Line #23 WesternAnimation/TheLastOfTheCurlews


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mv5bogvkmdlmodqtnmuzmc00ndfmltlimgytodeyogjlnzywotmxxkeyxkfqcgdeqxvymtk4otczma_v1_fmjpg_ux1000.jpg]]
2	''The Last of the Curlews'' was an animated special produced by Creator/HannaBarbera. It was the very first ''Creator/{{ABC}} Series/AfterschoolSpecial'' and debuted in 1972. It is an AnimatedAdaptation of a book that tells the fictional life of the last of a breed of bird, that might very well be extinct in real life.
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4	The special itself was nominated for and won an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming.
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6	!!This series provides examples of:
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8	* AdaptationExpansion: The father and son hunters are added for the special.
9	* AnimatedAdaptation: Of the book by Fred Bodsworth
10	* AnimationBump: As with many cases, when Hanna-Barbera were alloted a bigger budget, they didn't cut as many corners.
11	* AwkwardFatherSonBondingActivity: The special features a father and son on hunting trips as wraparound segments. It is obvious the son does not want to be a killer, despite his father's gung-ho attitude about the trips.
12	* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: [[spoiler: The farmer, he immediately grabs a shotgun when the Curlews land on his farm, all with a clear sadistic enjoyment at firing on the two defenseless birds. Needless to say the guy is {{Jerkass}}]]
13	* DarkerAndEdgier: By far, this is one of Creator/HannaBarbera's darkest materials ever to be produced, especially compared to more LighterAndSofter material such as ''Franchise/ScoobyDoo'', ''Franchise/TheFlintstones'' and so on.
14	* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:"Once there were many thousands of eskimo curlews. Then there were two. Now there is one. Soon there will be none."]]
15	* EndangeredSpecies: Our lead is one.
16	* EvilIsPetty: [[spoiler:Spot a couple harmless birds hanging around your farm? Well, they need to die. Simply put, the farmer isn't a nice guy.]]
17	* FamilyUnfriendlyDeath: While this was aimed at family audiences it used death to send a point. [[spoiler:We see countless birds shot out of the sky lying dead on the ground.]]
18	* {{Foreshadowing}}: The music number is quite upbeat but [[spoiler: talks in the past tense, and then turns into a somber ballad. Foreshadowing this happiness will soon end.]]
19	* HopeSpot: [[spoiler: The male Curlew is given one even after years being alone when he discovers the last female, giving hope to them having babies and the species continuing, however after facing several dangers while migrating any hope of this is lost when the female is fatally shot and dies, leaving the male once again alone.]]
20	* HateSink: [[spoiler:The farmer who spots the mated curlew pair landing on his field to rest. He immediately grabs his double barreled shotgun and fires at them, fatally wounding the female, all while sporting a very nasty SlasherSmile.]]
21	* InterspeciesAdoption: The Male Curlew falls in with a flock of golden plovers and takes pride in leading them. At the time he was just happy to be around other birds.
22	* KilledOffForReal: And probably in real life too.
23	* LastOfHisKind: Who do you think?
24	* {{Narrator}}: Lee Vines.
25	* NotQuiteDead: [[spoiler:At first you may think the female is dead when she drops to the ground for the first time, but she is still alive for a short bit longer.]]
26	* StayWithMeUntilIDie: [[spoiler:The male curlew stays with the female until she dies.]]
27	* TooDumbToLive: The Narrator implies this is what humans thought of the curlews. As when one got shot the others would come back to see what had happened.
28	* TruthInTelevision: Just like the special says, in real-life the Curlews were once numerous but thanks to unregulated hunting their numbers were so greatly reduced that even by the time protection for the species was put in place it may be too late as there have been no reliable sighting of the species since the 1960’s indicating either they are critically endangered if not already extinct.
29	* TheXOfY: The title.
30	* {{Xenofiction}}: With a few slight touches.

Context WesternAnimation / TheLastOfTheCurlews