1 9 7 1 – 1 9 7 2 (UK)
26 x 15 minute episodes
Written and narrated by Eric Thompson (the driving force and voices behind the original Magic Roundabout) The Magic Ball was the first production from animation wizards Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall, who would go on to create such masterpieces as Danger Mouse, Count Duckula and Chorlton And The Wheelies.
First broadcast on ITV in the early 1970s it became a hit with the public, winning two silver medals at the Venice Film Festival of Children’s Films and a silver Hugo at the Chicago Film Festival.
A little boy called Sam lives in a seaside town called Haythornethwaite. Sam spends much of his time in his Aunt Mill’s antique shop, from where his amazing journeys begin.
In distant places and strange new worlds, he encounters a host of characters needing assistance – from bored, lonely giants to stranded spacemen and shipwrecked sailors to bees with a fear of flying.
With the help of the magic ball, he is always able to conjure up a solution.
Episodes
The Story Of The Caveman | The Story Of The Princess In The Castle | The Story Of The Chimney Sweep | The Story Of The Six Winged Lions | The Story Of The Highwayman | The Story Of The Circus | The Story Of The Weathermaker | The Story Of The Chimpanzee | The Story Of The Grandfather Clock | The Story Of The Toy Soldier | The Story Of The Flying Carpet | The Story Of The Cowboy And The Indian | The Story Of The Pirates || The Story Of The Mountie | The Story Of The Nervous Bagpipes | Under The Sea | The Story Of The Giant | The Story Of The Strange Planet | The Story Of The Knight And The Dragon | The Story Of The Hunter | The Story Of The Bee | The Story Of The Drawing Book | The Story Of The Eskimo | The Story Of The City Of Machines | The Story Of The Comic Book | The Story Of The Witch