The Magic Roundabout

This quirky TV series delighted children and adults alike

- STEVE CAIN

Devised by French animator Serge Danot, The Magic Roundabout was first shown on French television in 1964, entitled Le Manège Enchanté.

It was initially rejected by the BBC, as it was 'charming, but difficult to dub into English'. However Doreen Stephens, who was head of Children's Programmes at the time, asked Joy Whitby to look at it again.

Whitby, who was the producer of Play School, felt that Eric Thompson, one of her presenters, might be suitable for the voice-overs. Incredibly, Eric decided to watch the episodes without a soundtrack or translated script, then drily made up entirely new storylines and characters from the images, thus creating a UK TV classic largely from his own imagination.

Between October 1965 and January 1977, the BBC broadcast 441 five-minute episodes before the evening news and attracted a family audience.