Return to Oz (TV program)

Return to Oz is an animated television special produced by Crawley Films for Rankin/Bass (Videocraft). It first aired February 9, 1964 in the United States on NBC's General Electric Color Fantasy Hour. It was directed by F. R. Crawley, Thomas Glynn, and Larry Roemer from a teleplay by Romeo Muller, who later wrote Dorothy in the Land of Oz.

Crawley Films also produced the earlier 1961 animated series, Tales of the Wizard of Oz and brought similar artistic character renditions to the special.

There is also a 1985 live-action Disney film of the same name.

The plot is virtually a retelling of the storyline of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; however, as this is a sequel to the animated series Tales of the Wizard of Oz, in which Dorothy and the gang went through an entirely different series of adventures, this adventure is new to them all. All of Dorothy's friends become trapped in the situations they were in when she first met them, meaning they all must visit the Wizard as they did in the pilot for the TV series. Dorothy receives a letter from the Scarecrow, called Socrates in the special, as in the series, telling her that everyone is happy with the gifts the Wizard gave them, and that they miss her very much. She goes to find her magic Silver Shoes and is instantly taken back to Oz again by another Kansas twister, this time not by house, but an apple tree. Once she arrives there she is greeted by the Munchkins in Munchkinville. Glinda arrives to tell her that the previously melted Wicked Witch of the West has become reconstituted and is wreaking havoc again, having taken Socrates' diploma and burned it up, destroyed the heart of the Tin Woodman, called Rusty, by turning herself into a Tin Woman, and dropping him into a pond where he rusted over again. She has also stolen the medal that belonged to the Cowardly Lion, called Dandy, and turned it into a daisy, and is planning to get Dorothy's silver shoes again.