The Magic Roundabout set for TV return as kids’ classic gets new lease of life

2022-09-10

We have more newsletters

It's time for bed… again, after producers announced they will be making new episodes of The Magic Roundabout.

A new run of the children’s favourite is set to be made by a French TV team aimed at preschoolers.

The show will be “new and exciting” while “keeping the spirit and English humour” of the much-loved British original.

READ NEXT: Sacked CBeebies star felt 'lost' after job axe for stripping naked for racy photoshoot

The old 60s classics will come back with 52 11-minute episodes which will be produced by Mediawan’s Method Animation, the company behind The Little Prince and Robin Hood.

Producer Camille Oesch said there is a “huge global interest” in reviving the programme, despite a 2005 attempt at a film flopping.

The new series is expected to air in 2024, and will be aimed at a young audience of three to five year olds, she hoped it would “recreate the magic of the Magic Roundabout”.

Ms Oesch said: “We want to respect the characters, personalities and spirit of the original. It’s not a question of going back into the past, but of reviving this iconic work with the techniques of the present.

“In England, The Magic Roundabout was not just an iconic programme of the 1960s it was a cultural reference in animation, but the context today isn’t the same as in the 1960s so we have to find a path between the two.”

The original show aired in the UK from 1965 until 1977, with a French version also taking place between 1964 and 1974.

In 2005, kids of a new era could witness the magic of the iconic cast of characters with the release of a motion picture. Its story followed Dougal, Ermintrude, Brian and Dylan on a quest to stop Zebadee’s evil twin Zeebad.

For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.

A CGI series was further released in 2007, with more episodes following in 2010 – but neither of these had the full impact of the classic episodes.

Eager fans took to social media to enthuse about the reboot, with one penning: “Fantastic news! The return of the Magic Roundabout!”

As another added: “Some cheer finally…”

READ MORE:

Strictly's Ore Oduba reveals shock after Ant and Dec crashed Newsround set live on air
Seven things you didn't know about BBC Newsround – Co-star romances to live TV shockers
Newsround presenter remembers 'treasured' office romance as children's show turns 50

Source: Read Full Article