The Legend of Calamity Jane
| The Legend of Calamity Jane | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin |
France United States |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | The WB (Kids WB) |
| Original release | September 13, 1997 – June 26, 1998 |
| Website | |
The Legend of Calamity Jane is an American/French animated television series produced by Canal+ and France 3. The series followed the adventures of Calamity Jane in Deadwood, South Dakota. The episode "I'd Rather Be in Philadelphia" takes place during the opening of the Centennial Exposition, establishing the shows as being set in 1876. The series was gritty and had a very European animation style. It aired in France and Canada from 1997 to 1998 and in Portugal in 2002.
Series run
In the United States, three episodes were aired on The WB in 1997.[1] The network gave the series heavy promotion, but they quietly pulled it from their line-up after only three weeks. No reason was ever given (although the show's violence was the most likely plausible explanation). It was stated on Warner Bros.' website that the show would return later in the year,[2] and that Superman: The Animated Series would be filling in for its timeslot,[3] but this proved to be untrue.[1]
Production
Jennifer Jason Leigh was originally cast as the voice of Calamity Jane. However, two weeks before the show was to premiere, the producers decided to re-cast the role. Barbara Scaff got the part.[4] None of the dialogue recorded by Leigh was used in the final show. However, due to the short notice, the promotional ads aired on the WB used the lines by Leigh.
Main characters
- Calamity Jane – Although based on the historical frontierswoman, her appearance and background are fictionalized. For example, in the series she knows how to read and write and says she grew up in Portsmouth, Rhode Island and Atlanta, Georgia while the real Martha Jane Canary was illiterate and grew up in Missouri. She also claims to be a member of the Comanche tribe. She is depicted as a 24-year-old, green-eyed, pale-skinned, redhead who fights on the side of "law and order". She prefers to use a whip and drink milk. She rides a black horse named Dakota. She is voiced by Barbara Scaff.
- Joe Presto – He serves as a helpful sidekick to Jane and shows great care and concern for her throughout the series. He prefers not to kill, as evidenced by his shotgun only being loaded with rock salt. He rides a mule named Tessy. He is voiced by Frank Welker.
- Wild Bill Hickok – Based on the real Wild Bill Hickok, he is depicted as an old friend of Jane's who helps her on several occasions despite his reservations toward the law. He is voiced by Clancy Brown.
- Quanna Parker – Jane's "blood brother" and Chief of the Comanche tribe. He likes existential philosophy. In "Troubled Waters" his tribe become millionaires thanks to finding oil on their land. He is voiced by Michael Horse.
- Captain John O'Rourke – He is a polite, by-the-book officer in the US cavalry who assists Jane throughout the series. In "The Final Curtain" it is revealed he witnessed the Lincoln assassination as a child and felt responsible because his older brother, who should've been guarding the President, chose to sit by him instead. He is voiced by Tim Matheson.
Episode list
| № | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "A Slip of the Whip" | September 13, 1997 |
| 2 | "An Army of Rogues" | September 20, 1997 |
| 3 | "Like Father, Like Daughter" | September 27, 1997 |
| 4 | "As Easy as One, Two, Three" | March 24, 1998 |
| 5 | "Train Kept a Rollin'" | April 7, 1998 |
| 6 | "The Final Curtain" | April 14, 1998 |
| 7 | "The Way of the Buffalo" | April 17, 1998 |
| 8 | "Troubled Waters" | April 21, 1998 |
| 9 | "Waiting for the Cavalry" | May 29, 1998 |
| 10 | "Dead, or Alive" | June 5, 1998 |
| 11 | "Protege" | June 12, 1998 |
| 12 | "I'd Rather Be in Philadelphia" | June 19, 1998 |
| 13 | "Without a Vengeance" | June 26, 1998 |
References
- 1 2 "toonzone News Archives 1998: August – December". toonzone. 1998. Archived from the original on January 12, 2013. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
Remember last year how "Calamity Jane" was on for exactly three weeks, and then never seen again? Well, the same thing has happened to "BRATS of the Lost Nebula" and "Invasion America"; both are off the Kids' WB lineup effective immediately.
- ↑ "The Legend of Calamity Jane". Warner Bros. Warner Bros. October 1997. Archived from the original on January 15, 1998. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
"The Legend of Calamity Jane" will temporarily step aside to make room for the all-new action packed "Men in Black: The Series," which will anchor Kids' WB!'s blockbuster line-up of star-powered super-power. She will rejoin the line-up later this season!
- ↑ "Kids' WB! 1997–98 Season". Warner Bros. 1997. Archived from the original on December 21, 1997. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
Please note that "The Legend of Calamity Jane" will be returning to Kids' WB! later this season. "Superman" will show during her timeslot until she comes back.
- ↑ Ly-Cuong, Stephane (December 22, 1997). "Former "Eponines" Star in Paris Musicals". Playbill. Retrieved May 6, 2011.
External links
- Official website
- The Legend of Calamity Jane at the Internet Movie Database
- The Legend of Calamity Jane at TV.com