The Legends of Treasure Island

The Legends of Treasure Island is a British animated television series. It had two series of 13 episodes each and each episode runs for 22–25 minutes.

The series was loosely based on Robert Louis Stevenson's original 1883 novel Treasure Island. Featuring a mysterious and dark storyline, it incorporates magic and many new characters. Billy Bones is not in this series, instead Jim's father Mr. Hawkins is in his place. It was broadcast in the United Kingdom and in other countries throughout Europe and Asia and was also aired in Australia on ABC TV Network. The programme was a FilmFair production for Central Independent Television.

As of 2021, The Legends of Treasure Island is owned by ITV plc.

Characters
This cartoon, unlike most other Treasure Island cartoons and movies, featured the main characters as anthropomorphic animals:


 * Jim Hawkins: The main protagonist, he is cunning for his age, and determined to reach the treasure as his father asked him.
 * Ben Gunn: : A hermit found living on the Island, he knows more about the dangers of the Island and is able to provide warnings. He frequently describes things as being "like a leech" and often speaks in very vague terms that can be hard to understand.
 * Long John Silver: Unlike the book and most adaptations, Long John Silver is not an anti-hero with dubious morality but rather a straight villain, although he does save Jim's life in episode 3.
 * Dr. Livesey: Is a friend of Jim and his father, and aids the boy against the pirates.
 * Captain Smollett: A brave captain who offers Jim his aid. When Jim states that he cannot pay Smollett, he states that he will accept a new pair of boots after they find the treasure as payment. He is also the one who decides to go to Squire Trelawney for funding, as the two are close friends.
 * Squire Trelawney: Squire Trelawney is a friendly, yet money-obsessed character, who is only convinced to fund the expedition upon hearing the promise of treasure. He often acts as if he doesn't have a clue what he's doing, despite supposedly having gone on many adventures.
 * Blind Pew: The mysterious blind boss of Long John Silver.
 * Jane: One of the exclusive characters for this Treasure Island incarnation. Jane was kidnapped by Silver to be held for ransom, but since her parents did not want her, he got stuck with her. In the first episode, she switches sides and teams up with Jim, for whom she showed growing feelings as the series progressed.

Subsidiary recurring characters included the pirates Morgan (a hog), Nebbich (a hyena), and Rat (who was, appropriately enough, a rat). These characters featured mainly in the first season and only made minor appearances at the beginning of the second before disappearing altogether. Other minor pirates except Israel Hands seen during series 1 included a weasel and a rabbit among others.

Series 1

 * Dawn French as Jim Hawkins
 * Juliet Stevenson as Jane
 * Richard E. Grant as Long John Silver
 * Robert Powell as Dr. Livesey
 * Hugh Laurie as Squire Trelawney
 * Chris Barrie as Captain Smollett / Ben Gunn
 * Rob Rackstraw as Pew [uncredited]
 * Jimmy Hibbert as Nebbich / Rat / Weasel [uncredited]
 * Gary Martin as Merman Prince in ep 12, Additional Voices
 * Carla Mendonça as Additional Voices

Series 2

 * John Hasler as Jim Hawkins
 * Hugh Laurie as Squire Trelawney
 * Chris Barrie as Captain Smollett / Ben Gunn
 * Rob Brydon as Long John Silver
 * Corinna Powlesland as Jane
 * Rob Rackstraw as Pew [uncredited]
 * Carla Mendonça as Sea Witch / Small Mole [uncredited]
 * William Maxwell as Dave
 * David Holt as Boil
 * Leslie Randall
 * Shona Morris as Mad Meg
 * Issy Van Randwyck as Mother of small mole
 * Jimmy Hibbert as Nebbich / Rat / Weasel [uncredited]

Season 2 (1995)
The order commonly listed (Flint's Return as ep. 5, The Cave of Babel as ep. 6, City in the Sky as ep. 20, Antidote as ep. 21 etc.) is taken from the Australian VHS releases and is possibly a production order.

Broadcast

 * U.K.
 * ITV (CITV, 1993–1995)
 * Carlton Kids (1998–1999)
 * 🇦🇺 Australia
 * ABC TV (1995–1996, 1999–2000)
 * 7two (2010)
 * Ireland
 * RTÉ 1 (1996)
 * Network 2 (The Den, 1995–1996)
 * U.A.E.
 * Dubai 33
 * South Africa
 * SABC 2 (1998–1999)
 * 🇳🇦 Namibia
 * NBC (1994–????)
 * 🇵🇱 Poland
 * TVP2 (1995–1996, 1998)
 * 🇮🇹 Italy
 * Rete 4 (1996–1997)
 * 🇫🇷 France
 * Canal+ (1993)
 * Canaille Peluche (1993)
 * FR3 (1994–1995)
 * Les Minikeums (1994–1995)
 * The Disney Channel (1999)
 * Singapore
 * Channel 5 (Take 5, 1993–1996)
 * 🇲🇾 Malaysia
 * MetroVision (1995)
 * 🇯🇴 Jordan
 * Channel 2
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * BFBS (Children's SSVC)
 * SSVC Television (Children's SSVC)
 * 🇷🇺 Russia
 * Channel One Russia (1995–1996)
 * 🇵🇰 Pakistan
 * PTV
 * Brunei
 * RTB
 * 🇹🇭 Thailand
 * IBC 7
 * New Zealand
 * TV2
 * Kuwait
 * KTV2
 * 🇮🇩 Indonesia
 * ANTV

Trivia & Home Media Releases

 * The episode Reunion in series 2 was aired out of order, probably due to the episode being produced following the first episode. It was aired and released on home video in Australia as the 2nd episode of series 2, while chronologically it is the 4th episode.
 * When The Legends of Treasure Island got its solo video release in the UK from Pickwick Video, it had 3 episodes; it omits the 2nd episode Memories Are Made of This, but it does contain the 1st, 3rd and 4th episode from series 1.
 * Although it was a UK show, the entire series was not made available on video there. The entire 26 episodes however were released on video in Australia by Reel Entertainment, with 12 volumes released.
 * A TV movie version featuring select episodes from series 1 of the show was released on Video & DVD in the US by Image Entertainment. Both releases are now out of print.