ActressShelley Duvallwas known for various roles in her lifetime, such as inThe ShiningandAnnie Hall. However, she is also known for her work behind the cameras, creating and producing a variety of television shows often aimed at young people.
Usually, these took the form of anthology shows, which often featured a new story each week. These were often familiar, however, as they often adapted things ranging from children’s books, fairy tales, and even classic horror stories. Some of these shows were prominent enough to earn a few award wins and nominations.
As anthology shows often require a new cast each episode, many of these shows hosted a variety of well-known performers. After all, Duvall had made quite a number of connections through her work as an actress.
Of course, most of these shows are also well known for featuring Duvall herself as the host, with her occasionally introducing each story. Occasionally, she also got to show off her acting abilities in these shows. In fact, for many children of the 1980s and 1990s, this was their introduction to Duvall.
5Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (1994)
Mrs. Piggle-Wigglewas a series that saw Jean Stapleton play the title character, an eccentric woman who helps kids dealing with bad habits. The series was based ona series of children’s booksby author Betty MacDonald, which similarly revolved around an old woman who used magical cures, or occasionally colorful ideas, to help children improve themselves.
The Series Won a WGW Award & Got a Few Other Nominations
The series lasted 13 episodes, with each story adapting a story from the books. Duvall served as both the series' creator and executive producer.
Stapleton had previously worked with Duvall inFaerie Tale Theatre, having played the Fairy Godmother in “Cinderella” and the Giant’s Wife in “Jack and the Beanstalk.”
A few other prominent actors who appeared in the series were Joan Cusack, Christopher Lloyd, and Phyllis Diller. Duvall herself also appeared in one episode as “Pottsy Piggle-Wiggle.”
In 1995, the series won the Writers Guild of America award for Children’s Script for the episode, “The Radish Cure,” in which Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle teaches a child the importance of cleanliness. The same year, it was also nominated for a few CableACE awards.
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4Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories (1992)
Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Storieswas an anthology series that combined animation and live-action to adapt various children’s books. In the first season, Duvall served as the sole host. However, by the second season, two new characters were introduced: a clock named Ticker and a lamp named Clicker, making it a rare time when one of Duvall’s anthology shows had recurring characters.
Some of the books adapted included the works of Mercer Mayer, Tomie dePaola, and Wanda Gag. The series also had quite a few guest stars who would narrate the animated segments, including Ringo Starr, Dudley Moore, Sissy Spacek, Michael J. Fox, and Martin Short.
The series ended witha Christmas special of sorts, Steven Kellogg’s “The Christmas Witch,” which was narrated by actress Angela Lansbury. In 1992, the series was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program. However, it ultimately lost to the CBS special,A Claymation Easter.
3Nightmare Classics (1989)
Nightmare Classicswas an anthology series adapting classic horror stories, including the works of Sheridan Le Fanu and Robert Louis Stevenson. WhileFaerie Tale TheatreandTall Tales & Legendswere aimed at young children,Nightmare Classicswas aimed towards older audiences. Of course, the show also fit with Duvall’s fame for her work in horror media,such asThe Shining.
The Series Skewed a Little Older Than Most of Duvall’s Anthology Shows
The series was originally meant to last six episodes, but ultimatelyended up lasting four, seeing adaptions of “The Turn of the Screw,” “Carmilla,” “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” and “The Eyes of the Panther.”
As with Duvall’s previous anthology shows, various notable actors appeared in the series, such as Amy Irving, Meg Tilly, Roddy McDowall, and Rue McClanahan. Betting the mature nature of the series, Duvall did not host. Instead, Linda Hunt narrated the opening sequence with, “All that we see or seem…is but a dream within a dream,” a nod tothe work of Edgar Allan Poe.
The series at times took liberties with the stories. “Carmilla,” for example, exchanged the original European setting for a Southern plantation during the time before the Civil War, in addition to downplaying the sensual elements of the story. Like many adaptations, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” adds a love interest, Rebecca, while the original story did not even have any named female characters.
2Tall Tales & Legends (1985)
Tall Tales & Legends, also known asShelleyDuvall’s Tall Tales & Legends, was a follow-up toFaerie Tale Theatre. While its predecessor focused on fairy tales set in Europe and Asia, this series adapted legends and figures from American folklore, from songs to real-life figures.
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As with the earlier show, the series boasted some famous guest stars, such as Jamie Lee Curtis as Annie Oakley, Danny Glover as John Henry, and Martin Short as Johnny Appleseed. Duvall herself played the title character in “Darlin' Clementine,“recounting a ghost storyabout a young woman who lives and works in a mining camp with her father. Duvall would also introduce each story, though she occasionally appeared with other characters.
The series was rather experimental and often expanded on the story of a famous character. Notably, the final episode, “Davy Crockett,” actually revolved around a modern-day kid traveling back in time where he gets involved with the titular real-life folk hero.
Over the years, viewers often sawTall Tales & Legendsas an extra season forFaerie Tale Theatre. Interestingly enough, one ofFaerie Tale Theatre’s final episodes was an adaptation of “Rip Van Winkle,” which some fans saw as a sort ofback-door pilotfor theTall Tales & Legendsseries.
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1Faerie Tale Theatre (1982)
Faerie Tale Theatre, also known asShelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre, was a live-action anthology series adaptingclassic children’s fairy tales. Duvall wore many hats for the series, having been the series creator and presenter, famously appearing at the start of each story to introduce it. Duvall also occasionally appeared as characters within the stories, such as Rapunzel and the Miller’s Daughter inRumpelstiltskin.
“Hello, I’m Shelley Duvall…”
While some episodes were more experimental than others when adapting stories, attention was also given to including elements that were often lost in adaptation. For example, Cinderella gets to attend the ball for a second night in her title story, as Charles Perrault originally wrote.
The design of each episode also usually paid homage to classic illustrators, such as Maxfield Parrish and Edmund Dulac. Similarly, the series' adaption ofBeauty and the Beastalso famously took a lot of visual influence from thefamously dramatic 1946 Jean Cocteau adaptation.
The series was a star-studded event, with various celebrities acting out the classic characters, such as Robin Williams as the Frog Prince, Eric Idle as the Pied Piper, and James Earl Jones playing the Lamp and Ring Genies in the story’s adaptation ofAladdin.
In addition to the fairy tale adaptations, the series also had a noticeable special, “Grimm Party,” that saw Duvall encounter the Grimm Brothers, which also served as a reunion of many of the show’s guest stars. The series also notably won a few awards in its time, including a Peabody and a TCA Award.
Originally airing on Showtime, the series notably aired on the Disney Channel in the 1990s, in addition to a few television channels broadcasting the series in syndication. Thanks to this, the way Duvall would open up each episode, “Hello, I’m Shelley Duvall,” became something of a catchphrase for the actress among young audiences at the time.
