Magpie (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Magpie |
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The Magpie logo.
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| Genre | Children's Entertainment |
| Created by | Lewis Rudd Sue Turner |
| Presented by | Tony Bastable Tommy Boyd Pete Brady Jenny Hanley Douglas Rae Mick Robertson Susan Stranks |
| Theme music composer | Eddie Hardin, Ray Fenwick & Spencer Davis |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Lewis Rudd Sue Turner |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Thames Television |
| Distributor | Fremantle |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Audio format | Monaural sound |
| Original release | 30 July 1968 – 6 June 1980 |
Magpie was a popular British children's television show. It was shown on ITV from July 30, 1968, to June 6, 1980. The show was like a magazine, with different segments in each episode. It was made to compete with the BBC's show Blue Peter.
Magpie tried to be more modern and cool. It focused more on popular culture and what was new and exciting. The creators, Lewis Rudd and Sue Turner, chose the name Magpie. This was because magpie birds like to collect shiny things. Also, "mag" sounded like "magazine" and "pie" meant a mix of different things.
The Magpie Theme Song
The catchy theme song for Magpie was played by The Murgatroyd Band. This was actually the famous Spencer Davis Group using a different name. The music was written by Eddie Hardin, Ray Fenwick, and Spencer Davis.
The main words in the song come from an old children's nursery rhyme called One for Sorrow. This rhyme is about an old English superstition. People believed that seeing a certain number of magpies together could tell you about your future.
Here are the lyrics from the song:
- One for sorrow
- Two for joy
- Three for a girl
- Four for a boy
- Five for silver
- Six for gold
- Seven for a secret never to be told
- Eight's a wish and
- Nine a kiss
- Ten is a bird you must not miss.
An older version of the rhyme had a different ending:
- Eight for Heaven
- Nine for Hell
- Ten for the Devil himself
Magpie's Special Transport
In 1973, the Magpie show adopted a real steam train. It was a "Black 5" 44806 locomotive. They named it "Magpie," just like the show. The rival show Blue Peter also had a train named after it.
This "Magpie" train has had an interesting history. It is still used today on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. However, it now has a different name.
Magpie also adopted a boat. Its first name was "Mankadu." The show renamed it "Thames Magpie." We do not know where this boat is now.
