1 9 6 5 – 1 9 6 7 (Australia)
The Magic Circle Club was a massively popular Australian TV show for children.
Such was the programme’s innovation that it received a prestigious Penguin award and a special Logie award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Television in the first year of broadcast.
The show was videotaped at the studios of ATV-0 in Melbourne (as was Prisoner: Cell Block H many years later).
Hostess Nancy Cato would introduce and close each episode with help from Fredd Bear (Tedd Dunn), Fee Fee Bear (John Michael Howson), Mother Hubbard (Fred Tupper), Max (Max Bartlett), Sir Jasper Crookley (Ernie Bourne) and Gasper Goblin (Colin McEwan).
Nancy Cato was replaced by Liz Harris after being injured during production in 1967.
When the show was cancelled (for cost reasons) the production team created a new show called Adventure Island for the ABC. It used the same basic formula and was another huge success, running until 1972.
Hostess
Nancy Cato
Liz Harris
Fredd Bear
Tedd Dunn
Fee Fee Bear
John Michael Howson
Mother Hubbard
Fred Tupper
Max
Max Bartlett
Sir Jasper Crookley
Ernie Bourne
Gasper Goblin
Colin McEwan