The Neverending Story (fully known as The Neverending Story: The Animated Adventures of Bastian Balthazar Bux) is an animated television series based on the 1979 novel of the same name by Michael Ende, as well as The Neverending Story film series also based off said novel. It first aired on December 2, 1995 on HBO and aired for only one season until May 25, 1996. In 1999, it was moved to HBO Family where it ran on Jam until September 2005.
Outside of the United States, the series aired on Family Channel in Canada.
Synopsis[]
Bastian Balthazar Bux helps the Childlike Empress and her people of Fantasia, an imagination land that can be accessed and influenced through a magic book called The Neverending Story, where 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 Barktroll, Falkor and many others.
Characters[]
- Bastian Balthazar Bux (voiced by Christopher Bell) - The main character and the brave hero of Fantasia. Outside of Fantasia, Bastian lives with his father.
- The Childlike Empress (voiced by Lisa Yamanaka) - The ruler of Fantasia. Her guard and assistant is Large Head (voiced by Colin Fox),
- Barktroll (voiced by Richard Binsley) - A member of the Tree Trolls. Barktroll is a bit of a worry-wart and is most of the time afraid to help Bastian on his quests. He likes to drink out of the river waters.
- Xayide (voiced by Janet-Laine Green) - One of the antagonists of the series who is an evil sorceress. She has giant robot minions.
- Gluckuk (voiced by John Stocker) - A tiny little man with a temper and a fast racing snail. He lives in a tiny town with people just like him.
- Shadow Goblin (voiced by Benedict Campbell) - A mischievous merchant who vows to be the richest. He has a wolf slave named Vermin (voiced by Len Carlson)
- Falkor (voiced by Howard Jerome) - A Luck Dragon that flies Bastian all over Fantasia.
- Gmork (voiced by Don Francks) - A creepy wolf monster with red glowing eyes who hides in The Nothing, a black hole that can suck anything up.
- The Rockchewers - A family of rock monsters consisting of a husband (voiced by Harvey Atkin), a wife (voiced by Jayne Eastwood), and their baby son Junior (voiced by Lisa Yamanaka).
- Engywook and Urgl (voiced by Wayne Robson and Barbara Bryne respectively) - A gnome couple. Engywook is fascinated in modern science, but Urgl is more interested in witchcraft.
Episodes[]
| No. | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Tears of Sadness" | December 2, 1995 |
| 2 | "The Meek and the Mighty" | December 9, 1995 |
| 3 | "The Purple Buffalo" | December 16, 1995 |
| 4 | "Morla's Wish" | December 23, 1995 |
| 5 | "Spook City" | December 30, 1995 |
| 6 | "To Save Falkor" | January 6, 1996 |
| 7 | "Perilin" | January 13, 1996 |
| 8 | "A Friendship That Flames" | January 20, 1996 |
| 9 | "The Sea of Mist" | January 27, 1996 |
| 10 | "Through the Misty Mountains" | February 3, 1996 |
| 11 | "Promises" | February 10, 1996 |
| 12 | "Missing Memories" | February 17, 1996 |
| 13 | "The Three Feeling Stones" | February 24, 1996 |
| 14 | "Good Deeds" | March 2, 1996 |
| 15 | "Barktroll's Blame" | March 9, 1996 |
| 16 | "The Searcher" | March 16, 1996 |
| 17 | "End of Time" | March 23, 1996 |
| 18 | "Thunder and Lightning" | March 30, 1996 |
| 19 | "The Everlasting Night" | April 6, 1996 |
| 20 | "The Belt of Invisibility" | April 13, 1996 |
| 21 | "The Perfect Gift" | April 20, 1996 |
| 22 | "Mirror, Mirror" | April 27, 1996 |
| 23 | "After the Falls" | May 4, 1996 |
| 24 | "The Dreaming Fields" | May 11, 1996 |
| 25 | "The Atonal Trolls" | May 18, 1996 |
| 26 | "The Race for the Ivory Tower" | May 25, 1996 |