"Wildfire" (1986) TV series

User Rating:

8.5/10   

Directors:

Arthur Davis
Oscar Dufau
(more)

Writers:

David Schwartz (writer) (1986)
Linda Woolverton (writer) (1986)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

13 September 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Family

Plot:

A young princess and her magic horse strive to regain her throne from an evil sorceress.

Plot Keywords:

Horse | Princess | Alternative Reality | Cartoon | Kingdom

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Georgi Irene

...

Princess Sara of Dar-Shan (unknown episodes)

(more)

Series Directed by
Arthur Davis		(unknown episodes, 1986)
Oscar Dufau		(unknown episodes, 1986)
Don Lusk		(unknown episodes, 1986)
Carl Urbano		(unknown episodes, 1986)
Rudy Zamora		(unknown episodes, 1986)

Series Writing credits
John Loy		(4 episodes, 1986)
David Schwartz		(unknown episodes, 1986)
Linda Woolverton		(unknown episodes, 1986)

Series Produced by
Peter Aries	....	producer (unknown episodes, 1986)
Joe Taritero	....	co-executive producer (unknown episodes, 1986)
Joseph Barbera	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)
William Hanna	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Hoyt Curtin		(unknown episodes, 1986)

Series Casting by
Andrea Romano		(unknown episodes, 1986)

Series Production Management
Joed Eaton	....	post-production supervisor (5 episodes, 1986)
Jayne Barbera	....	executive in charge of production (unknown episodes, 1986)
Bob Marples	....	production supervisor (unknown episodes, 1986)

Series Art Department
Floro Dery	....	design supervisor (unknown episodes, 1986)
Iraj Paran	....	graphics (unknown episodes, 1986)
Iwao Takamoto	....	creative designer (unknown episodes, 1986)
Tom Wogatzke	....	graphics (unknown episodes, 1986)

Series Sound Department
Alvy Dorman	....	sound director (5 episodes, 1986)
Phil Flad	....	sound director (5 episodes, 1986)
Pat Foley	....	dubbing supervisor (5 episodes, 1986)
Paul Vitello	....	sound effects editor (5 episodes, 1986)
Gordon Hunt	....	recording director (unknown episodes, 1986)

Series Animation Department
Armando Da Col	....	layout artist (5 episodes, 1986)
Carlos Meglia	....	layout artist (5 episodes, 1986)
Frank Andrina	....	animation director (unknown episodes, 1986)
Bonnie Callahan	....	key background artist (unknown episodes, 1986)
Oliver Callahan	....	animation director (unknown episodes, 1986)
Floro Dery	....	character designer (unknown episodes, 1986)
Jaime Diaz	....	layout supervisor (unknown episodes, 1986)
Joan Drake	....	animation director (unknown episodes, 1986)
Al Gmuer	....	key background supervisor (unknown episodes, 1986)
Bob Goe	....	animation director (unknown episodes, 1986)
Julian Harris	....	animation supervisor (unknown episodes, 1986)
Art Leonardi	....	character designer (unknown episodes, 1986)
Rick Leon	....	animation director (unknown episodes, 1986)
Alison Leopold	....	color designer (unknown episodes, 1986)
Don Patterson	....	animation director (unknown episodes, 1986)
Andrew Phillipson	....	key background artist (unknown episodes, 1986)
Bill Proctor	....	key background artist (unknown episodes, 1986)
Shivan Ramsaran	....	animation supervisor (unknown episodes, 1986)
Jeff Riche	....	key background artist (unknown episodes, 1986)
Joanna Romersa	....	animation director (unknown episodes, 1986)
Paul Sabella	....	animation supervisor (unknown episodes, 1986)
Jay Sarbry	....	animation director (unknown episodes, 1986)
Tony Sgroi	....	character designer (unknown episodes, 1986)
James T. Walker	....	animation director (unknown episodes, 1986)

Series Editorial Department
Larry C. Cowan	....	supervising film editor (5 episodes, 1986)
Gil Iverson	....	supervising film editor (5 episodes, 1986)

Series Music Department
Hoyt Curtin	....	musical director (5 episodes, 1986)
Paul Vitello	....	music editor (5 episodes, 1986)
Jimmy Webb	....	composer: main title theme (5 episodes, 1986)
Joanne Miller	....	music coordinator (unknown episodes, 1986)

Series Other crew
Ray Aragon	....	story director (unknown episodes, 1986)
Frank Brunner	....	story director (unknown episodes, 1986)
Ric Estrada	....	story director (unknown episodes, 1986)
Ray Patterson	....	supervising director (unknown episodes, 1986)
Bill Perez	....	titles (unknown episodes, 1986)
Jeff Segal	....	creative supervisor / story editor (unknown episodes, 1986)
Kelly Ward	....	creative supervisor / story editor (unknown episodes, 1986)
Kris Zimmerman	....	talent coordinator (unknown episodes, 1986)
Peter S. Beagle	....	creative consultant (unknown episodes)
Sandy Benenati	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Vicki Casper	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Barbara Simon Dierks	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Erika Grossbart	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Ginger Robertson	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Robin Strickland	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)
Michelle Sucillon	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Hanna-Barbera Productions
• Wang Film Productions Company (in association with)
• Cuckoo's Nest Studios (in association with)

Distributors

• Worldvision Enterprises (1987) (USA) (TV)
• Turner Program Services (TPS) (1990) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Bros. Television (1997) (USA) (TV)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1986-1987) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• Vitello Productions  sound post-production

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Hanna-Barbera Productions

The Best of its Time

"Wildfire" is perhaps the best of all animated programs produced during the 1980s. It only lasted 13 episodes, but displayed a level of sophistication rarely seen in animation, and especially rare among Saturday Morning toons. This is undoubtedly due to the the influence of the brilliant fantasy-fiction writer Peter S. Beagle (The Last Unicorn). The show centered around the adventures of a young girl living in Monatana named Sara who is in fact a royal refugee from the distant planet Dar-Shan which is ruled by a clan of supernatural horses. Their rule is threatened by the evil witch Diabolyn who seeks (what else?) global domination. The most heroic of Dar-Shan's horses is Wildfire, a wise stallion who was a loyal companion of Sara's mother (the Queen of Dar-Shan and Diabolyn's sister, who died during childbirth). Sara returns periodically to help Dar-Shan when it is in trouble with Wildfire usually being the ultimate weapon of 'Good'.

The dialogue of the show was extremely well-written, making the show not only adventurous and suspenseful, but moral and even existential. It's a shame that no studio has stepped forward to put the show back in circulation or to release it on DVD (it was produced by Hana-Barbera). It is probably the supreme example of a cult cartoon which has survived primarily because its quality was unmatched by any other 80s toon.