| Hercules | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | Disney's Hercules: The Animated Series |
| Genre | |
| Based on | Hercules byWalt Disney Feature Animation |
| Developed by | Tad Stones |
| Directed by |
|
| Voices of | |
| Theme music composer | Alan Menken |
| Composers |
|
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 65(list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Tad Stones |
| Producers | |
| Running time | 23 minutes |
| Production company | Walt Disney Television Animation[a] |
| Original release | |
| Network | Syndication |
| Release | August 31, 1998 (1998-08-31) – March 1, 1999 (1999-03-01) |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | September 12, 1998 (1998-09-12) – January 16, 1999 (1999-01-16) |
Disney's Hercules: The Animated Series, simply known asHercules, is an American animated television series that is based on the 1997film of the same name and theGreekmyth. The series followed Hercules as a teenager, in training to be a hero, prior to the events of the film.
The series premiered in syndication on August 31, 1998, and onABC through itsDisney's One Saturday Morning block on September 12, 1998.[1] The syndicated run lasted 52 episodes, while the ABC run lasted 13 episodes.[2]
The series follows Hercules, as a teenager, training as ahero, while trying to navigate everyday life. With his free-spirited friendIcarus, hisfuture-seeing friendCassandra, and his trainerPhiloctetes ("Phil"), he battles his evil uncleHades. Like all teenagers, though, Hercules has to worry aboutpeer pressure when thesnobbish princeAdonis ridicules him. The series notably contradicts several events and plot points in the original film. A notable example is Hades knowing Hercules is alive when he is still a teenager, when in the film, he found out when Hercules reached adulthood.
| Season | Episodes | Originally released | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First released | Last released | Network | |||
| 1 | 52 | August 31, 1998 (1998-08-31) | March 1, 1999 (1999-03-01) | Syndication | |
| 2 | 13 | September 12, 1998 (1998-09-12) | January 16, 1999 (1999-01-16) | ABC | |
A majority of the cast from the film reprised their roles for the series.
The series was produced byTad Stones, who had previously produced and directed the animated television seriesAladdin. The directors ofHercules,John Musker andRon Clements, jokingly said to him while the film was being produced: "Hey, Tad, we're doing apilot for a series". The producers decided that the irreverence of the movie would be captured more easily by setting it within the events of the movie, with Stones declaring that "by ignoring continuity and trying to stay true to the elements of humor and adventure in the film, we came up with a much stronger series that really stands on its own". SinceJames Woods signed to voiceHades again, along with most of the cast of the film, many big-name actors were interested in taking part on the show. Over 150 celebrities took a part in the series, some self-lampooning:Merv Griffin played agriffin talk show host, game show hostWink Martindale played a riddle-expertsphinx andMike Connors, famous forMannix, played Athenian policeman Chipacles (named afterCHiPs).[3]
Disney's revamping of Greek legend moved to the small screen in the late summer of 1998. Disney's Hercules had the Greek god still in "geek god" mode, before his "Zero to Hero" transformation. In the series, "Herc" was enrolled atPrometheus Academy, a school for both gods and mortals. Since events occur before young Herc meets and falls for the lovelyMegara (Meg), he is joined by two new friends Cassandra (voiced by comedianSandra Bernhard) and Icarus (voiced byFrench Stewart).
The series' episodes and the direct-to-video filmHercules: Zero to Hero were animated byToon City Animation, Inc. and Philippine Animation Studio Inc. in the Philippines,Walt Disney Animation Australia in Australia,Walt Disney Animation (Japan), Inc., Anime Workshop Basara, Tama Production, Delta Peak Productions, Frontier Pictures, and Nakamura Productions in Japan, Win Wood Productions Company in the United Kingdom,Wang Film Productions Co., Ltd. in Taiwan,Thai Wang Film Productions Co., Ltd. in Thailand,Hanho Heung-Up Co., Ltd., Plus One Animation, Inc., Sunmin Image Pictures Co., Ltd.,Sunwoo Animation, Korea, and Hana Animation in South Korea, Jade Animation in China, and S.O.B. Animation Group, Ltd. in New Zealand.
In 2000,Hercules moved to the now-defunct channelToon Disney, where it continued airing until 2009.Disney XD aired the series for the first time in June 2011, when the channel launched in Canada.[4]
Currently, the entire series is available onDisney+ in the US, with all episodes being listed as one season.
CommonSenseMedia gave the series a rating of 4 stars out of 5, noting that this "better-than-average spinoff has heart and brawn."[5]Calhoun Times andGordon County News gave the series 3 stars out of 4.[6]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Jennifer E. Mertens, Robert Duran, Paca Thomas, Marc Perlman, Brian F. Mars, Melissa Ellis, Robbi Smith, Robert Poole III, Rick Hammel, Kenneth D. Young, Charles Rychwalski, Eric Hertsgaard, William Kean, David Lynch and Otis Van Osten | Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing – Special Class | Nominated |
| 1999 | Casey Stone for episode "Twilight of the Gods" | Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing – Television Animation – Music | Nominated |
| 2000 | James Woods for playing "Hades" | Emmy Award forOutstanding Performer in an Animated Program | Won |
| 2000 | French Stewart for playing "Icarus" | Emmy Award forOutstanding Performer in an Animated Program | Nominated |
| 2000 | Marc S. Perlman, Robert Duran and Paca Thomas | Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Editing – Special Class | Nominated |
Four episodes ofHercules were reformatted into the movieHercules: Zero to Hero and released to home video in 1999. The episode "Hercules and the Yearbook" serves as the linking narrative, with random clips replaced with the episodes "Hercules and the First Day of School", "Hercules and the Grim Avenger" and "Hercules and the Visit From Zeus". Some of the dialogue between Hercules and Meg was altered to fit the episodes.
In 2003, a further VHS tape titledHercules: TV Series was released. It contained two episodes of the series,Hercules and the World's First Doctor andHercules and the Secret Weapon.
