Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Children's television |
| Created by | Edward McLachlan |
| Directed by | Ivor Wood |
| Narrated by | Bernard Cribbins |
| Theme music composer | Mike Batt |
| Composer(s) | Mike Batt |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 24 |
| Production | |
| Editor(s) | Helen Kelsey |
| Running time | 5 minutes |
| Production company(s) | FilmFair |
| Release | |
| Original network | Thames Television |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | 1974 – 1976 |
Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings is a British children's animated series about the adventures of a young boy named Simon, who has a magic blackboard. Things that Simon draws on the chalkboard become real in the Land of Chalk Drawings, which Simon can enter by climbing over a fence near his home with a ladder. The stories often revolve around the unintended effects that Simon's drawings have on the Land of Chalk Drawings, such as when an upset Simon draws a picture of his angry self, which goes on a rampage.
The programme is based upon a series of four children's books by Edward McLachlan. It was produced in the mid-1970s by FilmFair Productions in London for Thames Television, and was originally a five-minute programme, broadcast around tea time in Britain. It also became familiar to American audiences in the mid-1970s when it was featured on Captain Kangaroo (where it was narrated by Bob Keeshan instead of Bernard Cribbins), later on Pinwheel, and after that, on Romper Room. In Canada, it aired on TVOntario. The performer of the theme song is unknown, as his/her name is not mentioned in the credits.
In 2002 the series was remade in Canada, with Ernie Coombs as the narrator.
Original episodes
Series overview
| Series | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | 1974 | 1975 |
| 2 | 12 | 1975 | 1976 |
Series 1
| No.
overall |
No. in
series |
Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Simon Meets Henry" |
| 2 | 2 | "Simon Meets the Teacher and the Children" |
| 3 | 3 | "Simon and the Chalk Drawing Band" |
| 4 | 4 | "Simon and the Moon Rocket (part one)" |
| 5 | 5 | "Simon and the Moon Rocket (part two)" |
| 6 | 6 | "Simon and the Caveman" |
| 7 | 7 | "Simon and the Sea" |
| 8 | 8 | "Simon and the Chameleon" |
| 9 | 9 | "Simon's Double" |
| 10 | 10 | "Simon and the Elephant" |
| 11 | 11 | "Simon and the Football Match" |
| 12 | 12 | "Simon and the Return Match" |
Series 2
| No.
overall |
No. in
series |
Title |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | 1 | "Simon and the Early Morning" |
| 14 | 2 | "Simon and the Chalk Drawing Cars" |
| 15 | 3 | "Simon and the Dinosaur" |
| 16 | 4 | "Simon and the Knight" |
| 17 | 5 | "Simon and the Rainbow" |
| 18 | 6 | "Simon and the Pied Piper" |
| 19 | 7 | "Simon and the Robot" |
| 20 | 8 | "Simon and the Measles" |
| 21 | 9 | "Simon and the Flags" |
| 22 | 10 | "Simon and the Chalk Drawing Sports Day" |
| 23 | 11 | "Simon and the Pop Singer" |
| 24 | 12 | "Simon and the Detective" |
2002 revival
| Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Children's television |
| Country of origin | Canada China |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 (65 shorts) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 5 minutes |
| Production company(s) | CINAR (now Cookie Jar) Shanghai Animation Film Studio |
| Release | |
| Original network | Teletoon OTV (Shanghai Media Group) |
| Original release | 2 September – 18 September 2002 |
A new series premiered in 2002 on Teletoon in Canada with a new theme song, an updated and more casual outfit for Simon, a different colour scheme and narrated by Ernie Coombs (in his final role). It was co-produced by Cinar Animation and Shanghai Animation Film Studio and directed by Francois Perreault. Simon's friend Henry is replaced with a girl named Lily. In this new version, Simon wears a striped T-shirt, shorts, and sneakers.
Parody
The series was later parodied on NBC's Saturday Night Live by Mike Myers. The sketches open with the same musical theme and lyrics, but take place in Simon's bathtub, where he shows and discusses his "drawerings" with viewers.
