The Legend of Prince Valiant 

After his castle is taken over, Valiant, Prince of Thule (Robby Benson), has a dream, in which King Arthur (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) calls him to Camelot. Valiant heeds the advice of the dream... See full summary »

Creator:

David J. Corbett

Stars:

Robby Benson, Michael Horton, Noelle North

2 wins.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Robby Benson	...	Prince Valiant 65 episodes, 1991-1993
Michael Horton	...	Arn 65 episodes, 1991-1993
Noelle North	...	Rowanne / ... 65 episodes, 1991-1993
Alan Oppenheimer	...	Merlin 65 episodes, 1991-1993
Efrem Zimbalist Jr.	...	King Arthur 65 episodes, 1991-1993
Samantha Eggar	...	Queen Guinevere 65 episodes, 1991-1993
James Avery	...	Sir Bryant / ... 65 episodes, 1991-1993
Dorian Harewood	...	Sir Bryant / ... 65 episodes, 1991-1993
Tim Curry	...	Sir Gawain 65 episodes, 1991-1993

Storyline

After his castle is taken over, Valiant, Prince of Thule (Robby Benson), has a dream, in which King Arthur (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) calls him to Camelot. Valiant heeds the advice of the dream, and sets out on a quest to find the famed kingdom. Along the way, he meets two new friends, Arn (Michael Horton) (a peasant) and Rowanne (Noelle North) (the blacksmith's daughter), who join him on his quest to become a Knight of The Round Table. After arriving in Camelot, the plot focuses on the three friends' lives, as they strive to become knights.

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Plot Keywords:

cartoon | prince | hand drawn animation | courage | arthurian legend | 

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Fantasy

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Details

Country:

USA Germany France

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 September 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

Prins Valiant

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hearst Entertainment Productions, I.D.D.H., The Family Channel

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min (26 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The show's infrequent use of fantasy elements outside of dreams and its portrayal of Merlin (Alan Oppenheimer), Morgana (Patty Duke), and others like them as alchemists often mistaken for magicians is because at the time of its airing, the Family Channel wanted as few of its shows to involve magic as possible. Interestingly, this resulted in it having much in common with Hal Foster's comic strip on which it was based since in both a witch (not called so in the show) appears in the first story arc and some beasts there and near the Misty Isles, but magic appears less as the story progresses. The one clear exception in the show is the Singing Sword still having its famous power. Excalibur's being drawn from the stone, Morgana's and the witch's concoctions causing a specific dream or nightmare for those exposed to them, and Merlin's possibly being able to see or act through a falcon are left ambiguous as to whether they're actually magic.

User Reviews

One of the most overlooked series in the history of animation!

Along with Peter Pan and the Pirates, Pirates of Dark Water and Fish Police, The Legend of Prince Valiant gets my vote as one of the most overlooked animated series ever. Why so? Being a 17 year old girl, I thought this wouldn't be my style, but how wrong I was. This series is a gem, and is a animated series that is seriously needed to get animation back on track. There is something for everyone, boys will love the action, girls will love Rowanne and adults will be able to guess who voices which character, admire the detailed artwork, the beautiful theme tune and the messages it tries to convey.

The animation is simply wonderful, as well as colourful and vibrant it is also very detailed, especially the crisp backgrounds. The title song is stunning, not only does it have a gorgeous melody, but also I think a powerful message in a spiritual sense. And the incidental music is truly beautiful. I loved the characters, Prince Valiant and Arn aren't portrayed as selfish but instead courageous, and Rowanne is a beautiful engaging character. And who better to voice these characters other than Robby Benson, Michael Horton and Noelle North. All three of these talented actors brought appeal and earnestness into characters that could easily have been nothing special.

The other members of the voice cast also do brilliantly, particularly Efrem Zimbalist Jnr, Alan Oppenheimer, Jeff Bennett, Samantha Eggar and Tim Curry. And their characters were just as fully fleshed as the three title characters. I especially liked the fact that Merlin is very wise here, and often seen as the voice of reason. When I think of King Arthur, I have always thought Merlin as wise, clever, well looked up to and well-meaning, and that was exactly how he was portrayed here. The story lines are also outstanding, bringing sophistication, humour, depth and even poignancy to the series, and the writing is first-rate. This is definitely one of the in-depth animated series I have had the privilege of watching. The amount of depth involved was one of the main reasons why I love Peter Pan and the Pirates so much.

All in all, a very deep, in-depth and detailed animated television series. This is an amazing series, that deserves to be watched again, even if it's just on YouTube. Not only does it entertain, but it also teaches without preaching. My younger brother, who's 14 absolutely loves this, and so do I. I thought it wouldn't be my thing, and you know what I am so glad I gave it a chance, because it is really as amazing as people say it is. 10/10 Bethany Cox