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Magpie (TV)
R2 - United Kingdom - Network Review written by and copyright: Paul Lewis (29th June 2009). |
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The Show
 
Broadcast between 1968 and 1980 and produced by Thames Television, Magpie was ITV’s challenge to the BBC’s long-running children’s show Blue Peter (1958- ). A live magazine-style show, Magpie was originally broadcast once a week but, in 1969, eventually became broadcast on a twice-weekly basis, on Tuesdays and Fridays. Famously, Magpie differentiated itself from its BBC rival by targeting a slightly older audience and including a greater focus on ‘hip’ subjects such as pop music. Magpie’s status as a show that aimed to be more in touch with its times was immediately signified through the show’s use of rock-based theme music (by The Spencer Davis Group) over its opening titles. 
Featuring a mixture of educational and entertaining content, throughout its lifespan Magpie featured several changes of presenters. The show’s original presenters were Tony Bastable, Peter Brady and Susan Stranks. The first episode in this set, broadcast in 1972, opens with Bastable’s departure; he was replaced by Mick Robertson. In 1971, Brady had been replaced by Douglas Rae; when Rae left in 1977, Tommy Boyd joined the series. Finally, Susan Stranks left the show in 1974; her role as presenter was taken by Jenny Hanley. Although less than a hundred episodes of the series are believed to be in existence, the episodes that have been selected for this release reveal the diversity of subjects that were covered in Magpie, from dramatised accounts of the Civil War (in which Susan Stranks plays the role of a conflicted daughter of a Royalist) to Douglas Rae and Jenny Hanley investigating the workings of a barge. Elsewhere, Tommy Boyd takes part in a naval exercise, training how to escape from a sinking ship, and Mick Robertson, Douglas Rae and Jenny Hanley take a trip through France. 
The series benefits greatly from both its diverse and engaging subject matter and the overall warmth of its presenters. Never patronising its young viewers, the episodes in this set cover a huge variety of topics, both contemporary and historical. Quite simply, revisiting these episodes of Magpie highlights the lack of scope and ambition of much of modern children’s television (and, arguably, factual programming in general): Magpie’s factual slots are genuinely informative and, as noted above, do not patronise their viewers. Consequently, features such as the episode focusing on canals are potentially as informative for adults as they are for the show’s intended child audience. Disc One: 27/10/1972 (24:38) 21/10/1975 (24:40) 16/03/1976 (22:02) 13/08/1976 (24:30) 26/11/1976 (24:39) 24/12/1976 (24:39) 06/07/1971 – ‘My Brother David’ (24:19) Disc Two: 08/04/1977 (24:16) 21/04/1978 (24:15) 23/02/1979 (24:39) 28/12/1979 (22:48) 11/04/1980 (26:11) 13/05/1980 (26:19) Orphaned Film Inserts (27:41)
Video
Magpie was shot on a mixture of videotape (for in-studio footage) and film (for location work). Naturally, the filmed footage has aged better than the VT-recorded material. This release contains a strong presentation of the episodes that have been included in this set. Naturally, the episodes are presented in their original broadcast screen ratio of 1.33:1. 
Audio
Audio is presented via a two-channel mono track. This is always audible; there are no subtitles.
Extras
The first disc contains a special feature in the form of the 1971 special ‘My Brother David’ (24:19). Like its BBC rival, Magpie also promoted charity work and, from 1970, the show featured an annual charity appeal. This special episode of the series grew out of Magpie’s first charity appeal and is essentially a documentary about the life of David, a special needs child. The cameras spend a day with David, seeing his activities through the eyes of his parents and his older sister Karen. David’s day at school is observed, and his family express their wishes for his future: David’s mother suggests that her wish is for David to be able to ‘earn a small living’, therefore not ‘making him dependent on anybody’. This is an exceptionally powerful episode, and it has something of the feel of Granada's World in Action (1963-1998) in terms of its fly-on-the-wall perspective. Disc two features some Orphaned Film Inserts (27:41). These shot-on-film location reports are all that remains of some of the episodes of Magpie that no longer exist. Disc two also contains the first Magpie annual as a ‘PDF’ file.
Overall
A thoroughly likable and informative children’s show, the release of these episodes of Magpie is to be praised. Filled with examinations of a variety of interesting topics, delivered by personable presenters, these episodes are thoroughly watchable. For more information, please visit the homepage of Network DVD.
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