Gargoyles (1994–1996)

A clan of heroic night creatures pledge to protect modern New York City as they did in Scotland long ago

Creator:

Greg Weisman

Stars:

Keith David, Salli Richardson-Whitfield, Jeff Bennett

1 win & 11 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Keith David	...	Goliath / ... (61 episodes, 1994-1996)
Salli Richardson-Whitfield	...	Elisa Maza / ... (59 episodes, 1994-1996)
Jeff Bennett	...	Brooklyn / ... (46 episodes, 1994-1996)
Frank Welker	...	Bronx / ... (45 episodes, 1994-1996)
Edward Asner	...	Hudson / ... (39 episodes, 1994-1996)
Thom Adcox-Hernandez	...	Lexington / ... (38 episodes, 1994-1996)
Bill Fagerbakke	...	Broadway / ... (38 episodes, 1994-1996)
Jonathan Frakes	...	David Xanatos / ... (34 episodes, 1994-1996)
Marina Sirtis	...	Demona / ... (28 episodes, 1994-1996)
Brigitte Bako	...	Angela (28 episodes, 1995-1996)

Storyline

In the Dark Ages, there was a race of heroic warrior monsters known as Gargoyles. These creatures existed as stone in the day, but become flesh and blood at night. One Scottish clan made an alliance with humans to help protect a castle by night if the humans would protect their stone forms by day. The uneasy alliance was shattered when human prejudice provoked a betrayal that allowed the castle to be sacked and most of the resident clan destroyed, leaving only six adult survivors and a rookery of unhatched eggs. A further misunderstanding during the clan's retaliation on the invaders and rescue of their hostages left the clan frozen in stone by a magic spell that would only be broken when the "castle rises above the clouds." For a thousand years, the castle laid abandoned and the clan condemned by this curse. In 1994, a wealthy multibillionare named David Xanatos bought the castle and transported the whole structure to Manhattan where he placed it on top of the Eyrie building which he...

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Plot Keywords:

gargoyle | prejudice | curse | detective | magic | 

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Taglines:

One thousand years ago superstition and the sword ruled. It was a time of darkness. It was a world of fear. It was the age of gargoyles.

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Genres:

Animation | Action | Adventure | Crime | Drama | Family | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 October 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gargoyles, les anges de la nuit

Company Credits

Production Co:

Buena Vista Television, Disney Television Animation, Walt Disney Animation Japan

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min (78 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many of the characters' names are very symbolic. For example: Fox's parents' last name is Reynard, as in 'Reynard the Fox'. Most obvious, however, are probably the show's main character and villain: Goliath and David Xanatos, as in 'David and Goliath'.

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Quotes

Goliath: One thousand years ago, superstition and the sword ruled. It was a time of darkness, it was a world of fear, it was the age of Gargoyles. Stone by day, warriors by night, we were betrayed by the humans we had sworn to protect, frozen in stone by a magic spell for a thousand years. Now, here in Manhattan, the spell is broken and we live again! We are defenders of the night, we are Gargoyles!

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Connections

Featured in Nostalgia Critic: Are Kids Shows Better NOW Than Ever? (2015)

User Reviews

The most unique and original TV series ever produced--there has never been anything like it, and there never will be.

I have just one question: How can Disney Television Animation produce such a wonderful show as "Gargoyles" for a couple of seasons and then go back to being Disney Television Animation? I simply cannot understand it, and if anyone has any thoughts, PLEASE share them with me! This show was a breath of fresh air on every level. If this wasn't a groundbreaking show, it certainly raised the bar sky high.

Voices--Many's the time I have thought that they could have chosen a better actor for a part in animation. Not here. The voice cast was so good that to this day I cannot imagine anyone else filling the bill. In the role of Goliath, Keith David demonstrated that he possesses one of the greatest speaking voices of any actor in the business. Jeff Bennett was also great as Brooklyn, my favorite character. (Loved the white hair!)

Music--Carl Johnson's scores were great. They beautifully set the tone and underlined the action and the drama.

Animation--Excellent. Dark, moody and stylish. The shots of the clan as stone statues are downright eerie at times. To this day, I still can't believe Disney did this one.

Plot--Action, drama, technology, mythology, humor and a little Shakespeare on the side. Folks, WHAT MORE COULD YOU POSSIBLY ASK FOR? This series had the most tightly structured story lines ever--there was not a single moment of dead air anytime.

The best thing about the series, however, was the characters. For being a clan of gargoyles (with a couple of humans), these characters were as real as you and I. Things HAPPENED to them! They actually got HURT as a result of violence. They matured, sometimes in ways unexpected. They found out the hard way who their friends and enemies were. And they had to live with the consequences of their actions, which sometimes came back to haunt them in later episodes.

Here's hoping Disney will realize the error of their ways and bring this show back. If you are already a fan, may you continue to enjoy the show. If you haven't seen it, give it a chance. But be advised: Once you have seen television and the world through the glowing eyes of a gargoyle, you will never want to settle for "standard kiddie fare" ever again.