The U.K.'s Nick Jr will unveil a new CGI version of the classic animated series THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT on Monday, October 22, 2007 at 8:00 am, with simultaneous on-air and online presentations. The world premiere of the first episode will air on cable and satellite preschool TV channels Nick Jr and Nick Jr 2, as well as on the Nick Jr on TMF programming block, available in all digital TV homes on music channel TMF. The episode can also be watched online via Nick Jr Video, the free broadband video player on Nick Jr's website, www.nickjr.co.uk. Subsequent episodes will be available on Nick Jr daily at 8:00 am and also at 4:00 pm on sister channel Nick Jr 2.
The original stop-frame animated MAGIC ROUNDABOUT series first aired in 1965 and became a cult TV favorite with children and adults alike.The newly conceived CGI episodes are animated at the Action Synthese studio in France, with scripts and voices produced in the U.K. The series is directed by Graham Ralph from Silver Fox Films and executive produced by Theresa Plummer-Andrews, who has worked in children's TV for 20 years. The U.K. licensing rights to THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT have recently been acquired by worldwide entertainment rights company Entara.
"This is an exciting launch initiative for us, as it's the first time we've premiered a new episode simultaneously across all of Nick Jr's channels and its online service, Nick Jr Video," says Howard Litton, SVP, Managing Director of Nickelodeon UK. "We wanted to give as many people as possible the opportunity to enjoy the first new episode of THE MAGIC ROUNDABOUT, over 40 years after the show was first created. The new episodes are set in a beautiful CGI-animated world with witty storylines and talented voice actors that will truly bring back the characters we are all so fond of and attract a whole new generation of young fans."
