The Magic Roundabout first aired on 18 October 1965, just before the teatime news. Eric Thompson's brilliant and witty reinvention of the French original - Le Manège Enchanté - combined with the timing of the programme to create an instant children's classic.
The first programme featured Zebedee, who came to restore the magic that Mr Rusty's barrel organ and the roundabout had lost, and bring the children back. Subsequent episodes introduced Florence, and the other inhabitants of the garden: Dougal the dog, Brian the snail, Ermintrude the cow, Dylan the rabbit, and Mr McHenry the gardener.
In Thompson's version of the story, Dougal - Pollux in the original - was loosely based on comedian Tony Hancock. Accusations that the character Dylan was inspired by drug culture were always denied by Thompson; he also had to deny that the name Dougal was a dig at the French leader de Gaulle.
The Magic Roundabout ran on the BBC until 1977, but in 1972 outgrew its origins to become a feature film - Dougal and the Blue Cat. After Thompson's untimely death, Channel 4 made some new episodes in 1992, with Nigel Planer pastiching his style. However, it is Eric Thompson's version that is looked on with most fondness today, by viewers who remember the start of the 6 O'clock News as "time for bed".
October anniversaries
- Winston Churchill's first wartime broadcast 1 October 1939
- Songs of Praise 1 October 1961
- Live and Kicking 2 October 1993
- Points of View 2 October 1961
- The Trials of Life3 October 1990
- Pick of the Pops 4 October 1955
- Monty Python's Flying Circus5 October 1969
- Poldark 5 October 1975
- You and Yours 6 October 1970
- Woman's Hour 7 October 1946
- DIY SOS7 October 1999
- Later... with Jools Holland 8 October 1992
- In Touch8 October 1961
- Make Yourself At Home - Programmes for Immigrants 10 October 1965
- Grandstand 11 October 1958
- Around the World in 80 Days 11 October 1989
- On The Move 12 October 1975
- First edition of Any Questions 12 October 1948
- First edition of Omnibus 13 October 1967
- Bombing of Broadcasting House 15 October 1940
- Play For Today 15 October 1970
- First televised Party Election Broadcast 15 October 1951
- Birds of a Feather 16 October 1989
- Blue Peter first broadcast16 October 1958
- The Magic Roundabout 18 October 1965
- The formation of the BBC18 October 1922
- BBC Symphony Orchestra first broadcast22 October 1930
- Captain Pugwash 22 October 1957
- Terry and June 24 October 1979
- Launch of daytime television 27 October 1986
- The Wednesday Play first broadcast 28 October 1964
- First edition of Today 28 October 1957
- Maida Vale opens30 October 1934