The Zebedee magic roundabout is a unique and famous traffic intersection located in the town of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. It is renowned for its complex and unusual design, which consists of five mini-roundabouts arranged in a helical pattern around a central hub. The roundabout is named after Zebedee, a character from the popular children's television series "The Magic Roundabout". What makes the Zebedee magic roundabout truly remarkable is its ability to handle a high volume of traffic and provide efficient flow in all directions. Each mini-roundabout is numbered for clarity, and drivers are required to navigate the roundabout in a clockwise direction, yielding to traffic already on the roundabout. The main idea here is that the Zebedee magic roundabout is a unique and efficient traffic intersection.
O is for old enough to know better. After the BBC moved the programme from its slot at 5.55pm, Oxford University students created a petition, and school teachers wrote to complain. The RAF once named a helicopter after Dougal, and (in the days before such celebrity names were common) a woman from Macclesfield shocked her neighbours by naming her child Zebedee in homage. Expect the Kylie connection to push "Florence" up the baby-name chart in 2005.
The RAF once named a helicopter after Dougal, and in the days before such celebrity names were common a woman from Macclesfield shocked her neighbours by naming her child Zebedee in homage. This can only be meat and drink to dedicated drugs and sex conspiracy theorist, a relentlessly cheerful man with an enlarged nose who delivers packages all day, and a group of characters who wander around a park pretending to pick up litter.
The main idea here is that the Zebedee magic roundabout is a unique and efficient traffic intersection. It has gained popularity not only for its functionality but also its quirky and imaginative design. Despite its complexity, the roundabout has become a symbol of Swindon and is often celebrated as a feat of engineering.
It’s time for bed again: French team bring back The Magic Roundabout
O nce upon a time, a girl called Florence with a penchant for big boots played with her weird friends: a dog called Dougal, a dopey rabbit called Dylan and an unusually speedy snail called Brian in a magic garden dominated by a brightly coloured merry-go-round.
The names might not mean anything to people born less than 40-odd years ago, but to those of a certain age they are instantly recognisable as characters from The Magic Roundabout, a French children’s TV show that achieved cult status in Britain in the 1960s and 1970s.
For more than a decade, Florence and friends charmed young and old alike with simple stories told with a witty adult sub-text every evening. Then the programme vanished into television history quicker than the talking, teleporting jack-in-the-box Zebedee could say “time for bed”.
Le Manège Enchanté (The Magic Roundabout) created by Serge Danot. Photograph: Photo 12/Alamy
A 2005 film based on the TV series, failed to revive its fortunes despite being voiced by a cast of A-list stars including Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, Tom Baker, Joanna Lumley, Bill Nighy and Ian McKellen. It was described as “dumbed down” and a tragic bypassing of the cheeky 60s original and plans for a sequel were quickly binned.
Now, Florence and friends are set to enchant a new generation of pre-school youngsters with a series of 52 11-minute programmes produced by Mediawan’s Method Animation, the company behind The Little Prince and Robin Hood.
Producer Camille Oesch said there was huge global interest in reviving the programme, and that while the new series, expected to air in 2024, was aimed at a young audience of three– to five-year-olds, she hoped it would “recreate the magic of the Magic Roundabout”.
“We want to respect the characters, personalities and spirit of the original. It’s not a question of going back into the past, but of reviving this iconic work with the techniques of the present,” Oesch said.
“In England, The Magic Roundabout was not just an iconic programme of the 1960s it was a cultural reference in animation, but the context today isn’t the same as in the 1960s so we have to find a path between the two.
“The response to the news has been enormous. Many channels are interested.”
The Magic Roundabout started life as Le Manège Enchanté, created by Frenchman Serge Danot, a former decorator whose previous claim to fame was that he had helped paint the Eiffel Tower. His pink, red, blue and orange merry-go-round was set in a magic garden where the colour green, which he hated, was bizarrely absent.
From left: Mr Rusty, Zebedee, Florence and Dougal. Photograph: Photo 12/Alamy
In 2004, Danot’s widow Martine, now in her early 70s, recalled how Dougal (Pollux in the French version) was an unexpected star. “He was originally a minor character in the programme,” Danot told the Guardian back then.
“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,” she said.
“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, Azalée.
France’s state broadcaster originally commissioned 13 programmes, the first of which was broadcast in black and white in October 1964. It was an instant hit, and a further 50 episodes were ordered. In the end Danot made about 700 and The Magic Roundabout went global; it was translated into 30 languages and broadcast in more than 60 countries, including Iran and Japan.
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The BBC was initally unimpressed, rejecting the programme twice as charming but too “weird”, before agreeing to buy it in 1965. In the end, its success in the UK was credited to narrator Eric Thompson, the father of actor Emma Thompson, who was presenting BBC2’s Play School at the time. Thompson deemed the original French stories simplistic and dull. Instead of translating them, he turned down the French sound and made up the narrative as he went along.
While it was a huge hit with children, Thompson’s double entendres also appealed to adults. At its height, The Magic Roundabout, shown in the five-minute slot before the early evening news on BBC1, was attracting about 8 million viewers. To young fans, the hippy, guitar-strumming rabbit Dylan was just dopey – while it was evident to parents that he had clearly been smoking something. And what was in those sugar cubes that sent Dougal spinning in circles? Every episode ended with Zebedee (Ze Baddie, another Thompson invention) declaring: “Time for bed”.
Eric Thompson with characters from The Magic Roundabout. Photograph: David Newell Smith/The Observer
Danot was less happy with Dougal’s English name – he was convinced Thompson was having a sly dig at the French president Charles de Gaulle.
Jérôme Brizé, founder of Magic, co-producers of the new series, who manages the rights to the Magic Roundabout on behalf of Martine Danot, admits Thompson’s approach gave the British version a certain adult appeal, but doubts the celebrated actor and script writer would get away with doing the same these days.
“Eric Thompson would turn the sound down and make up his own story. I don’t think he even knew what the original was about; I guess he was sent the scripts in French but I don’t think they were translated,” Brizé said.
“He certainly took some liberties but this was part of his genius and contributed to it becoming such an iconic programme in the UK. I think the UK was the only place where the programme was addressed to adults as well as children.”
Brizé added: “We hope to recreate the spirit and English humour in it, but we will be taking it back to its original roots as a series for children.”
Oesch agreed this was a challenge. “We will be trying hard to find a balance between the French and English contexts,” she said.
G is for Gandalf. Spot the difference. In The Lord of the Rings, the future of Middle Earth lies in the balance. The plucky hobbits cross treacherous mountains to stop the evil Lord Saramon obtaining the ring he needs for world domination. In The Magic Roundabout movie, the fate of the enchanted kingdom lies in the balance. Brian, Ermintrude, Florence and Dougal brave volcanoes and icy wilderness to recover three diamond rings which the malign ice sorcerer Zebad (voiced by Tom Baker) needs to bring perpetual winter to the world. The struggle between good and evil even includes a scene in which Zebedee and Zebad fire lightning bolts at each other. And who plays Zebedee? None other than Sir Ian "Gandalf" McKellen. No wonder the film has already been called Lord of the Springs.
Overall, the Zebedee magic roundabout stands as a testament to innovative urban planning and demonstrates how unique and unconventional traffic solutions can yield positive results..
Reviews for "The Zebedee Magic Roundabout's Role in Shaping Swindon's Identity"
1. John Smith - 1 star
The Zebedee magic roundabout was highly disappointing. The concept of a rotating roundabout with multiple exits seemed interesting at first, but it quickly became confusing and chaotic. The constant shifting of lanes and unpredictable traffic patterns made it a nightmare to navigate. Additionally, the lack of clear signage and road markings added to the confusion. Overall, I found the Zebedee magic roundabout to be a frustrating and inefficient traffic system.
2. Sarah Johnson - 2 stars
I didn't enjoy my experience at the Zebedee magic roundabout. The roundabout's design was too complex for practical use. It seemed more like a novelty attraction rather than a functional road system. The constant rotation and lack of proper traffic flow made it difficult to enter or exit the roundabout smoothly. I also found it time-consuming and stressful to navigate, especially during peak traffic hours. The Zebedee magic roundabout may be unique, but in terms of functionality and convenience, it falls short.
3. Robert Davis - 2 stars
The Zebedee magic roundabout was a complete mess. The multiple exits and rotating lanes added unnecessary confusion and complexity to the traffic flow. It was nearly impossible to plan ahead and choose the correct exit in a timely manner. Moreover, the lack of proper signage and road markings made it even more challenging to navigate. I ended up taking wrong turns several times and wasted valuable time trying to find my way. Overall, the Zebedee magic roundabout was a chaotic and inefficient road system that I would not recommend to others.
4. Emily Thompson - 1 star
The Zebedee magic roundabout was an absolute nightmare. It completely disregarded basic principles of traffic flow and made driving incredibly frustrating. The constant rotation of lanes and unpredictable maneuvering of vehicles made it a dangerous environment for drivers. The lack of clear signage and confusing road markings only added to the chaos. Navigating the Zebedee magic roundabout was a stressful and disorienting experience that I would not want to repeat.