Tall Tales & Legends – Nostalgia Central

1 9 8 5 – 1 9 8 6 (USA)
9 x 60 minute episodes

Shelley Duvall’s Tall Tales & Legends was a follow-up to her successful Faerie Tale Theatre series. While its predecessor focused on fairy tales set in Europe and Asia, this series adapted legends and figures from American folklore, from songs to real-life figures.

As with the earlier show, this Showtime series featured some famous guest stars, including Jamie Lee Curtis as Annie Oakley, Michael York as Ponce de Leon, Danny Glover as John Henry, Martin Short as Johnny Appleseed and Steve Guttenberg as Pecos Bill.

Duvall herself played the title character in ‘My Darlin’ Clementine’, recounting a ghost story about a young woman who lives and works in a mining camp with her father. Duvall would also introduce each story.

The series was rather experimental and often expanded on the story of the famous character.

Notably, the final episode, ‘Davy Crockett’, actually revolved around a modern-day kid travelling back in time, where he gets involved with the titular folk hero.

Episodes

Annie Oakley | The Legend of Sleepy Hollow | Pecos Bill | Casey at the Bat | My Darlin’ Clementine | Johnny Appleseed | Ponce de Leon | John Henry | Davy Crockett