• Rating:
• Release Year: 1977

Plot

Jamie and the Magic Torch was a stalwart of British '70s children's television, produced by Cosgrove-Hall Productions, the Manchester-based company of animators Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall, and funded by the London branch of ITV (Independent Television), Thames. The program made its debut in 1977 and was usually transmitted at midday, while regular repeats continued until the late 1980s. Three series were made, each consisting of thirteen ten-minute episodes. The opening sequence of each show pans across a suburban nocturnal street, up to a second-floor window, where we see a mother turning off her young sons bedroom light and shutting the door. Then, the perennially pyjama-clad Jamie climbs out of bed, his dog Wordsworth (an old English Sheepdog) crawls from underneath, and the young boy shines his torch onto the carpet. A psychedelic hole then appears, and the duo jump onto an equally eccentric helter skelter that carries them down to the Gateau Plateaux and Veronica Lakes of Cuckoo Land. Here, they meet up with the various natives: Mr Boo, the punctilious mayor; Jojo, the studiously unhelpful odd-job man; Officer Gotcha, the truncheon-eating neighbourhood policeman; ragdoll Nutmeg and, of course, Strumpus Plunkett, whom nobody ever quite understands the origin. Cue any number of unlikely troublesome adventures, always remedied by Jamie's magic torch before he has to return home to bed. ~ Jon Mills, All Movie Guide

Review

Long after its release, Jamie & The Magic Torch received a cult status from the 20-somethings who grew up with it, hence its 2000 video release. Indeed, the day-glo psychedelic landscape, the bright, colorful, basic animation, and the bizarre characters and plot lines seem to be very much the product of post-Yellow Submarine art students. The show's creditability is not surprising: it's more than likely that the subtly hippie-ish counter-cultural references will appeal to fun-seeking adults rather than modern day tiny-tots. From "Mr. Boo Loses a Mountain" on, the opening episodes introduce each character; they're certainly fun -- if not commanding -- viewing, and serve as a reminder of children's television from a gentler time. ~ Jon Mills, All Movie Guide