Heidi (miniseries)
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''Heidi'' is a 1993 American two-part, three-hour
television miniseries In the United States, a miniseries or mini-series is a television show or series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. Many miniseries can also be referred to, and shown, as a television film. " Limited series" is ...
based on the classic Swiss 1881 novel of the same name by
Johanna Spyri Spyri (; ; 12 June 1827 – 7 July 1901) was a Swiss author of novels, notably children's stories. She wrote the popular book ''Heidi''. Born in Hirzel, a rural area in the canton of Zürich, as a child she spent several summers near Chur i ...
. ''Heidi'' originally aired on the
Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...
on July 18 and 19, 1993, and starred Noley Thornton in the title role.


Plot

At the beginning of part one of the miniseries, John and Adelheid are killed in a tree accident following an argument with John's father, Tobias. Their infant daughter, Heidi, survives the accident. Eight years later, Heidi is being raised by her cousin Dete in Switzerland following the death of her parents. Dete soon becomes selfish and unwilling to incur the costs of raising Heidi. Dete decides to take Heidi to live in the Alps with her grandfather. Still distraught over the death of his son, he initially resents Heidi's presence. However, as the story progresses, Heidi's innocence and charm break through her grandfather's tough exterior, and she also makes friends with a young goat herder named Peter. Later, Heidi's charmed life falls apart. Dete comes to take her away from her grandfather, placing her with a wealthy family in Frankfurt. She is enlisted as a companion for Klara, a wheelchair-using girl who is considered an invalid by her family. Heidi manages to spread her joyous disposition in this environment as well. In part two, three months have passed and Heidi continues to live in Frankfurt. However, she becomes very homesick. After finding Heidi sleepwalking one night, the Doctor tells Herr Sesemann that Heidi needs to be sent back to the Alps, otherwise, she will become much worse. Reluctant for her friend to leave and become lonely again, Klara agrees to let Heidi return to the Alps, in return for that Heidi promises to come back to Frankfurt after a month once she feels better. Heidi returns to the Alps and regains her energy back. During her return, she sends a letter to Klara with two requests: to come to the mountains and visit her, as well as for the doctor to check on Grandmother. Honouring her requests, Klara sends the doctor to check up on Grandmother. However, due to her age, the doctor is unable to care for her. Before dying, Grandmother asks to Heidi to promise to remember her and to look inside of herself. Later, Klara comes to visit Heidi while Peter gives both girls the cold shoulder and pushes Klara's wheelchair which causes it to break. While visiting the Lady of the Mountain, Heidi tries to convince Klara that they should both live their own lives after remembering Grandmother's final words to her and that they will always be friends. Klara becomes upset, calls Heidi a liar and confesses that she hates her. Walking away, Heidi nearly falls off a cliff, but is rescued by Peter and Klara. Returning, Klara takes Heidi's words to heart and finds the strength to walk again. The children then part ways. Heidi convinces Peter to go to school and continues her life with her grandfather, telling him she loves him and she's finally home.


Cast

*
Noley Thornton Noley Thornton is a former television and film actress who was active in U.S. media from 1990 through 1998. In the early 1990s, Thornton was nominated for a Young Artist Award twice. Once in the category of "Best Youth Actress in a TV Miniseries ...
as Heidi *
Jason Robards Jason Nelson Robards Jr. (July 26, 1922 – December 26, 2000) was an American actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he gained a reputation as an interpreter of the works of playwright Eugene O'Neill. Robards received numerous accola ...
as Grandfather Tobias *
Jane Seymour Jane Seymour (; 24 October 1537) was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen following the execution of Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, who was ...
as Fraulein Rottenmeier *
Siân Phillips Dame Jane Elizabeth Ailwên Phillips (born 14 May 1933), known professionally as Siân Phillips ( ), is a Welsh actress from Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Wales. Her early career consisted primarily of stage roles, including the title roles in Ibsen's '' ...
as Frau Sesemann * Andrew Bicknell as Herr Herbert Sesemann *
Lexi Randall Lexi Randall (born January 1, 1980) is a former child actress in films and television. She appeared in the film The Long Walk Home (1990) and '' The War'' (1994) with Kevin Costner and Elijah Wood. Randall starred in the three television movie ...
as Klara * Edward Highmore as Herr Kandidat *
Basil Hoskins Basil William Hoskins (10 June 1929 – 17 January 2005) was an English theatre and film actor. Hoskins, a native of Edmonton, London, was educated at the Edmonton County School. Hoskins studied acting at RADA and joined the Nottingham Playhouse ...
as Sebastian * Michael Simkins as Dr Friedrich *
Jane Hazlegrove Sarah Jane Hazlegrove (born 17 July 1968) is an English actress, known for portraying the role of Kathleen "Dixie" Dixon in the BBC medical drama ''Casualty''. She has also appeared as Rosie in ''Making Out'', Rosemary Mason in ''Silent Witnes ...
as Cousin Dete * Benjamin Brazier as Peter *
Patricia Neal Patricia Neal (born Patsy Louise Neal; January 20, 1926 – August 8, 2010) was an American actress of stage and screen. She is well known for, among other roles, playing World WarII widow Helen Benson in ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' (195 ...
as Grandmother * Catherine Punch as Tinette * Daniel Flynn as John * Annemarie Bubke as Adelheid * John Quentin as Pastor


Production

The series was shot in both
Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...
and
Tirol Tyrol ( ; historically the Tyrole; ; ) is a historical region in the Alps of Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary, f ...
in
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
. The Church is the St. Nikolauskirche, Bichl, Matrei, Osttirol.


Release

Heidi aired on the Disney Channel in two parts on July 18 and 19, 1993.


Reception

Reviews of the series were generally positive, with praise for the performance of Noley Thornton as Heidi. A review in the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' describes Thornton's work as an "outstanding performance as the girl who has the innate ability to change people's lives." Gary Marsh, vice president of original programming for the Disney Channel, says that Thornton did not play the typical happy, carefree role of Heidi. "She is not the happy-go-lucky, carefree waif played by Shirley Temple, who frolics through life making everybody happy. She's an orphan in a desperate search for a permanent home." ''
The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...
'' lauded the miniseries for its lavish production when compared to previous adaptations. Lee Winfrey wrote "the new Heidi is an elaborate and elegant production."


Accolades

These factors led to the show being nominated for best miniseries or TV Film in the
51st Golden Globe Awards The 51st Golden Globe Awards, honoring the best in film and television for 1993, were held on January 22, 1994, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. The nominations were announced on December 22, 1993. Winners and nominees ...
.Golden Globes
/ref>


References


External links

* *
''Heidi''
at
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

Disney Movies
{{Heidi 1993 American television series debuts 1993 American television series endings 1990s American television miniseries Disney Channel original programming American English-language television shows Heidi television series Television series about orphans Television shows set in Frankfurt Television shows set in Switzerland