Future Fairy Tale TV Series #1 - Tangled: The Series

In November 2010, Disney released Tangled, their take on the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale Rapunzel. Depicting the adventures of Rapunzel, a sheltered teen with 70 feet of magical blonde hair, and the charming outlaw Flynn Rider (real name: Eugene Fitzherbert), Tangled marked Disney's return to form after over a decade in the wilderness, making over $590 million worldwide, and paving the way for the likes of Frozen and Moana. Although the protagonists of Tangled appeared in a 2012 short called Tangled Ever After, which depicted Rapunzel and Flynn getting married, Tangled has been overshadowed by Disney's more recent hits. However, Rapunzel, Flynn and their friends are about to return, as Tangled: The Series, which is set between the film and Tangled Ever After, will arrive on the Disney Channel next month, almost 2 years after it was initially announced.

Tangled:The Series is the thirteenth animated series to be spun off from a Disney animated film, following in the footsteps of shows like Aladdin: The Series and The Lion Guard. It will begin with a TV movie called Tangled: Before Ever After, which will air on the Disney Channel on Friday March 10th, with the series proper starting on March 24th. Tangled: The Series will last for three seasons, consisting of a total of 78 episodes. In addition, there will be two further TV movies after Tangled:Before Ever After, one airing in November, and the other airing in February 2018. There will also be four animated shorts released on April 11th (It is currently unknown whether these shorts will be standalones like Tangled Ever After, or form a continuous story like Frozen:Northern Lights). All in all, it seems like Tangled fans will be kept happy for a very very long time...

The Plot

Tangled:Before Ever After picks up where the movie left off, with Rapunzel being reunited with her parents, the King and Queen of Corona. However, whilst her father and Flynn (now back to being called Eugene) want her to settle down and embrace the responsibilities of life as a princess, Rapunzel would prefer to explore the world beyond the castle walls, aided by her new lady-in-waiting Cassandra. During the course of one adventure, Rapunzel comes across a set of mysterious stones, which causes the enchanted hair that got cut off at the end of Tangled to magically grow back. The rest of Tangled: Before Ever After, and the subsequent TV series, will depict Rapunzel's attempts at dealing with the return of her hair and healing powers, and her relationships with her friends and family.

The Characters

The two main characters in Tangled: The Series will be the movie's central couple, Rapunzel and Eugene, with Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi returning to voice them. Rapunzel wants to make up for 18 years stuck in a tower by doing as much exploring as possible. Meanwhile, after years as an outlaw, Eugene would prefer to live a normal life, hence his return to using his birth name. They will be accompanied by Rapunzel's two animal companions, her pet chameleon Pascal and crime-fighting horse Maximus, both of whom will probably steal as many scenes as they did in the movie. Also returning are the "pub thugs" who Rapunzel befriended in the original movie, such as Big Nose and Hook Hand. Their menacing looks contrast with their friendly personalities and passion for innocent hobbies such as piano playing and collecting ceramic unicorns. One of the most important reasons for Tangled's success was the strong  and appealing set of protagonists, and it will be great to see them go on new adventures.

Rapunzel's parents will also be central to Tangled:The Series Although they appeared in Tangled, they were not named and did not speak. They will have a much larger role here, with Rapunzel's father, King Frederic, being voiced by Clancy Brown, and her mother, Queen Ariana, being voiced by Julie Bowen. Both of these actors are intriguing choices. Aside from his portrayal of demanding boss Mr. Krabs in Spongebob Squarepants, Clancy Brown is almost entirely known for his villain roles (whether in live-action films such as Highlander and The Shawshank Redemption, or animated shows such as Superman:The Animated Series and Avatar:The Last Airbender), so it will be interesting to see him apply his signature deep and powerful voice to a loving (albeit overprotective) father. Meanwhile, as Queen Ariana, who shares her daughter's free-spirited nature, Modern Family star Julie Bowen is replacing Ashley Judd, who was originally cast in the role. It seems like Rapunzel's relationship with her parents will provide the series with its emotional core, and the 78 episodes and 3 TV Movies planned for Tangled: The Series represent an ideal opportunity to explore this in greater depth.

There will also be a variety of entirely new characters. The most prominent of these is Cassandra (voiced by Eden Espinosa), a feisty handmaiden who aspires to follow in her father's footsteps and join the Royal Guard. Other characters include a pirate called Lady Caine (voiced by Laura Benanti), who will be the primary villain in Tangled:Before Ever After, Lance Strongbow, one of Eugene's former associates (voiced by James Monroe Iglehart, who won a Tony for playing the Genie in the Broadway version of Aladdin), Varian , a teen alchemist (voiced by Jeremy Jordan), a Blacksmith called Xavier (voiced by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), and Old Lady Crowley (voiced by Ursula herself, Pat Carroll, who is nearing 90 but still sounding awesome). We know little about these characters at the moment, but given the high-quality voice cast, we can assume that they will be pretty memorable.

The Animation

In contrast to the movie's elaborate CGI 3D animation, Tangled: The Series is animated in 2D. The 2D animation style used has a rougher, more primitive look similar to concept art. It also resembles children's storybooks, such as the Little Golden Books series. However, whilst it's not going to emulate the finesse and detail of the original film, the animation for Tangled: The Series is bright and expressive. Tangled was the first Disney Princess film to be made with 3D animation, so it's really nice to see Disney return to their roots in traditional animation with this series.

The two people most responsible for the animation on Tangled: The Series are Alan Bodner, the Art Director, and Claire Keane, who will be Visual Development Artist. The daughter of veteran Disney animator Glen Keane, Claire worked on the original Tangled, and her colourful approach (she created the murals which Rapunzel paints in her tower during the movie) is perfect for the series. Though the hair does not look as realistic, the animation for Tangled: The Series is pretty good when you consider the pressures of working on an animated series (you need to produce much more material in a far shorter time period),  and it provides a very distinctive look, but one which emulates the style of the original film enough to be recognised as part of the same universe.

The Songs

Claire Keane, Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi are not the only people from Tangled to return for the Tangled: The Series, Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, who wrote the songs for the original movie, will create new songs for the show. One of the songs they wrote for Tangled:Before Ever After, "Wind in My Hair", has just been unveiled. It's a catchy little pop song, which does a great job of conveying Rapunzel's free spirit and passionate nature. Another tune, "Life After Happily Ever After", will be released online the morning before Tangled: Before Ever After premieres. Alan Menken has earned his status as a Disney Legend, and Glenn Slater has worked with him as a lyricist since 2004. Hopefully, they will ensure that the songs in Tangled: The Series will be worthy of standing alongside the likes of "When Will My Life Begin?" and "I See the Light".

Summary

Whilst the original movie tried to please as wide an audience as possible, Tangled: The Series will seemingly be aimed primarily at preteen girls. However, this isn't a bad thing, as long as there is enough to keep other viewers interested and engaged, and those outside the target demographic will probably enjoy Tangled: The Series as well. Judging by what we know so far, it seems like it will retain the spirit of the original film, whilst taking Rapunzel's story into exciting new territory. This means that it is going to be a must-see for Disney fans, and enjoyable entertainment for children and parents.