In 'Dougal and the Blue Cat', the cast of the classic TV series 'The Magic Roundabout' feature in their one and only full length film. As surreal as the original series, it was made in the same way; Eric Thompson sat down in a studio with the original French version, then created an English soundtrack to go with the pictures. I have no idea what the French version was about, but the English one is basically barmy.

(American readers may need to start doing a search on the web here; look for 'The Magic Roundabout' and come back when you think you know what is going on ... )

Anyway, the basic plot is that the Magic Garden is infiltrated by Buxton, the blue cat, before being invaded by his blue army, the whole plot being under the guidance of the sinister Blue Voice. It is left to Dougal the dog to save the day.

The inhabitants of the garden fold so quickly that it is not really worth doing an army for them. Buxton is basically defeated entirely through the efforts of Dougal acting in a Sneaker role (disguised as 'Blue Peter'). So, no list for the regular cast.

Buxton's forces, however, are worth a go, as this is about the only time in the whole 'Magic Roundabout' canon that we actually get to see an army on the march. The assumption of this list is that their world dominating march continues. Without further ado, here is the list:

The Army of Buxton
Stronghold: An abandoned treacle factory on a rocky crag

Notes: Buxton may as well be rated as a Beast as anything else. In HOTT 2.0 he can still be a general. If using HOTT 1.0 then regrade him as a Spear and assume that he is protected by some competent soldiers. He could be fielded as a Sneaker, but this would leave the army without a general.

The Blue Voice only ever appears as, well, a voice. However, she does seem to have some control over lightning, so is assumed to be able to attack in this way if she decides to put in an appearance.

Each soldier appears to be made of two pieces of dowel forming a letter 'T', with a larger cylindrical head and long flowing hair. They are fused together in threes, like table football players, apart from the Sergeant Major who stands alone (and carries a baton). They are, of course, coloured in various shades of blue.

The nightmares appear as floating masks in a vaguely Polynesian/African style. Again, they are depicted in various shades of blue.

The cactuses are blue, grow very fast and oust all of the other vegetation in the garden. They could be used to trap enemy troops.

Whilst proving himself to the Blue Voice, Buxton is threatened by an automated ballista that fires swords and propels itself around on little wheels. It is assumed that it could be pressed into service in the field. The same is true of the rocket ship, which was used by Buxton and the disguised Dougal in their invasion of the Moon.

As you can see, this film is the product of a seriously disturbed mind, and should be viewed at the earliest opportunity. It's available through Amazon, of course.

Back to The Stronghold