CBS Storybreak "What Happened in Hamelin" (lost episode from animated series; 1987)

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What Happened in Hamelin book.png

Cover of the original What Happened in Hamelin book

Status: Lost

"What Happened in Hamelin" is an episode of the animated literary anthology TV series, CBS Storybreak. It premiered on October 3rd, 1987[1]. Like all Storybreak episodes it is an adaptation of a critically-acclaimed YA novel, in this case Gloria Skurzynski's 1979 Booklist Reviewer's Choice Award winner of the same name.[2] Even the episode's technical credits are unknown, aside from the fact that along with the rest of the series it was co-produced by Hanna-Barbera Australia and Southern Star Entertainment.[1]

Premise

The story is an attempt to reframe the Pied Piper legend in its literal, historical context - given that over a hundred children are, in fact, recorded as disappearing from the town at one point in the Middle Ages, for reasons now wholly unknown. If it wasn't the result of dark musical magic, might it have been something even more disturbing?

The story is told from the perspective of the one child who, according to the original legend, could not follow the Piper out of the town: Geist, a 14-year-old baker's apprentice in Hamelin who is envious of the Piper's apparently carefree lifestyle and quickly becomes his protege, with the mysterious figure demanding total, unquestioning obedience in exchange. Geist quickly becomes disenchanted with his new master as they execute his plan for destroying Hamelin's rats - a plan involving grain tainted with ergot, a poisonous fungus that causes those who ingest it to 'dance' in agony - and the boy realizes that the children of the town may be next. He works desperately to betray his master and save his friends from a dreadful fate.

The adaptation seems to have followed this plot fairly closely, although synopses and a still of the episode indicate Geist is joined in the animated version of his quest by a young girl, not further identified but presumably another of Hamelin's children.[3]

Availability

Whereas most of the series has been uploaded online, "What Happened in Hamelin" is one of two episodes that remain unavailable, in its particular case likely because of the subject matter (one Goodreads review calls the book 'a straight-up horror novel for kids' and another suggests this adaptation's ending is even more unsettling than the novel's[4]) It wasn't among the episodes that were released on VHS after the series ended, and so has remained shrouded in mystery.

Other than a single still frame and the 'Next week on...'-style preview following the previous week's episode "The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek", which can be seen along with that episode on YouTube and separately on Facebook, no trace official or otherwise of "What Happened in Hamelin" can be found online.

Gallery

Images

A still frame from the episode, showing the Piper, Geist and the unidentified girl.

Videos

Next Saturday preview following a copy of the episode, "The Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek." Promo starts at 9:10.

See Also

External Link

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. p. 193. ISBN 978-1476665993
  2. ↑ What Happened in Hamelin (1979) on Internet Archive Retrieved 29 Dec 2022
  3. ↑ Info about the various episodes including "What Happened in Hamelin" Retrieved 26 Aug. '21
  4. ↑ https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/2687911 Goodreads page for Skurzynski's novel
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