1966: SERGE DANOT on THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT | Late Night Line-Up | Classic Interview | BBC Archive

The Magic Roundabout has been phenomenally popular on British Television, enchanting children and adults alike with its surreal, whimsical atmosphere.

The extent of its extraordinary appeal among older viewers was brought to light recently. When the show was moved from a 5:45 time slot to 4:55, the BBC was inundated with letters from disgruntled adults, pleading for the show to be returned to its original time slot - so they could watch it when they got home from work.

The Magic Roundabout is actually an English-language adaptation of the French animation, Le Manège Enchanté. Eric Thompson writes and narrates the English-language version, but the creator of the original show is Serge Danot.

Late Night Line-Up's Joan Bakewell speaks to Monsieur Danot and his associate Jean Biard - who acts as his interpreter - about the incredible success of his show. How different are the two versions? Does Le Manège Enchanté enjoy an adult following in France, like its English counterpart? Did Monsieur Danot set out to make a programme with cross-generational appeal? What does he think of the English version of the show?

Clip taken from Late Night Line-Up, originally broadcast on BBC Two, 13 December, 1966.

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