Since its 1994 debut, Disney's animated series Gargoyles has attracted a sophisticated viewership for its unusually thoughtful storyline, mature characters, literary allusions (Arthurian lore, Shakespeare), and parade of celebrity voiceovers. Part Gothic fantasy and part contemporary urban drama, Gargoyles begins with a brutal, 10th-century battle over a Scottish castle, which is guarded at night by winged gargoyles who become flesh in the dark (but who return to stone by day). Under the leadership of Goliath (Keith David), the gargoyles ward off an attack by Vikings, yet are met with disdain by those they protect, including a princess and her advisors. Such is the gargoyles' lot until they are betrayed by a friend and turned to stone for a thousand years. Rescued by a billionaire named Xanatos (Jonathan Frakes)--who breaks the spell by purchasing the castle and relocating it atop his Manhattan skyscraper--Goliath and his friends slowly adapt to the modern world and figure out whom they can trust. In a moving season finale, they adopt New York City as the home they vow to protect. With a certain urgency in every episode, tangled relationships between Goliath and his several allies and enemies (as well as characters who belong somewhere between), and a vocal cast full of Star Trek types (Michael Dorn, Nichelle Nichols, Marina Sirtis, among others), Gargoyles has great appeal to thinking viewers of any age. Special features include the original show pitch by series creator Greg Weisman. --Tom Keogh
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