The Flying House (TV series)

The Flying House, known in Japan as Tondera Hausu no Daibōken (トンデラハウスの大冒険, Adventures of the Flying House), is a Christian anime television series produced by Tatsunoko Production broadcast between April 1982 and March 1983 on TV Tokyo,[1] and distributed by the Christian Broadcasting Network in the United States.[2] In 2010, the Christian Broadcasting Network made the 52 episodes available for viewing online.[3]

The Flying House
Original poster
トンデラハウスの大冒険
(Tondera Hausu no Daibōken)
GenreChristian Animation
Anime television series
Directed byMasakazu Higuchi and Mineo Fuji
StudioTatsunoko Production
Licensed by
Original networkTV Tokyo
Original run April 5, 1982 (1982-04-05) March 28, 1983 (1983-03-28)
Episodes52

At the same time, CBN and Tatsunoko also produced a related series, Superbook.[2]

In the Philippines, reruns of the show were broadcast on GMA Network in the early 1990s, ZOE TV in 2000s, and on ABS-CBN in 2015. The episodes are currently broadcast on Pop Life TV via digital free-to-air television BEAM TV. It was also broadcast on the Australian Christian Channel in Australia. It also aired on TBN UK & Ireland in United Kingdom and Ireland.

Plot

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The series begins at the middle of a game of hide and seek, as a young boy named Justin Casey (Gen Adachi) finishes counting and begins searching for his friends, Angela "Angie" Roberts and her little brother Corwyn "Corky" Roberts (Kanna and Tsukubo Natsuyama). As he searches for Angie and Corky in a wooded area, a thunderstorm occurs. Justin manages to sneak up on the two before the rain starts pouring, forcing them to run for cover.

They eventually find a spacecraft type house in the wooded area, previously unseen according to Justin. At first glance it appears that nobody is home, until they discover a clown-battery type android named Solar Ion Robot (Kadenchin), or S.I.R. for short. They soon meet the owner of the house, Professor Humphrey Bumble (Dr. Tokio Taimu), who introduces the children to his greatest creation, a half rocket, half house one of a kind time machine named The Flying House.

Professor Bumble's attempt at recreating Benjamin Franklin's famous lightning experiment with the use of a bat looking kite flying outside the house to get the machine working leads to a temporary change in S.I.R.'s personality from being nice to mean and he goes berserk, before sending The Flying House in course to the past.

Justin, Angie, Corky, and S.I.R. realize how long the journey back home will take due to Professor Bumble's misguidance and errors in time travel, but in the meantime they witness and participate (with little or no consequences) in numerous events of the Bible's New Testament, from the birth of John the Baptist to the rise of the Paul the Apostle.

Eventually, they make it home exactly the same way they traveled into the past in the first place. S.I.R. gets a knock in the head which, again, makes him go from being nice to mean and go berserk and he attacks The Flying House. Ironically, S.I.R.'s berserkiness fixes it in such a way that it finally sends the whole crew back to their own time period, and the show ends, with S.I.R. changed back from being mean to nice by the end of the trip.

Cast and characters

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  • Justin Casey (Billie Lou Watt): The best friend of Corky and Angie. His Japanese counterpart, Gen Adachi, is played by Satomi Majima.
  • Angela "Angie" Roberts (Sonia Owens): Corky's older sister and Justin's best friend. Her Japanese counterpart, Kanna Natsuyama, is played by Sanae Takagi.
  • Corwyn "Corky" Roberts (Helena Van Koert): Angie's little brother and Justin's best friend. His Japanese counterpart, Tsukubo Natsuyama, is played by Runa Akiyama.
  • Professor Humphrey Bumble (Hal Studer): The inventor of the Flying House and S.I.R.. His Japanese counterpart, Dr.Tokio Taimu, is played by Yoshito Yasuhara .
  • Solar Ion Robot / S.I.R. (Ray Owens): Justin's, Angie's, and Corky's best friend, and Professor Bumble's clown-battery-type robotic assistant. His Japanese counterpart, Kandenchin, is played by Kyōko Tongū.
  • The Flying House/Tondera Hausu No Daiboken (TARDIS): The Flying House Is a half rocketship half house spacecraft type time machine created by Professor Humphrey Bumble, it can travel towards time, space, and beyond, somehow apparently Flying House went to the New Testament of the Holy Bible, the Flying House's Japanese counterpart Tondera Hausu, is played by the iconic TARDIS from BBC's kids and family sci-fi time travel series Doctor Who.

Episode list

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Season 1 (1982)

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No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleOriginal release date
11"Blast Off For the Past"1982 (1982)
The Flying House transports the group from the 20th century to 1st century Judaea. The kids witness the birth of John the Baptist.
22"Star-Spangled Night"1982 (1982)
In Bethlehem, at the manger, the kids witness the birth of Jesus.
33"Lost and Found in Time"1982 (1982)
At the Temple in Jerusalem, the kids witness the finding of the lost 12-year-old Jesus by Mary and Joseph.
44"Voice in the Wilderness"1982 (1982)
On the Jordan River, the kids witness the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist.
55"Speak of the Devil"1982 (1982)
In the wilderness, the kids witness the temptation of Jesus.
66"All That Glitters"1982 (1982)
In Capernaum, the kids witness Jesus calling Matthew, the tax collector, to be his disciple.
77"Military Secrets"1982 (1982)
In Capernaum, the kids witness Jesus healing the centurion's servant.
88"The Prize That Was Won and Lost"1982 (1982)
In Machaerus, the kids witness the execution and death of John the Baptist.
99"Another Life"1982 (1982)
In Capernaum, the kids witness Jesus raising Jairus' daughter from dead to life.
1010"The Runaway"1982 (1982)
At the Sea of Galilee, the kids witness Jesus feeding the 5,000 people by multiplying five loaves and two fishes.
1111"Neighbors"1982 (1982)
The kids listen to Jesus telling the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Unforgiving Servant.
1212"Poor Little Rich Men"1982 (1982)
The kids listen to Jesus telling the parables of the Rich Fool and the Prodigal Son.
1313"The Greatest"1982 (1982)
The kids witness the Twelve Apostles arguing who among them is the greatest.
1414"Back From the Grave"1982 (1982)
In Bethany, the kids witness Jesus at the home of Martha and Mary and Jesus raising Martha's and Mary's brother Lazarus from dead to life.
1515"Real Treasure"1982 (1982)
In Jericho, the kids witness the conversion of Zacchaeus the tax collector.
1616"What If...?"1982 (1982)
The kids listen to Jesus telling the parables of the Unprofitable Servant and the Wise and the Foolish Builders.
1717"The Lost Sheep"1982 (1982)
The kids listen to Jesus telling the parables of the Good Shepherd and the Workers in the Vineyard.
1818"Sour Grapes"1982 (1982)
In Cana, the kids witness the first miracle of Jesus turning water into wine during a wedding.
1919"Dog Gone"1982 (1982)
In the region of Tyre and Sidon, the kids witness Jesus healing the Syrophoenician woman's daughter.
2020"Little Orphan Anna"1982 (1982)
At the Temple in Jerusalem, the kids witness Jesus telling the lesson about the poor widow's offering.
2121"A Word to the Wise"1982 (1982)
The kids listen to Jesus telling the parables of the Unjust Judge and the Wedding Feast.
2222"Judgement Day"1982 (1982)
The kids listen to Jesus telling the parables of the Rich man and Lazarus and the Unjust Steward.
2323"Possessed"1982 (1982)
In the region of the Gerasenes, the kids witness Jesus healing the Gadarene Demoniac.
2424"Over the Hill"1982 (1982)
The kids witness Jesus cleansing ten lepers.
2525"True Friends"1982 (1982)
In Capernaum, the kids witness Jesus healing a paralytic.
2626"Devil's Gate"1982 (1982)
In Nain, the kids witness Jesus raising the widow's son from dead to life.

Season 2 (1983)

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No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleOriginal release date
271"Well, Well, Well?"1983 (1983)
Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at the well and promises her the gift of living water.
282"Left Holding the Bag"1983 (1983)
Jesus heals a paralytic man on the pool of Bethesda during the Sabbath Day.
293"Who Among You?"1983 (1983)
A Pharisee asks Jesus a question with regards to the stoning of an adulteress. Jesus and the woman taken in adultery.
304"Oil and Water"1983 (1983)
Jesus sends his 12 disciples in pairs to preach the word of God and to perform miracles.
315"A Special Secret"1983 (1983)
326"Midnight Callers"1983 (1983)
Jesus teaches, "Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door will be opened to you." Jesus tells the parable of The Ten Maidens.
337"What's it worth?"1983 (1983)
Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower.
348"Fruitless"1983 (1983)
Jesus tells the parables of The Weeds and The Wicked Tenants.
359"Fit For a King"1983 (1983)
3610"The Secret Agent"1983 (1983)
Jesus cleanses the temple by driving the merchants out of the temple.
3711"The Preparation"1983 (1983)
Mary of Bethany washes Jesus' feet with an alabaster box of expensive perfume and Jesus heals a blind man.
3812"Betrayed"1983 (1983)
Jesus washes the apostles' feet. Jesus and his twelve disciples are in the Last Supper. Jesus prays in the Garden of Gethsemane and Judas Iscariot betrays Jesus, sending him to Caiaphas.
3913"Who's in Charge"1983 (1983)
4014"The Crown of Thorns"1983 (1983)
Jesus is scourged at the pillar and put with a crown of thorns. Pilate frees Barabbas and sentenced Jesus to death by crucifixion.
4115"Golgotha"1983 (1983)
Jesus carries his cross towards Golgotha and Simon of Cyrene is compelled to carry the cross before Jesus. Jesus is crucified, died, and buried.
4216"The Empty Tomb"1983 (1983)
4317"With You Always"1983 (1983)
Jesus appears as himself to two of his disciples in the road towards Emmaus. Seven of the disciples catch 153 fish and Jesus restored Peter. Jesus ascends to heaven.
4418"The Prison Break"1983 (1983)
An angel helps Peter escape from prison.
4519"Good Riddance"1983 (1983)
4620"The Blinding Light"1983 (1983)
Saint Stephen is stoned and died. Jesus appears to Saul and is converted from being a persecutor of the believers to becoming an apostle of Christ.
4721"Bound & Rebound"1983 (1983)
Saul, who is now called Paul, preaches the word of God in Macedonia and delivers a woman from an evil spirit. Paul and Silas are flogged in public and placed in prison, yet a severe earthquake occurred while they are in prison.
4822"Tender Grapes"1983 (1983)
Paul interferes in a mob and helps a man get justice.
4923"Shipwrecked"1983 (1983)
Paul is shipwrecked in the island of Malta.
5024"Snake Bite"1983 (1983)
Paul is bitten by a snake but does not die. He heals a young girl from a severe illness.
5125"Heartbreak"1983 (1983)
The story of Onesimus, the slave of Philemon.
5226"Homeward Bound"1983 (1983)
Paul writes Philemon to take back Onesimus, who is baptized and converted as a follower of Christ. The Flying House finally returns to the 20th century after its treks through the times of Ancient Israel.

Home video and syndication

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The Flying House was available on VHS by Tyndale; all 52 episodes were released over 26 VHS cassettes. A DVD volume of The Flying House was released by Vision Video in 2006, featuring the first four episodes. In 2010, the Christian Broadcasting Network made the 52 episodes available for viewing online.[3] The series also airs on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) and its children's subchannel Smile.

Other titles

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  • Arabic: المنزل الطائر
  • Arabic (Islamic): المنزل الطائر
  • French: La maison volante
  • Korean: 타임교실 톤데라하우스의 대모험
  • German: Fliegendes Haus (Flying House; aired on Bibel TV)
  • Spanish: La casa voladora
  • Chinese: 飛行之家/飛行屋
  • Russian: Летающий дом
  • Ukrainian: Літаючий будинок
  • Romanian: Casa Zburătoare
  • Danish: Det Flyvende Hus
  • Hungarian: A repülő ház
  • Mongolian: Нисдэг байшин
  • Hebrew: הבית המעופף
  • Brazilian Portuguese: A Casa Voadora
  • Italian: Il Vangelo per i bambini ("The Gospel for children")
  • Finnish: Lentävä talo
  • Turkish: Uçan ev
  • Czech: Létající dům
  • Poland: Latający dom

See also

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References

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  1. ^ トンデラハウスの大冒険 (in Japanese). Tatsunoko Productions. Retrieved 13 December 2010.
  2. ^ a b Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 808–809. ISBN 978-1476665993.
  3. ^ a b "The Flying House". Christian Broadcasting Network. Retrieved 18 February 2011.
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