Jim Henson's The Storyteller ~ The Complete Collection

Have searched high and low for this dvd series and was so happy I found it on Amazon at a fraction of the cost everyone else wanted. I would gladly buy this 100 times for $30. Great condition and shipped amazingly fast

I watched "The Storyteller" as a kid and I love all things involving Jim Henson and his Creature Shop. I also love John Hurt as an actor and he's fantastic in the original show. There's only one episode that gave me nightmares as a kid and that's the one with the little devils.My favorite episode was the one with Fearnot and his quest to learn how to shudder. The puppets they made for the show from the Storyteller’s dog to the swamp monster are fantastic. The creature creators did a hell of a job making everything realistic in the show and the writers did a wonderful job of really making you feel like John Hurt is telling you a story around his hearth. I’ll also give props to the whoever did the voice and motions of his puppet dog. Love that dog, especially when he gets too scared and the Storyteller has to comfort him and make sure he knows it’s just a story.I haven’t watched the other two series in the DVD set yet, but I look forward to binge watching them on a lazy weekend. Looking forward to seeing how famed actor Michael Gambon (aka Dumbledor #2) fills the shoes of John Hurt in that acting roll.Overall, I really think this show stands the test of time. It was beautifully made at the time and you can’t beat the sets and craftsmanship of the work the film crews put into it. I give it an A++ rating.

I had only seen some of these when they first aired as part of "The Jim Henson Hour", but I was totally enchanted by them, and am thrilled to have them now in their entirety, to revel in and share with my own kids.What I really like about them - besides the stories themselves, the wonderful set, costume, and puppet designs, the acting and so on - is that they resurrect the importance of *telling*. There is a love of language in Minghella's scripts ("a princess of sweetness and cherry pie", "he heard a song that sounded like hello and goodbye"), and in John Hurt's charming performance, that reminds us of the importance of the human voice... even as we are seduced by the stunning visuals.This is great stuff, some of the best old-school fantasy every produced for TV, and - despite the puppets and magic - in no way geared to kids. It's "general audience" in the original sense: everybody gathered together around the Storyteller's bewitching voice, different ages envisioning different things as the stories play out.A word on the second batch, the Greek Myths: These are at a much lower wattage than the European stories, and I'm not sure why, as the stories themselves are great. But Michael Gambon's Storyteller lacks the charm of Hurt's, the scripts (not by Minghella) are more perfunctory, and perhaps the stories are too familiar to have much surprise. They are beautifully produced, and have some good performances (Derek Jacobi as Daedalus, Robert Stephens as Hades), but they aren't as essential as the earlier group. (But given the low price for the whole set, they're well worth owning, even if they lack the "repeatability factor" of the earlier batch.)Yes, the video quality is pretty wobbly, and the extras are non-existant... but The Storyteller triumphs anyway!

Jim Henson's The Storyteller (with most stories' screenplays written by Anthony Minghella) are masterful adaptations of old European tales, but the transference of these televisual delights aren't as impressive as they might have been. A distracting graininess in the image on screen lessens the visual enjoyment and at times one is tempted to wonder if the recording wasn't done from a television monitor.The soundtrack is fine, but could be improved.These flaws aside, the experience of seeing The Storyteller again (after so many years being available only through VHS... or one's own recordings of even worse quality) is a welcome experience.The visual experience of the ancient Greek legends is somewhat better, but the charm of the original stories (with John Hurt's wonderful narration) is to my mind superior.Is the whole thing worth the money...? That depends. If you're looking for something that stands up against 21st Century CGI, then look elsewhere. If you're looking to re-live the cherished memory of the first broadcastings of the series or simply value the intrinsic charm of Henson's puppetry and special effects genius, then you can't go past this Definitive Collection.Were someone to find the original recordings and make a digitally remastered transference to BluRay then 20 stars would not be sufficient!

Jim Henson is one of the most respected and famous names in family entertainment. Creator or co-creator of such classics as the Muppets and Sesame Street, his company put together this string of TV shows in the late 1980s. Comprised of 13 tales; 4 from ancient Greece and 9 from medieval Europe; each is turned into a separate story of 20 - 30 minutes in length. Each tells one or more morals; and comprises elements of romance, comedy, tragedy, suspence and action. The four Greek stories are well known to anyone who stayed awake in their high school literature classes. The 9 European stories, on the other hand, are less well known. But all are told wonderfully, from the point of view of the storyteller, and his dog. The storyteller character is portrayed by Michael Gambon (Dumbeldorf in the Harry Potter movies) and John Hurt. The stories themselves have both human and muppet characters. A careful viewing reveals many actors and actresses who would go on to become famous; Colin Farrel, Sean Bean, Miranda Richardson, etc...All the stories have good dialogue, no sex or nudity, no bad language, and enough action to satisfy teenagers but without scaring the kids. Great DVD set and I highly recommend it.

very good a children's classic

best dvd ever

Though the Storyteller series is now out in the UK over two disks, I wouldhighly recommend purchasing this American, all-inclusive release. It isan absolute treasure.The mix of Germanic, Celtic and Russian tale bring you right back. Notonly to childhood if you watched this series then, but into theimagination and the hint of a forgotten heritage. Stories were made fordark days, rainy days and the communal nighttime, whilst sunny days werefor work and activity. Having such an imaginative restbite is still soimportant to us, and being able to watch such a well-made series such asthis goes a long way to reminding me at least, that such dark, damp daysof a holiday when I might otherwise be incapacitated, has its place.These are dark stories, but touched with such light and warmth, and alsotruth, that you cannot help but be entranced. A real landmark oftelevision, and something that works beautifully well over a DvDformat.Highly Recommended.

Excellent stories from the Jim Henson. Brought back memories from it was first broadcast. Excellent as long as you have an all region DVD player

I loved this Dvd. Great memories! The story lines haven't aged, they are strong as ever. I could clearly remember watching it as a child, and being terrified!!Recommend to all nostalgic people and people who love to see/hear great stories. It still has the power to chill!!