JIM HENSON'S "THE STORYTELLER": GREEK MYTHS: DAEDALUS & ICARUS (TV)
Summary
One in this series of folk tales and legends based on Greek myths -- presented as a follow-up to the earlier series "The Storyteller" -- featuring fantasy characters from Jim Henson's Creature Shop. In this episode, the Storyteller recounts the tragic tale of the great inventor Daedalus and his beloved son, Icarus. When Daedalus, a gifted Athenian craftsman, accidentally kills his nephew, Talos, he and his son, Icarus, are forced to flee to Crete. King Minos of Crete summons Daedalus and orders him to build an impenetrable cage for the dreaded Minotaur -- a creature that is half-man and half-beast, the offspring of an unwholesome alliance between Minos' queen and a bull -- and Daedalus constructs a diabolically twisted labyrinth to imprison the creature. In order to safeguard his secret, Minos traps Daedalus and Icarus in the maze with the Minotaur. Although they miraculously escape, they are unable to sail from the heavily guarded ports of the island, so Daedalus fashions wings out of feathers and wax so that he and Icarus can fly from Crete. Heedless of his father's warnings, Icarus flies too close to the sun, melts the waxen wings, and plunges to his death into the sea. Daedalus eventually slays the cruel King Minos to avenge the death of his son, but the vengeance cannot compensate for his loss.
Details
- NETWORK: Channel 4 (United Kingdom)
- DATE: December 15, 1991 Sunday
- RUNNING TIME: 0:23:45
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:24085
- GENRE: Children's; Drama, fantasy/science fiction
- SUBJECT HEADING: Children's programs; Drama, fantasy/science fiction; International Collection - United Kingdom; Mythology; Puppets
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV series, 1990-1991
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Jim Henson … Executive Producer
- Duncan Kenworthy … Producer
- Paul Weiland … Director
- Anthony Minghella … Created by
- Nigel Williams … Writer, Screenplay by
- J. Nigel Pickard … Production (Misc.), Executive in Charge of Production
- John Stephenson … Production Design, Creative Supervisor, For The Creature Shop
- John Blakeley … Production Design, Special Creature Design, For The Creature Shop
- Jamie Courtier … Production Design, Special Creature Design, For The Creature Shop
- John Beard … Production Design
- Rachel Portman … Music by
- David Greenaway … Puppeteer
- David Alan Barclay … Puppeteer
- Michael Gambon … Cast, the Storyteller
- Brian Henson … Cast, the Dog
- Derek Jacobi … Cast, Daedalus
- Ian Hawkes … Cast, Icarus
- Alistair White … Cast, Talos
- John Wood … Cast, Minos
- Hannah Morris … Cast, Daughter 1
- Victoria Shalet … Cast, Daughter 2
- Steve Varnom … Cast, the Minotaur