has decided to return to Oz with Toto using the ruby slippers that showed up on her doorstep. Upon arriving there she reunites with the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion, she learns from Glinda the Good Witch that the Wicked Witch of the West has been resurrected by her evil winged monkeys and that the Emerald City has been taken over by her. The Wizard is in his hot air balloon, which is under a spell that causes it to be constantly blown around by an evil wind. Dorothy, Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion set out to rescue him and defeat the Wicked Witch once and for all. Author Jeff Lenburg mentioned an aspect of the series wherein Dorothy has to learn to believe in oneself.
The ruby slippers
To combat the idea that the slippers would provide Dorothy with ultimate power against the Witch, they didn't always work correctly, apparently because she wasn't entirely sure how to use them. They often didn't do exactly as she asked, acting unpredictably. In the second episode, she clicks her heels four times to correct the Witch's damage to the Emerald City, as to imply that a fourth click has more power than three. Glinda often told her to only use them as a last resort. Similarly, the Wicked Witch's crystal ball was unpredictable, often only working once a day. The episode "Crystal Clear" explains that this was caused by the ball's creator having intentionally stabbed/cracked it with a carving knife, during the witch's theft attempt, in order to prevent her from using its full potential. The Wicked Witch does manage to get the slippers once in the series. However, Truckle manages to steal them from her, and she is unable to use their power to their full advantage. The Cowardly Lion also gets to wear them briefly.
Similarities to the 1939 film
The series incorporated visual elements from the 1939 film version, including the Scarecrow's diploma and Dorothy's ruby slippers. At the same time, the character of Dorothy was designed with an appearance similar to those of Ariel from Disney'sThe Little Mermaid and was not intended to resemble Judy Garland, as well as Dorothy's dress being a solid blue as opposed to the gingham style from the film. In addition, the series incorporated music from the original film, including a slightly altered version of "We're Off to See the Wizard". Toto, as in the film, also seems to be able to "smell" the Wicked Witch or her spellwork, even when she's in disguise. A reversal of the archetype from the film was that Dorothy got herself from Kansas to Oz by clicking her heels in her slippers and saying "There's no place like Oz".
Differences from the 1939 film
While the series is mostly based on the 1939 film, there are some issues with the canon of it. In the film, it is largely implied that Oz was a head-trauma-induced delirium, instead of a real place, while in the series it was a real place. The only sequel that depicts Oz as a dream is the 1974 animated filmJourney Back to Oz, where Dorothy once again has a head injury before finding herself back in Oz. The program could only be a spinoff, partly because it violates the rule of the ruby slippers, that they could never come off the feet of their wearer, as long as he / she is still alive.
After its run on ABC, the series reaired on Syndication on Bohbot Entertainment's Amazin' Adventures block from 1992 until 1993. The series also aired on Toon Disney from the channel's launch in 1998 until 2002. In Canada, the series aired on YTV from 1990 to 1995.
Home media
In 1991, Turner Home Entertainment released a few VHS tapes of the series, each containing two episodes.
In 2002, Lions Gate Home Entertainment and Trimark Home Video released a DVD/VHS titled "The Rescue of the Emerald City", containing both parts of the titular episode. The DVD version also includes the episode "The Day the Music Died". In 2003, Sterling Entertainment released "The Continuing Story", containing three episodes and a bonus episode on the DVD. Sterling later released another DVD titled "We're Off to Save the Wizard" in 2005 containing four more episodes. The complete series, dubbed into Serbian, was released on four DVDs in 2006 for the region of Serbia and Montenegro. In the United Kingdom, Anchor Bay UK released 2 DVD sets in 2004, each containing 4 episodes. Avenue Entertainment would also release 2 DVD sets in 2005, which contained 2 episodes each.
