Gargoyles
Time for a reminiscing post. Way back in the mid 90s, I stumbled across a new cartoon series. It was part of the Disney Channel’s Friday night lineup, which included the rather madcap Raw Toonage, and the entertaining live-action detective series Stick With Me, Kid. Both these shows were entertaining, but the show that resonated with me, and 30 years later still does, is Gargoyles.
Deep, meaningful stories, and serialised story-telling, were not exactly a staple of late 80s and early 90s cartoons (or kids’ TV in general). Everything tended to be episodic. Whilst I loved the original DuckTales and also thoroughly enjoyed Darkwing Duck, neither of these shows, and countless others like them, offered character development, and rarely strode into challenging territory. In 1994 Gargoyles came along, and is rightly credited as one of the shows to change the conventional approach to kids’ TV.
Bold Awakenings
Of all the studios to produce gritty, gothic shows, Disney would not have been high on the list, yet it was indeed the House of Mouse that developed Gargoyles. Among the show’s creators were Michael Reaves – sadly no longer with us – and Greg Weisman, who has often spoken of his experiences producing the series with Disney. Interestingly, Weisman originally pitched a more comedic show to Disney, but reworked it with the other creators to develop the format we got, and all this meerkat can say is ‘thank you!’ Early on, it was clear Gargoyles was a show of action and intrigue, with fierce characters, and detailed plots, not least of all with the pilot episode, ‘Awakenings’.
This five-part story set the stage. It gave us characters with motives beyond merely being good or evil. The heroes – such as the displaced clan of gargoyles, struggling to come to terms with being a thousand years out of time, and thousands of miles from home – were not perfect. The villains chewed the scenery and stole nearly every scene, but they weren’t one-dimensional baddies. The world they inhabited felt lived-in and imperfect, much like the real world.
This exciting and intense offering kept on punching hard. One of the first season episodes, ‘Deadly Force’, featured some very serious consequences of treating guns as toys, whilst another, ‘Temptation’, had the aftermath of a murder, complete with the chalk outline of a body drawn on the pavement. It was clear from these moments that this was no ordinary kids’ show, Gargoyles was out to make an impact, and stories like these certainly did.
Arthurian Tales
Gargoyles drew heavily from Arthurian and Shakespearian legend, though it didn’t hesitate to explore other mythologies as well. Characters from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, such as Puck, Lord Oberon, and many more, wove their way into the overall story, and they would hold great influence over proceedings. The second season’s World Tour brought to life African, Native American and Japanese legends. Rich tapestries blended with character experiences and urgent, sometimes desperate situations, producing some memorable stories.
In particular, Goliath’s experience of fatherhood, thrust upon him in unexpected circumstances, was something he was forced to confront during the course of his travels, as were his growing feelings for the first human to truly stand up for him, Eliza Masa. All of this built to the fore as they went around the world, never certain as to when they would return home. The World Tour eventually developed into an epic clash between the Manhattan Clan, and Lord Oberon, whilst invoking some unusual and previously unfathomable alliances, showing yet again that the villains were more nuanced in this show.
https://www.deviantart.com/deviantartbender/art/Gargoyles-Brooklyn-1254071115 – sadly I can’t embed this as an image, WordPress and Deviant Art don’t like each other, but check out this incredible piece of fan art from Deviantartbender, to help catch a feel for the tone of Gargoyles.
The Star Trek Connection
It was immediately apparent to this meerkat that Gargoyles sought the vocal services of a number of Star Trek alumni. First and foremost, you had Jonathan Frakes as the scheming and power-hungry David Xanatos. From first officer of the Enterprise, to billionaire entrepreneur. Marina Sirtis went from being a compassionate counsellor, to the vengeful gargoyle Demona. Brent Spiner went from being a curious android to Xanatos’ right-hand man in the form of Owen. Michael Dorn, LeVar Burton, Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, Colm Meany and Nichelle Nichols all had roles to play, among several others. Of these Star Trek stars, it was undoubtedly the trio of Frakes, Sirtis and Spiner who had the most involvement.
Quite how the producers of Gargoyles came to recruit so many Star Trek actors is something of a mystery to me, but as a lifelong Trekkie, I can’t say I was dismayed by this!
The defining cast members have to include Keith David, who breathed life into Goliath, the leader of the clan. He brought a powerful, passionate snarl to the character, providing gravitas. Salli Elise Richardson-Whitfield gave Elisa Masa her soul, offering a warm, human touch to a fiercely loyal cop. The performances rendered it impossible not to like the characters, even those characterised as the villains, and they were the heart of the show.
Endings, Renewals, and Revivals
Gargoyles had quite the finale to its second series, an ending that brought together several elements from the preceding episodes, and served up action and drama in generous helpings. The door was left open for more, and we got more, but this is where things went wrong for this beloved show. The Goliath Chronicles – as the third and final season was known – watered down the serialised structure, and became more preachy, for lack of a better word. The aforementioned Greg Weisman has said, more than once, that he does not regard The Goliath Chronicles as canon to the series, and will instead direct fans to the comics, which he has had a hand in.
It’s via the comics that Gargoyles has seen a new lease of life, and remained in the consciousness of fans, though full confession here, I haven’t read them. I am however confident that if Mr Weisman is involved, they will be true to the spirit of the show. They have kept the flame burning, and it seems that these embers might get give rise to something new, though to issue another confession, I am anxious on that score.
Back in October 2023, Disney announced plans for a reboot of the show. James Wan, noted for his involvement in horror franchises such as The Conjuring and Saw, is the man Disney have turned to for a live-action show. Since that announcement there has been little word on what’s going on with the project, other than interviews with some of those involved that have suggested it’s still in development. I view this project nervously, for to me it is treading on sacred ground. Few shows had me eagerly anticipating the next episode, but Gargoyles was one of them. Friday nights were so fulfilling as a kid, with Gargoyles being a big part of that.
Those responsible for this remake are assuring fans it will retain the same tone, but until I see something tangible, I will maintain a healthy skepticism. Sometimes reboots work (see DuckTales for a glorious example of that), but sometimes they don’t. In the meantime, I will retain my memories of the epic original cartoon.