The Neverending Story, also known as The Animated Adventures of Bastian Balthazar Bux or The Neverending Story: The Complete Animated Series, is an animated television series, produced by CineVox Entertainment and animated by Ellipse Animation and Nelvana Limited. It aired for one season (1995–1996) on HBO, and ran for 26 episodes. In Canada, it also aired on Family Channel. The series is loosely based on Michael Ende's book, The Neverending Story (1979).
Contents
Plot
A young boy named Bastian helps yet again the Childlike Empress and her people of Fantasia, an imaginary land that can be accessed and influenced through a magical book called The Neverending Story, because the horrifying Nothing and other villains like the evil sorceress Xayide still threaten it. In the process, Bastian learns valuable lessons and gains many magical friends like the wooden Bark Troll, the luckdragon Falkor and many others.
Differences between the TV series and the film
In the series, the Nothing is a recurring villain. The Nothing is portrayed as a black hole with evil red eyes, which belongs to that of a white wolf, and is the television version of Gmork. The evil sorceress Xayide, unlike in the first sequel film, wears green robes with an eye mask with yellow slits. In the original film, her face is created by a special magical cream. The Rockbiter, in the latter two sequel films (including the third film), actually has a wife and a son, Junior. His wife and son appear in the series as well.
Cast and characters
Janet-Laine Green as Xayide
Dominic Zamprogna as Atreyu
Chris Wiggins as Carl Conrad Coreander
Christopher Bell as Bastian Balthazar Bux
Neil Crone as Nimbly
Marilyn Lightstone as Ygramul
Benedict Campbell as Shadow Goblin
John McGrath as Blubb
Lisa Yamanaka as The Childlike Empress and Junior Rockbiter
Richard Binsley as Barktroll
James Rankin as Three Head
John Stocker as Gluckuk, Gluckuk's racing snail
Colin Fox as Large Head
Pam Hyatt as Morla
Ellen-Ray Hennessy as Southern Oracle
Dan Hennessey as South Wind Giant
Gary Krawford as Grograman the fire lion
Howard Jerome as Falkor the luckdragon
Don Francks as Gmork
Wayne Robson as Engywook
Barbara Bryne as Urgl
Len Carlson as Vermin
Telecast and home media
The Neverending Story was first aired on HBO in 1995 until 1996. Repeats were aired on HBO's sister channel, HBO Family, until 2005. In Canada, it also aired on Family Channel. Internationally, the show was aired on Nickelodeon (UK and Latin America), Canal+ (France) and Kindernet (the Netherlands).
In 1996, a single episode of The Neverending Story: The Animated Adventures of Bastian Balthazar Bux was released by HBO Home Entertainment (under the HBO Kids Video branch).
In 2005, the first three episodes of The Neverending Story: The Animated Adventures were released on DVD by FUNimation Entertainment, LTD. (under its Our Time Family Entertainment children's/pre-school entertainment label) in a compilation entitled "Bastian to the Rescue".
Via Vision Entertainment released the complete series on NTSC Region 0 DVD in Australia, in 2024. The Via Vision Entertainment DVD is able to play in North American Region DVD players.
As of 2022, all episodes were available on Amazon Prime.