Was 1970s Children's Series 'Unicorn Tales' a Real Show?
In 'Welcome to Chippendales,' Nick De Noia claims to have gained two Emmys for his work on NBC's 'Unicorn Tales.' Was it a real show?
From creator Robert Siegel (Pam & Tommy), Hulu's scripted true-crime series Welcome to Chippendales tells the darkish story of the titular exotic male dance revue. Behind the glistening abs, skintight G-strings, and signature cuffs and collars was a sordid global of greed, contention, and a surprising murder-for-hire plot.
More particularly, Welcome to Chippendales "tells the outrageous story of Somen 'Steve' Banerjee (Kumail Nanjiani), an Indian immigrant who became the unlikely founder of the world’s greatest male-stripping empire — and let nothing stand in his way in the process."
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What was in his manner? You know, simply his trade spouse and creative director, Nick De Noia (Murray Bartlett). Though it doesn't finish neatly for Nick, who was fatally shot in the face on April 7, 1987, the start of their partnership was stuffed with promise.
After denying Nick entry at his L.A. strip club (it's a "ladies only" show, finally) in Episode 1 of the series, Steve makes a decision to offer Nick a call, as he claimed to be an Emmy winner. The two eventually communicate trade over dinner and cigarettes, with Nick telling Steve all about his luck as a director, manufacturer, and choreographer. He brags that he received two Emmys for his paintings on a "big" NBC series known as Unicorn Tales. Viewers want to know, was Unicorn Tales a real show?
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'Unicorn Tales' was, actually, a real show that aired from 1977 to 1978 on NBC.
Though scripted true-crime series continuously stray from the exhausting fact, Unicorn Tales was a real show created, directed, and hosted by means of Nick De Noia and written by way of David Wolf.
Only boasting 8 episodes — which presented themselves as brief movies — Unicorn Tales was a live-action children's program that informed modern, sociopolitically charged versions of fairytales and folktales by the use of flamboyant musical numbers. Though the series was set in the mythical land of "Unicorn City," much of it was shot in NYC.
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"The Emperor's New Clothes is a story about a king who wanted so badly to be a great and wise ruler that he was tricked into believing in a suit of magic clothes instead of believing his own eyes," Nick says originally of "The Magic Hat" episode (while donning a snazzy Unicorn Tales denim jacket). "Our modern version is about a lonely boy who made the same mistake."
The Ugly Duckling, Aladdin, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Pinocchio, The Wizard of Oz, and The Boy Who Cried Wolf have been additionally the subjects of Unicorn Tales episodes.
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This is from a youngsters television show called Unicorn Tales that ran on NBC in 1977. It was created through a guy who would go on to be the manufacturer and director of Chippendales’ male exotic dance show in the 80s, Nick De Noia. This is Nick website hosting the show. pic.twitter.com/Kbkb0BcHMc
— eleanor kagan (@eleanorkagan) February 20, 2021It will have had a low production price (and may or may not have secured actual filming permits), but Unicorn Tales proved to be the little children's show that might, as Nick De Noia truly did win two Emmy Awards for producing and directing Unicorn Tales, in keeping with the The New York Times.
Perhaps he'd still be alive if he stuck to the business of children's leisure as opposed to adult entertainment.
New episodes of Welcome to Chippendales premiere on Tuesdays on Hulu.
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