Animated television doesn’t have to worry about its actors aging or its special effects budgets skyrocketing, which often means they can stay on the air indefinitely. At a time when it feels like The Simpsons and Family Guy have been around since the Big Bang, that makes short-lived animated series all the more interesting. If an animated show is meant from the start to only last one season, its storytelling can often be dramatic and ambitious.
An iconic one-off series became a seasonal favorite for that very reason, and now that it’s turning 10 years old, the Cartoon Network has an appropriately cozy tribute ready for it.
Over the Garden Wall is a twee and terrifying fairy tale.
Over the Garden Wall, created by Patrick McHale, is a 10-episode miniseries that aired on the Cartoon Network over five consecutive nights. It follows Wirt (Elijah Wood) and Greg (Collin Dean), two brothers lost in a mysterious forest called The Unknown. As they try to find their way home, they encounter both idyllic and horrific scenarios, and form uneasy alliances with The Woodsman (Christopher Lloyd) and cursed bluebird Beatrice (Melanie Lynskey).
While the series found critical acclaim upon release, it’s since become a fall staple. Its desaturated colors, mellow creepiness, and old-fashioned soundtrack make it the perfect binge-watch when the leaves start to turn, and since the entire series clocks in at just under two hours, it can essentially be treated as a nice Sunday afternoon movie.
The celebration of its 10th anniversary has to match its status as a holiday mainstay, and nothing says holiday viewing like a stop-motion adventure: just ask Rudolph or Jack Skellington. Accordingly, Cartoon Network has teased a stop-motion Over the Garden Wall special in collaboration with Aardman, the studio behind Wallace & Gromit, which is set for release on November 3.
The teaser only shows Greg and Wirt’s hats, which appear to be made of wood, so there’s no telling what the special could actually be about. But don’t expect a complete stop-motion remake of the entire series; the medium is incredibly labor-intensive, so this “celebration” is likely just a quick one-off adventure, or even something as short as a social media tribute video.
Whatever the special is, it’s arriving a bit late for Halloween but could still serve as a nice addendum to any annual trips into the Unknown. So get your best frog friend, whip up a big plate of potatoes and molasses, and mark your calendars for November 3.
