adrian1963
Well-Known Member
Does anyone remember the great Mr Morris on Animal Magic, what zoo did they use and can I get the series on DVD anywhere these days
Animal magic?
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MARK
Well-Known Member
Dont forget Dotty the Ringtailed Lemur
.Have you contacted the BBC they may know if and where to look for any DVD's.
Simon McGlary
Well-Known Member
I can confirm that Bristol Zoo was the main zoo used in Animal Magic. Stephen Woollard, the education manager at Edinburgh, worked there in the early part of his career and found himself working with the man himself!
[ame=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Johnny-Morris-Magic-Memoirs-DVD/dp/B0016NKP0U]Johnny Morris - The Magic Memoirs [DVD]: Amazon.co.uk: Johnny Morris, Terry Nutkins, Simon Weitzman: DVD[/ame] - is probably about as close as you can get at the moment. I don't believe Animal Magic is currently available.
Most of the series was filmed at Bristol because that's where the BBC Natural History Unit is based, but many other zoos appeared too.
Most of the series was filmed at Bristol because that's where the BBC Natural History Unit is based, but many other zoos appeared too.
I remember 'Animal Magic' well , with JM in his Bristol Zoo Keepers Uniform including peaked cap . They used to get very hands-on with some of the animals such as Orang-utans and 'Dotty' . I seem to remember 'Dotty' being collected from what was then a large private lemur collection in the South of France , near Nice . I think 'Dotty' lived to a great age , in those days RTL's were not that common in the UK , I wonder how well-represented her genes are in the current population ?
I didn't grow up with Animal Magic in the UK and was also only two when BBC ceased the show. Even so, I can help here:
At least two videotapes were made with 'Best of' scenes from Animal Magic, in the early 1990s, my dad bought me one of those when he returned from a trip to the UK around that time and I still have it. They are available second-hand on Amazon.co.uk for instance and sometimes on eBay.co.uk too. Yes, I know it is 2010 but I'm sure there are still VCRs in many homes!
Despite owning only this one tape and having not grown up with Johnny, I love him and his 'grandpa' ways with introducing the animals to children.
At least two videotapes were made with 'Best of' scenes from Animal Magic, in the early 1990s, my dad bought me one of those when he returned from a trip to the UK around that time and I still have it. They are available second-hand on Amazon.co.uk for instance and sometimes on eBay.co.uk too. Yes, I know it is 2010 but I'm sure there are still VCRs in many homes!
Despite owning only this one tape and having not grown up with Johnny, I love him and his 'grandpa' ways with introducing the animals to children.
Animal Magic
I have fond memories of watching Animal Magic with Johnny Morris, the series ran for years, one of the reasons it was axed, as I remember was certain people at the B.B.C. considered it inappropriate for animals to be given human voices, all done by the great Johnny himself. I suppose they had a point, i n that the animals were appearing to be humanised, however I like millions of other viewers at the time thought they were marvellous. I was therefore surprised to see the B.B.C. currently showing a series of programmes entitled "Walk on the wild side" where animals appear talking in human voices, funny how history has a habit of repeating itself!
I have fond memories of watching Animal Magic with Johnny Morris, the series ran for years, one of the reasons it was axed, as I remember was certain people at the B.B.C. considered it inappropriate for animals to be given human voices, all done by the great Johnny himself. I suppose they had a point, i n that the animals were appearing to be humanised, however I like millions of other viewers at the time thought they were marvellous. I was therefore surprised to see the B.B.C. currently showing a series of programmes entitled "Walk on the wild side" where animals appear talking in human voices, funny how history has a habit of repeating itself!
The only Bornean Orangutan (successfully) bred at Bristol was 'Jimmy /James' (parents Jack & Jill) and he featured in a lot of the programmes at one time. He was later sent to Blackpool but never bred- he may well have been 'messed up' and too humanised from the time spent in the studios when he was young. (that's unusual as even a partly humanised Orangutan will usually still breed!) He became very obese and was sent abroad to Tenerife where he later died.
The first Gorilla raised at Bristol, 'Daniel' was also taken down to the studio occassionally as a youngster- perhaps fortunately (for him) he soon became too strong to handle and couldn't go anymore.
'Dotty' the lemur was given by the zoo to the show's Producer for her retirement.
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Secret Squirrel
Well-Known Member
I loved Animal Magic when I was a kid too, and Johnny Morris was one of the inspirations that made me want to be a keeper. I've looked for a dvd of the show but whenever I looked, Amazon had no copies. I did own a video 'best of' but sadly do not own a video player these days.
The theme tune still pops into my head randomly, often while at work talking to the occupants of the pen as I'm cleaning.
The theme tune still pops into my head randomly, often while at work talking to the occupants of the pen as I'm cleaning.
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How fantastic, to think that Johnny Morris inspired someone to be a zoo keeper, god bless you, he was indeed a fine decent man with a great respect for animals. Did you know that he was intending to visit Twycross zoo the day he died, unfortunately Miss Badham received a phone call telling her that he would not be coming, remember that record he made about the seal? Gemini Geminee, marvellous see if I can buy a copy of it next time in Newcastle.
The theme tune still pops into my head randomly, often while at work talking to the occupants of the pen as I'm cleaning.
The theme tune is still one of the most instantly recognisable T.V. theme tunes from that era. I have also heard it used on something else very recently.
Any DVD of the shows would provide an interesting historic record particularly of Bristol Zoo at that time, as the bulk of the zoo segments of the programmes were filmed there being so closeby.