Nightmare Ned
Nightmare Ned is an American animated television series which ran from April 19 to July 5, 1997, on ABC. The show was produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and Creative Capers Entertainment, and created by Terry Shakespeare, G. Sue Shakespeare, and David Molina of Creative Capers Entertainment.[1] The show was based on and developed alongside the computer game of the same name, however, the show ended up being completed before the video game was released.[2][3]
| Nightmare Ned | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Comedy horror |
| Created by |
|
| Developed by | Walt Dohrn |
| Voices of | |
| Theme music composer | Steve Bartek |
| Composer | Steve Bartek |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 12 (25 segments) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producer | Donovan Cook |
| Running time | 22 minutes approx. |
| Production companies | |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Original release | April 19 – July 5, 1997 |
The show focuses on the life of Ned Needlemeyer (voiced by Courtland Mead), an 8-year-old boy that deals with his daily problems through dark, quirky nightmares.[4]
The show received mixed reviews from critics. The Chicago Tribune praised the show's art style but was critical of its subject matter.[5] Similarly, Screen Rant described the show as "dark and even disturbing" and "mainly an excuse for Disney animators to show off their strange side".[6] However, the show did receive praise from TV Guide.[7] The show only aired once and was never re-released, being described as a "great oddity of the Disney Studio's television output" which was "largely disowned".[1]
Characters
- Ned Needlemeyer (voiced by Courtland Mead): The show's protagonist. He is an 8-year-old boy who deals with his troubles through his nightmares.
- Ed Needlemeyer (voiced by Brad Garrett): Ned's father, who tries to help Ned with his problems, but this does not occur often.
- Sarah Needlemeyer (voiced by Victoria Jackson): Ned's mother, who is the only one in the family who tries to understand Ned's nightmares.
- Amy Needlemeyer (voiced by Kath Soucie): Ned's baby sister.
- Conrad and Vernon (voiced by Jeff Bennett and Rob Paulsen respectively): Two bullies who constantly pick on Ned. Conrad is heavyset with blue skin, and has a snaggletooth, whereas Vernon is tall with yellow skin and is often barefoot. They are named after Conrad Vernon, who served as one of the storyboard artists of the show.
- Ms. Bundt (voiced by Tress MacNeille): Ned's teacher.
- Joanie (voiced by Aria Curzon): A girl from Ned's school who has a crush on him. She appears in the episodes "Until Undeath Do Us Part" and briefly in "Girl Trouble".
Production
The Nightmare Ned television show was developed alongside the computer game of the same name. Donovan Cook described the collaboration: "There's some crossover. We sent them our graphics. [...] We had to have our art done right away and they ended up influenced by it along the way."[7]
The series was initially planned for only one season with the potential to return as a 1998 mid-season replacement.[7] However, due to production difficulties, the show was not continued after its 12-episode first season. The show ran over budget and there were creative differences between Donovan Cook, the producer and director of the show, and Walt Dohrn, the developer and also a director of the show.[8][9]
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Storyboard by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Ned's Life as a Dog" "A Doll's House" | Alan Smart Joan Drake | Gary Sperling Mike Mitchell Peter Gaffney | Mike Mitchell Bob Logan and Cynthia Petrovic | April 19, 1997 | |
|
When Ned is tricked into eating dog food thanks to a prank by Conrad and Vernon, he has a nightmare where he is turned into a dog. Irked by his visiting cousins forcing him to play with dolls, Ned accidentally breaks one of the dolls and tries to hide the damage. He goes to bed feeling guilty about it and dreams of turning into a doll himself. | ||||||
| 2 | "Robot Ned" "Dapper Dan" | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | April 26, 1997 | |
|
Ned and his dad bond by putting together a robot kit, but Dad's insistence on not reading the instructions leaves Ned confused. As he goes to bed, he dreams of his dad introducing the newly built robot as Ned's new brother. After being scolded by his dad for being too forgetful while playing with his toys, Ned goes to sleep trying to "remember not to forget", but ends up dreaming that he forgets to wear clothes to school. | ||||||
| 3 | "Monster Ned" "Ants" | Alan Smart Joan Drake | Creative Capers and Chris Mitchell Peter Gaffney | Chuck Klein, Bob Logan, and Chris Mitchell Robert Renzetti | May 3, 1997 | |
|
For his school presentation on "If I could be anyone in the world", Ned tells his class that he would be Gorpulon, a Godzilla-like monster. Ned gets laughed at and is sent to the corner by his teacher for snapping at his classmates. Embittered, Ned falls asleep and dreams of becoming Gorpulon. Guest stars: Dean Jones as Abraham Lincoln, Florence Henderson as herself[10]Finding a discarded ant farm, Ned's dad tries to stir up some enthusiasm in his son about the wonders of ant life, which Ned only feigns interest. Falling asleep out of boredom, Ned dreams that he and his dad have shrunken to the size of ants and end up inside the ant ranch. Guest star: April Winchell as Queen Ant | ||||||
| 4 | "Magic Bus" "Until Undeath Do Us Part" | Donovan Cook Alan Smart | Peter Gaffney | Paul Tibbitt | May 10, 1997 | |
|
With Mom unable to drive him to school, she informs Ned that he will have to take the bus, much to his dismay. After going to bed, Ned dreams that his school bus is hijacked by a sinister ventriloquist dummy with a mission to drive the bus into the scorching sun. Guest stars: Eugene Levy as Mr. Nickels,[10] Lacey Chabert as the Little Girl Ned tries to enjoy a horror movie at the theater but is constantly pestered by Joanie, a girl who has a crush on him. Ned gives her a toy ring from his candy box in hopes that she'll leave him alone, but instead gives Joanie the impression that they are now married. Ned ends up falling asleep and dreaming of being pursued by a zombie bride. | ||||||
| 5 | "Headless Lester" "My, How You've Grown" | Alan Smart Howard Parkins | Ralph Soll and Michael Fontanelli Mark Saraceni, Gary Sperling, and Chuck Klein | Michael Fontanelli Chuck Klein | May 17, 1997 | |
|
While at summer camp, Ned thinks the scary stories his counselors tell are pretty lame, especially the one about the so-called "Headless Lester". Later that night, he dreams of the dreaded Lester chasing him in pursuit of a new human head. Ned is frustrated with being young and wishes he could be older. Falling asleep, he dreams of becoming a teenager. Guest star: Brian Doyle-Murray as Testosterone/"Norm" | ||||||
| 6 | "Tooth or Consequences" "Show Me the Infidel" | Howard Parkins | Ralph Soll and Mike Bell Gary Sperling and Michael Fontanelli | Mike Bell Michael Fontanelli | May 24, 1997 | |
|
Upset after losing his last baby tooth, Ned hides it so the Tooth Fairy can't find it. In his dream, the Tooth Fairy visits and convinces Ned to come back with her to Tooth Land. However, Ned learns that she actually plans on robbing him of all his teeth. Guest star: Judy Tenuta as the Tooth Fairy[10]While at the amusement park with his family, Ned wants nothing more than to ride the house of horrors. While waiting in line, Ned falls asleep and dreams that he's next in line, but is forced to ride with an obnoxious patron named Dirk, who ruins the experience for him. | ||||||
| 7 | "Willie Trout" "House of Games" | Joanna Romersa Joan Drake | Peter Gaffney and Mike Bell Peter Gaffney | Mike Bell Vince Waller | May 31, 1997 | |
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Dad tries to spend some quality time with Ned by taking him on a fishing trip, hoping to catch the legendary "Willie Trout". Bored, Ned falls asleep and dreams Willie Trout has bitten Dad's head off and he must find it within the belly of the enormous fish. Fearful that the house is haunted, Ned is assured by his dad that the spooky noises he hears are just the house "expanding and contracting" and that there's nothing to be afraid of. When Ned falls asleep, he dreams of the house and everything in it comes to life. | ||||||
| 8 | "Girl Trouble" "Canadian Bacon" | Joan Drake Joanna Romersa | Gary Sperling and Chuck Klein Peter Gaffney and Mike Bell | Chuck Klein Mike Bell | June 7, 1997 | |
|
Ned is embarrassed after being tricked into using the girls' restroom by Conrad and Vernon. He ends up falling asleep in the schoolyard and dreams about becoming a girl. In his dream, the two school bullies end up falling for him. Ned brings home a piglet, but learns that one of his favorite foods, Canadian bacon, is made of pig. That night, Ned dreams that his pet pig can talk and goes to live with its family in Canada. Ned soon finds out that the pig family is trying to fatten him up in order to eat him for Christmas dinner. Guest stars: Dave Thomas as Pig Dad, Andrea Martin as Pig Mom[10] | ||||||
| 9 | "Abduction" "Bad Report Card" | Alan Smart Howard Parkins | Gary Sperling and Michael Fontanelli Peter Gaffney and J.C. Wegman | Michael Fontanelli Jon Wegman | June 14, 1997 | |
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After watching news reports of mysterious happenings involving cattle being defaced with mustache drawings, Ned goes to bed in his cow pajamas and dreams of being abducted by aliens, who mistake him for a cow. Now Ned must find a way off the ship and save all of the Earth cows that have been abducted. Thinking he's received bad grades, Ned tears up his report card and goes to bed feeling guilty about it. He dreams that he's sent to jail for "one whole weekend" to reflect upon his actions. | ||||||
| 10 | "Testing... Testing..." "The Accordion Lesson" | Don Judge Howard Parkins | Gary Sperling and Ted Mathot Gary Sperling and Chuck Klein | Ted Mathot Chuck Klein | June 21, 1997 | |
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Ned stays up late studying and falls asleep dreaming of receiving a blank exam paper. Attempting to find the questions, Ned ends up in the surreal world of Muck the answer bird who puts him in strange circumstances. To appease his mom, Ned takes accordion lessons from a strange woman named Madame Olga. Ned falls asleep and dreams that his overly-enthusiastic teacher forces him to perform as her organ-grinder monkey. Guest star: Andrea Martin as Madame Olga[10] | ||||||
| 11 | "Along for the Ride" "Steamed Vegetables" | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | June 28, 1997 | |
|
Ned is stuck on a family road trip, and his parents and baby sister are quickly wearing on his nerves. He falls asleep and dreams that he and his family check into a run-down motel, run by an innkeeper who gives him the creeps. Ned is forced to rehearse for his school play about nutrition and is terribly anxious. He falls asleep practicing his lines and is surprised to find himself on stage with an audience of rather angry "steamed" vegetables. | ||||||
| 12 | "Lucky Abe"[lower-alpha 1] "The Dentist" "The Ballad of Conrad and Vernon" | Unknown | Unknown | Conrad Vernon | July 5, 1997 | |
|
Ned accidentally swallows a penny in attempting a magic trick as seen by his idol Frank Grimes. He faints and dreams that the magician himself performs a magical surgery on him to remove the penny, in front of a live audience. Guest star: Penn Jillette as Frank Grimes[10] Ned goes to the dentist for a checkup and assures his mom that he's perfectly able to see the dentist on his own. He falls asleep and dreams of his twisted dentist sending him on a terrifying journey through his own mouth of rotting teeth. A clip show episode where Ned recites a poem he's written about the two bullies Conrad and Vernon, and all the trouble they've caused Ned throughout the series. | ||||||
Video game
| Nightmare Ned | |
|---|---|
 Cover art | |
| Developer(s) | |
| Publisher(s) | Disney Interactive |
| Director(s) | Walt Dohrn |
| Programmer(s) | Michael Sean Clement |
| Artist(s) | Christina Vann |
| Composer(s) | Patrick J. Collins Jim Owen |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | October 1997 |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure, Sidescroller |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Nightmare Ned is a computer game for Microsoft Windows that was developed alongside the animated series.[3][11] The game was based on a concept by Sue and Terry Shakespeare.[7] It was initially planned for a September 2, 1997 release[2][12] – however, this release date was evidently pushed back based on the most recent files on the CD-ROM being dated September 16;[13] it was eventually released on October 7.
Developed by Creative Capers Entertainment and Window Painters Ltd. and published by Disney Interactive Studios, the game was Disney Interactive's first video game release that was developed by a subcontracted developer.[14] An unlicensed localization by Fargus Multimedia was released in Russia in late 1999 under the name Один дома: Ночные кошмарики (Odin doma: Nochnye koshmariki; Russian for "Alone at Home: Nightly Nightmares").[15]
Production
Unlike the TV series, the animation in the game used digital ink and paint. It was designed to take advantage of Intel MMX technology.[13] Nightmare Ned was the first CD-ROM to use full-motion video streaming technology.[16] At the time of release, the game was considered a "power and space hungry program" for requiring 75 megabytes of hard drive space.[17] The game's art style uses "an eclectic visual mix of underground comics, 19th-century woodcuts, and anatomical diagrams."[18] Much of the same voice cast from the show was also utilized for the video game.[13] The game was promoted through print ads, advertisements on Disney VHS releases, and an online campaign on Yahooligans!.[19][20] Sequels for the game were planned but were never released.[2]
Gameplay
The game features Ned traveling through adventure portals into five different nightmare worlds: Ned's Graveyard Nightmare, Ned's School Nightmare, Ned's Medical Nightmare, Ned's Nightmare in the Attic, Basement and Beyond, and Ned's Bathroom Nightmare. Each portal has a corresponding representative "shadow creature" that, through exploration of the world, eventually reveals itself to be someone or something harmless.
The game generally features a sidescrolling interface, but utilizes multiple layers to create depth. Ned's yo-yo serves as the main weapon against enemies.
Reception
The Nightmare Ned video game was critically acclaimed and was nominated for two CODiE awards.[23] In 1998, it received a Parents' Choice Award.[24] In June 1998, it received a silver award from I.D. Magazine.[18] In October 1998, it received an award from Communication Arts magazine for "best in entertainment interactive design".[25]
PC Mag described the game as "so packed with great graphics and original songs that it makes other kids titles look anemic by comparison".[21] SuperKids also praised the graphics, describing them as "slick" and using "state-of-the-art technology".[17] I.D. Magazine compared the game to works of Tim Burton and described it as "really sophisticated", writing that the game was "pushing not only gaming and illustration for kids, but also advancing ideas about game-space".[18] The game received praise from Time, who noted the game as a departure from Disney's typical releases.[22]
Voice cast
- Harry Anderson as the Graveyard Shadow/Grampa Ted Needlemeyer
- Jeff Cesario as the School Shadow/Billy Blatfield
- Lani Minella as Sarah Needlemeyer
- Steve Coon as the Bathroom Shadow/Toilet
- Jill Fischer as the Attic, Basement and Beyond Shadow/Sally
- Edie McClurg as the Storytelling Dragon
- Ali Wentworth as the Medical Shadow/Dr. Klutzchnik
- Additional voices by Kyle Kozloff
Notes
- This episode was originally titled "One Cent Ned".[10]
References
- Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 433. ISBN 978-1538103739.
- Hettrick, Scott (16 June 1997). "Disney Interactive taking covers off "Nightmare"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 23 February 2001.
- Jackson, Wendy (December 1997). "1997 Gaming Report: The Best of the Bunch". Animation World Magazine. Vol. 2, no. 9. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
Nightmare Ned was simultaneously developed as a game and an animated series with Disney.
- Markstein, Don. "Nightmare Ned". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
- Tribune, Harlene Ellin. Special to the (1 May 1997). "YOUR WORST DREAM". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
- Gass, Zach (30 March 2021). "10 Best Old Disney Shows (That Still Aren't Available On Disney+)". ScreenRant. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
- Fritz, Steve (2 May 1997). "Animated Shorts". Mania Magazine. Archived from the original on 10 January 1998.
- Hulett, Steve (5 February 2008). "The Studio Roundabout". animationguildblog.blogspot.com. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- Perlmutter, David (28 March 2014). America Toons In: A History of Television Animation. p. 280. ISBN 9781476614885. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
- Nightmare Ned Press Kit, 1997, retrieved 30 November 2022
- "Monster Buyer's Guide - The 1997 Holiday Hot 100". Computer Gaming World. No. 161. December 1997. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
Saturday-morning cartoon star Nightmare Ned makes his CD-ROM debut in an action/adventure game (with a Nightmare Before Christmas feel) from Disney Interactive.
- "Nightmare Ned Game In The Works". Animation World Network. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
- Nightmare Ned (CD-ROM). Disney. 1997.
- Clark, Willie (18 August 2016). "Disney's Many, Many Attempts at Figuring Out The Video Game Industry". Polygon. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
- "Nightmare Ned". Fargus Multimedia (in Russian). Archived from the original on 7 October 1999.
- "Video CD-ROM". Popular Science. October 1997. p. 22.
- "SuperKids Software Review of Nightmare Ned". SuperKids Educational Software Review. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
- "Nightmare Ned". I.D. Magazine. June 1998. p. 65.
- "Yahoo! presents: Ghoulish Games with Nightmare Ned". Yahoo!. Archived from the original on 6 October 1999.
- "Disney Scares Up Halloween Videos". Animation World News Issue 2.7, October 1997. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
- "Nightmare Ned". PC Mag. 6 October 1998. p. 365.
- "Scorecard". Time. 20 October 1998. p. 28.
- "What's New". The 1998 SPA Codie Awards for Excellence in Software. 23 March 1998. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
- "The Parents' Choice Awards - Software". Parents' Choice Foundation. Archived from the original on 19 April 2001.
- "Disney's Nightmare Ned". Communication Arts. October 1998.
External links
- Nightmare Ned at IMDb
- Nightmare Ned at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on March 28, 2016.