What we've got here is a French series for very young children (from zero to seven or eight years, I'd say, although I'm not much of a judge of age categories). It's an immensely charming series which started out in France but gradually conquered large parts of the known world. I remember watching it as a child, and being absolutely delighted by it.
The series had much to recommend it : a variety of friendly and well-drawn characters, sweet songs, pleasant stories and a nice line in gentle wit. The various episodes were short, too, which turned them into ideal bedtime stories or sweet little treats.
Looked at from a 2019 perspective, the series has gained an additional charm : it's got a cosy, handmade feel to it, which contrasts nicely with all the computer-generated and/or decided-by-commission crap released nowadays. (One does not need much imagination to picture two or three Frenchmen in shirtsleeves carefully moving the dog Pollux, one meticulous millimetre after another, while discussing the merits of the 'coq au vin' in the local bistro. Meanwhile there's another Frenchman sitting on a nearby chair, smoking a cigarette and making cutting remarks about the latest presidential address.)
Mind you, I'm talking about the first and original "Magic Roundabout". The creation went through various later adaptations. I never saw one of those but I do know that both the tone and the look changed - and probably not for the better...
The series had much to recommend it : a variety of friendly and well-drawn characters, sweet songs, pleasant stories and a nice line in gentle wit. The various episodes were short, too, which turned them into ideal bedtime stories or sweet little treats.
Looked at from a 2019 perspective, the series has gained an additional charm : it's got a cosy, handmade feel to it, which contrasts nicely with all the computer-generated and/or decided-by-commission crap released nowadays. (One does not need much imagination to picture two or three Frenchmen in shirtsleeves carefully moving the dog Pollux, one meticulous millimetre after another, while discussing the merits of the 'coq au vin' in the local bistro. Meanwhile there's another Frenchman sitting on a nearby chair, smoking a cigarette and making cutting remarks about the latest presidential address.)
Mind you, I'm talking about the first and original "Magic Roundabout". The creation went through various later adaptations. I never saw one of those but I do know that both the tone and the look changed - and probably not for the better...