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Home > Collectables > Robert Harrop - Magic Roundabout >
In 1964, French animator, Serge Danot, accepted a commission from the French television channel ORTF to create a children's series. That series was Le Manège Enchanté. When the BBC brought Le Manège Enchanté to the UK, it underwent a transformation which resulted in the creation of one of the all-time classics of children's television. Eric Thompson (late father of the actress Emma Thompson) was selected as narrator. He did not translate the French dialogue or storylines directly, but invented his own plots to match the bizarre on-screen action!
Danot's highly original visual style, combined with Thompson's understated, dry and witty scripts made an immediate impact on the viewing public. At one stage, The Magic Roundabout commanded over eight million viewers. No other children's series reached an audience of even half that size, and the series even rivalled the news as the UK's most-watched programme.
Was it political satire? An allusion to 1960's culture? Or just a harmless piece of fun?
Whatever your point of view we are sure that our faithful new range of The Magic Roundabout figurines will bring back happy childhood memories!
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