''Around the World in Eighty Days'' is an animated television series that lasted one season of 16 episodes, broadcast during the 1972–1973 season by

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

. It was the first Australian-produced cartoon to be shown on American network television. Leif Gram directed all 16 episodes, and the stories were loosely adapted by Chester "Chet" Stover from the 1873 novel by

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

Plot

More comedic in tone than Verne's novel, the motives of

Phileas Fogg Phileas Fogg () is the protagonist in the 1872 Jules Verne novel ''Around the World in Eighty Days''. Inspirations for the character were the American entrepreneur George Francis Train and American writer and adventurer William Perry Fogg. ...

( Alastair Duncan) differ from those of his literary forerunner. In this story, Fogg is passionately in love with Belinda Maze (

Janet Waldo Janet Waldo (born Jeanette Marie Waldo; February 4, 1919 – June 12, 2016) was an American radio and voice actress. In animation, she voiced Judy Jetson in various Hanna-Barbera media, Nancy in ''Shazzan'', Penelope Pitstop, Princess from ''Batt ...

), whose uncle, Lord Maze (

Owen Weingott Owen Ash Weingott (21 June 1921 – 12 October 2002) was an Australian actor, director and drama teacher. Although primarily working in theatre, he appeared on radio and television in serials and made for television films and voice overs. Weingo ...

), sternly disapproves of the commoner Fogg marrying his niece. Fogg proposes a wager: if he can travel around the world in eighty days, then Lord Maze will give him Belinda's hand in marriage; if Fogg fails, he will abandon her. The two men also make a side bet of £20,000. Fogg is accompanied by his valet, Jean Passepartout (

Ross Higgins Ross or ROSS may refer to: People * Clan Ross, a Highland Scottish clan * Ross (name), including a list of people with the surname or given name Ross, as well as the meaning * Earl of Ross, a peerage of Scotland Places * RoSS, the Republic of Sout ...

), and Passepartout's pet monkey, Toto. They employ all the methods of transportation available in the late 19th century—balloons, trains, elephants, and steamships—in the course of their journey. Fogg and Passepartout dispense geographical knowledge to the audience at each of their stops. Lord Maze hires a saboteur, Mr. Fix (

Max Osbiston Maxwell Hamilton Osbiston (7 August 1914 – 12 March 1981) was an Australian actor, active in radio, stage, film and television. Biography Osbiston was born in Sydney, the son of Frank and Iolanthe Osbiston (née Margoliouth) of Cremorne, New So ...

), to interfere with Fogg and Passepartout's journey. Unlike his counterpart in Verne's novel, Fix is not a

Scotland Yard Scotland Yard (officially New Scotland Yard) is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police, the territorial police force responsible for policing Greater London's 32 boroughs, but not the City of London, the square mile that forms London's ...

detective attempting to arrest Fogg on suspicion of bank robbery. Fogg manages to complete his journey by the end of the programme's single-season run, winning Belinda's hand with little time to spare.

Episode structure

Each episode has the same structure: * Fogg describes their destination to Passepartout. * Fogg asks Passepartout to pack the bag with a seemingly random collection of items. * Fogg teaches a proverb. * Fix describes aloud about his plan to stop Fogg. * Fogg and Passepartout follow their itinerary, while Fix tries to stop them. * During the journey, Fogg finds the time to explain the history and geography of the locations they visit. * Eventually, all the items Fogg and Passepartout took with them prove to be essential. * The proverb Fogg introduced at the beginning of the episode also proves to be essential for their success. * The episode ends with Fogg saying "Good show, Passepartout!"

Places and proverbs in each episode

Production history

The series was produced through Australian Air Programs International, one of whose staff producers, Walter J. Hucker, served as the

showrunner A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...

. NBC transmitted the sixteen episodes in the United States on its Saturday morning schedule during the 1972–1973 season.

Music

John Sangster John Grant Sangster (17 November 1928 – 26 October 1995) was an Australian jazz composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as a composer although he also worked with Graeme Bell, Humphrey Lyttelton and Don Burrows. H ...

composed the theme music, set to a variation on the tune of "

Mademoiselle from Armentières "Mademoiselle from Armentières" is an English song that was particularly popular during World War I. It is also known by its ersatz French hook line, 'Inky Pinky Parlez Vous,' or the American variant 'Hinky Dinky Parlez-vous' (variant: ''Parlay ...

". The lyrics were written, specifically for the show, by an uncredited writer.

Home video release

''Around the World in Eighty Days'' was released on Region 1 DVD in the United States in a two disc set by

Visual Entertainment Visual Entertainment Inc. (VEI) is a home video/television distribution company that is based in Toronto, Ontario. An independent label, it has released several well-known TV series on DVD, some through sub-licensing deals with other labels such ...

on September 27, 2011.

References

External links

*
The theme song
in YouTube. {{Around the World in 80 Days American children's animated adventure television series American children's animated comedy television series Television shows based on Around the World in Eighty Days 1970s American animated television series 1972 American television series debuts 1973 American television series endings NBC original programming Television shows set in the British Raj Television shows set in India Television shows set in Rajasthan Udaipur