- This article is about the TV series. For the SLG comics series, see Gargoyles (SLG comics). For the Marvel Comics series, see Gargoyles (Marvel Comics).
- "One thousand years ago, superstition and the sword ruled. It was a time of darkness. It was a world of fear. It was the age of gargoyles. Stone by day, warriors by night, we were betrayed by the humans we had sworn to protect, frozen in stone by a magic spell for a thousand years. Now, here in Manhattan, the spell is broken, and we live again! We are defenders of the night. We are Gargoyles!"
- —Goliath's voiceover narration for Season 2's intro sequence
Gargoyles is an acclaimed American animated series created by Greg Weisman, produced by Greg Weisman and Frank Paur and aired from October 24, 1994 to February 15, 1997. It was at the time hailed as one of the more ambitious Disney animated series in history, targeting an older demographic and taking a darker edge.
The series was known for its complex story arcs and drama, a prime example being the controversial first-season episode "Deadly Force," which addressed the consequences of gun violence, including a graphic depiction of the wounds of a gunshot victim. The show was also notable for its complex characters, and character arcs were heavily employed throughout the series. As the series progressed, it became deeply meshed with medieval history, particularly kings and princes from medieval Scottish history, and worldwide mythologies such as the King Arthur mythos and Norse Mythology among others, as well as the works of William Shakespeare, most notably A Midsummer Night's Dream and Macbeth.
During the second season, a voice-over by series star Keith David was heard over the opening sequence:
One thousand years ago, superstition and the sword ruled. It was a time of darkness. It was a world of fear. It was the age of gargoyles. Stone by day, warriors by night, we were betrayed by the humans we had sworn to protect, frozen in stone by a magic spell for a thousand years. Now, here in Manhattan, the spell is broken, and we live again! We are defenders of the night. We are Gargoyles!
A loyal fanbase kept the property alive following its cancellation, resulting in the entire first two seasons being available on DVD and the Gargoyles storyline continuing in a comic book also titled Gargoyles written by Weisman and produced by Slave Labor Graphics. The show continues to air in the form of reruns on the Toon Disney network in the United States as part of the JETIX lineup.
Plot[]
The series features a clan of warrior creatures known as gargoyles that turn to stone during the day. Led by their leader Goliath in the year 994 A.D., they protect Castle Wyvern and its resident humans on the coast of Scotland until betrayal causes a massacre of the clan and a magic spell forces the six survivors into stone sleep, until the castle rises over the clouds. In 1994, a billionaire named David Xanatos purchases the castle and moves it to the top of his Manhattan skyscraper, breaking the spell. Awakening in modern day Manhattan, the gargoyles must adapt to this new world as they vow to protect the citizens of New York.
Cast[]
- See Category:Production for all.
| Cast member | Characters |
|---|---|
| Thom Adcox-Hernandez | Lexington |
| Ed Asner | Hudson, Jack Danforth |
| Brigitte Bako | Angela |
| Jeff Bennett | Brooklyn, The Magus, Owen Burnett, Vinnie |
| Keith David | Goliath, Thailog, Officer Morgan |
| Bill Fagerbakke | Broadway |
| Jonathan Frakes | David Xanatos, Coyote |
| Salli Richardson | Elisa Maza, Salli, Delilah |
| Marina Sirtis | Demona, Margot Yale |
| Frank Welker | Bronx, Boudicca, Cagney, Gilgamesh, Gilly |
Episodes[]
A total of 78 half-hour episodes were produced. The first two seasons aired in the Disney Afternoon programming block. The controversial third and final season aired on ABC Saturday Mornings as Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles. Starting with the first episode of the season, "The Journey," these episodes were produced without the involvement of series creator Greg Weisman, and are largely not considered canonical by fans and the later comic series.
In 1995, Disney released a direct-to-video feature film entitled Gargoyles the Movie: The Heroes Awaken, which was in fact the series's five pilot episodes edited together into one feature. It should also be noted that, originally, the 'City Of Stone' 4-parter, as well as the 'Hunter's Moon' 3-parter were in talks to be Direct To Video before they were ultimately aired on Television instead.
| Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2. Awakening, Part Two 3. Awakening, Part Three 4. Awakening, Part Four 5. Awakening, Part Five 6. The Thrill of the Hunt 7. Temptation 8. Deadly Force 9. Enter MacBeth 10. The Edge 11. Long Way to Morning 12. Her Brother's Keeper 13. Reawakening |
2. Metamorphosis 3. Legion 4. A Lighthouse in the Sea of Time 5. The Mirror 6. The Silver Falcon 7. Eye of the Beholder 8. Vows 9. City of Stone, Part One 10. City of Stone, Part Two 11. City of Stone, Part Three 12. City of Stone, Part Four 13. High Noon |
15. The Price 16. Revelations 17. Double Jeopardy 18. Upgrade 19. Protection 20. The Cage 21. Avalon, Part One 22. Avalon, Part Two 23. Avalon, Part Three 24. Shadows of the Past 25. Heritage 26. Monsters |
28. Sanctuary 29. M.I.A. 30. Grief 31. Kingdom 32. The Hound of Ulster 33. Walkabout 34. Mark of the Panther 35. Pendragon 36. Eye of the Storm 37. The New Olympians 38. The Green 39. Sentinel |
41. Cloud Fathers 42. Ill Met By Moonlight 43. Future Tense 44. The Gathering, Part One 45. The Gathering, Part Two 46. Vendettas 47. Turf 48. The Reckoning 49. Possession 50. Hunter's Moon, Part One 51. Hunter's Moon, Part Two 52. Hunter's Moon, Part Three |
2. Ransom 3. Runaways 4. Broadway Goes Hollywood 5. A Bronx Tail 6. The Dying Of The Light 7. And Justice For All 8. Genesis Undone 9. Generations 10. ...For It May Come True 11. To Serve Mankind 12. Seeing Isn't Believing 13. Angels In The Night | |||||||||||||||||||||
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