ROBERT HARROP
THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT
COLLECTION PLAQUE
In 1964, French animator, Serge Danot, accepted a commision from the French television channel ORTF to create a children's series. That series was Le Manege Enchante.
First broadcast in black and white, Le Manege Enchante was set in a magic garden with a roundabout operated by Pere Pivoine, this series featured a host of endearing characters which included an eccentric spring known as Zebulon, a little girl called Margote, Flapy the rabbit and a legless dog called Pollux.
When the BBC brought Le Manege Enchante 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.
Thus Pere Pivoine, with his top hat and orange moustache, became Mr Rusty; Zebulon becaise Zebedee, a jack-in-a-box with magical powers and Flapy was transformed to Dylan. In subsequent episodes, other characters were introduced, including Azalee, who came to be known as Ermintrude and Ambroise, alias Brian.
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 a the UK's most watched programme.
Since it's creation, The Magic Roundabout has captivated the imaginations of children and adults alike, long after Zebedee had said 'time for bed' for the very last time.
Enjoy collecting!
Sculpture comes brand new in box, mint condition, never been displayed, only opened to check for damage.
