Arthur! and the Square Knights of the Round Table
| Industry | Animation, Television production |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1960s |
| Products | Arthur! and the Square Knights of the Round Table |
Arthur! and the Square Knights of the Round Table is an Australian animated television series that aired between 1966 and 1968, drawing inspiration from the legendary tales of King Arthur and Camelot.
The production was handled by Air Programs International, with scripts crafted by Melbourne playwright Alex Buzo, British-born performer Rod Hull, alongside Lyle Martin, Michael Robinson, and John Palmer. Central figures in the show included King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin, the Jester, the Black Knight, and Morgana le Fay. The voice cast featured John Meillon as Arthur, Lola Brooks voicing both Guinevere and Morgana le Fay, supported by John Ewart, Kevin Golsby, and Matthew O'Sullivan.
By 1969, broadcasting rights had been secured for both the United Kingdom and North America. Within Australia, the series was shown on the Australian Broadcasting Commission's ABC-TV network, primarily on Saturday mornings and initially on Monday evenings. Since Australian television remained in black-and-white until 1975, early episodes were presented without colour.
Throughout the 1970s, ABC-TV continued to rerun the series, with its final airing as part of children's programming occurring in March 1985.
On the international front, the series was screened in Italy during the early 1970s and later acquired by French television in 1980-81. The French version featured a localized soundtrack but omitted the original music score, airing on TF1. Additionally, it was broadcast on German cable channels in 1993.
Home releases
In 2003, Revelation Films issued a Region "0" DVD titled Arthur and the Square Knights of the Round Table, containing approximately 200 minutes of footage encompassing the first eight episodes (24 out of 36 cartoons). Prior to this, Castle Vision released two VHS tapes in the United Kingdom in 1992 under license from Australian rights holders; each tape ran for 45 minutes and included two episodes (six stories) in total. Both VHS editions were formatted for European PAL systems.
External links
- Arthur and the Square Knights of the Round Table at Keyframe - the Animation Resource
- Arthur! and the Square Knights of the Round Table at the National Film and Sound Archive
- 1966 Australian television series debuts
- 1968 Australian television series endings
- 1960s animated television series
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation original programming
- Television series based on Arthurian legend
- Australian children's animated comedy television series
- Australian children's animated fantasy television series
- Television series by Endemol Shine Australia
- Television series about kings