Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics, also known as Grimm Masterpiece Theater (グリム名作劇場 Gurimu meisaku gekijō) in the original version and The Grimm's Fairy Tales (in Australia and New Zealand), is a Japanese anime anthology series by Nippon Animation based on the Grimms' Fairy Tales.
Premise
Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics adapted several old favorites, taking liberties in some cases. The series also contains many obscure fairy tales, though some of these were removed from later reissues of the volume. Some were eliminated because they originated outside Germany, and therefore didn't appear in the Brothers Grimm's collection of stories, such as Puss in Boots, Bluebeard and Beauty and the Beast. The Worn-Out Dancing Shoes instead is based on a variation of the tale reported by the Brothers Grimm in the notes of the first edition of the book. Most of the tales were presented in one episode, while some stories in the first season were told over two or four episodes, for a total of 41 fairy tales. Similarly to Andersen Stories (1971), a green-haired female pixie was used as a framing device, though limiting herself to announce the titles and never getting involved with the plot.
The show comprises two series. The first series, known in Japan as , aired from October 21, 1987, to March 30, 1988, for a total of 24 episodes. The second series, known in Japan as , aired between October 2, 1988, and March 26, 1989, totaling 23 episodes. Both series were produced by Nippon Animation with the cooperation of Asahi Broadcasting Corporation in Osaka. It was also localized under the series' English name.
The fairy tale anthology was broadcast in the United States by Nickelodeon, in local stations throughout Europe, Latin America, Philippines, Israel, Arab World, New Zealand and Australia.