to being Disney Television Animation? I simply cannot understand it, and if anyone has any thoughts, PLEASE share them with me! This show was a breath of fresh air on every level. If this wasn't a groundbreaking show, it certainly raised the bar sky high.

Voices--Many's the time I have thought that they could have chosen a better actor for a part in animation. Not here. The voice cast was so good that to this day I cannot imagine anyone else filling the bill. In the role of Goliath, Keith David demonstrated that he possesses one of the greatest speaking voices of any actor in the business. Jeff Bennett was also great as Brooklyn, my favorite character. (Loved the white hair!)

Music--Carl Johnson's scores were great. They beautifully set the tone and underlined the action and the drama.

Animation--Excellent. Dark, moody and stylish. The shots of the clan as stone statues are downright eerie at times. To this day, I still can't believe Disney did this one.

Plot--Action, drama, technology, mythology, humor and a little Shakespeare on the side. Folks, WHAT MORE COULD YOU POSSIBLY ASK FOR? This series had the most tightly structured story lines ever--there was not a single moment of dead air anytime.

The best thing about the series, however, was the characters. For being a clan of gargoyles (with a couple of humans), these characters were as real as you and I. Things HAPPENED to them! They actually got HURT as a result of violence. They matured, sometimes in ways unexpected. They found out the hard way who their friends and enemies were. And they had to live with the consequences of their actions, which sometimes came back to haunt them in later episodes.

Here's hoping Disney will realize the error of their ways and bring this show back. If you are already a fan, may you continue to enjoy the show. If you haven't seen it, give it a chance. But be advised: Once you have seen television and the world through the glowing eyes of a gargoyle, you will never want to settle for "standard kiddie fare" ever again.