Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings

"Simon in the Land of Chalk Drawings" is a British children's animated television programme, featuring the adventures of a young child named Simon, who has a magic chalkboard. Things that Simon draws upon 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, interacting with his chalk drawings, including his chalk-drawn friend Henry. 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 proceeds to go on a rampage.

The programme is based upon the writings of Edward MacLachlan. It was produced in 1976 by FilmFair Productions in London for Thames Television, and was originally a 5 minute programme airing around tea time in England. The programme 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 was narrated by Ernie Coombs and shown on TVOntario. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0291665/fullcredits#writers] Ernie Coombs listed as the narrator of the Canadian version on IMDB.]

The programme may have been the inspiration for the Nickelodeon animated series "ChalkZone", which features a similar plot. Fact|date=August 2007

A new version, currently airing on Teletoon, features a new theme song, an updated outfit for Simon, blue and white colours in Simon's home world, and replaces his friend Henry with a new friend, a girl named Lily. In this new version, Simon wears a striped T-shirt, shorts and trainers, instead of a tie.

imon in popular culture

The series was later parodied on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" by Mike Myers. However, unlike the British series, the SNL sketches took place in Simon's bathtub, in which Simon shows drawings that correlate with his life.

References

Simon Sheridan "The A to Z of Classic Children's Television" (Reynolds & Hearn books, 2004, reprinted 2007) ISBN 1-903111-27-7.

ee also

*Harold and the Purple Crayon

External links

* [http://simontdd.tripod.com/SimonLOCD/simon.html Episode Guide and Images of the show]
* [http://www.thechestnut.com/simon/simon.htm LittleGems]