The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe (1988)
Encyclopedia
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a British
children's television drama first broadcast by the BBC
in 1988. It was the first series of the Narnia trilogy adaptation that ran from 1988 to 1990.
. They are sent to the countryside to stay with Professor Digory Kirke.
While exploring a spare room in the house, Lucy enters a wardrobe and finds herself in the middle of a snowy wood, lit by a single lamp-post. She meets a faun named Mr. Tumnus, who explains that she is in the land of Narnia. He is kind and friendly, and takes her back to his cave for tea. He then plays his flute and Lucy goes to sleep, but when she wakes up Tumnus is crying and he confesses that he had intended to hand her over to the cruel White Witch, who rules over Narnia and makes it "always winter and never Christmas". She had ordered him and all the other Narnians that if they ever saw a Son of Adam or Daughter of Eve in Narnia, they were to catch them and hand them over to her, but Tumnus realises that he cannot go through with it and he walks back to the lamp-post with Lucy to make sure she returns safely to her own world.
When Lucy returns to her siblings, they do not believe her story about the country in the wardrobe, especially because Lucy claims to have been gone for hours, while for her siblings just seconds have passed. Edmund is particularly cruel to her and taunts her with comments like "found any new countries in the cupboard lately?".
Later, during a game of hide and seek, Lucy again enters the wardrobe and Edmund follows her into it, and manages to find his way into Narnia, but he cannot find Lucy. After walking some distance into the snow-covered forest, he hears a jingling of bells and a horse-drawn sleigh draws up, transporting a great lady.
Edmund returns to the lamp-post, where he is reunited with Lucy, who tells him that she has been to see Tumnus again, and that the White Witch has done nothing to him for letting her go. When she describes the White Witch, Edmund realises that she is no other than the lady he has just made friends with, but he does not let on that he has seen her.
When they return to the Professor's house and meet Peter and Susan,and Lucy tells them about Edmund's visit to Narnia, he refuses to back-up Lucy's story, claiming that Lucy had only been "imagining". Peter, who still does not believe Lucy about Narnia, is furious with Edmund for encouraging Lucy about her "lies".
A few days later, the children have to get out of the way when visitors are in the house. They enter the wardrobe and all four find themselves in Narnia. Lucy takes them to Tumnus's cave, but they find him gone and the cave ransacked. A letter signed by "Maugrim, Captain of the Secret Police" has been left behind, stating that Tumnus is under arrest and awaiting trial on a charge of high treason against the Queen of Narnia for "comforting her majesty's enemies, harbouring spies and, above all, of fraternising with humans".
Suddenly, they notice that Edmund has disappeared, and they rush outside in hope that he will hear them calling for him, but he is nowhere to be seen. Mr Beaver then tells them that Edmund has gone to the White Witch, as he had the look of someone who had been with the Witch. He is even more sure of this when he hears that Edmund has been in Narnia before, by himself, and had not told the others what he had done or who he had met.
Edmund eventually arrives at the White Witch's house, and she is furious with him for coming alone. She is even more furious when she hears that Aslan has come to Narnia, and decides that they are to travel to the Stone Table. They make the journey on sledge through the snow, travelling for hours and hours through the night.
After walking through the snow for several miles, the children and the beavers rest in a cave which acts as a hiding place for beavers in bad times. They soon fall asleep but are awakened hours later (by which time morning has broken) by the sound of jingling bells. Mr Beaver is convinced that it is the White Witch (not knowing that she had deliberately set out on her sleigh without bells in hope of creeping silently upon them) and heads outside to watch in secret. However, when he returns to tell the others what he has seen, he assures them that it is a nasty knock for the Witch and a sign that her power is crumbling. It is Father Christmas, who presents the children with gifts: Peter gets a sword and shield, Susan gets a bow, quiver of arrows and a horn, and Lucy gets a bottle of magical healing cordial. As they continue their journey, the snow around them melts, making way for spring.
Later, the White Witch herself arrives at the Stone Table, demanding that Edmund be given to her, as all traitors in Narnia belong to her. Aslan discusses the matter in private with the Witch, then announces to all that Edmund will be spared, but the camp has to be moved away from the Stone Table before nightfall.
That night, Susan and Lucy follow Aslan as he leaves the encampment. Aslan allows them to follow, but makes them promise to stay hidden. They watch as Aslan walks to the Stone Table, where the White Witch and her followers are waiting for him. They bind and shave Aslan, with the White Witch revealing that Aslan traded his life for Edmund's. The White Witch kills Aslan with a knife; before doing so, she tells him that he has lost his own life and has not saved Edmund's. When the ceremony is over, the White Witch and her company leave to prepare for the oncoming battle with Peter and his forces.
By the time Aslan and the restored statues return to the battlefield, the battle is in full swing and the Witch has already turned a number of Aslan's followers into stone. Edmund brings his sword down on the Witch's wand, breaking it. She then knocks him out with the stump of it, but is then chased to the top of a ravine by Peter. Aslan appears and roars so loudly that the Witch loses her balance and falls off the edge, killing her upon impact with the ground below.
Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are later crowned Kings and Queens of Narnia in Cair Paravel. They rule Narnia for many years, bringing peace and prosperity to the land. As adults, the four monarchs are passing through the forest when they come across the old lamp-post that marks the border of Narnia. They walk deeper, passing through the wardrobe door and find themselves back in the professor's house, and once again children.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
children's television drama first broadcast by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in 1988. It was the first series of the Narnia trilogy adaptation that ran from 1988 to 1990.
Episode 1
In 1940, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie are siblings who are evacuated from London because of the recent outbreak of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. They are sent to the countryside to stay with Professor Digory Kirke.
While exploring a spare room in the house, Lucy enters a wardrobe and finds herself in the middle of a snowy wood, lit by a single lamp-post. She meets a faun named Mr. Tumnus, who explains that she is in the land of Narnia. He is kind and friendly, and takes her back to his cave for tea. He then plays his flute and Lucy goes to sleep, but when she wakes up Tumnus is crying and he confesses that he had intended to hand her over to the cruel White Witch, who rules over Narnia and makes it "always winter and never Christmas". She had ordered him and all the other Narnians that if they ever saw a Son of Adam or Daughter of Eve in Narnia, they were to catch them and hand them over to her, but Tumnus realises that he cannot go through with it and he walks back to the lamp-post with Lucy to make sure she returns safely to her own world.
When Lucy returns to her siblings, they do not believe her story about the country in the wardrobe, especially because Lucy claims to have been gone for hours, while for her siblings just seconds have passed. Edmund is particularly cruel to her and taunts her with comments like "found any new countries in the cupboard lately?".
Later, during a game of hide and seek, Lucy again enters the wardrobe and Edmund follows her into it, and manages to find his way into Narnia, but he cannot find Lucy. After walking some distance into the snow-covered forest, he hears a jingling of bells and a horse-drawn sleigh draws up, transporting a great lady.
Episode 2
The lady introduces herself as the Queen of Narnia, and demands to know "what" Edmund is. He is confused by her question, and she is running out of patience before she finally asks him if he is human. He tells her that he is human and that he got into Narnia through a wardrobe door. She is kind to Edmund, giving him warm drink and his favourite food - Turkish delight. She magically makes a tent appear which they enter before talking. She is eager to know all about him and he tells her that he has a brother and two sisters - she seems particularly interested in the fact that there are four of them. He also tells her that his sister Lucy has already been in Narnia and has met a faun. The Queen tells Edmund that she would like to see his brother and sisters and that next time he comes to Narnia he should bring them with him to meet her. She also tells him that she has no children, and that she would love to have a boy she could bring up as a prince; who would be King of Narnia when she died. She eventually bids farewell to Edmund and reminds him to come and see her soon.Edmund returns to the lamp-post, where he is reunited with Lucy, who tells him that she has been to see Tumnus again, and that the White Witch has done nothing to him for letting her go. When she describes the White Witch, Edmund realises that she is no other than the lady he has just made friends with, but he does not let on that he has seen her.
When they return to the Professor's house and meet Peter and Susan,and Lucy tells them about Edmund's visit to Narnia, he refuses to back-up Lucy's story, claiming that Lucy had only been "imagining". Peter, who still does not believe Lucy about Narnia, is furious with Edmund for encouraging Lucy about her "lies".
A few days later, the children have to get out of the way when visitors are in the house. They enter the wardrobe and all four find themselves in Narnia. Lucy takes them to Tumnus's cave, but they find him gone and the cave ransacked. A letter signed by "Maugrim, Captain of the Secret Police" has been left behind, stating that Tumnus is under arrest and awaiting trial on a charge of high treason against the Queen of Narnia for "comforting her majesty's enemies, harbouring spies and, above all, of fraternising with humans".
Episode 3
The four children make their way from the cave and encounter a beaver, who reveals himself to be a friend. Mr Beaver takes them to his home, and there he explains that Aslan - the great lion and king of beasts - will save Tumnus and end the White Witch's reign. He reveals that Tumnus was seen being taken away by the Secret Police to the White Witch's castle, and that there was no certainty of his fate, but according to the few people to have been taken in the castle and come out again it is likely that he has been turned to stone. The children have to meet Aslan, because they are part of a prophecy that when "two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve" sit on the thrones at Cair Paravel, it will be the end of White Witch's reign. Mr Beaver explains that this prophecy is why they all had to be so cautious as they came along, as the White Witch would be more dangerous still if she knew that there four humans in Narnia.Suddenly, they notice that Edmund has disappeared, and they rush outside in hope that he will hear them calling for him, but he is nowhere to be seen. Mr Beaver then tells them that Edmund has gone to the White Witch, as he had the look of someone who had been with the Witch. He is even more sure of this when he hears that Edmund has been in Narnia before, by himself, and had not told the others what he had done or who he had met.
Edmund eventually arrives at the White Witch's house, and she is furious with him for coming alone. She is even more furious when she hears that Aslan has come to Narnia, and decides that they are to travel to the Stone Table. They make the journey on sledge through the snow, travelling for hours and hours through the night.
Episode 4
Meanwhile, the beavers and the three other children are preparing for their own journey to the Stone Table. The White Witch had ordered Maugrim and another wolf to go to the Beaver's house to kill everyone there, but when they arrive they found the house empty and the snowfall meant there were no tracks, and the scene was cold, so he followed his mistress's order to head for the Stone Table.After walking through the snow for several miles, the children and the beavers rest in a cave which acts as a hiding place for beavers in bad times. They soon fall asleep but are awakened hours later (by which time morning has broken) by the sound of jingling bells. Mr Beaver is convinced that it is the White Witch (not knowing that she had deliberately set out on her sleigh without bells in hope of creeping silently upon them) and heads outside to watch in secret. However, when he returns to tell the others what he has seen, he assures them that it is a nasty knock for the Witch and a sign that her power is crumbling. It is Father Christmas, who presents the children with gifts: Peter gets a sword and shield, Susan gets a bow, quiver of arrows and a horn, and Lucy gets a bottle of magical healing cordial. As they continue their journey, the snow around them melts, making way for spring.
Episode 5
Arriving at the Stone Table, they are welcomed warmly by Aslan. However, Maugrim appears soon afterwards and terrifies the crowd, only to be slain by Peter, who is proclaimed "Sir Peter Wolf's Bane" by Aslan. Knowing that the White Witch is nearby, Aslan sends his creatures to rescue Edmund, succeeding just as the White Witch is preparing to kill him.Later, the White Witch herself arrives at the Stone Table, demanding that Edmund be given to her, as all traitors in Narnia belong to her. Aslan discusses the matter in private with the Witch, then announces to all that Edmund will be spared, but the camp has to be moved away from the Stone Table before nightfall.
That night, Susan and Lucy follow Aslan as he leaves the encampment. Aslan allows them to follow, but makes them promise to stay hidden. They watch as Aslan walks to the Stone Table, where the White Witch and her followers are waiting for him. They bind and shave Aslan, with the White Witch revealing that Aslan traded his life for Edmund's. The White Witch kills Aslan with a knife; before doing so, she tells him that he has lost his own life and has not saved Edmund's. When the ceremony is over, the White Witch and her company leave to prepare for the oncoming battle with Peter and his forces.
Episode 6
Susan and Lucy spend the night at the Stone Table with Aslan's body. At dawn, the Stone Table cracks in half and Aslan comes back to life. He explains that there is a deeper magic that states that if a "willing victim who has committed no treachery is killed in a traitor's stead, the Stone Table will crack and death itself will be denied". The two girls jump on Aslan's back and they fly to the White Witch's house, where Aslan's restores all the Witch's victims - including Tumnus - back to life from their stone forms.By the time Aslan and the restored statues return to the battlefield, the battle is in full swing and the Witch has already turned a number of Aslan's followers into stone. Edmund brings his sword down on the Witch's wand, breaking it. She then knocks him out with the stump of it, but is then chased to the top of a ravine by Peter. Aslan appears and roars so loudly that the Witch loses her balance and falls off the edge, killing her upon impact with the ground below.
Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy are later crowned Kings and Queens of Narnia in Cair Paravel. They rule Narnia for many years, bringing peace and prosperity to the land. As adults, the four monarchs are passing through the forest when they come across the old lamp-post that marks the border of Narnia. They walk deeper, passing through the wardrobe door and find themselves back in the professor's house, and once again children.
Cast
- Richard DempseyRichard DempseyRichard Dempsey is an English actor.- Biography :Dempsey's first role was at the age of 15, when he was cast as Peter Pevensie, the lead role in the BBC's adaptation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 1988. The following year, he appeared in the adaptation of Prince Caspian...
as Peter - Sophie CookSophie CookSophie Cook is a British actress who is most notable for her role of Susan Pevensie in the Chronicles of Narnia BBC miniseries. She appeared in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 1988 as well as Prince Caspian in 1989...
as Susan - Jonathan R. Scott as Edmund
- Sophie WilcoxSophie WilcoxSophie Elizabeth Wilcox is a British actress who is most notable for appearing in the BBC miniseries adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia as Lucy Pevensie when she was 13 years old....
as Lucy - Barbara KellermanBarbara KellermanBarbara R. Kellerman is an English actress, noted for her film and television roles. She trained at Rose Bruford College. Kellerman's Jewish parents had fled Nazi Germany and settled in Leeds, briefly living in Manchester before returning to Leeds by 1952...
as The White Witch - Kerry ShaleKerry ShaleKerry Shale is a UK-based actor, writer and voice-over artist. He is married to Suzanne Shale, a former Oxford University law don, now a specialist in the field of medical ethics.-Theatre:...
as Mr. Beaver - Lesley NicolLesley NicolLesley Marie Rumball, ONZM is a former New Zealand netball player. Rumball played with the New Zealand national netball team, the Silver Ferns, from 1993–2005. She represented New Zealand in 109 tests to become the second most capped player in Silver Ferns history behind Irene van Dyk...
as Mrs. Beaver - Big MickBig Mick (actor)Mick Walter , often referred to by the stage name Big Mick, is a British actor, noted for his dwarfism. He is known for appearing on television comedies, first appearing as Jack Large in Blackadder...
as Ginaarbrik - Ailsa BerkAilsa BerkAilsa Berk is an American actress.She is well known for playing Aslan on British television with William Todd Jones in The Chronicles of Narnia television serial which was aired by the BBC from 1988 to 1990....
as Aslan - Martin StoneMartin StoneMartin Stone may refer to:*Martin Stone , British professional wrestler*Martin Stone , actor in British TV serial The Chronicles of Narnia*Martin Stone , guitarist and literary expert...
as Maugrim - William Todd-JonesWilliam Todd-JonesWilliam Todd-Jones is a British puppet designer, performer, director, movement consultant and writer, for film, television and theatre in the UK and abroad....
as Aslan - Keith HodiakKeith HodiakKeith Hodiak is a British actor who was active on British TV between 1978 and 1992.His television debut came in 1978, when he took on the role of Sam Spade in Revenge of the Pink Panther. In 1985, he appeared in three episodes of Are You Being Served? during the programme's final year on air...
as Aslan's Satyr - Garfield Brown as Aslan's Satyr
- Ronald PickupRonald Pickup-Life and career:Pickup was born in Chester, England, the son of Daisy and Eric Pickup, who was a lecturer. Pickup was educated at The King's School, Chester, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and became an Associate Member of RADA.His television work began with an episode...
as Aslan - Irene MarotIrene MarotIrene L Marot is a British actress who is most notable for her role as "DD" Dixon in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside during the early 1990s....
as Hag - Kairen Kemp as Hag
- Jeffrey S. Perry as Mr. Tumnus
- Michael AldridgeMichael AldridgeMichael William ffolliott Aldridge was an English actor. While it was his role as Seymour in the television series Last of the Summer Wine which made him widely recognised, his long career as a successful character actor on stage and screen dated back to the 1930s.-Early life:The son of Dr...
as Professor Digory Kirke - Ken KitsonKen KitsonKenneth "Ken" Kitson is a British actor who has been active on British television since the early 1970s....
as Giant Rumblebuffin - Christopher BramwellChristopher BramwellChristopher Bramwell is a British actor who was active on television from 1977 until 1996.He appeared in several TV dramas including Grange Hill, Enemy at the Door, Tales of the Unexpected, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Van der Valk...
as Peter (adult) - Suzanne Debney as Susan (adult)
- Charles Ponting as Edmund (adult)
- Juliet Waley as Lucy (adult)
- Maureen Morris as Mrs. Macready