The Magic House (TV series)
| The Magic House | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Children's | 
| Created by | Joe Austen | 
| Written by | Joe Austen | 
| Directed by | Simon Staffurth Adrian Edwards  | 
| Starring | Peter Forbes Symon Macintyre Colin Purves Julie Westwood Brian Herring Heather Fraser Dave Murden Michael Bayliss Marie Phillips  | 
| Theme music composer | Kim Goody Alan Coates  | 
| Opening theme | "We're So Happy to See You in the Magic House" | 
| Ending theme | "We're So Happy to See You in the Magic House" (Instrumental)  | 
| Composers | Kim Goody Alan Coates  | 
| Country of origin | United Kingdom | 
| Original language | English | 
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Sandy Ross Rhoda MacDonald  | 
| Producers | Adrian Edwards John Price  | 
| Editor | Robert Scott | 
| Running time | 10 minutes | 
| Production company | Scottish Television | 
| Original release | |
| Network | ITV (CITV) | 
| Release | 1994 – 1996  | 
The Magic House is a British children's television animation puppet show created by Joe Austen, that was broadcast on Scottish Television from 7 January 1994 to 30 July 1996. The television programme was adapted from a series of children's books written and illustrated by Austen in the early 1980s. The show's 52 10-minute episodes were aired across the ITV Network between 1994 and 1996.[1] As well as the television episodes, a spin-off series of books was also produced, written and illustrated by Joe Austen.[2] The show, which featured Uncle Teapot, Kitty Kettle, Barney Bin and other characters based on household items, proved a success with the characters appearing in adverts for the Trustee Savings Bank for children's savings accounts.[3] The show’s theme music is a pastiche of the Beatles song "It's All Too Much".
Characters
- Barney Bin
 - Bessy Brush
 - Grandpa Clock
 - HG Well
 - Kitty Kettle
 - PC Pot
 - Soapy Bubbles
 - Uncle Teapot
 - Teddy Chair
 - The Eggcups
 - Jack Salt
 - Paddy Pepper
 - Sam Spade
 - Waffle
 - Peek, Gobble and Fluff
 
Production and ownership
In 2001 the Dundee-based Austen bought back the rights to The Magic House and other shows produced by his Storyland company.[4] Ownership of Storyland where previously in the hands of Carlton Television and Scottish Media Group in 2003.[5]
Plans for a revival
In 2005, a new television series, as well as various types of books for the series, were planned to be developed.[6]
Episodes
| Series | First air date | Last air date | Episodes | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 January 1994 | 1 July 1994 | 26 | 
| 2 | 7 February 1995 | 2 May 1995 | 13 | 
| 3 | 2 January 1996 | 30 July 1996 | 13 | 
Series 1
- Moving Pictures - 7 January 1994
 - Air Fare - 14 January 1994
 - Apple Pie Bed - 21 January 1994
 - Ups & Downs - 28 January 1994
 - Down in the Dumps - 4 February 1994
 - Mirror Mirror - 11 February 1994
 - A Drop in the Bucket - 18 February 1994
 - Whats in the Box - 25 February 1994
 - Cat & Dog - 4 March 1994
 - Blind Mans Buff - 11 March 1994
 - Curious Cases - 18 March 1994
 - The Runaway Trees - 25 March 1994
 - Exercising - 1 April 1994
 - Sticking Together - 8 April 1994
 - Sound Asleep - 15 April 1994
 - Kind Hearts & Juicy Pies - 22 April 1994
 - Full Moon - 29 April 1994
 - Now You See Her - 6 May 1994
 - Big Blowout - 13 May 1994
 - Fast & Tight - 20 May 1994
 - Pig Business - 27 May 1994
 - Absent Friends - 3 June 1994
 - Ready Teddy Go - 10 June 1994
 - What A Balloon - 17 June 1994
 - Blowing Hot & Cold - 24 June 1994
 - Musical Chairs - 1 July 1994
 
Series 2
- The New Arrival (A.K.A Meet Waffle) - 7 February 1995
 - Colours and Painting - 14 February 1995
 - Soapy Bubble’s Little Troubles - 21 February 1995
 - Football on the Beach - 28 February 1995
 - The Waffle Cycle - 7 March 1995
 - Cloud Animals - 14 March 1995
 - Peek a Boo PC Pot - 21 March 1995
 - The Magic Watch - 28 March 1995
 - Trip to the Seaside - 2 May 1995
 - PC Pot’s Long Lost Relative - 9 May 1995
 - Barney Bin’s 5 Wishes - 16 May 1995
 - Food Marvellous Food - 23 May 1995
 - The Pantomime - 30 May 1995
 
Series 3
- Gobble, Peek and Fluff - 2 January 1996
 - The New Wonder Hat - 9 January 1996
 - The Wishing Tree - 16 January 1996
 - Dreamland - 23 January 1996
 - Follow the Leader - 30 January 1996
 - Winter Wonderland - 27 February 1996
 - Wibbly Wobbly - 5 March 1996
 - Guess The Music Instruments - 12 March 1996
 - Toys Everywhere - 19 March 1996
 - X Marks The Spot - 9 July 1996
 - Copies - 16 July 1996
 - Kitty's Birthday - 23 July 1996
 - It’s a Wonderful Life of Pc Pot - 30 July 1996
 
UK VHS releases
The show was released as 3 VHS tapes in the mid 90s.
| VHS Title | Release Date | Episodes | 
|---|---|---|
| The Magic House Moving Pictures and other Stories (VC1363) | 6 June 1994 | Moving Pictures, Air Fare, Apple Pie Bed, Ups and Downs, Down in the Dumps | 
| The Magic House Cat and Dog and other Stories (VC1366) | 6 June 1994 | Mirror Mirror, A Drop in the Bucket, What's in the Box, Cat and Dog, Blind Man's Buff | 
References
- ^ "Joe Austen". Blake Friedmann Literary Agency. 2010. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
 - ^ "Magic House". Storyland. 1996. Archived from the original on 1 September 2005. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
 - ^ Mike Woodcock (13 December 2004). "Storyland". Interactive Tayside. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
 - ^ Kristy Dorsey (18 December 2001). "Storyland buys back ownership". The Herald. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
 - ^ Ron Clark (10 November 2003). "Two deals help put Storyland on road to flotation Dundee company aims for more success". The Herald. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
 - ^ "Storyland — Magic House". Archived from the original on 1 September 2005. Retrieved 20 July 2010.
 
External links
- The Magic House page at Storyland (archive.org)
 - Joe Austen, Uncle Teapot and the Foodwood, Storyland — one of the Magic House books (archive.org)
 - Joe Austen, Soapy Bubbles' Little Troubles, Storyland — a preview of the book