So I was vainly checking my ecosystem status at The Truth Laid Bear when I notice I'd picked up a new referrer - Dock of the Bay by Adelaide blogger Kent Inverarity. So as one does, I perused his blog for a bit and noticed a reference to a movie called "The Gods Must Be Crazy" which I dutifully looked up on IMDB, chase down a few reviews for and then add to my NetFlix queue. Mmmmmm, movies...
While I'm at IMDB I check out what movie it was I heard Robbie Williams would be in and I remember its "De-lovely" the new movie based on the life of the famous 1920's singer and songwriter, Cole Porter. But then I also notice that Robbie Williams will also be providing the voice for Dougal in "The Magic Roundabout". Wait a minute, what was that? Yes, holy crap, there's going to be a movie of "The Magic Roundabout".
I think it would probably take way to long to describe "The Magic Roundabout" adequately. Suffice to say it was one of the earliest TV programmes I remember watching - a five minute animation that played at 5:40pm every day, and right afterwards, until "I got older" at least, I had to go to bed. I'll tell you, getting older sure took a long time back then. So yes, it kinda takes me back - way back.
Oh and it helped that this show was originally a French show called "Le Manège Enchanté" featuring bizarre characters like a sugar cube eating dog that looked like a toilet brush, a permanently stoned rabbit called Dylan, a dumb as a post cow called Ermintrude, and mistachioed bed time enforcer called Zebedee who seemed to have evolved from a slinky and a glove puppet. A photo probably does the menagerie better justice.
It seems as if the Pathe remake will feature most of the old characters lovingly re-rendered in CGI and with voices of minor celebrities such as Tom Baker, Joanna Lumley, Kylie Minogue and the aforementioned Robbie Williams. It will apparently debute sometime in 2004 and will be accompanied by a marketing campaign bringing plush dolls, clothing, cards, calendars, games, and tableware. So all you 30-something Brits, get ready for The Magic Roundabout to suddenly be cool again and grab your wallets for some nostalgia. In the mean time you can check out the story synopsis and concept movie posters which I managed to dig up thanks to Google.
By the way, if you go Googling for the Magic Roundabout you'll soon find that #1 entry is actually a real roundabout in Swindon that was named after show due to its mind boggling bizarre layout of mini roundabouts all around one big roundabout. The signpost that announces it strikes fear into any lesser mortals mind and would cause any American to drive right of the road for good. Yes, you really need pictures to believe it.
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