Magic Mountain (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Magic Mountain |
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| Genre | Children's |
| Created by | Ron Saunders Claire Henderson Yu Pei Xia |
| Written by | Claire Madsen Libby Gleeson Richard Tulloch David Evans |
| Directed by | Paul Faint Ian Munro David Evans Di Drew |
| Starring | Helen Dallimore Steve J. Spears Cornelia Frances Anthony Ackroyd |
| Composer(s) | Peter Dasent |
| Country of origin | Australia China |
| Original language(s) | English Mandarin |
| No. of episodes | 52 |
| Production | |
| Cinematography | Chen Chen |
| Running time | 10 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Australian Broadcasting Corporation Southern Star Entertainment China Central Television |
| Distributor | Southern Star Entertainment Roadshow Entertainment |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC TV |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Audio format | Stereo |
| Original release | 3 June 1997 – 24 November 1998 |
Magic Mountain (Chinese: 神奇山谷; pinyin: shénqí shāngǔ) is a fun live-action TV show for kids from Australia and China. It was shown on ABC TV in Australia from 1997 to 1998. It also aired on China Central Television in China. This show uses full-body puppets to tell its stories. It was made for children aged two to five years, but older kids can enjoy its adventures too! The series was repeated on ABC TV until 2004 and in China until 2013.
Contents
Meet the Friends of Magic Mountain
The show "Magic Mountain" is all about the exciting adventures of four special friends. These friends are based on famous animals from China: Tortoise, Dragon, Lion, and Panda. They live in a magical world and always find fun things to do!
- Dragon lives in a cave and is super wise. Dragon has magical powers that often help the others when they get into tricky situations.
- Panda is a bit proud of herself, but she's also very clever and friendly.
- Lion loves to play games and is full of wild ideas. He often gets into a bit of mischief!
- Tortoise is like a caring parent figure. She always looks out for her friends and tries to help them.
Together, these four friends have amazing times. They invent new games, play tricks on each other, and go on exciting journeys as they explore their enchanting world.
Who Are the Voices Behind the Characters?
The characters in "Magic Mountain" are played by actors who do their voices and movements. Here are the talented people who brought the characters to life in both the Australian and Chinese versions of the show.
Australian Voice Cast
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Dragon (voice) | Anthony Ackroyd |
| Lion (voice) | Steve J. Spears |
| Panda (voice) | Helen Dallimore |
| Tortoise (voice) | Cornelia Frances |
Chinese Voice and Body Cast
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Dragon (voice) | Sun Yeebin |
| Dragon (body) | Wang Chunguang/Jiang Tao |
| Lion (voice) | Li Lihong |
| Lion (body) | Li Yanmaio/Zhang Chunyu/Wang Xianhua |
| Panda (voice) | Liu Chunyan |
| Panda (body) | Xu Xiangyang |
| Tortoise (voice) | Wang Lihua |
| Tortoise (body) | Zuo Xiangfeng |
Episodes and Adventures
"Magic Mountain" had a total of 52 episodes, split into two series. Each episode was about 10 minutes long and showed the friends learning new things and having fun.
Series 1 Highlights
The first series started on June 3, 1997. Here are a few examples of the adventures the friends had:
- Dragon Loses His Magic (June 3, 1997): Dragon helps Panda tidy her house, but he uses too much magic and loses his powers! Panda, Lion, and Tortoise try to help him get his magic back. Tortoise has a clever idea: they sing a special "get well" song for Dragon, and his magic returns!
- Doctor Lion (August 12, 1997)
- Flying Panda (August 13, 1997)
- Invisible Lion (August 14, 1997)
- Runaway Cart (August 15, 1997)
Series 2 Highlights
The second series began on October 20, 1998. The friends continued their exciting journeys:
- The Dare (October 20, 1998)
- It's Raining, It's Pouring (October 21, 1998)
- Brave Prince Lion (October 22, 1998)
- Dragon Gives Up Flying (October 23, 1998)
- Tortoise The Hero (November 11, 1998): Tortoise wants to be a hero like Panda. Lion and Dragon try to help her by pretending to be in trouble. But when Panda really needs help, Tortoise gets the chance to be a true hero!
Where Else Was Magic Mountain Shown?
"Magic Mountain" was popular in several countries around the world.
Australia: ABC TV
Jordan: Channel 2
Canada: SCN
Other Fun Stuff from Magic Mountain
Besides the TV show, there were other items released for fans:
- A 31-page paperback colouring book was released in March 1999.
- A storybook called "Tortoise the Hero" was published in April 2000.
- Some rare plush toys of the characters were available in 1999.
