The Magic Roundabout - Created by Serge Danot in 1965, The Magic Roundabout became a television legend. The five minute slot just before the early evening news guaranteed the programme a viewing figure of over eight million. Seemingly innocent children's animation* series included witty commentary for the adults, allowing two generations to enjoy it. Flavoured with a laid-back and surreal view of life, the programme reflected a heavy sixties feel. It soon achieved a cult status.

The programme featured a rather off-the-wall cast. Its included Dougal (left), a shaggy dog who lived on a strict diet of sugar; an eccentric bouncing character called Zebedee (right), who would announce his arrival with a 'boing'; a rabbit named Dylan, who could have been accused of growing something considerably stronger than carrots in his vegetable patch; Ermintrude the pink cow, Florence, Brian the snail and their friends in the Garden. Thus The Magic Roundabout staked its place in television history.

The most famous sentence of the series was Zebedee's standard declaration "Time for Bed" sending millions of children to sleep every evening.

The Magic Roundabout was re-run on channel 4 television at the end of last year, winning yet another generation of young fans.

thanks to David McAnally for the scans of Zebedee and Dougal

* David feels so stronglyabout the use of the word "animation" in connection with this series that I'm going to reproduce the observations he made to me:

"...there is one small thing that is bothering me - the word 'animation' being used in connection with this puppet series. This adjective, unfortunately, gives the wrong impression that "The Magic Roundabout" is a cartoon series. This is because, in dictionaries, - published in England, the United States and Australia - the word 'animation' relates to animated cartoons, only, never to puppets.

For example, in the Penguin English Dictionary, which was published in Middlesex, England, the definition of animation is:

"process of preparing drawings to be photographed in cartoon making".

Also, in the American Funk & Wagnall's Standard Desk Dictionary, 'animation' is defined, similarly, as:

"The process and technique of preparing animated cartoons".

Because "The Magic Roundabout" was actually a puppet series and not a cartoon series, would it be possible, please, to replace the word 'animation' with 'puppet', or with 'animated puppet' on your 'Zebedee' page. Thanks. In this way, the true category of the series would be represented on your page.

It is unfortunate that the person who wrote the original article, from which you took the information for "The Magic Roundabout", used the inappropriate description of "The Magic Roundabout" as being an 'animation' series, thereby unintentionally giving the wrong impression that the series is a cartoon one."