Imagine a world where Spock, Darth Vader, and the wild imagination behind “Beetlejuice” all team up for a live-action fairy tale. Actually, you don’t have to imagine it at all, because back in the 1980s, this unlikely collision actually happened. Leonard Nimoy, James Earl Jones, and Tim Burton brought a wild adaptation of “Aladdin” to life on one of the best fantasy TV shows ever made.
This fantastical collaboration took place during a 1986 episode of “Faerie Tale Theatre” — a cult-favorite 1980s anthology series that was created and hosted by the late Shelley Duvall. The whimsical series was also known for its off-the-wall live-action takes on classic folklore, allowing legendary talent and emerging directors to put their own stamp on beloved children’s stories.
In the star-studded episode “Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp,” Nimoy plays a Jafar-esque sorcerer who tricks Aladdin (Robert Carradine) into venturing down a booby-trapped cave to retrieve an ordinary-looking lamp. But in this version of the story, there are two genies: a ring genie named Abdul and the big blue Genie of the Lamp, both played by James Earl Jones. Original “One Day at a Time” alum Valerie Bertinelli costars as the luminous Princess Sabrina, while veteran stage and screen actor Joseph Maher plays the childish, toy-obsessed Sultan. Burton — who had just made a splash with his 1985 directorial debut, “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” — gave his all despite the tight budgetary constraints the series was known for.
Faerie Tale Theatre is available to watch online
The episode is filled with clever shadow puppetry, forced perspective, and surreal set designs that have since become Tim Burton’s trademark. As for Leonard Nimoy, he seems to be having a blast as he dons a skull-adorned gown, pointed beard, and twisted mustache, chewing the scenery with a campy menace.
Even though “Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp” sports a moderate 6.5 rating on IMDb, there are those who still found a lot to like. One IMDb reviewer called the episode “a worthy and entertaining charmer.” While they thought Robert Carradine played Aladdin as a “hammy buffoon,” they also described, “It’s Leonard Nimoy’s menacing and gleefully enjoyable villain and particularly James Earl Jones’ hilarious and appealingly boisterous Genie who steal the show seamlessly.”
Another fan praised Nimoy for “having a LOT of fun in the role and especially the costume,” adding, “All Nimoy needs to do is … stroke his beard and twist his mustache and he would make it his best non-Spock performance.” Another reviewer deemed that the combination of Burton, Jones, Nimoy, and Valerie Bertinelli made the episode one of the best in the series.
If you’re curious about checking out this obscure piece of ’80s television, “Faerie Tale Theatre” is available to watch online at the Internet Archive. Not long after his “Faerie Tale Theatre” adventure, Nimoy directed and starred in the 1986 blockbuster film “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.”
