Jamie and the Magic Torch

Jamie and the Magic Torch - March 1976 to September 1979

Jamie and the Magic Torch was a British children's animated television series, made by Cosgrove Hall for Thames Television and shown on the ITV network, running from 1976 to 1979. It was based around the young boy of the title and his torch, or flashlight. When shone on the floor, the torch opened up a hole into a fun dimension called Cuckoo Land.

The beginning of each episode would show Jamie's mother tucking him into bed at night and saying, "Sleep well, Jamie." Then from under his bed, his pet dog Wordsworth would appear holding the torch in his mouth. Jamie would take the torch and shine it on the floor, opening up a portal to Cuckoo Land (which Wordsworth always got stuck in). The portal manifested itself as a helter skelter.

When they reached the end of the slide they would fly out into Cuckoo Land from the bottom of a tree trunk and land on a trampoline. All of this was accompanied by a song, written by Joe Griffiths. Once in Cuckoo Land, the fun would begin. The series was written by Brian Trueman, who went on to write shows such as Dangermouse and Count Duckula for Cosgrove Hall.