1979: the first animated Narnia, directed by the creator of the Snoopy cartoons

Long before the films, there was an animated version lasting 95 minutes: the first complete adaptation of Narnia to screen that we have, which was awarded an Emmy.

• Broadcast on CBS in the United States on April 1 and 2, 1979, then on ITV in the United Kingdom in 1980.
• Directed by Bill Melendez, the animator behind the Snoopy and Charlie Brown films.
• Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (1979).

• Year — 1979
• Format — animated film

Technical details

• Original title — The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• Broadcast —
  • United States — CBS — 1979-04-01/1979-04-02
  • United Kingdom — ITV — 1980-04-06
• Book adapted — The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• Awards —
  • Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (1979)
• Voices —
  • Aslan — character

    Aslan

    — Stephen Thorne (American and British versions)

In which books

• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Other names

• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• The Wardrobe
• Bill Melendez

In brief

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is an American-British animated television film adapted from the first published book. It was broadcast in two parts on the American channel CBS on April 1 and 2, 1979. The director, Bill Melendez, was known for the Peanuts animated films (Snoopy and Charlie Brown). The production was supported by the Children's Television Workshop, the creators of Sesame Street.

Going further

The film follows the book closely, scene by scene, with limited means: simple sets, limited animation, bright colors. It remains dear to an entire generation of viewers, who discovered Narnia through it. It received in 1979 the Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program.

Did you know

There are two English versions: an American version and a British version, prepared for broadcast on ITV in 1980. Only actor Stephen Thorne, the voice of Aslan, is present in both. In the British version, notable voices include Leo McKern (the Professor), Arthur Lowe (Mr. Beaver), and Sheila Hancock (the White Witch).

In French

A broadcast on French television in the 1980s, under the title The Wardrobe, is often mentioned by readers, but we have not yet been able to document it (channel, date). If you saw it as a child, in France, Belgium, or French-speaking Switzerland, write to us.

See also

• All adaptations of Narnia
• Differences between the books and the films
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• Who is Aslan?

Contact

• Narnia on screen, radio and stage
• Le volcan de trop: the Narnia films judged by Lewis's criteria
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
• Not a tame lion: Aslan in the books, in Lewis's letters and on screen
• Contact

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion,_the_Witch_and_the_Wardrobe_(1979_film)
• https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/lion-witch-and-wardrobe