Rainbow Brite (1984 TV series) explained
Rainbow Brite is an animated series based on Hallmark's media franchise of the same name, that ran from 1984 to 1986.[3] Produced by DIC Enterprises with animation provided by Japanese TMS Entertainment, the show began as a part of DIC's Kideo TV syndicated anthology package.[4] In this series, Rainbow Brite uses her magical belt to protect the colors of Rainbowland from the bumbling Murky & Lurky.[5]
Premise
Series
A young girl named Wisp is brought to a dark, desolate land with the mission to bring color to this fictional world by locating the "Sphere of Light." Along the way, she befriends a sprite named Twink and a talking horse named Starlite.[6] She also finds a mysterious baby who turns out to be the key to her mission. With the help of her new friends, Wisp locates the legendary Color Belt and rescues the seven Color Kids, whom the King of Shadows had trapped. Using the Color Belt, Wisp defeats the King of Shadows, liberates the sprites, and brings color and beauty to the land, henceforth called Rainbow Land. Wisp is renamed Rainbow Brite by the Sphere of Light in recognition of her leadership role over the Color Kids. Together, Rainbow Brite and the Color Kids are responsible for managing all the colors in the universe.
The Color Kids spread color across the universe from the Color Console inside the Color Castle. Each member of the Color Kids is responsible for a specific color on the visible spectrum. They each have a personal assistant sprite, and are in charge of several sprites that extract Color Crystals from nearby caves. These crystals are processed into Star Sprinkles, which are the essential components to brightening and coloring any object or place. Rainbow Brite and the Color Kids' mission is often complicated by Murky Dismal, his sidekick Lurky, and other villains. Brian, a boy from Earth, sometimes assists Rainbow Brite in her adventures.
Feature Film
In the movie Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer, the setting expanded to include the diamond planet Spectra.[7] All the light in the universe passed through Spectra before coming to Earth. However, Earth soon fell into wintry darkness when the diamond-obsessed Dark Princess decided to steal Spectra for her own. Rainbow Brite and her horse Starlite teamed up with Spectra's boy warrior Krys and his robotic horse On-X. Together, they defeated the powers of darkness and saved Spectra, Earth, and the universe.
Characters
Main characters
- Rainbow Brite (voiced by Bettina Bush) – The protagonist of the series and feature film.[8]
- Twink (voiced by Robbie Lee) – Rainbow Brite's loyal friend and personal Sprite.
- Starlite (voiced by Andre Stojka) – Rainbow Brite's faithful friend, a loving but egotistical talking horse.
Color Kids
- Red Butler (voiced by Mona Marshall) – Red Butler is in charge of the color red.
- Lala Orange (voiced by Robbie Lee) – She is in charge of the color orange.
- Canary Yellow (voiced by Mona Marshall) – She is in charge of the color yellow.
- Patty O'Green (voiced by Mona Marshall) – She is in charge of the color green.
- Buddy Blue (voiced by Pat Fraley) – He is in charge of the color blue.
- Indigo (voiced by Robbie Lee) – She is in charge of the color indigo.
- Shy Violet (voiced by Robbie Lee) – She is in charge of the color violet.
- Tickled Pink (voiced by Rhonda Aldrich) – Tickled Pink is in charge of mixing Color Crystals, and creating pastels and other new colors.
Color Kids' Personal Sprites
- Romeo – Red Butler's Sprite. He is in charge of the red Sprites that mine red Color Crystals.
- O.J. – Lala Orange's Sprite. He is in charge of the orange Sprites that mine orange Color Crystals.
- Spark – Canary Yellow's Sprite. He is in charge of the yellow Sprites who mine yellow Color Crystals.
- Lucky – Patty O'Green's Sprite. He is in charge of the green Sprites that mine green Color Crystals.
- Champ – Buddy Blue's Sprite. He is in charge of the blue Sprites that mine blue Color Crystals.
- Hammy – Indigo's Sprite. He is in charge of the indigo Sprites that mine indigo Color Crystals.
- I.Q. – Shy Violet's Sprite. He is in charge of the violet Sprites that mine violet Color Crystals.
- Dee Lite – Tickled Pink's Sprite (post-G1 continuity). She helps mix Color Crystals.
Other Rainbow Land characters
- Baby Brite – Alternate guise of the Sphere of Light.
- Puppy Brite & Kitty Brite – Rainbow Brite's non-talking pets..
- Moonglow (voiced by Rhonda Aldrich) – Moonglow is in charge of making the night sky beautiful.
- Nite Sprite – Moonglow's personal Sprite assists her in making the night sky beautiful.
- Shimmer – She is a blue horse with a violet mane and tail, and a violet crescent moon on her forehead.
- Stormy (voiced by Marissa Mendenhall) – Stormy lives in the clouds and is in charge of storms and all other forms of bad weather.
- Sunriser – A wild pink horse with a magenta mane and tail, and a golden sun on her forehead.
- Krys (voiced by David Mendenhall) – The wearer of the Prism, and a boy warrior from planet Spectra.
- On-X – (voiced by Pat Fraley) Krys's robotic horse. Formerly Orin's steed.
- Orin (voiced by Les Tremayne) – An elder Sprite from the planet Spectra
- Spectran Sprites – Bombo, Popo, and other Spectran Sprites are native to the diamond planet Spectra.
Villains
- Murky Dismal (voiced by Peter Cullen) – The primary antagonist throughout most of the series, he is at various times under the employ of the Dark Princess and the King of Shadows. He resides in the last dark area of Rainbow Land called the Pits, along with his clumsy sidekick Lurky.
- Lurky (voiced by Pat Fraley) – Murky Dismal's imposing but dimwitted sidekick. He resembles a giant brown Sprite with a furry nose.
- Monstromurk (voiced by Peter Cullen) – Murky Dismal's genie-like creation. Monstromurk was sealed inside a bottle seven hundred years ago after Murky lost control of his own creation.
- Robot Brite (voiced by Bettina Bush) – Murky Dismal's robotic Rainbow Brite double was Robot Brite, who was created to impersonate Rainbow Brite.
- The King of Shadows – A dark and mysterious being who ruled Rainbow Land before Rainbow Brite's arrival.
- The Dark Princess (voiced by Rhonda Aldrich) – The Dark Princess is the titular antagonist of Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer.
- Count Blogg (voiced by Jonathan Harris) – The Dark Princess's right-hand man, he is green skinned with pupil-less red eyes, a long gray beard and fangs.
- Sgt. Zombo (voiced by David Workman) – Warden of the Prison Planet and minion of the Dark Princess, he has purple skin and wears partial plate armor with what appears to be a military uniform.
- Glitterbots – Large golden robots charged with keeping the Sprites of Spectra under control by order of Sgt. Zombo. Glitterbots enslave prisoners through ocular Hypno-beams, powered by large crimson jewels embedded in their skulls.
Humans
- Brian (voiced by Scott Menville) – Brian is an 11-year-old Earth boy. He is often accompanied by his dog, Sam, and is the only person on Earth who can see Rainbow Brite.
Episodes
TV specials
(IMDB puts the first five episodes in a different order with different air dates. 1) Peril - 6/27/84, 2) Mighty Part I - 12/4/84, 3) Mighty Part II - 12/5/84, 4) Rainbowland Part I - 4/22/85, 5) Rainbowland Part II - 4/23/85. Not sure which is correct, just noting that the information there is different from the information here even though the only citation/reference I see is to IMDB).
TV series
Notes and References
- Web site: New York Magazine . April 7, 1986 .
- Web site: New York Magazine . June 30 - July 7, 1986 .
- Web site: Mogan . Kenyth . This Christmas is going to be Rainbow Brite! . . September 24, 2018 . November 20, 2017.
- Book: Perlmutter . David . The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows . May 4, 2018 . . 488 . 9781538103746 . September 26, 2018.
- Book: Perlmutter . David . The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows . 2018 . Rowman & Littlefield . 978-1538103739 . 487–488.
- Web site: Garofalo . Alex . 'Rainbow Brite' 2014 Reboot: 5 Things To Know About The Original Before The Nov. 6 Premiere [VIDEO] ]. . September 24, 2018 . October 15, 2014.
- Web site: Mogan . Kenyth . The Colorful History Of Rainbow Brite™ . . September 24, 2018 . June 26, 2016.
- Queen . Glitter . 10 Fierce Females of our Childhood . D20 Girls . June 15, 2013 . 37–28 . September 24, 2018 . Le Nurd Mystique LLC.
