I personally loved this show as a kid - my parents used to take me to concerts and play classical music at home, (I also played the violin), so whenever I heard a famous piece on the programme I loved it! The characters were pretty well-defined for a kids' TV programme, which is probably why the show was successful for so long. I loved the baddies - especially Lucius and Goodtooth - and the goodies - Oscar & Monty - alike.
Admittedly, some of the settings and extra characters were a little bizarre (as were the colours, the hairstyles, and some of the accents), but kids are usually prepared to overlook things like that - I certainly was.
The fairly straightforward premise of the show meant that they could set it anywhere - in frozen Siberia, outer space, Bach's back room, a Spanish bullring, a luminescent sewer, Chicago's gangster scene, troll-infested caves - with talking rats, clockwork soldiers, Martians, and a talking elephant. Wearing a baseball cap.
Yes, it was a bit madcap, and I doubt everyone that watched it really developed an interest in the classical music (which was sort of the point) - but for the music-mad, it was brilliant.
Admittedly, some of the settings and extra characters were a little bizarre (as were the colours, the hairstyles, and some of the accents), but kids are usually prepared to overlook things like that - I certainly was.
The fairly straightforward premise of the show meant that they could set it anywhere - in frozen Siberia, outer space, Bach's back room, a Spanish bullring, a luminescent sewer, Chicago's gangster scene, troll-infested caves - with talking rats, clockwork soldiers, Martians, and a talking elephant. Wearing a baseball cap.
Yes, it was a bit madcap, and I doubt everyone that watched it really developed an interest in the classical music (which was sort of the point) - but for the music-mad, it was brilliant.