''Jamie and the Magic Torch'' is a British children's

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

made by

Cosgrove Hall Cosgrove Hall Films (also known as Cosgrove Hall Productions) was an English animation studio founded by Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall; its headquarters was in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester. Cosgrove Hall was once a major producer of childre ...

for

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

and shown on the ITV network, running from 1976 to 1979. It was shown again in the 1980s to a new audience of children. The series was written and narrated by

Brian Trueman Brian Trueman (born 16 May 1932) is an English broadcaster, writer and voice actor. He is known mainly for his work with the animation studio Cosgrove Hall. He wrote and/or narrated children's cartoon series, mostly during the 1970s and 1980s. ...

, who later wrote shows such as '' Danger Mouse'' and ''

Count Duckula ''Count Duckula'' is a British children's animated comedy horror television series created by British studio Cosgrove Hall Films and produced by Thames Television as a spin-off from '' Danger Mouse'', a series in which an early version of the ...

'' for Cosgrove Hall. Jamie and the Magic Torch was aired in India on Doordarshan in the 1980s and 1990s. It was very popular among kids.

Premise

The programme is based around the young boy of the title and his

torch A torch is a stick with combustible material at one end, which is ignited and used as a light source. Torches have been used throughout history, and are still used in processions, symbolic and religious events, and in juggling entertainment. I ...

. When shone on the floor, the torch opens up a hole into a fun fantasy dimension called Cuckoo Land. The beginning of each episode has Jamie's mother tucking him into bed at night and saying, "Sleep well, Jamie." Then from under his bed, his pet

Old English Sheepdog The Old English Sheepdog is a large breed of dog that emerged in England from early types of herding dog. Obsolete names for the breed include Shepherd's Dog and . The nickname ''Bob-tail'' (or ''Bobtail'') originates from how dogs of the bre ...

, Wordsworth, appears, holding the torch in his mouth. Jamie takes the torch and shines it on the floor, opening up a portal to Cuckoo Land (in which Wordsworth always gets stuck). The portal manifests itself as a helter skelter. When they reach the end of the slide, they fly out into Cuckoo Land from the bottom of a tree trunk, and land on a

trampoline A trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched between a steel frame using many coiled springs. Not all trampolines have springs, as the Springfree Trampoline uses glass-reinforced plastic rods. People bounce o ...

. All of this is accompanied by a song, written by Joe Griffiths. Once in Cuckoo Land, the fun begins.

Characters in Cuckoo Land

* Mr. Boo, who flies around in his 'submachine', obsessed with counting things. * Officer Gotcha, who rides a unicycle and eats truncheons. * Strumpers Plunkett, who plays melodies on his trumpet nose. * Wellibob the cat, who does everything backwards and speaks with a Glaswegian accent. * Jo-Jo Help the unhelpful handyman. * Nutmeg the ragdoll, whose magical pocket can produce all kinds of items. * The Yoo-hoo Bird, who plays tricks on and runs from Officer Gotcha. * Bullybundy, the show business rabbit with oversized feet. * Arthur, a robot (series 3 only).

VHS releases

The first two series have also been released on DVD.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jamie And The Magic Torch British children's animated fantasy television series ITV children's television shows 1976 British television series debuts 1979 British television series endings 1970s British children's television series English-language television shows Television shows produced by Thames Television Television series by Fremantle (company) Television series by FremantleMedia Kids & Family 1970s British animated television series Television series by Cosgrove Hall Films