The topic "Dylan magic roundabout drugs" refers to the popular urban legend that suggests the iconic children's TV show, The Magic Roundabout, which aired in the 1960s and 1970s, contained subtle references to drug use. Specifically, the character Dylan, a laid-back and often sleepy rabbit, is often associated with drug references due to his relaxed demeanor and tendency to appear somewhat disoriented. This theory gained popularity during the counterculture era when drug use was prevalent and socially debated. Supporters of the theory argue that Dylan's speech patterns and actions were reflective of the hallucinogenic experience, with his slow and dreamy movements reminiscent of being under the influence. However, it is important to note that these claims are largely based on speculation and interpretation. The creators of The Magic Roundabout have vehemently denied any intentional references to drug use, explaining that Dylan's behavior was simply a creative representation of a calm and peaceful character.

A touch of the old magic

Dreamed up in France 40 years ago, The Magic Roundabout became one of the most successful British children's programmes of all time. With a feature-length film version soon to be released, Kim Willsher talks to its creator's widow about Dylan, Dougal and drugs

I ts star was a sarcastic dog called Dougal who looked as if he had been prepared earlier from the inside of a toilet roll, a ping-pong ball and several skeins of mustard-coloured wool. His best pals were Florence, a papier-mché girl with pigtails and oversized boots, a dopey rabbit called Dylan, the frenetic snail Brian and a very weird, mustachioed chap on a spring. Together, they got up to improbable antics in a brightly coloured magic garden with a cardboard cutout merry-go-round.

But from such unlikely material, a cult was born. This year, The Magic Roundabout, one of the most successful British children's programmes of all time, celebrates its 40th birthday. Forget Hector's House and Paddington Bear, the Wombles and Postman Pat. At its peak, around eight million viewers - children and adults - were glued to the Magic Roundabout, shown originally in the five-minute slot before the early evening news on BBC1.

Perhaps inevitably, more than 25 years after it disappeared from our screens, Dougal and co are now set for a revival. A £12.8m feature film starring the voices of Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, Sir Ian McKellen and Joanna Lumley, which is currently being promoted at the Franco-British film festival in Dinard, will bring them back to life early next year.

To British audiences Eric Thompson, father of the actor Emma, and narrator of the episodes, was Mr Magic Roundabout. His sophisticated scripts, often way over the heads of younger viewers, seemed the epitome of dry Anglo-Saxon wit.

But, of course, The Magic Roundabout was not British but French. It began life in the early 1960s as Le Manège Enchanté and was created by Serge Danot, a former decorator whose only previous claim to fame was that he had once helped paint the Eiffel Tower. His pink, red, blue and orange merry-go-round was set in a garden where the colour green, which he hated, was strangely absent.

Danot died in 1990, at the age of 59. But in a remote corner of rural France, his magic roundabout continues to turn with its famous strangulated wail. Danot's widow Martine, 52, still has the the original set of the programme, which she lovingly maintains.

In the French version of The Magic Roundabout, a strange, springy creature called Zebulon restores the garden's magical properties with a snap of his fingers. This attracts visitors. including a girl called Margotte and her odd friends.

Danot, 52, recalls how Dougal - called Pollux in French - was an unexpected star. "He was originally a minor character in the programme," she says. "At first he didn't say anything, he just made a strange noise. But after the first few programmes viewers began writing asking to see more of the dog, so he became the main character.

"Serge gave him a heavy English accent, which French people found enormously amusing. He went, "Bow, wow, wow" (French dogs go, "Ouah, ouah"). Dylan, meanwhile, was called Flappy and had a heavy Spanish accent, while Brian the snail was Ambroise and Ermintrude the cow, Azalee.

Danot had loved puppets as a child, but left home to work at the age of 16. Forced to give up painting and decorating after smashing his left foot in an accident, he turned his hand to animation. The first episodes of Le Manège Enchanté were filmed in a derelict house in Paris, where high-powered lights used to illuminate the set kept blowing the electricity fuses.

Danot later moved the roundabout to his family's chamois factory, complete with water mill, set in an enchanting spot on the Sèvre Nantaise river near Nantes. He also teamed up with the British animator Ivor Wood, who went on to create Paddington Bear, the Wombles and Postman Pat. Each five-minute episode took up to two weeks to produce. The characters were photographed 24 times every second to create 7,500 separate images for each programme.

France's state broadcaster originally commissioned 13 programmes, the first of which went out in black and white in October 1964. It was an instant hit, and a further 50 episodes were ordered. In the end Danot made around 700 and The Magic Roundabout was translated into 28 languages worldwide, including Iranian and Japanese.

After turning down the programme twice for being charming but too "weird", the BBC agreed to buy it in 1965. Eric Thompson, at the time presenting BBC2's Play School, was invited to rework the strange French story to render it comprehensible to British viewers. But he reportedly refused to translate the original French tales, branding them simplistic and dull. Instead, he turned down the French sound and made up a witty and sophisticated plot as he went along.

Danot was delighted at the programme's success in Britain, though miffed at the choice of Dougal's name, which he suspected was a Thompson dig at the French president, General de Gaulle.

In October 1990, having borrowed heavily to invest in new equipment and signed a deal to produce a further 120 episodes, Danot was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He died two months later, leaving Martine, his fourth wife, to bring up their four-year-old son, Max, and pay back the hefty bank loan.

"I really had no choice but to carry on his work," she says, "but at the time I'd never even seen a whole episode of The Magic Roundabout. I sat down and watched the whole lot. Fifteen days later I was at work on the new series and fulfilled the contract."

Martine believes that her husband would be delighted by the new film, currently being shot in the south of France and due to be released in February next year. Minogue will voice Florence, Williams will voice Dougal, and McKellen will voice Zebedee, as well as his evil alter ego, Zebadie (Ze Baddie).

But whether the movie will transcend Danot's simple idea and reach Thompson's level of subtle humour remains to be seen. For, of course, as we young fans grew older and wiser, it became apparent that all was not as it seemed in the Magic Garden.

Thompson's family has always denied that there was anything secretly subversive about his plots, or that some of the characters might have been dabbling in mind-altering substances. And Martine looks genuinely horrified by the suggestion.

"On drugs? No, no, absolutely not," she says. "They were all sweet characters created entirely for children. Of course they were products of their age, the 60s, but drugs? No, there's no way they were on drugs. Maybe that's the way you saw it in Britain, but I can assure you that here in France nobody thinks or thought that."

I'm not convinced. What was in those sugar cubes that sent Dougal spinning in circles? Why did Ermintrude's head turn 360 degrees whenever she chomped on the magic flowers? And are we really expected to believe that dopey Dylan, who would wake up under the tree, strum his guitar, mutter, "Hey, man," and go back to sleep, had not been at some magical plant or other?

Martine gives me a withering look that suggests the subject is definitely closed.

Boingggg, as Zebedee might have said. Time for bed.

Magic Roundabout

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Cameron Newham wrote.
-|
-|Question is: What are the names of the characters in "The Magic Roundabout" ?
-|
-|I can only remember 3.
-|

No, '3' wasn't in The Maggic Roundabout

Richard Marshall

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In article c. @hawk.adied.oz.au (Cameron Newham) writes:
>Question is: What are the names of the characters in "The Magic Roundabout" ?

I can't remember exactly but here goes anyway!!
Dougal, Florence, Ermintrude, Brian, Dillon(sp?), Mr McHenry, Mr Rusty,
Zebedee. I think that is it. If there are any others, please let us all know
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This question has cropped up a number of times at work (and elsewhere).
I'm not sure if it's been answered in any of the discussions in this
news group.

Question is: What are the names of the characters in "The Magic Roundabout" ?

I can only remember 3.

Cameron Newham (The Master) | We call it
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Chris Cooke

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In article , c. @hawk.adied.oz.au (Cameron Newham) writes:
>
> Question is: What are the names of the characters in "The Magic Roundabout" ?
>
> I can only remember 3.
>
> Cameron.

No, I'm sure that wasn't one of them.
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Mark Anthony Brown;E200

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>This question has cropped up a number of times at work (and elsewhere).
>I'm not sure if it's been answered in any of the discussions in this
>news group.

>Question is: What are the names of the characters in "The Magic Roundabout" ?

Dougal (dog)
Brian (snail)
Florence
Mr. MacHenry (gardner)
Mr. Rusty (in charge of roundabout)
Ermintrude (cow)
Dylan (rabbit, modelled on Bob Dylan, hence the stoned look)
Paul, Rosalie, Basil (Florence's friends)
Zebedee
The Train

From the film, Dougal and the Blue Cat, we also have Buxton the Blue Cat
and the Blue Voice (played by Fenella Fielding).

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Cameron Newham

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Thanks to everybody who responded to the Magic Roundabout question.
Some hard-core fans out there. :-)

Florence (the girl)
Dougal (the dog)
Brian (the snail)
Zebedee (the funny man on a spring)
Dylan (the stoned rabbit)
Mr Rusty (roundabout owner)
Mr McHenry (gardener)
Ermintrude (a cow)
The Train

Paul, Rosalie, Basil (Florence's friends)

Now can anyone tell me exactly what Zebedee was supposed to be .

Richard Marshall

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Ian Taylor

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>Dougal (dog)
>Brian (snail)
>Florence
>Mr. MacHenry (gardner)
>Mr. Rusty (in charge of roundabout)
>Ermintrude (cow)
>Dylan (rabbit, modelled on Bob Dylan, hence the stoned look)
>Paul, Rosalie, Basil (Florence's friends)
>Zebedee
>The Train

>From the film, Dougal and the Blue Cat, we also have Buxton the Blue Cat
>and the Blue Voice (played by Fenella Fielding).

No forgetting Penelope the Spider.

Jonathan Bennett

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Er, this may have been pointed out already, but some, if not all of the characters in Magic Roundabout are on Drugs! Zebedee was on speed, Ermintrude was on acid (remember the sugar lumps that made her see things?) Dylan was, of course a dopehead, and the others I've no idea. MR was made in the early seventies, when drug culture was still around (before re-emerging in the eighties).

Also, Captain Pugwash was rather dodgy as well. The characters:

Captain Pugwash himself;
Roger the cabin boy;
Seaman Stain(e?)s.

Any more I can't remember.

Andrew Cannon

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How about Master Bates !

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Mark Anthony Brown;E200

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>>>Question is: What are the names of the characters in "The Magic Roundabout" ?

names of characters deleted

>No forgetting Penelope the Spider.

I didn't think Penelope the Spider was in the original. I've seen her only in
the new version shown on Channel 4 recently narrated by Nigel Planer.
Anyone know of any more characters from the new series?

Mark Anthony Brown;E200

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>Captain Pugwash himself;
>Roger the cabin boy;
>Seaman Stain(e?)s.

The cabin boy was called Tom (I think Roger would have been a bit _too_ blatent
and not slipped through the net!) I think that there was also alleged to be a
character called Master Bates. However, the Grauniad printed an article with
the names Seaman Staines and Master Bates, and were eventually forced to print
an apology to John Ryan saying that they never existed in the series.

Pugwash's ship was called the "Black Pig". Hmm. Can't remember what Jake's ship
was called though.

Frank Drebbin

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Jonathan Bennett wrote.
-|
-|Also, Captain Pugwash was rather dodgy as well. The characters:
-|
-|Captain Pugwash himself;
-|Roger the cabin boy;
-|Seaman Stain(e?)s.
-|
-|Any more I can't remember.
-|
-|Hmm!
-|
-|Jono.

I'm told by my mate dave, that there was also a 'Master Bates'

Paul Norris

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Completely untrue, I'm afraid. Hate to spoil an interesting story BUT

NO character such as "Seaman Staines" or "Master Bates" was ever part
of Pugwash - John Ryan recently won a libel action against some newspaper
or magazine that repeated the story.

Jonathan Bennett

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Ho hum, `twas a long time ago. Has anybody seen any episodes of Pugwash on the telly recently? Since they re-ran MR, they may have well done the same with CP.
I don't get to watch too much Kids telly these days (lectures an' all that).

OK then, so what was Ivor the Engines driver called?

Jono.
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Richard Marshall

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>OK then, so what was Ivor the Engines driver called?

Wasn't it Jones the Steam?

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JRO. @estec.bitnet

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Jon Wells

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David Morning

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The Guardian was the offender. Apparently around the time it was being
debunked in alt.folklore.urban.

Can't remember all the characters but the one that comes the nearest to
a dubious name is
Mister Mate.

Someone posted a complete and correct list of the the characters last week
to a.f.u.

Ian Palmer

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In article eey. @dcs.qmw.ac.uk (Mark Anthony Brown;E200) writes:
>In ee0. @ee.surrey.ac.uk (Jonathan Bennett) writes:
>
>>Also, Captain Pugwash was rather dodgy as well. The characters:
>
>>Captain Pugwash himself;
>>Roger the cabin boy;
>>Seaman Stain(e?)s.
>
>The cabin boy was called Tom (I think Roger would have been a bit _too_ blatent
>and not slipped through the net!) I think that there was also alleged to be a
>character called Master Bates. However, the Grauniad printed an article with
>the names Seaman Staines and Master Bates, and were eventually forced to print
>an apology to John Ryan saying that they never existed in the series.
>

Yes there was a Master Bates (although his name keeps changing,
sometimes it's 'Master Bate' and sometimes 'Master Mate'). There are
also other strange things to look out for in the episodes, some lines
are 'well dodgy', and there are strainge unrelates things in the
backgrouds (I remember once there was a treasure chest that they
discovered, and it had (for no good reason, not even mentioned) the
number 69 printed on it).

>Pugwash's ship was called the "Black Pig". Hmm. Can't remember what Jake's ship
>was called though.
>
>
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The Magic Roundabout

I think it's funny because the programme is made in France, and the British version was overdubbed with a story that wasn't the same as the French story. They looked at the programme and made a story up around the actions.

I think they like the Magic Roundabout at DS, don't you DS mods ?

The creators of The Magic Roundabout have vehemently denied any intentional references to drug use, explaining that Dylan's behavior was simply a creative representation of a calm and peaceful character. Regardless, the idea of Dylan and drug use has become ingrained in popular culture, perpetuated by numerous urban legends and parodies. It serves as an example of how seemingly innocent and unrelated media can be interpreted and distorted to fit certain narratives.

Comments

Originally posted by Ragazza
Does anyone here like the Magic Roundabout ?

I think it's funny because the programme is made in France, and the British version was overdubbed with a story that wasn't the same as the French story. They looked at the programme and made a story up around the actions.

I think they like the Magic Roundabout at DS, don't you DS mods ?

Originally posted by Ragazza
Does anyone here like the Magic Roundabout ?

I think it's funny because the programme is made in France, and the British version was overdubbed with a story that wasn't the same as the French story. They looked at the programme and made a story up around the actions.

I think they like the Magic Roundabout at DS, don't you DS mods ?

What I want to know, is when they redub the CGI movie in France, will that be a totally different story to the one we are getting?

Oh, and did you know EMI will be getting 25% of Robbie's earnings from The Magic Roundabout. Part of his new deal means EMI don't just get 25% of his music earnings, they get 25% of all earnings.

Shocking or what??

oh dear not the magic roundabout. D

Last time i watched this was on new years eve/day at about 4am in the morning with all my friends, we really couldnt work out what was happening but it sure was funny!!

It kept finishing before we had time to work out why Dougal was trying to hide his "magic sugar cubes" from everyone else using invisible walls

Just loved the sayings they had:

*time for bed" said zebidee (sp?)..
.

theres a very good magic roundabout remix on kazaa i got a few weeks ago actually I have it on my xbox as part of my moto gp racing music

Wasnt it once said that The Magic Roundabout was created by someone under the influence of drugs, and that there was connections in the stories to magic mushrooms and as Exulus said "magic sugar cubes"?

It would be interesting to have someone who speaks english and french and watch both dubs of one story. Just to see how different the english ones are.

Well when we watched it we basically worked out that Dylan is blatently stoned, Dougal is addicted to LSD and that Zebadee is constantly on speed. Not sure about the others though!

Originally posted by Exulus
Well when we watched it we basically worked out that Dylan is blatently stoned, Dougal is addicted to LSD and that Zebadee is constantly on speed. Not sure about the others though!

According to my Mum, "Zebedee" was one of the first words I ever said.

There's some deep seated psychological trauma under there somewhere .

I know that this is an old thread, but I thought it would be best to search and see if what I wanted to discuss already existed and it does, so I will add my thoughts to this thread instead:

I liked watching "The Magic Roundabout" when I was younger, (it was often shown on CBBC or CBeebies, can't remember which channel it was it was shown on) and I think that it is better than a lot of the boring stuff we got on TV these days!

I think I have got a VHS tape somewhere in the loft containing some "The Magic Roundabout" episodes.

Also, I especially liked the whistley theme tune at the start and end of each episode.

So who else here enjoyed watching "The Magic Roundabout" then? Also, despite the fact that the programme was made in France, to me, it has a British feel to it.

Dougal, Florence, Zebedee, Brian the Snail? Helps if you are at least 40 though there was a rubbish film version a few years ago.

Magic Roundabout was very important in my childhood. About the first books I read were a couple of Magic Roundabout picture books. Also, we had a waste paper bin with a big picture of Dougal on, plus smaller ones of the other characters, and I had a little chest-of-draws in my room, which my parents put a big adhesive transfer of Dougal on. Also, as MR was usually in the 5.35 pm slot, it probably, indirectly, helped with my education in current affairs and news, as Blue Peter was just before, and Nationwide just afterwards, and Magic Roundabout was often the reason I was there to see those two programmes.

I was thinking of watching the film version but it might come across as too basic/simple (babyish). It might be a bit boring for an adult.

Dougal, Florence, Zebedee, Brian the Snail? Helps if you are at least 40 though there was a rubbish film version a few years ago.

Also, Ermintrude the cow, who always had a flower in her mouth. There were a couple of other, occasional characters, too-Mr Rusty and Mr McEnery, weren't there? I can't recall too much about them, but seem to recall something about one of them having a top hat and beard.

I saw the film a while back (can't remember the exact circumstances why though). there seemed to be a rather unnatural relationship between Dougal and Florence.

I saw it as a daily end to the magical childrens' television and a precursor to the news - and then on to bed.

That awful music was like some sort of death knell. The same can be said for Rhubarb & Custard and Noggin the Nog.

I saw the film a while back (can't remember the exact circumstances why though). there seemed to be a rather unnatural relationship between Dougal and Florence.

I saw the film a while back (can't remember the exact circumstances why though). there seemed to be a rather unnatural relationship between Dougal and Florence.

I saw it as a daily end to the magical childrens' television and a precursor to the news - and then on to bed.

That awful music was like some sort of death knell. The same can be said for Rhubarb & Custard and Noggin the Nog.

I know the feeling. Once the closing credits faded, it was 5.40 pm. No more fun programmes, but time for oh-so-serious men and women in suits to discuss men in pinstripe trousers and bowler hats, zig-zag line charts of numbers, rough-looking men in the street, fighting or shouting, and black and brown soldiers in other countries, people getting hurt and killed-and 'the economy' 'financial' 'industrial' 'unions' and 'terrorists'

Still, kudos to the neco-poster for actually searching for a similar thread before posting a new one. You won't fit in around here

As for the subject at hand, I can't comment on so low a dose of LSD.

I saw it as a daily end to the magical childrens' television and a precursor to the news - and then on to bed.

That awful music was like some sort of death knell. The same can be said for Rhubarb & Custard and Noggin the Nog.

Same here, but still watched it as it was a "children's program", it was like rationing in those days.

I went to school with Eric Thompsons daughter, (Emma the Oscar winner was his other daughter).

Don't know where all the druggie references came from because she came across as being very straight laced and the family being a bit up themselves.
Always went to Scotland for holidays and went on and on about how bloody wonderful it was stuck up a glen somewhere.

Same here, but still watched it as it was a "children's program", it was like rationing in those days.

I went to school with Eric Thompsons daughter, (Emma the Oscar winner was his other daughter).

Don't know where all the druggie references came from because she came across as being very straight laced and the family being a bit up themselves.
Always went to Scotland for holidays and went on and on about how bloody wonderful it was stuck up a glen somewhere.

She owns a spread up there now (Emma Thompson).

I read an article recently that told of police being called to her property after reports that a naked man had been seen in the grounds.

Apparently when they arrived she opened the door wearing a towel and with wet hair. It soon became clear that the naked 'man' had in fact been Ms Thomspn herself - who is inclined to go skinny dipping in a lake on her land!

User Reviews

I admit, I did not like this movie first time, but when I saw it today for the first time in three years I was surprised. While bearing little resemblance to the 1960s show, which is just timeless, this is a decent and colourful contemporary tribute.

There are flaws still with the film. The plot is very thin, and sometimes is made up of disconnected scenes. The script has some knowing lines but there are parts where the jokes only come across as average. Also it is a little too short so while the characters still maintain their simple charm, they weren't developed properly.

That said there are a vast majority of things that compensate. For one thing, the visuals are absolutely striking and colourful. Then there is the brilliant soundtrack, that is sunny and really pleasant to the ears. But what made the movie was the film was the voice cast, with fun supporting turns from Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy and Lee Evans(who I have found annoying in the past). Tom Baker is deliciously malevolent as ZeeBad and Ian McKellan is exceptional as always. But Robbie Williams's cheeky and charming performance as Doogal is the nicest surprise.

All in all, has its failings but it is decent and colourful. It is a shame really it was bastardised by its god awful American counterpart Doogal, which is little more than lame pop culture references and redeemed only by the quality of its animation and the in general talented voice cast(but Jon Stewart was completely wrong for ZeeBad) though they did deserve much better. 7/10 for Magic Roundabout. Bethany Cox

On entering the cinema, I did have my doubts. I'd watched the original Magic Roundabout from a very young age, and one false step could have ruined both versions for good.

However, the filmmakers managed to make a perfect balance of "old" and "new" to bring out a whole new film, featuring characters that reminded me of the originals, but didn't try to take their places.

The storyline was fun, bearing in mind that it was aimed at young children, and included the token jokes (aimed at both children and adults), teary moments and interesting yet predictable twists. The graphics were excellent, and most of the older viewers were "Ahhh"ing throughout at the sight of the big, sweet eyes. Looking around, I could tell that the young 'uns were enjoying it too, and that's what really matters in a film like this.

Overall, a brilliant transition from a simple, sweet television show to an enormous, exciting movie.

All is quiet, it's teatime and before you know it Zebedee says those immortal words: "Time for bed children." But 'Boing' Suddenly, as if by magic Kylie Minogue is telling you that they're "coming to get ya" – a talking sugar addict dog, an opera singing cow, a stoned bunny and a wacky wizard with a spring instead of legs, man I think I've been eating too much sugar myself It's true though – just when you thought it was safe to take a trip back 30 years to a place of innocence and fun – here comes the super slick all singing, all dancing, all action CGI Magic Roundabout. Yes, some brave filmmakers have taken on the daunting task of updating the British teatime favourite (originally from France) which was once the 2nd most popular show on the BBC – behind the news!! How on earth could this work? And who invited the lovely Kylie to not only voice Florence but also knock out a catchy Magic Roundabout single for the soundtrack? A genius team of Dave Borthwic, Jean Duval and Frank Passingham actually – and they've pulled off a minor miracle here. Aided by the superb voice cast of Tom Baker (Zeebadee), Jim Broadbent (Brian the snail), Lee Evans (Train), Joanna Lumley (Ermintrude), Ian McKellen (Zebedee), Bill Nighy (Dylan) and Robbie Williams (Dougal). And there's even a plot of sorts: the Magic Roundabout lies in ruin after an evil ice sorcerer Zebadee has escaped to freeze the world. Step up some unlikely heroes, Brian, Ermintrude, Dylan and Dougal to challenge the chill by recovering three magic diamonds. Okay, so the plot might as well have been from a computer game and it is all a bit far removed from the genteel original but it's just mad to see Dougal and crew trekking over fiery volcanoes, jungle temples and snow-capped mountains. Plus McKellen manages to instill the spirit of Gandalf into Zebedee and even gets a heroic 'fall from a high pass' scene after battling his icy nemesis Zeebadee. This leads to Dylan almost quoting Pulp Fiction with "Zeb's dead babe, Zeb's dead"; this and some of the original's trippy substance references will keep adults of a certain age smiling. What can I say? I was amazed at how much I enjoyed this slight bit of nonsense, maybe it was sheer nostalgia but then my son Luke loved it too which I wasn't expecting.

'The Magic Roundabout' is a cute and fun family-flick. What really makes it so enjoyable are the lovable characters brilliantly 'played' by the voice artists that include numerous British talents (such as Bill Nighy, Sir Ian Mckellan, Ray Winstone and Joanna Lumley) and Australian beauty Kylie Minogue (what a beautiful voice!). Robbie Williams as Dougal is a little too whiny at times. The various vivacious characters include a gentle-snail, a shaggy dog, a singing cow, a guitarist rabbit, a small train and a half-spring character who are all on a quest in search of three diamonds to rescue the land from freezing over. The plot may not be seen as anything new and the CGI may not be of Pixar animation quality but that didn't hinder my liking for the film. I found it to be very adventurous and there were several funny and endearing moments. I also liked the creative use of different colours and the soundtrack is brilliant. My memory of the classic (from which the film was inspired) remains very blur. Hence, I cannot comment on how true it stayed to the original but as a film itself, it's good family entertainment.

When Dougal tries to steal a cartload of sweets, he accidentally crashes into the roundabout, releasing the evil ZeBadDee and scattering three diamonds across the land. Free after thousands of years, ZeBadDee plans to not only free the area but capture the diamonds and use them to freeze the sun. With Florence and her friends trapped in the frozen roundabout, Dougal, Brian, Ermintrude and Dylan set out to uncover the diamonds first and return things to normal.

First of all let me get rid of the "what have they done to the original" argument because, in my mind, this film bares so little in common with the original 5 minute TV show that it is unfair to really make this complaint. The characters may be the same in name and in visual presence but the film is totally different to the original series in terms of plot structure, intelligence, humour, animation and tone. So to me it is like a whole new film without any baggage and I tried to view it as such. As a colourful computer animated children's film it just about works and it did please the children that were in the audience who were mostly younger than seven. The plot is nothing more than a series of colourful adventures but they are noisy enough and funny enough to please this target audience even if it is hardly that good.

Adults who do manage to get over the fact that this is trampling on their memories will find little to keep them amused. The adult jokes are spread pretty thin and really aren't that clever – drug references are lazy, poorly delivered and just smack of a script trying to push the easy buttons – worse is that they are not funny. The film references include The Matrix Revolutions, Lord Of The Rings, Pulp Fiction and a few others but they are only amusing, not funny. A few lines here and there did make me laugh but they were the exception not the norm. The animation was of course going to be different from the original but I had hoped it would avoid the soulless sort of stuff that is kicked out for the Saturday morning schedules and in fairness it does look quite good but I would have preferred a bit more personality behind those computer-generated eyes than I could see. The voice talent is mixed and is sadly better in the smaller roles than in the main ones.

Robbie Williams is so different from the character of Dougal that I expected that I was sorely disappointed. He is just a cheeky chappy voice and he had no emotional range at all. Minogue is the same but luckily is in a very small role. Nighy is OK but I couldn't be sure if he sounded lazy because he had chose to be or if it was just because he wasn't putting much effort into it. Broadbent is better and suits Brian the snail and Lumley is pretty good as Ermintrude. Minor roles are must better (maybe for that very reason); Ray Winstone is expressive as Sam, Baker is great fun (and has plenty of good lines) as ZeBadDee, Lee Evans is funnier than he has been for a few years and McKellen was always going to be good with his voice.

Overall this is an OK film for kids under seven because it is noisy, a bit creepy, funny and colourful. However the jokes for adults mostly fall flat and I only laughed a couple of times. Those looking to compare it with the original series should just avoid it totally because there is no connection other than the name and vague appearance of the characters; as a version of the original it is a terrible travesty, but what did you expect? As a film in itself it is still not that good but will do for young children.

My friends dragged me to see this with them for a joke. The cinema was full of kids and I was really embarrassed! But I definitely don't regret seeing it.

The plot was, unfortunately, the weakest part of the movie. It was just so Saturday-morning-cartoonish (complete with evil twins, magic diamonds and walking skeletons) that anyone in the cinema over the age of nine is unlikely to be interested. But anyone under that age will be delighted from start to finish.

It's the cast and music that really did it for me. Robbie Williams, despite his complete lack of experience as an actor, pulls off his role as Dougal with natural skill and emotion, which is pleasantly surprising. Jim Broadbent and Joanna Lumley seem to have great fun in their roles (as Brian the snail and Ermintrude the cow respectively) and Bill Nighy, well, lets just say there's no one else in the world who could've done Dylan the drug-addled bunny like he did ("no way man! I'm in, like, a higher state of unconsciousness. "). Kylie Minogue did well enough, but she only has about three lines. Tom Baker and Sir Ian Mackellen also seemed to enjoy giving very camp performances as the arch rival jack-in-the-boxes Zebedee and Zeebad (though Sir Ian sounded a little too much like Gandalf). The music, which seems to include vocal performances from Kylie and Robbie, is fantastic and well above average for a kids film today. If you've seen the film, I think you'll agree the soundtrack is a must-buy! But still, it's not all great. The plot is full of gaping holes, and while it mostly works with a very young audience in mind, the jokes aimed at adults are not laugh-out-loud funny, they just raise a knowing smile. There are some rather strange movie references too. It features references to Pulp Fiction, LoTR, and The Matrix (courtesy of some unexpected kung-fu fighting on Dylan's part) and I'll be damned if I saw a Dragon Ball Z reference in there! (Watch the scene where Zebad fights Zebedee for the first time - then again maybe it was just cheesy. ) I never saw enough of the original 5 minute episodes to be a fan, but really, it seems very different from the original, so old-time fans may be disappointed, or maybe they'll appreciate seeing their old favourites in some new action-packed situations. It's up to them.

Yes, it falls flat in MANY places, but it's also got a childish, endearing charm that may make you wish you were seven again.

I was part of the 40% adult demographic that was was addicted to the Eric Thompson version, that went out on TV in the UK years ago, and I have a DVD of the Nigel Planer ones too. I was therefore looking forward to this for another fix, especially Tom Baker's Zeebad and Bill Nighy's Dylan.

It is visually delightful, the main part of the story where the Zebadee rules over a wintry ice kingdom is even prettier than the summery scenes at the beginning and end! The characters are more animated and better able to sustain your attention for the length of a feature film though I was surprised initially at the changes, not having seen any trailers beforehand. The plot is fairly simple but they always were, and so beautifully depicted that I can't see it matters. The love interest is as unexpected as it is sweet! The dialogue is as funny as you would expect from previous versions and the characters are as we always knew them. I loved Dylan's sudden concern when it was pointed out that grass was under threat!

I had forgotten how I had to get used to Nigel Planer's voice after being used to Eric Thompson's and this happened again. Once I had adjusted though it was delightful. The songs are nothing special and not as catchy or charming as the original tune but they fitted in just fine. I LOVED Ermintrude's opera singing! I had forgotten that attribute of her character!

Probably one I will enjoy more on dark winter nights when I need cheering up, accompanied by a mug of hot chocolate, sugar almonds and marrons glacés rather than popcorn, much more than than in warm weather. A film you can happily watch with children too. Just keep die hards and cynics at bay!

The DVD is excellent with a lot of extras and a an interactive two level quiz for youngsters when they have seen the film a few times and want a bit more involvement.

All in all, I recommend this to children of all ages.

Let's get clear with two things first: 1. I have not seen anything of the original show so my childhood could not be ruined by this movie. 2. This is a movie for children and children only. Parents may not enjoy the jokes and the plot as much as the children accompanying them, but I say at least we see a movie that is not too "grown-up" for those some-year-old. And with the lively characters they can emotionally connect to, surprisingly nice CGI graphics and enjoyable music it's sure they will not be bored for a second; rather be fully entertained by the big adventure story that playfully steals scenes from other adventure movies - but from the greatest ones, namely Indiana Jones and The Lord of the Rings (okay, and from other movies too). If I was a kid, I would have loved this movie. As an adult I see it's a great and spectacular children's movie.

OK, I loved it, and yet I was (slightly) disappointed too. Tom Baker voicing the part of the villainous Zeebad was absolute genius. His crazed, maniacal lines were wonderful. And Dylan was brilliant too - Bill Nighy was just the right choice. But I missed Dougal's cynical, world-weary quips from the original Magic Roundabout. And Ermintrude was disappointing too.

The animation is certainly very good, although again I missed the original 'cardboard cutout' feel of the garden backdrops. (It was very good, but just not like the original!) I'm glad they kept the train the same! The 70's soundtrack was very welcome. It's not entirely obvious what music would work well, but I think they got that right.

Generally, the original show's short format is not an easy task to expand upon, and I think they did pretty well really.

This production hits the buttons at all levels. For the younger kids who will enjoy it as they would any new animation; the tweenagers who will enjoy the story and the action; and the teens & twenty somethings for all the many references to movies over the last 10 - 15 years. And for the rest of us, the vague sense of nostalgia - don't rush out before the end of the credits, just for that famous phrase you are waiting to hear! Robbie is excellent as Dougal, with Baker, McKellen and Broadbent not far behind. The other "famous" artists were out of my realisation until I read the credits and thought - "so it was". It's not what you watched just before the BBC news, but still worth the ticket, with or without a pre-schooler in tow.

Though I'm not too happy with Robbie Williams as Dougal, I find the rest of the voice cast wonderfully suited. Bill Nighy IS Dylan the rabbit. Yes, this is indeed a far stretch from the original, but the old show had very short story lines, this required a longer plot. There was I, a 21 year old woman, watching this movie on my own. and I loved it! There were even the old subtle drug hints that made the old show such a cult icon (such as Dylan having issues about the grass never growing). They could be seen either as innocent (Dylan is a rabbit, rabbits eat grass) or, to those used to the old show, a hint at once was (Dylan being considered constantly stoned). So, yeah, I enjoyed it, a nice, simple movie to look back on old times on.

This film is about a group of friends trying to stop an evil Zeebad from turning the world into ice.

This film is for the very young kids to enjoy. The animation is quite pleasant. The soft colours, simple & clean animation, and colourful scenes make it quite visually appealing to watch. Dialogs are easy to understand, and there are quite a few lines that got me laughing. My favourite line is "This guy is seriously messing with my karma", which is something I totally did not expect in a kids' film! The music is quite good, the ending theme song is a Kylie Minogue song that I have never heard of! Putting the intended young audience into context, I think this film deserves more than the current rating on IMDb.

After Dougal (Williams) accidentally releases evil Zeebad (Tom Baker) from his prison, he and his pals Ermintrude (Lumley), Brian (Broadbent) and Dylan (Nighy) embark on a quest to find three magic diamonds before Zeebad uses them to encase the world in ice. More than 40 years on from its first broadcast, the children's stop-frame animated series The Magic Roundabout is something of a TV legend - at one point it was the second most-watched programme after the news. Originally made in France, it was bought by the BBC for broadcast here and Eric Thompson (dad of Emma) supplied new storylines and narration, delivering a healthy dose of dry wit to teatime viewing in tales that featured a seemingly stoned rabbit called Dylan, a shaggy, sugar-addict dog named Dougal, the highly sprung, vast-'tached magician Zebedee, Ermintrude the singing cow and Brian the smart-but-slow snail.

Grown-up fans delighted in the series' supposed drug-culture references and political satire, but (and let's be honest) were as enchanted by its cuteness as the children at which it was aimed. So a 21st century movie update of classic kiddies' telly is a brilliant idea, as those nostalgic for the show can not only visit the Magic Roundabout once again, but introduce their own children to it, too.

Of course, this version is far slicker and attempts a bit of Hollywood-style action-adventure grandstanding, but it works both as a trip down memory lane and as an entertaining movie for (very) young children. The characters are now CGI - albeit rather below Pixar standard - but still look much like the Ermintrude, Dougal and Brian of old (Florence is a bit scary though, with teeny-weeny creepy eyes). The writers, meanwhile, have kept in some of the adult humour; at one point, Dylan wisely advises Dougal to lay off the sugar, as once you have one iced bun it's hard not to eat the whole box. Plus, they've thrown in some '70s musical moments (Dylan and Ermintrude's rendition of The Kinks' You Really Got Me is superb) and have enticingly given the characters very famous voices - it's strangely appropriate that Zebedee shares the same vocal chords as Gandalf.

While this may not be a Shrek-like experience guaranteed to deliver a pan-demographic smash - teens certainly won't be impressed by the simple, videogame-ish plot - it is, at least, spot-on for Brit tots too young for Harry Potter and too discerning for Tweenies.

This is a very clever and innovative animation based on the characters of the old TV show. So if you are expecting a rehash of the old TV show then you will not see one. This is a family film but not for infants or very young children, like the old TV show. Adults like my wife (45) and me (48) laughed continually. Many of the jokes will go over the heads of young children but will not cause offence. There is quite a bit of fighting and "mild peril" which is not at all like the TV show which is why it is not suitable for infants. The plot is really good with Tom Baker playing an evil version of the Zebadee called Zeebad who wants to take over the world. Dillon the Hippy Rabit, played by Bill Nighy, who with Dougal and the rest of the cast have to save the day. This is a really good film and will have you splitting your sides.

Overall, the notion of "Dylan magic roundabout drugs" is a topic that highlights the enduring power of urban legends and the influence of the counterculture era on popular perception. Whether true or not, it continues to captivate the imagination and spark discussions about hidden messages in media..

Reviews for "The Rhythm of Bob Dylan's Music and the Magic Roundabout Drug Scene"

1. Maria - 2 stars - I found "Dylan magic roundabout drugs" to be confusing and hard to follow. The storyline jumped all over the place and it was difficult to understand what was happening. The characters were also poorly developed and lacked depth. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and would not recommend it.

2. John - 1 star - I couldn't even finish "Dylan magic roundabout drugs". The writing style was incredibly dry and boring. The dialogue was forced and unnatural, making it difficult to connect with any of the characters. The plot was also uninteresting and failed to grab my attention. I regret picking up this book and would advise others to steer clear of it.

3. Sarah - 2 stars - "Dylan magic roundabout drugs" was not what I expected. The description made it sound like an exciting and suspenseful read, but it fell flat for me. The pacing was slow and there were too many unnecessary details that didn't contribute to the overall story. I also found the ending to be unsatisfying and abrupt. I had higher hopes for this book and was disappointed in the execution.

4. Michael - 1 star - I can't believe I wasted my time on "Dylan magic roundabout drugs". The writing was poor, filled with grammatical errors and awkward sentence structure. The characters were unlikable and lacked any redeeming qualities. The plot was predictable and lacked originality. Overall, this book was a complete letdown and I regret ever picking it up.

5. Emily - 2 stars - "Dylan magic roundabout drugs" had potential, but it failed to deliver. The story had a promising premise, but it was poorly executed. The writing lacked depth and emotion, making it difficult to connect with the characters or care about their journey. The pacing was also inconsistent, with some parts dragging on while others felt rushed. Ultimately, this book fell short of my expectations.

The Role of Magic Roundabout Drugs in Bob Dylan's Musical Evolution