IN THE Enchanted Village, The Magic Roundabout lies in ruin, encased in ice. It is the work of the chillingly evil sorcerer Zeebad, whose dastardly mission is to enslave the earth and freeze it over forever.
Ranged against the wicked magician are four of the unlikeliest heroes ever gathered together in an all-action adventure Brian (a lovesick snail), Ermintrude (an opera-singing cow), Dylan (a spaced-out rabbit), and Dougal (a sugar-loving dog).
Only by capturing three magic diamonds can this bizarre but intrepid band reverse the onset of the permafrost that threatens their existence. So begins a desperate race against time over the bubbling lava of a fiery volcano, deep into the heart of a treacherous tropical temple, and across a vast icy wilderness and snow-capped peaks.
Can our four heroes prevail against seemingly unassailable odds? It will take teamwork, loyalty, fearlessness, cunning and guile to outwit their enemy and deliver the Enchanted Village from a frozen fate.
Forty years on from the original TV series, The Magic Roundabout hopes to bewitch a whole new generation of children, thanks to the wonders of computer generated images.
The roots of the series date back to 1963, when an English animator called Ivor Wood joined a French company that had been commissioned to produce a children's series, set in a garden containing a magic roundabout.
When the BBC brought Le Manege Enchante to the UK, it was transformed into one of the all-time classics of children's television. Narrator Eric Thompson (late father of the actress Emma Thompson) chose not to translate the French dialogue or storylines directly, but invented his own plots to match the bizarre on-screen action.
Thus Pere Pivoine, with his top hat and orange moustache, became Mr Rusty; Zebulon became Zebedee, a jack-in-a-box with magical powers; and Flappy was transformed into Dylan.
In subsequent episodes, other characters were introduced, including Azale, who came to be known to us as Ermintrude and Ambroise, alias Brian.
At one stage, the TV series commanded more than eight million viewers. No other children's series reached an audience of even half that size, and the series even rivalled the news as the UK's most-watched programme.
Over four years in the making, The Magic Roundabout is now ready to take a new generation of family audiences on a fresh ride. Some of Britain's best-known actors have joined two of the pop world's true superstars to bring alive the classic Magic Roundabout characters. They include Tom Baker (Zeebad), Jim Broadbent (Brian), Ian McKellen (Zebedee), Joanna Lumley (Ermintrude), Kylie Minogue (Florence), Bill Nighy (Dylan), Robbie Williams (Dougal), Ray Winstone (Soldier Sam) and Lee Evans (Train).
If you ask the actors whether they enjoyed working with each other on the movie, they tend to look a little baffled. Because as far as they're concerned, they didn't work with any other actors. The first time they'd talk to their co-stars was on the night of the premiere. Which is just another bizarre aspect to a very complex process. Everyone has a personal recollection of The Magic Roundabout, and how it tied into their lives at a certain point, regardless of their age. No two responses seem to be the same.
It was unemployment that introduced Bill Nighy to the series. He says: "I first saw it in the 70s when I was almost certainly out of work: I spent a lot of time in front of the TV during those early years of my career". Nighy plays Dylan. "Which is handy," he says, "because he was my favourite character: he was funky and fun and kind of warm-hearted and sweet."
Jim Broadbent (Brian) recalls "My father was a fan first. When we eventually got a television, it was one of the first things I got into and it was a great event in the early evening".
For Kylie Minogue (Florence), it brings back memories of her childhood in Australia, and what struck her was "the madness of it all, with all those characters running round in circles and the crazy music."
Perhaps the most bizarre recollection comes from singer Robbie Williams, who plays Dougal. "I became very scared of animation when I was a kid. I don't know why. I was easily scared I suppose. Doctor Who was no problem, but as soon as The Magic Roundabout came on, I used to hide behind the sofa".
Talking of Dr Who, Tom Baker (cast as Zeebad, the evil villain of the piece) says he was always "a great fan of The Magic Roundabout, because it's very mischievous and because it works on several levels, like all good writing. Who would have thought that in the twilight of my life, I would be playing a villain in a feature film version?"
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