Nightmare Ned (TV series)

This article is about the TV series. For the video game, see Nightmare Ned.
Nightmare Ned
GenreComedy horror
Created by
  • Terry Shakespeare
  • G. Sue Shakespeare
  • David Molina
Based onNightmare Ned
Terry Shakespeare
G. Sue Shakespeare
Developed byWalt Dohrn
Voices of
Theme music composerSteve Bartek
ComposerSteve Bartek
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes12 (25 segments)
Production
Executive producers
  • Terry Shakespeare
  • G. Sue Shakespeare
  • David Molina
ProducerDonovan Cook
Running time22 minutes approx.
Production companies
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseApril 19 (1997-04-19) –
July 5, 1997 (1997-07-05)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Nightmare Ned is an American animated television series which ran from April 19 to July 5, 1997, on ABC. The show was produced by Walt Disney Television Animation and Creative Capers Entertainment, and created by Terry Shakespeare, G. Sue Shakespeare, and David Molina of Creative Capers Entertainment.[1] The show was based on and developed alongside the computer game of the same name, but the show ended up being completed before the video game was released.[2][3]

The show focuses on the life of Ned Needlemeyer (voiced by Courtland Mead), an 8-year-old boy who deals with his daily problems through dark yet quirky nightmares.[4]

The show received mixed reviews from critics. The Chicago Tribune praised the show's art style but was critical of its subject matter.[5] Similarly, Screen Rant described the show as "dark and even disturbing" and "mainly an excuse for Disney animators to show off their strange side".[6] In contrast, Animation World Magazine described it as an "offbeat, colorful show" and it also received praise from TV Guide.[7][8] The show only aired once and was never re-released, being described as a "great oddity of the Disney Studio's television output" which was "largely disowned".[1] As of June 2019, all episodes have been found by third parties and unofficially uploaded to YouTube.

  1. ^ a b Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 433. ISBN 978-1538103739.
  2. ^ Hettrick, Scott (16 June 1997). "Disney Interactive taking covers off "Nightmare"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 23 February 2001.
  3. ^ Jackson, Wendy (December 1997). "1997 Gaming Report: The Best of the Bunch". Animation World Magazine. Vol. 2, no. 9. Retrieved 3 February 2018. Nightmare Ned was simultaneously developed as a game and an animated series with Disney.
  4. ^ Markstein, Don. "Nightmare Ned". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  5. ^ Tribune, Harlene Ellin. Special to the (1 May 1997). "YOUR WORST DREAM". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  6. ^ Gass, Zach (30 March 2021). "10 Best Old Disney Shows (That Still Aren't Available On Disney+)". ScreenRant. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  7. ^ "June 1997 News". Animation World Magazine. Retrieved 2024-02-18.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference mania was invoked but never defined (see the help page).