Hello Kitty (Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater)
by ari webb-bryantHello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater is a Japanese-American-Canadian co-produced animated series created by Sanrio, produced by DIC Enterprises, animated by Toei Animation, and distributed by MGM/UA Television. Released in 1987, the series involved Hello Kitty and her friends (and often family) doing their own version of popular fairy tales and stories (which would be similarly repeated in Hello Kitty and Friends, Sanrio Anime Festival, and Hello Kitty's Animation Theater). Each of the 13 half-hour episodes consisted of two 11-minute cartoons, for a total of 26 "shows"; each show was a spoof of a well-known fairy tale or movie at the time. Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater is the first Hello Kitty animated series produced by the company.
The series is available for streaming on Roku, Apple TV, Prime Video and Vudu.
North American television debut
In the USA, Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater aired on September 19, 1987 on CBS.
International broadcast
Contrary to popular belief, the series does not verifiably have a Japanese dub, nor was it released in Japan in any other form. In the UK, it was broadcast on the music and entertainment channel MTV from September 27, 1987.[5] It was also aired on ABS-CBN in the Philippines in 1990.
Release
Region 1
On March 24, 1998, MGM Home Entertainment released two VHS videocassettes each containing three cartoon shorts, as well as the opening and closing sequences (which were available exclusively through Warner Home Video).
Hello Kitty: Kitty and the Beast (also includes "Grinder Genie and the Magic Lamp", "Hello Mother Goose" and "Little Red Bunny Hood")
Hello Kitty: Wizard of Paws (also includes "Snow White Kitty", "Sleeping Kitty" and "Peter Penguin")
From 2003 to 2004, MGM Home Entertainment under their MGM Kids label released 5 DVD's each containing five cartoon shorts; the only one of the 26 not to be included was "The Year Scroogenip Swiped Christmas". The opening and closing sequences are not included.
Hello Kitty Becomes a Princess (February 4, 2003: "Cinderkitty", "Kittylocks and the Three Bears", "Sleeping Kitty", "Kitty and the Beast", "Snow White Kitty and the One Dwarf")
Hello Kitty Goes to the Movies (February 4, 2003: "K.T. The Kitty Terrestrial", "The Wizard of Paws", "Kitty and the Kong", "Cat Wars", "Paws: The Great White Dog Shark")
Hello Kitty Saves the Day (February 4, 2003: "Peter Penguin", "Tar-Sam of the Jungle", "Paws of the Round Table", "Crocodile Penguin", "Grinder Genie and the Magic Lamp")
Hello Kitty Plays Pretend (February 17, 2004: "The Phantom of the Theater", "Frankencat", "Catula", "The Pawed Piper", "Rumpeldogskin")
Hello Kitty Tells Fairy Tales (February 17, 2004: "Robin Penguin", "Hello Mother Goose", "The Ugly Quackling", "Pinocchio Penguin", "Little Red Bunny Hood")
Region 2
The same DVDs that were released in the United States were released in Region 2 by MGM Home Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Becomes a Princess, Goes to the Movies and Saves the Day were all released in September 2004, using the same prints as the US versions without the opening and closing sequences.
Plays Pretend and Tells Fairy Tales were not released in the United Kingdom until October 2012. These prints are not the same as the US versions, and do include the opening and closing sequences. Another DVD titled Hello Kitty Has Fun at Halloween was also released in the same year, featuring 3 episodes from Plays Pretend and an episode from Goes to the Movies. A boxset was also released, featuring all 5 of the original DVDs.
References
Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 274. ISBN 978-1538103739.
Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 402–403. ISBN 978-1476665993.
Charles Solomon (October 9, 1987). "Kidvid Reviews: Cartoon Debuts Are All Drawn Out - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. Retrieved October 15, 2012.
Hyatt, Wesley (1997). The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Watson-Guptill Publications. pp. 210–211. ISBN 978-0823083152.
TV program for 27-09-1987
