Like many millennials, I remember waking up early to watch cartoons on the weekends. My parents got to the point where they would leave the necessities for a bowl of cereal on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator so I wouldn’t have to bother them after whatever weekend shenanigans they got into.
My favorite cartoon to watch, of course, was Rainbow Brite.
Created by Hallmark Cards, Inc. Rainbow Brite was a little girl thrust into a world of darkness to be its hope, its light, and its color. However, no matter how bright and beautiful she made the universe, there were always those who wanted to take that power from her and make it a dark and dismal place.
Throughout 3 television specials, a feature film, and an eight-episode syndicated series (in addition to numerous books and home video releases), Rainbow Brite, her loyal and true friends, Twink and the Colors Kids, and her magical flying horse, Starlite, had to fight to keep the wonder in their world.
As part of the 40th anniversary celebration, Hallmark has made the entire original animated series available for streaming for the first time ever on the official Rainbow Brite YouTube Channel!
What I love about the original series is how optimistic Rainbow Brite always was. No matter how dark and dismal the situation got, she knew that the rainbow could take her anywhere, and as long as she believed in herself, no one could take that power away from her. It’s a lesson I’ve kept near and dear to my heart for the last forty years, and it’s proven to be true.
While there is a chronological order to the series, I prefer to watch it as it originally aired, beginning with the very first animated special penned by Emmy award-winning television writer Woody Kling, Peril in the Pits.
Originally broadcast on 24 June 1984, Peril in the Pits introduces many of Rainbow Land’s colorful characters, as well as Brian, a 10 (almost 11) year-old boy from Earth who would become the only person on the planet with the power to see Rainbow Brite and her friends.
Brian gains this power after accidently walking into a rainbow and becoming covered in colors. The only way to remove them is for Rainbow to bring him back to Rainbow Land, but when she does, they discover that villains from The Pits, Murky and Lurky, have come to steal her magic Color Belt and use it to make the universe as mean and miserable as they are. After using the belt’s power to send them away, it’s time for Rainbow to get the colors off of Brian with the help of a special Star Sprinkle (the Star Sprinkles help Rainbow paint the universe with color).
With Rainbow preoccupied with Brian, Murky and Lurky take the opportunity to kidnap the Color Kids and bring them to the gray and gloomy Pits. It’s the only place in the universe where Rainbow’s powers won’t work. It’s a tenuous task, but with Brian to help Rainbow, Starlite, and Twink rescue the kids, and the universe is able to keep its colors for another day!
The special was so popular that Hallmark immediately commissioned a second screenplay (also written by Kling) for production. The two-part special Rainbow Brite and the Mighty Monstromurk Menace aired on the 4th and 5th of December 1984 and was another ratings hit!
In the tower of The Pits, Murky has kept the most powerful and fearsome creature he’s ever created, the Monstromurk, trapped in a bottle locked in a cage. Unable to control the creature, it’s the only thing that Murky is afraid of besides Rainbow’s colors. But after an accident of nature unleashes it, Murky and Lurky have no choice but to become the Monstromurk’s slaves. Lucky for Murky, the only person the Monstromurk hates more than him is Rainbow Brite and the colors and happiness she represents.
While brightening the colors on Earth, Starlite realizes they are in Brian’s part of the planet. Deciding to pay him a visit, they find him delivering newspapers. Though happy to see one another, their reunion is cut short after the Color Kids activate the alarm to let Rainbow know there’s trouble back home.
Worried about his friends, Brian rushes through the rest of his route so he can get to Rainbow Land to help them, without knowing anything about the danger that awaits. To get there, he uses a special key that Rainbow gave him that will open a doorway to Rainbow Land from any lock whenever he wants to visit.
However, when Brian arrives, the Monstromurk has already begun to strip away the colors of Rainbow Land. Brian joins the fight after Rainbow Brite creates a wall of color to keep out the Monstromurk’s powers. He stands guard at the door of the Color Castle while she and the Color Kids rest. But when Murky and Lurky launch a surprise attack, he’s unable to help Rainbow after she’s trapped in the bottle once used to keep the Monstromurk prisoner.
Realizing what’s happened, Twink, Starlite, and the Color Kids are distraught. Knowing how dangerous The Pits are, most of the Color Kids stay behind to protect Rainbow Land while Brian joins Red Butler and Twink on a rescue mission. However, the two boys are locked in an anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better rivalry, which doesn’t help their situation.
On the way back to The Pits and the Monstromurk, a rough patch of the road causes Murky to lose the bottle and roll into the raging rapids below. Believing Rainbow Brite is gone forever, Murky and Lurky race back to the pits to devise a plan to get the Monstromurk back under Murky’s control – which he does in the form of a crown – proclaiming him the Ruler of Rainbow Land.
Using her inner strength and the power of the color wall she created, Rainbow is able to free herself from the bottle. Meeting up with Starlite and Romeo (Red Butler’s sprite), she joins them to rescue Brian, Red, and Twink – reaching them just before they drown in the caves below The Pits.
With Murky still thinking Rainbow Brite is gone forever, he takes the Monstromurk to Rainbow Land, where he is able to unleash the awesome force of his powers and strip the kingdom of its color. Rainbow, Starlite, Twink, and the boys arrive just in time to defeat them – with Brian sacrificing his colors to save his friends. Once again saving Rainbow Land and the universe from spiraling into darkness. With his colors restored, Rainbow Brite takes Brian back to earth but makes him promise to visit her as often as possible. The flirtation in their friendship is adorable.
Shortly after completing the special, Kling fell ill and could no longer continue working on the property. So, Hallmark / DiC Enterprises (who was producing the specials) brought in Howard R. Cohen to write the third project, another two-part special, The Beginning of Rainbow Land, which aired on the 22nd and 23rd of April 1985.
A prequel of sorts, The Beginning of Rainbow Land is Rainbow Brite’s origin story.
Once named Wisp, she was brought to a dark and barren land by a glowing guardian on a quest to find its colors and set them free. All the guardian tells her is to look for the Sphere of Light. On her journey, she finds out that the hue of the color spectrum is controlled by one of the seven Color Kids, and you can’t have all of the colors without having all of the kids. However, when the King of Shadows took power, he banished them, scattering the kids in every corner of the land. Never one to back down from a challenge, even before she gets her powers, Wisp accepts the quest and sets off into the darkness.
After meeting Twink, the two stumble upon Starlite, who, at this point, is just a simple white (but still incredibly boastful) stallion. They also discover a baby, abandoned and alone in the pouring rain. Taking shelter in a nearby cave, Wisp finds the Color Belt – a legendary power that is said to be the only way to fight the King of Shadows!
After finding the seven Color Kids, Wisp, Starlite, and Twink travel to the castle of the King of Shadows. There, Wisp finds the source of darkness and discovers that the baby is actually the Sphere of Light. Using the belt’s power, Wisp defeats the King of Shadows, and the color, hope, and light of the land are restored.
When the series started to air in syndication, the viewing order was – for obvious reasons – changed. The Beginning of Rainbow Land became episodes one and two, followed by Peril in the Pits and The Mighty Monstromurk Menace. These five “episodes” were animated by TMS Entertainment in Japan and have a very different look from the second set of episodes that would air as part of Kideo-TV after the theatrically released feature film Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer in 1985.
There will be more Rainbow Brite soon so…
Stay Tuned!
Life In Cartoon Motion 