| Adventures of The Black Stallion | |
|---|---|
Season 1 DVD cover |
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| Genre | Adventure/Family |
| Starring | Mickey Rooney Richard Ian Cox |
| Theme music composer | Terry Frewer |
| Opening theme | We Know the Wind |
| Ending theme | We Know the Wind (instrumental) |
| Country of origin | Canada / France / New Zealand |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 78 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Tom Parkinson |
| Producer(s) | Jonathan Hackett |
| Location(s) | Canada / France / New Zealand |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | The Family Channel |
| Original run | September 15, 1990 – May 16, 1993 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | The Black Stallion The Black Stallion Returns |
The Adventures of The Black Stallion is a television series that was loosely based on the movies The Black Stallion (1979) and The Black Stallion Returns (1983), which starred Mickey Rooney and Richard Ian Cox, as a trainer and a teenaged horse racer. The series originally ran on The Family Channel from September 15, 1990 to May 16, 1993, before cancellation. It has since been shown in re-runs throughout the world.
Most of the episodes are set around Canada. During the second and third season, the show moves away from the farm, and has many episodes set in New Zealand, Paris and the US. The Adventures of The Black Stallion was a Canada/France/New Zealand co-production and was filmed on location in British Columbia, Canada, as well as France and New Zealand.
Contents |
The show follows the life of fifteen-year-old horse racer Alec Ramsay (Richard Ian Cox), his wild stallion The Black, and their trainer Henry Dailey (Mickey Rooney). In the series, Alec's father died before the series start, leaving Alec and his mother to run Hopeful Farm. The show focuses both on life at Hopeful Farm and on the racing circuit. During the first season, most of the races are unprofessional circuit races and match races because The Black's an unpapered horse, meaning there is no proof of his lineage. During the second season, The Black's history is uncovered and Alec is able to obtain his papers, allowing him to be raced on the professional circuits around the world.
The series maintained that Alec was the only one who can ride The Black, and that The Black almost never lost a race. He is known for having a violent temper with anyone besides Alec, though he does allow some people around the farm to hold his halter and lead him around, most notably Henry. He only seems to do grudgingly, however, and tends to be far less tolerant of others if Alec isn't around to keep him under control. To help keep the high-strung horse calm at the track, the gelding Napoleon is frequently taken on the road with them.
In 1991, the series was nominated for a Young Artist Award in the "Best Off-Prime Time or Cable Family Series" category, and while it lost to Harry and the Hendersons, Richard Ian Cox won the award for the "Best Young Actor Starring in an Off-Prime Time or Cable Family Series" category.[1] Cox was nominated again in 1992 for the "Best Young Actor Starring in a Cable Series" category.[2] In the same year, Mickey Rooney was nominated for a Gemini Award in the category of "Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role" for his portrayal of Henry Dailey.[3]
When the show was first aired, many of the episodes were shown out of production order, especially during the first season.
| Season | Episodes | Year | Prod. line | Region 1 Release Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | 1990–1991 | 1xx | December 5, 2006 | |
| 2 | 26 | 1991–1992 | 2xx | May 8, 2007 | |
| 3 | 26 | 1992–1993 | 3xx | May 27, 2008 | |
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| # | Title | Director | Writer | Airdate | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-01 | "Where There's a Will" | George Bloomfield | Clive Endersby | September 15, 1990 | 101 |
| Henry has an attack of angina while training Alec and The Black and plans to quit training. | |||||
| 1-02 | "Vigil" | George Bloomfield | Brad Wright | October 20, 1990 | 102 |
| Napoleon gets kicked in the stomach by another horse and suffers from colic, a potentially lethal condition. The Black won't allow any into the barn, except Alec, as he keeps vigil over his friend. | |||||
| 1-03 | "First Among Equals" | Neill Fearnley | Bill Hurst | September 22, 1990 | 103 |
| Catherine has to cover come sexism as she tries to realize her dream of becoming a jockey. | |||||
| 1-04 | "Long Way Home" | Al Simmonds | Dennis Foon | September 29, 1990 | 104 |
| When Belle is blinded by a chemical substance, Alec leaves the road to be with her. This leaves Henry to bring the horses back by trailer, only to have The Black runaway from him. | |||||
| 1-05 | "Stowaway" | Neill Fearnley | Carl Binder | October 27, 1990 | 105 |
| A teenage track star named Bobby, stows away in The Black's trailer after running away from his demanding father. Henry and Alec find themselves helping the two reconcile. | |||||
| 1-06 | "A Friend in Need" | Nanci Rossov | Clive Endersby | December 23, 1990 | 106 |
| Alec befriends a young man named Mike who has Down Syndrome and fights to overcome Langley's prejudice. | |||||
| 1-07 | "Pony Express Ride" | Ken Jubenvill | Hart Hanson | November 10, 1990 | 107 |
| Alec and The Black re-create the last Pony Express Ride, which turns into a fight for survival when a young Native American teen who sabotages the trail and jumps Alec. Alec then befriends the young man. | |||||
| 1-08 | "The Big Fix" | Jim Purdy | Rick Drew | October 13, 1990 | 108 |
| A competing trainer and his sister try to fix a race by using an ultrasonic device to send The Black into uncontrollable rages. | |||||
| 1-09 | "Star Quality" | Peter D. Marshall | Clive Endersby | October 6, 1990 | |
| Alec is star-struck when he and The Black are hired to be in a movie, not realizing the director's plans will put their lives at risk. Guest star: Yvonne De Carlo. | |||||
| 1-10 | "King of the Cowboys" | Stuart Gillard | Tom and Sally Drake | November 3, 1990 | 110 |
| When Alec and The Black stop at a rodeo before a race, a former rodeo champion named Johnny King, wanting to make a comeback is determined to ride The Black. | |||||
| 1-11 | "Killer" | Peter D. Marshall | Aubrey Solomon | December 30, 1990 | 111 |
| A paparazzo photographer attacked and injured by The Black gets a judge to order The Black be destroyed as a dangerous animal, causing Alec to run away with him. | |||||
| 1-12 | "Sweet Tooth" | Stuart Gillard | Lyal and Barbara Brown | December 9, 1990 | 112 |
| The Black fails his drug test after a match race because he was giving a chocolate bar which gets him disqualified from the race and Henry's license getting suspended. Henry and Alec must prove someone else did it. | |||||
| 1-13 | "Last Race" | Alan Simmonds | Clive Endersby | November 17, 1990 | 113 |
| Henry's illiteracy is used against him to get The Black in a claims race where he must carry a dangerous amount of extra weight and the losing horse will be forfeit to the winner. Guest star: Abe Vigoda | |||||
| 1-14 | "Double Cross" | Peter Rowe | Fred Frame and Stephen Mitchell | December 2, 1990 | 114 |
| A gambler named Lenard Grimes from Henry's past attempts to blackmail him into fixing one of The Black's races. | |||||
| 1-15 | "Trapped" | Ken Jubenvill | Brad Wright | December 16, 1990 | 115 |
| While stopped at an old friend of Henry's, Alec and a bratty asthmatic boy named Dennis get trapped in a grain silo. | |||||
| 1-16 | "Fireworks" | Paolo Barzman | Brad Wright | November 25, 1990 | 116 |
| Henry and Alec spend a holiday weekend with an old friend of Henry's and his 15-year-old alcoholic granddaughter named Jackie. | |||||
| 1-17 | "The Black Pearl" | Peter Rowe | Lyal and Barbara Brown | January 6, 1991 | 117 |
| A man claiming to be an old friend of Alec's father kidnaps Alec and The Black. | |||||
| 1-18 | "The Long Run" | Paolo Barzman | Rick Drew | January 13, 1991 | 118 |
| Alec, worried that he might be getting too heavy weighted to be a jockey, so Alec goes on a dangerous crash diet and exercise regimen. | |||||
| 1-19 | "Kidnapped" | Alan Simmonds | Vincent Fournier | January 20, 1991 | 119 |
| Alec, Henry and Catherine give chase when The Black is stolen and taken to France. | |||||
| 1-20 | "The Comeback" | Alain Nahum | Fabrice Ziolkowski and Luli Barzman | January 27, 1991 | 120 |
| The Black loses his spirit after he must stay two weeks in a quarantine in France. (Note: At this point the show moves to Europe, primarily France, in part because the group must raise enough money to pay for The Black's flight home) | |||||
| 1-21 | "The Choice" | Bernard Dumont | Martin Brossollet | March 10, 1991 | 121 |
| When a friendly race ends in the painful death of another horse, Alec wants to stop racing The Black and considers accepting a scholarship to a French riding academy. | |||||
| 1-22 | "Black at Heart" | Jean-Pierre Prévost | Renée Nelson | February 3, 1991 | 122 |
| Tabari, the Arabian princess whose father originally bred The Black, tries to borrow him for one year in exchange for proof of his blood lines. | |||||
| 1-23 | "Heart of Gold" | Paolo Barzman | Elizabeth Baxter | February 10, 1991 | 123 |
| Catherine is swept off her feet by a charming Frenchman, while the team prepares for a charity event that culminates in an auction for a million dollars worth of diamonds. | |||||
| 1-24 | "The Judge" | Olivier Descamps | Martin Brossollet | February 17, 1991 | 124 |
| When a friend's horse comes up lame, Alec and the Black risk their lives by taking his place in a steeplechase to save the boy's farm from bankruptcy. | |||||
| 1-25 | "Found Money" | Paolo Barzman | Jean-Vincent Fournier | February 24, 1991 | 125 |
| After Alec finds a cache of money that was stolen from a bank years ago by robbers who are still on the loose. | |||||
| 1-26 | "The Neuchatel Stallion" | Bernard Dumont | Stéphane Palay | March 3, 1991 | 126 |
| While visiting a French château for a match race, Henry encounters a glowing white stallion. Guest Star: Bruce Meyer | |||||
| # | Title | Director | Writer | Airdate | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-01 | "Barn Burner" | Bernard Dumont | Jonathan Hackett | September 1, 1991 | 201 |
| The Black's life is threatened by the only person more feared and hated than a horse thief, a barn burner. A young woman named Nicole Berthier was blamed for the barn burning. | |||||
| 2-02 | "Diamonds" | Michel Tréguer | Martin Brossellet | September 15, 1991 | 202 |
| When diamond thieves hid a bag of diamonds in The Black's trailer and discovered missing, Alec and Nicole become the hunted. | |||||
| 2-03 | "Chateau Sauvage" | Michel Tréguer | Jean-Vincent Fournier | September 22, 1991 | 203 |
| The Black is kidnapped by an excessive animal rights activist and will be shipped back to the Arabian Peninsula unless Alec can prove The Black wishes to stay with him. The Black finally comes back to Alec's possession after a while. | |||||
| 2-04 | "Killer Stallion" | Olivier Deschamps | Fabrice Ziolkowski | September 29, 1991 | 204 |
| Due to foul play, The Black is not only banned from the French racing circuit, but has a price on his head due to having drugs in his feed . | |||||
| 2-05 | "Machine Rider" | Olivier Deschamps | Elizabeth Baxter | September 8, 1991 | 205 |
| Alec brushes shoulders with a competing jockey who will do whatever it takes to beat The Black, including testing Alec's ability as a jockey while using a battery-orperated electric horsewhip. | |||||
| 2-06 | "The Alhambra Zarr" | Christian Le Hemonet | Tracy Kennedy | October 6, 1991 | 206 |
| Henry, Alec, Nicole, and The Black's lives are put into jeopardy after The Black's lineage is traced back to one of King Charles' stallions,The Alhambra Zarr. | |||||
| 2-07 | "Almost Home" | Alan Simmonds | Charles Lazer | October 13, 1991 | 207 |
| While waiting in a holding barn prior to the trip back to America, trouble rises when the veterinarian's son, an animal hater, sets his sights on hurting The Black Which means that Alec and Nicole must try to break him out.(Note: Nicole had stowed away in a cargo container, and ends up in Canada thinking that she is in the United States) | |||||
| 2-08 | "Deadliest Bidder" | Alan Simmonds | Lyle Slack | October 20, 1991 | 208 |
| A cunning and dangerous Arab, Salim Al Duwish, tries to steal The Black to resurrect his plague decimated herd. He attempts to shoot Alec for the Black, but the two got away. | |||||
| 2-09 | "Blackout" | Mitch Gabourie | Dennis Foo | October 27, 1991 | 209 |
| Resulting from a fall off The Black, Alec has amnesia and joins some local ranchers who name him John, to help shoot a wild mustang, The Black, recently spotted in the area, and makes the herd of mustangs escape the coral and the local ranchers, and Alec go after him. When The Black is found, Alec is told to shoot him. Then Alec remembers who he is and drops the gun and goes over to The Black. | |||||
| 2-10 | "Detour" | Mitch Gabourie | Lyal & Barbara Brown | November 3, 1991 | 210 |
| Driving to a race, Alec and Nicole are forced to take a detour which results in an ambush. | |||||
| 2-11 | "Island Stallion" | Bill Corcoran | Dawn Ritchie | November 10, 1991 | 211 |
| A mysterious island stallion named Lizzy's Edge, arrives on the scene with a beautiful young jockey named Elizabeth, a girl from a small remote island named Azul who Alec falls in love with.(Note: The stallion is named after Elizabeth) | |||||
| 2-12 | "Ostracized" | Bill Corcoran | Jonathan Hackett | November 17, 1991 | 212 |
| In The Black's first U.S. race, Alec must compete against a group of jockeys who take their practical jokes too far. | |||||
| 2-13 | "Black Spirit" | William Fruet | Dawn Ritchie | November 24, 1991 | 213 |
| Alec and The Black save the life of a Native American embark on a spiritual quest and in the process mend their own troubled relationship. | |||||
| 2-14 | "Free Will" | William Fruet | Dawn Ritchie | December 1, 1991 | 214 |
| The Black runs away when the rig breaks down, which results in being held captive by a ruthless businessman. | |||||
| 2-15 | "Hard Road Home" | Nicholas Kendall | Jana Veverka | December 8, 1991 | 215 |
| After being accidentally thrown from The Black, Alec is badly injured and is afraid to ride again. | |||||
| 2-16 | "The Arkansas Twister" | Nicholas Kendall | Michael Mercer | December 15, 1991 | 216 |
| Alec is upset at his mother's intention to remarry. | |||||
| 2-17 | "Fatal Heart" | Peter Rowe | Renee Nelson (story), Lyal & Barbara Brown (teleplay) | December 22, 1991 | 217 |
| While Alec is swept off his feet by a beautiful Chinese student named Lia Sing. It's discovered she is part of a ring that wants to steal The Black for stallion fights in China. | |||||
| 2-18 | "Ticket to Ride" | Peter Rowe | Jean-Vincent Fournier | December 29, 1991 | 218 |
| Nicole unexpectedly wins her first race as a jockey only to find herself involved with ruthless people who neglect to tell her she and the horse are expendable. (Note:In this episode, the only swear word was the word crap) | |||||
| 2-19 | "Deadwood Kid" | Alan Simmonds | Michael Mercer | January 5, 1992 | 219 |
| Alec, Nicole, and The Black find themselves in a ghost town at the mercy of a deluded man who has a plan for The Black's future. | |||||
| 2-20 | "Horse of the Year" | Alan Simmonds | Jana Veverka | January 12, 1992 | 220 |
| When The Black is named Horse of the Year, success goes to Alec's head and becomes a spoiled brat. | |||||
| 2-21 | "If The Shoe Fits" | Peter Rowe | Dawn Ritchie | January 19, 1992 | 221 |
| An unscrupulous vet tries to cripple The Black with the help of Nicole's father. | |||||
| 2-22 | "Code of Silence" | Peter Rowe | Jana Veverka | January 26, 1992 | 222 |
| A teenage motorcycle gang kidnaps The Black and leaves him to die. | |||||
| 2-23 | "Black Tide" | Alan Simmonds | Louise Vincent | February 2, 1992 | 223 |
| The Black is challenged by another black stallion who turns out to be The Black's son named Black Tide. | |||||
| 2-24 | "Going, Going, Gone" | Alan Simmonds | Dawn Ritchie | February 9, 1992 | 224 |
| Alec is tricked into putting The Black on the auction block. | |||||
| 2-25 | "The Incredible Ride" | Nicholas Kendall | Phillipe Berenger | February 16, 1992 | 225 |
| When Henry gets a concussion in a car accident, Alec and The Black are his only hope. | |||||
| 2-26 | "Ties That Bind" | Nicholas Kendall | Dawn Ritchie | February 23, 1992 | 226 |
| The Black falls into a 20-foot hole. | |||||
| # | Title | Director | Writer | Airdate | Production code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-01 | "Out of Sight, Out of Mind" | Paolo Barzman | Malcolm Macrury | October 4, 1992 | 301 |
| The Black becomes uncontrollable after Alec leaves to follow Nicole back to France. | |||||
| 3-02 | "The Race of Time" | Paolo Barzman | Peter White | October 11, 1992 | 302 |
| An impromptu race pits Alec and Nicole against each other. | |||||
| 3-03 | "The Knight's Contract" | Emilio Pacull | Etienne Baxter | October 18, 1992 | 303 |
| Alec's dream mirror reality when he must fight for Nicole. | |||||
| 3-04 | "Bedside Manner" | Laurent Bregeat | Peter Mitchell | October 25, 1992 | 304 |
| When a hunter's carelessness injures The Black, Alec must trust his horse to an unknown vet. | |||||
| 3-05 | "Breakin' Loose" | Jean Achache | Stephane Palay | November 1, 1992 | 305 |
| Henry sends Alec and Nicole into France, and ends up bailing them out of jail. | |||||
| 3-06 | "Seeing Double" | Laurent Bregeat | Fabrice Ziolkowski | November 8, 1992 | 306 |
| A foiled attempt to steal The Black ends with Black Tide being stolen. | |||||
| 3-07 | "Back on Track" | Jean Achache | Dawn Ritchie | November 29, 1992 | 307 |
| Alec races The Black to a hollow victory when his arch rival suffers a devastating fall. | |||||
| 3-08 | "Winning Spirit" | Peter Sharp | Michael Mercer | December 6, 1992 | 308 |
| When The Black loses an important race in France; Alec, Nicole, and The Black follow Henry to New Zealand. | |||||
| 3-09 | "Nightmare" | Peter Sharp | Michael Mercer | December 13, 1992 | 309 |
| Only Nate can convince Alec and The Black that a dangerous rouge stallion is not what he appears to be. | |||||
| 3-10 | "Wild Oats" | Mark DeFriest | Peter Mitchell | January 3, 1993 | 310 |
| Having escaped into the New Zealand countryside, The Black searches for freedom only to save Alec's life. | |||||
| 3-11 | "Local Hero" | Peter Sharp | Peter Mitchell | January 17, 1993 | 311 |
| Alec is cornered into racing The Black at the local fair, only to learn more is at stake. | |||||
| 3-12 | "Driving Mr. Dailey" | Mark DeFriest | Elizabeth Baxter | January 10, 1993 | 312 |
| Henry is forced to re-examine his ability to be Nate's guardian. | |||||
| 3-13 | "Measure of a Man" | Peter Sharp | Etienne Baxter | February 7, 1993 | 313 |
| Alec is challenged by a rival jockey to prove he can win on any horse. | |||||
| 3-14 | "At the Gate" | Dan McKirdy | Julie Lacey | February 14, 1993 | 314 |
| A devastating fall nearly ends Nicole's career as a jockey. | |||||
| 3-15 | "Criss Cross" | Dan McKirdy | Dawn Ritchie | February 21, 1993 | 315 |
| Alec and The Black endure a grueling cross-country race. | |||||
| 3-16 | "Riding the Volcano" | Peter Sharp | Julie Lacey | February 28, 1993 | 316 |
| Alec falls for a beautiful horse trainer. Guest star: Lucy Lawless | |||||
| 3-17 | "A Gift Horse" | Peter Sharp | Peter Mitchell | March 7, 1993 | 317 |
| Nicole gets more than she bargained for on her birthday. | |||||
| 3-18 | "Racing in the Streets" | Mike Smith | Peter Mitchell | March 14, 1993 | 318 |
| Nicole falls for a handsome man. Guest star: Christopher Atkins | |||||
| 3-19 | "Back in America" | Ian Mune | Julie Lacey | March 21, 1993 | 319 |
| Alec is tempted by a trip back to America. | |||||
| 3-20 | "Pledging Allegiances" | Aileen O'Sullivan | Leo Cadie | March 28, 1993 | 320 |
| Alec's plans to help support the Riding Therapy Center are jeopardized when Nate steals the family's horses to join a grooup. | |||||
| 3-21 | "Tapu" | Ian Mune | Jana Veverka | April 11, 1993 | 321 |
| On an archaeological expedition, Nicole and Kerry are nearly killed in an explosion set by a young Maori intent on preserving his heritage. | |||||
| 3-22 | "A House Divided" | Aileen O'Sullivan | Jana Veverka | April 18, 1993 | 322 |
| The family's future at Manukau Farm is jeopardized when Henry's cousin arrives demanding custody of Nate. Guest star: Susan Clarke | |||||
| 3-23 | "A Day at the Beach" | Mike Smith | Jean Vincent Fournier | April 25, 1993 | 323 |
| A day at the beach turns disastrous for Alec and Nicole. | |||||
| 3-24 | "Legends Never Die" | Ian Mune | Michael Mercer | May 2, 1993 | 324 |
| A former racing great steps in while Henry is gone. Guest stars: Conrad Bain and Marc Singer | |||||
| 3-25 | "Glory Days" | Ian Mune | Peter Mitchell | May 9, 1993 | 325 |
| Alec fears The Black may have to surrender his crown to Black Tide. Guest star: Teri Austin | |||||
| 3-26 | "Under October Skies" | Ian Mune | Jana Veverka | May 16, 1993 | 326 |
| The Black comes to the defense of a young mare being threatened by a wild stallion. Guest star: Margot Kidder | |||||
Echo Bridge Entertainment released all three seasons on DVD in Region 1 in 2006, 2007, and 2008. These releases contain the episodes arranged in production order instead of air date.
Alliance Home Entertainment has released all three seasons on DVD in Canada.[4][5][6]
| DVD Name | Ep # | Region 1 (US) | Region 1 (CAN) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 26 | December 5, 2006 | October 19, 2010 |
| Season 2 | 26 | May 8, 2007 | November 9, 2010 |
| Season 3 | 26 | May 27, 2008 | February 22, 2011 |
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