Magic Mountain (TV series)
| Company type | Television program |
|---|---|
| Industry | Children's television |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Australia, China |
Area served | Australia, China, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Poland |
| Products | Children's television series |
Magic Mountain (Chinese: 神奇山谷; pinyin: shénqí shāngǔ) is a children's live-action television program that aired on ABC TV within the ABC For Kids segment from 1997 through 1998, and was also broadcast on China Central Television in China. Designed for toddlers aged two to five, the show features characters brought to life through full-body puppetry. Although it was made available on VHS, no DVD version exists. The series continued to be shown on ABC TV until February 2004 and remained on air in China until 2013. The ABC's Magic Mountain webpage was taken down in September 2010 following the launch of the revamped ABC Kids website.
Production
The series was developed between 1997 and 1998 as a joint venture involving the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, China Central Television, and Southern Star Entertainment. Shot in China with a largely Chinese production team, Magic Mountain was intended for audiences speaking both Chinese and Australian English. The show has been translated into various languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and Hebrew. Globally, it was broadcast on channels including Nick Jr. (UK), TVOntario (Canada), TVNZ 2 (New Zealand), and TVP 1 (Poland).
Summary
Magic Mountain centers around four distinctive Chinese mythical creatures—Tortoise, Dragon, Lion, and Panda—who embark on adventures enriched by Dragon’s magical abilities. Dragon serves as a sagacious character with supernatural powers who frequently aids his friends in challenging moments. Panda is intelligent and somewhat self-assured yet endearing; Lion exhibits playful and mischievous behavior; Tortoise provides a nurturing, maternal influence. Together, they engage in creative play, lighthearted pranks, and thrilling journeys within their magical environment.
Cast
| Australian version | |
|---|---|
| Character | Actor |
| Dragon (voice) | Anthony Ackroyd |
| Lion (voice) | Steve J. Spears |
| Panda (voice) | Helen Dallimore |
| Tortoise (voice) | Cornelia Frances |
| Chinese version | |
|---|---|
| Character | Actor |
| Dragon (voice) | Sun Yuebin |
| Dragon (body) | Wang Chunguang/Jiang Tao |
| Lion (voice) | Li Lihong |
| Lion (body) | Li Yanmiao/Zhang Chunyu/Wang Xianhua |
| Panda (voice) | Liu Chunyan |
| Panda (body) | Xu Xiangyang |
| Tortoise (voice) | Wang Lihua |
| Tortoise (body) | Zuo Xiangfeng |
Series 1
- Dragon Loses His Magic (3 June 1997) – While assisting Panda in cleaning her home, Dragon inadvertently loses his magical powers. Panda, Lion, and Tortoise attempt to help him recover it until Tortoise proposes singing a healing song that ultimately restores his magic.
- Doctor Lion (12 August 1997)
- Flying Panda (13 August 1997)
- Invisible Lion (14 August 1997)
- Runaway Cart (15 August 1997)
- Tortoise's Restaurant (18 August 1997)
- Lion Moves House (19 August 1997)
- Sports Day (20 August 1997)
- Princess Panda (21 August 1997)
- Monster in the Night (22 August 1997)
- The Hollow Tree (25 August 1997)
- Surprise Party (26 August 1997)
- Panda's Midnight Feast (27 August 1997)
- Dragon Sneezes (28 August 1997)
- Secret Apple Tree (29 August 1997)
- Explorers (1 September 1997)
- Dragon's Treasure (2 September 1997)
- Territories (3 September 1997)
- The Robber (4 September 1997)
- Very Fast Tortoise (5 September 1997)
- Emergency Rescue (8 September 1997)
- Upside Down Tortoise (9 September 1997)
- Double Panda (10 September 1997)
- Panda Loses Her Memory (11 September 1997)
- Lion Circus (12 September 1997)
- Hide and Seek (15 September 1997)
Series 2
- The Dare (20 October 1998)
- It's Raining, It's Pouring (21 October 1998)
- Brave Prince Lion (22 October 1998)
- Dragon Gives Up Flying (23 October 1998)
- Panda Club (26 October 1998)
- A Sticky Situation (27 October 1998)
- Lion's Night Time Fun Fair (28 October 1998)
- Lion's New Friend (29 October 1998)
- Panda The Ballerina (30 October 1998)
- Bedtime Story (2 November 1998)
- Runaway Lion (3 November 1998)
- Treasure Map (4 November 1998)
- Weather Magic (5 November 1998)
- Three Wishes (6 November 1998)
- Dragon's Birthday (9 November 1998)
- Magnifico (10 November 1998)
- Tortoise The Hero (11 November 1998) – Initially excluded from Panda’s adventure game, Tortoise seeks to join. To help her prove herself, Lion and Dragon create a fake emergency, but Tortoise only truly becomes a hero when Panda encounters genuine peril.
- A House For Tortoise (12 November 1998)
- Dropping In (13 November 1998)
- The Swap (16 November 1998)
- Missing Friends (17 November 1998)
- Dragon's Apprentice (18 November 1998)
- Let's Stick Together (19 November 1998)
- Stop Tricking Panda (20 November 1998)
- Cousin Dragon (23 November 1998)
- The Return of Cousin Dragon (24 November 1998)
Release
Episodes are generally released in collections of four or more. Series two has not been made available outside of China. The entire set of 52 episodes was once offered on VCD exclusively within China.
VHS (Australia)
- Magic Mountain: Flying Panda – released in 1997
- Magic Mountain: Princess Panda – released in 1997
- Magic Mountain: Surprise Party – released in 1998
- Magic Mountain: Dragon's Treasure – released in 1999
- Magic Mountain: Hide and Seek – released in 1999
Other media
In March 1999, a 31-page paperback colouring book inspired by the series was published. This was followed by a storybook entitled Tortoise the Hero in April 2000. Additionally, limited-edition plush toys were produced during 1999.