PSD's quick guide to the Magic Roundabout:

"Le Manège Enchanté" was a French cartoon created by Serge Danot, featuring various animals in a garden. Nobody has any clue about any of the scripts, plots or indeed most of the features, except the dog (Pollux) spoke with a heavy English accent (apparently hilarious in France) and the rabbit spoke with a Spanish accent (second in hilarity only to an English accent - oh those crazee french...)

Frankly, it should have been strangled at birth. However, Eric Thompson got hold of the rights for the BBC, and decided to hell with translating the French.

And quite right too. The dog became Dougal, the snail Bryan, the little girl Florence, the cow Ermintrude (who always had a flower to chew on), the spaced out rabbit was Dylan (he had a guitar, which provided ample justification for his name) and last but not least, the funny little fella with a spring up his rectum was Zebedee.

Allegations of 'hidden' drugs references can be refuted by pointing out there was nothing very subtle or hidden about them. Whatever weed Ermintrude chewed upon had the side effect of occasionally making her twice the size (and also able to float away), and Dougal would have wobbly turns that could only be stopped by eating a mysterious 'sugar lump'. The worst offender however was Dylan the rabbit, who was obviously stoned. When awake (rare) he would get the munchies.

There are other theories circulating, most prominent of which is the naming of Dougal as a parody of Charles De Gaulle. The drugs sub-plot has been officially denied, but then isn't it always? The feature film, 'Dougal and the Blue Cat', is Mark Kermode's favourite film. It's also terrifying, I'm led to believe...

[tinyurl.com] is the best overview I could find, although

[tinyurl.com] has the tune (I think, I couldn't be bothered to load it) and nice pictures.


This tinyurl thingummy's handy, innit?



Post Edited (06-26-03 01:45)

PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

PSD, nope, we don't have Magic Roundabout here...so I guess I totally missed your references...and being as I'm not Catholic and not terribly familiar with various saints, I think I should be excused :) I plead ignorance to pop-culture of foreign countries!

Dave R...I got your email...thank you (to Dave AND Sarah) and I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but plan to by this weekend!

In fact, the word "Roundabout" isn't even in the American vocabulary, except as an ajective (meaning circuitous or indirect). The traffic version, in the few places they exist here (I've driven in exactly one, in Massachusetts where I went to College) is usually called a Rotary. The version kids play on is a carousel or merry-go-round.


Just double checked myself in Webster's online and got:

Main Entry: 1 round·about
Pronunciation: 'raun-d&-"baut
Function: adjective
Date: 1608
: CIRCUITOUS, INDIRECT <had to take a roundabout course>

Main Entry: 2 roundabout
Function: noun
Date: 1755
1 : a circuitous route : DETOUR
2 British : MERRY-GO-ROUND
3 : a short close-fitting jacket worn by men and boys especially in the 19th century
4 British : ROTARY

Apparently Dougal/Pollux was given an English accent because he was a bit of a "dodgy dealer". Dylan's Spanish accent may well have been some sort of French cultural comment on the siesta lifestyle. Never underestimate the power of national stereotypes in kids' shows.

And 'Blue Cat' isn't terrifying so much as damn weird. They showed it on Channel 4 a while back.



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&quot;Whisky-wa-wa,&quot; I breathed - she was dressed as Biffo the Bear.

I know people always say "Kids tv (etc) isn't as good as it was in my day", but I have to say, some of the kids stuff just now is *great*. Apart from those wierd blobby things on ITV, anyway...



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Do something pretty while you can...

That's no way to talk about Richard & Judy.



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&quot;Whisky-wa-wa,&quot; I breathed - she was dressed as Biffo the Bear.

Hee. It's no way to spell weird, either, I suspect.

I was watching The High Life on DVD the other night, and Alan Cumming's very camp air steward had pictures of them stuck to the wall behind his bed. Highly amusing.



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Do something pretty while you can...

Green eye alert! Green eye alert! Ahh, 'The High Life'. Would that I too had the DVD of that fine show. And a DVD player to play it on.



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&quot;Whisky-wa-wa,&quot; I breathed - she was dressed as Biffo the Bear.

Nice summary of TMR, PSD. Personally I was too innocent to get the drugs references (then OR now).

I have seen Dougal and the Blue Cat, but it was twenty years ago. I remember the Blue Cat as being called Buxton, but Sarah disagrees. Advice please? It is, if I remember correctly, about the perils of fascism, but as I was cozened with my first girlfriend at the time, I truly didn't care.

AAC, your plea of ignorance is accepted, on both counts. I can't tell Catholicism from the Magic Roundabout, either, as Sarah is well aware, though I can tell between PSD and either of them.

Loved the High Life - must get it! Just sold a HP book for a ridiculous sum of money so have the cash - hurrah!

Ooooh The High Life! Would that I had any money with which to buy the DVD. And then a DVD player to play it on.

My best friend and I used to stand on the Centre Lawn at school after having a double trampoline lesson and two MarsBars each, and sing the theme song to The High Life, with actions :D We really frightened a number of the first years!



I drink to drown my sorrows. Unfortunately they've learnt how to swim.

Eh?! I don't remember disagreeing about the Blue Cat being called Buxton - I just said I couldn't remember its name. I think I did say I'd be a bit surprised if it was Buxton, but I'm not at all sure enough of my facts to disagree outright.

Anyone who can't tell the difference between Catholicism and the Magic Roundabout must have a serious problem when my parish priest comes round, that's all I'm saying... ;-)



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That which does not kill us makes us stranger.
(Llewelyn the dragon, Ozy and Millie)

Sarah

Apparently the Blue Cat *was* called Buxton - in the English version, at least:

[www.magicroundaboutemporium.fsnet.co.uk]

No connection between the Blue Cat and co in 'D&BC' and the Blue Meanies in that other psychedelic animation, 'Yellow Submarine', d'you think?



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&quot;Whisky-wa-wa,&quot; I breathed - she was dressed as Biffo the Bear.

Or Moon Cat. Another blue cat with no connection to Dougal.

I'd forgotten the High Life, and assumed that everyone else had as well.

Sadly missed....



PSD

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This is the work of an Italian narco-anarchic collective. Don't bother insulting them, they can't read English anyway.

High Life - fantastic. Och, dearie me!

Magic Roundabout. Sublime. My Dad used to rush home from work to watch it. 'Choose your words carefully, mollusc'. Eric Thompson was of course the father of Emma Thompson, who I suspect is better known in furrin parts. There's no justice.

Thought; Ermintrude would have been a natural for Air Scotia.



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I am very interested in the Universe. I am specialising in the Universe and everything surrounding it. - E. L. Wisty

See? High Life = fantastic! So why did it never get a second series? Pah.

And Alan Cumming's far too famous for it now. Anyone read his novel? Highly...illuminating.



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Do something pretty while you can...

Ooh, I loved 'The High Life'. But won't be buying it on DVD as I've got Farscape and Blakes 7 to collect.

I got taken to see 'Dougal and the Blue Cat' (who *is* called Buxton) when I was about 4. I was terrified. I occasionally use his expression; "Curses and black puddings," though.

Buxton is the highest thing of its size in Europe, but I don't think that has anything to do with drugs references.

Does Buxton still have a spa - can you still visit it? Mary Queen of Scots used to 'take the waters' at Buxton in the 1570s/80s.

And Arnold Bennett mentions it in "The Old Wives Tale" (I think it was).

Nearest I got was Chatsworth and Matlock.