Wildfire (1986 TV series)

Wildfire is a 1986 American animated series produced by Hanna-Barbera about the adventures of Sara, a 13-year-old girl growing up in the American West as she discovers her true identity as a princess-in-hiding from another realm who is destined to fight the evil witch Lady Diabolyn. The show was first broadcast on CBS for 13 episodes from September 13 to December 6, 1986.

Plot
As a baby, Princess Sara (voiced by Georgi Irene) of Thurinia was saved from the clutches of the evil Lady Diabolyn (voiced by Jessica Walter) by a mystical talking horse named Wildfire (voiced by John Vernon) following the death of Sara's mother Queen Sarana (voiced by Amanda McBroom). Wildfire took her away from the planet Dar-Shan and deposited her in Montana where she is taken in by a farmer named John Cavanaugh (voiced by David Ackroyd). Lady Diabolyn was a stepsister to Queen Sarana, whom she always considered weak and unfit to rule. To gain her "rightful" throne, she learned dark magic and allied herself with the demonic Spectres.

Twelve years later when Sara was ready to fight evil, Wildfire brought her back to Dar-Shan to regain her kingdom. Wildfire summons Sara through her magic amulet and transports her across dimensions to her real home in Dar-Shan. Sara joins with her friends consisting of a sorcerer named Alvinar (voiced by René Auberjonois), a young boy named Dorin (voiced by Bobby Jacoby), and his cowardly colt Brutus (voiced by Susan Blu) in order to thwart her wicked step-aunt. John and Sara's Native American friend Ellen Crow (voiced by Lilly Moon) provide moral support on Earth.

Lady Diabolyn is helped by the Goons, mischievous creatures consisting of Dweedle (voiced by Billy Barty), Nerts, Booper, Mudlusk (voiced by Frank Welker), and Thimble. They were formerly Diabolyn's personal guards until they gained their monstrous appearances by the Spectres upon opening the urn containing them when Diabolyn told them not to.

Each episode revealed more and more of the mythical world of Dar-Shan and gave its audience a new puzzle piece to help reason out the past events that led up to the current state of affairs. It was later revealed that Sara's adopted father John was actually her biological father Prince Cavan sent to Earth to protect him from the curse which Lady Diabolyn and the Spectres had placed on Dar-Shan. Sara and Wildfire are the only ones who know John's true identity which has been kept secret even from him.

Voice cast

 * David Ackroyd as John Cavanaugh / Prince Cavan
 * René Auberjonois as Alvinar
 * Billy Barty as Dweedle
 * Susan Blu as Brutus
 * Townsend Coleman as Goon
 * Georgi Irene as Princess Sara
 * Bobby Jacoby as Dorin
 * Lilly Moon as Ellen
 * Rob Paulsen as Goon
 * John Vernon as Wildfire
 * Jessica Walter as Lady Diabolyn
 * Frank Welker as Mudlusk

Additional voices

 * Remy Auberjonois
 * Victoria Carroll – Mrs. Ashworth
 * Louise Chamis – Stubb's Mom (in "Dragons of Dar-Shan")
 * Philip Clarke – Lord Samson
 * Gino Conforti
 * Keene Curtis – Mr. Specs (in "Where the Dreams Come From")
 * Jennifer Darling
 * Jerry Dexter
 * George DiCenzo – Aragon (in "The Highwayman")
 * Paul Eiding
 * Dick Erdman
 * Bernard Erhard – Rothadode (in "Wildfire: King of the Horses")
 * Melanie Gaffin
 * Dick Gautier
 * Barbara Goodson – Nerissa (in "The Name is the Game")
 * Scott Grimes
 * Noah Hathaway
 * Darryl Hickman
 * Laura Jacoby
 * Lauri Johnson
 * Aron Kincaid
 * Ron Leibman
 * Marilyn Lightstone – Jude (in "Secret of Sinti Magic")
 * June Lockhart – Vesta
 * Kenneth Mars
 * Janet May
 * Amanda McBroom – Queen Sarana (in "A Meeting in Time")
 * Marissa Mendenhall
 * Michael Mish
 * Daniel O'Herlihy – Jovar
 * Diane Pershing – Lady Aura (in "Strangers in the Night")
 * Brock Peters – Thunderbolt (in "Wildfire: King of the Horses")
 * Peter Renaday
 * Peter Mark Richman
 * Bob Ridgely
 * Josh Rodine – Stubb (in "Dragons of Dar-Shan")
 * Roger Rose – Halavax (in "The Highwayman")
 * Neilson Ross
 * Will Ryan
 * William Schallert
 * Brandon Stewart
 * Alexandra Stoddart – Sheriel (in "The Ogre's Bride")
 * Andre Stojka
 * Jeffrey Tambor – Oberon (in "A Visit to Wonderland")
 * Les Tremayne – Bildad (in "Dragons of Dar-Shan")
 * Ginny Tyler
 * Ted Zeigler

Reception
According to the Los Angeles Times, "despite the hackneyed writing and poor animation (the artists don't understand how a horse moves), Wildfire is sure to be a hit with little girls, its obvious audience".