With Toontown (and the London Podcast Festival) in the rear-view mirror, film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Sam Summers get back to the main curriculum to tackle a tale as old as time, and songs as old as rhyme in 1991’s Beauty And The Beast. In another bumper-sized episode befitting the might of the Disney Renaissance era, we discuss the film’s credentials as a true Gothic Romance, break down the battle of problematic masculinity between Gaston and the Beast, get seriously confused by the actual nature of the curse, and talk about the tragic loss of the legendary Howard Ashman before the film’s completion. Plus, Ben does a terrible impression of a Sondheim song, Sam does an excellent impression of Tim Curry, and minds are blown by the incredible ‘snake-on-a-dancefloor’ Italian version of the Beauty And The Beast story. Be our guest, and get stuck in.

Next up: Aladdin (after a short break)

Disniversity is brought to you by Ben Travis (@benstravis) and Sam Summers (@samsummers0), with art by Olly Gibbs and music by Nafets. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @disniversity. This podcast is not affiliated with Disney.

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Welcome to Disniversity, the podcast crash course through the history of Disney’s animated classics, with film journalist Ben Travis and animation academic Dr. Sam Summers. Each week, we’ll be moving forward in time through the legendary Walt Disney Animation Studios catalogue, watching every feature film in chronological order – from Snow White to Encanto. Watch along with us, and listen as we explore each film’s historical context, advances in animation and lasting legacy, and talk about how they stand up today.