HBO Storybook Musicals

HBO Storybook Musicals is a series of television specials first airing on HBO, and now airing on HBO Family, combining animation that is true to the original storybook's illustrations, plus high-spirited songs from musical songwriters.

Episodes

Originally airing as individual, stand-alone TV specials, there are 11 episodes total:

• Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile: The Musical, narrated by Tony Randall (based on The House on East 88th Street by Bernard Waber)
• The Story of the Dancing Frog by Quentin Blake, narrated by Amanda Plummer
• The Red Shoes by Hans Christian Andersen, narrated by Ossie Davis
• Earthday Birthday, an environmental special celebrating Earth Day, with the voices of Christopher Reeve, Fred Gwynne, and Lainie Kazan
• Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton, narrated by Robert Klein
• Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
• The Marzipan Pig by Russell Hoban, narrated by Tim Curry
• The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen, narrated by F. Murray Abraham
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, narrated by Carol Burnett, and featuring the voice of Kevin Clash as one of the sparrows and Mr. McGregor.
• Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber
• A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson

Note: The Red Shoes and The Little Match Girl are no longer being broadcast as part of the series with the possibility of being broadcast for the holidays (The Red Shoes has a Christmas theme in the episode and The Little Match Girl takes place on New Year's Eve 1999)

References

• Erikson, H. "HBO Storybook Musicals" in Television Cartoon Shows. 2nd Ed. McFarland. 2005. vol 1. pp 397-8. Google Books.