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The Fairytale Police Department – Black Day for Snow White (2002)

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clip What's so important about an apple? education content clip 1, 2

This clip chosen to be G

Clip description

The Evil Queen reports a crime. Someone has stolen the poisoned apple she gave to Snow White and she wants it found. Detective Johnny Legend wants to throw her in the ‘slammer’ but the Chief knows that the apple must be found and returned to the Evil Queen otherwise the fairytale won’t work.

Curator’s notes

This is gorgeous stuff! There is so much fun in this wacky take on the traditional story. Here, the bumbling Johnny Legend just doesn’t get it, while the earnest Dana Scully look-alike, Chris Anderson knows just what to do. The portrayal of the Evil Queen is exactly right.

Teacher’s notes

provided by The Le@rning FederationEducation Services Australia

This clip shows Fairytale Land detectives Chris Anderson and Johnny Legend, from the children’s animated series The Fairytale Police Department, discussing the case of the missing poisoned apple, intended for Snow White. It begins with the Evil Queen briefing the duo on the apple’s disappearance. Following this the chief of detectives explains the importance of ensuring that the fairytale has the traditional happy ending, and shows the detectives a video to illustrate his point. However, Legend is fixated on the idea that the Evil Queen be arrested.

Educational value points

  • This clip centres around a parody of the brains and brawn detective team – the smart detective Anderson and her partner, the so-called ‘Legend’. Legend believes that he is in a real-world crime story and his focus is on arresting and jailing the Evil Queen as a self-confessed poisoner. He fails to understand that their job in Fairytale Land is to rescue the conventional fairytale by restoring the original storyline.
  • The clip shows that The Fairytale Police Department series combines the genres of fairytale and police detective television show, satirising both. Markers for the police detective genre are plentiful in the clip and include the intelligent female detective, the bumbling square-jawed male detective and the authoritarian bald-headed chief. Fairytale genre markers include the Evil Queen, the handsome prince, the happy ending sealed with a kiss and Snow White herself.
  • The clip provides numerous examples of clever scriptwriting, particularly the satirical use of the vocabulary of the police detective genre. Various examples of stereotypical ‘cop talk’ are worked into Legend’s dialogue: ‘let’s cuff her and put her in the slammer’; put her ‘in the can and throw away the key’; and ‘doing two to twenty in the big house’. Just in case the viewers missed it, Anderson comments, ‘You love that sort of talk, don’t you?’
  • The clip clearly references the look and feel of the well-known 1937 Walt Disney animation film of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Although Snow White herself is a sophisticated contemporary version of Disney’s childlike version, the Evil Queen is reassuringly familiar with her crown, cape and forceful personality.
  • The style of the animation and clever dialogue of the script are typical examples of the work of Yoram Gross-EM.TV, one of Australia’s most prolific producers of children’s animated programming, later known as Flying Bark Productions. Established in 1968, the company has produced the feature Blinky Bill, the mischievous koala (1992) and numerous television programs including Skippy, Adventures in Bushtown (1998) and Old Tom (2001).

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australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

  • You may retrieve materials for information only.
  • You may download materials for your personal use or for non-commercial educational purposes, but you must not publish them elsewhere or redistribute clips in any way.
  • You may embed the clip for non-commercial educational purposes including for use on a school intranet site or a school resource catalogue.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

All other rights reserved.

ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

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