______________________________________________________________________
‘Look and see the sun rise on a
new adventure,
where will Belladonna
fly today…?’
–
title song
______________________________________________________________________
On a trip to the Zoo one day Emma Dollybutt, and her
twin brothers Ivan and
Conrad are met by their Great Uncle Lancelot. Only,
he doesn’t arrive on foot.
Instead he breezes in on the wind, because Lancelot
is a decidely clever chap.
He has invented a fantastic flying machine which he has
named ‘Belladonna’.
It’s a giant balloon with all sorts of gizmos and
gadgetry in its gondola.
But Lancelot’s achievements pale next to those of
his brother Perceval. He has
created a magic dust which enables humans to converse
with animals. The
problem is, Lucretia Moore, the head of the world’s largest
pet food company,
also knows about Perceval’s discovery and she wants that
dust. That’s why
Perceval has gone in to hiding. And it’s also why
Lancelot whisks away the
the three kids and a dog called Buster, off on a worldwide
hunt for the chap,
with Lucretia and her bumbling assistant on their
heels. Fortunately, they
can call on members of the animal world to aid them
on their quest…
First published in 1987, ‘The Fantastic Flying Journey’
was written by naturalist
Gerald Durrell and was sub-titled ‘An Adventure in
Natural History’. The gang
encounter whales in the Polar Seas, rhinos in Africa, migratory swallows,
snakes,
they visit the Autralian Outback and more. The story featured
illustrations by artist
Graham Percy and this animated adaptation uses his
work as a launching pad.
This is a ‘classic’ adaptation, with a lush soundtrack,
rich colours and some
quality talent providing the voices and steering the
production through to the screen.
Prominent on the credits is the name of John Coates,
the prolific and influential
producer of such films as ‘Yellow Submarine’, ‘The Snowman’,
The Bear’,
‘Granpa’ and so many others. And sitting atop those voice
credits are the names
of Miranda Richardson (Lucretia) and Simon Callow
(Lancelot). Maybe it’s
a tad ‘jolly hockey-sticks’ for some tastes, with
its bumbling villains and terribly
polite children, but there’s no denying the tale’s
appeal to just as many others.
And there is something particularly attractive about
serial adventures. So few
seem to be made…
Interesting to nore how Nickelodeon’s ‘Wild Thornberries’
came to the fore
at around the same time as this. The two series share
much the same
concept, don’t they? – But wait up, don’t go calling
your lawyers yet, because
both of these series must surely doff their caps to
a certain ‘Dr Dolittle’
who was travelling and talking with the animals long
before these two
were even a twinkle in their creators’ eyes.
TV-Loonland have recently brought us the likes of
‘Clifford The Big Red Dog’,
‘Little Ghosts’, ‘The Cramp Twins’ and those medieval
‘Metalheads’.
As for Gerald Durrell, well he was a colourful and
popular naturalist and
author, wasn’t he? His work has been animated before,
of course. In 1978
Cosgrove Hall produced their version of ‘The Talking Parcel’…
______________________________________________________________________
based on the book by Gerald
Durrell
with cover art and illustrations
by Graham Percy
directors: Catherine
Robbins, John Coates
The Fantastic Flying Journey and the adventures of Belladonna
______________________________________________________________________
‘Look and see the sun rise on a
new adventure,
where will Belladonna
fly today…?’
–
title song
______________________________________________________________________
On a trip to the Zoo one day Emma Dollybutt, and her
twin brothers Ivan and
Conrad are met by their Great Uncle Lancelot. Only,
he doesn’t arrive on foot.
Instead he breezes in on the wind, because Lancelot
is a decidely clever chap.
He has invented a fantastic flying machine which he has
named ‘Belladonna’.
It’s a giant balloon with all sorts of gizmos and
gadgetry in its gondola.
But Lancelot’s achievements pale next to those of
his brother Perceval. He has
created a magic dust which enables humans to converse
with animals. The
problem is, Lucretia Moore, the head of the world’s largest
pet food company,
also knows about Perceval’s discovery and she wants that
dust. That’s why
Perceval has gone in to hiding. And it’s also why
Lancelot whisks away the
the three kids and a dog called Buster, off on a worldwide
hunt for the chap,
with Lucretia and her bumbling assistant on their
heels. Fortunately, they
can call on members of the animal world to aid them
on their quest…
First published in 1987, ‘The Fantastic Flying Journey’
was written by naturalist
Gerald Durrell and was sub-titled ‘An Adventure in
Natural History’. The gang
encounter whales in the Polar Seas, rhinos in Africa, migratory swallows,
snakes,
they visit the Autralian Outback and more. The story featured
illustrations by artist
Graham Percy and this animated adaptation uses his
work as a launching pad.
This is a ‘classic’ adaptation, with a lush soundtrack,
rich colours and some
quality talent providing the voices and steering the
production through to the screen.
Prominent on the credits is the name of John Coates,
the prolific and influential
producer of such films as ‘Yellow Submarine’, ‘The Snowman’,
The Bear’,
‘Granpa’ and so many others. And sitting atop those voice
credits are the names
of Miranda Richardson (Lucretia) and Simon Callow
(Lancelot). Maybe it’s
a tad ‘jolly hockey-sticks’ for some tastes, with
its bumbling villains and terribly
polite children, but there’s no denying the tale’s
appeal to just as many others.
And there is something particularly attractive about
serial adventures. So few
seem to be made…
Interesting to nore how Nickelodeon’s ‘Wild Thornberries’
came to the fore
at around the same time as this. The two series share
much the same
concept, don’t they? – But wait up, don’t go calling
your lawyers yet, because
both of these series must surely doff their caps to
a certain ‘Dr Dolittle’
who was travelling and talking with the animals long
before these two
were even a twinkle in their creators’ eyes.
TV-Loonland have recently brought us the likes of
‘Clifford The Big Red Dog’,
‘Little Ghosts’, ‘The Cramp Twins’ and those medieval
‘Metalheads’.
As for Gerald Durrell, well he was a colourful and
popular naturalist and
author, wasn’t he? His work has been animated before,
of course. In 1978
Cosgrove Hall produced their version of ‘The Talking Parcel’…
______________________________________________________________________
based on the book by Gerald
Durrell
with cover art and illustrations
by Graham Percy
directors: Catherine
Robbins, John Coates