Around the World with Willy Fog
Cartoon serial based on Jules Verne's classic adventure novel Around the World in 80 Days, with the lead character transformed into a fox and animal characters abounding. Nevertheless, like Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds before it, the basic story was untouched. The colourful adventures were topped and tailed with a memorable showtune-like theme song.
Contents
Background
As he has done every morning since he moved into Savile Row, Willy Fog awakens at 8.00am and rings for his manservant, only to remember that he fired him the previous day for his inability to follow Fog's precise schedule. He has already arranged an interview for a replacement - former circus performer Rigodon, who is even now rushing towards Fog's house to make his 11.00am appointment. Rigadon is accompanied by his old circus colleague Tico, who hides within his travelling bag, and prompts him through the interview, which gets off to a bad start when Rigodon arrives four minutes late. Nonetheless, Rigadon is hired by Fog as his butler, and soon departs for the Reform Club.
At the club, the main topic of conversation is the recent theft of £55,000 from the back of England until the bank's governor Mr. Sullivan arrives and requests a change of topic. Sullivan's off-hand remark that the thief is still in London, however, causes the eldery Lord Guinness to bring up an article in the Morning Chronicle, detailing how it is now possible to travel around the world in eighty days. The article states that one departs London by train for Dover, where one crosses to Calais, and on to Paris. From there, it is a train journey to Brindisi, and the Suez Canal, all within a week. Having rounded the Arabian peninsula, you arrive in Bombay on day 20 and then a three day railway journey to Calcutta. Hong Kong is reached on day 33, Yokohama on day 39, and then a mammoth three week crossing of the Pacific to arrive in San Francisco on day 61, a week long train crossing to New York and then finally a nine day crossing of the Atlantic back to London making it possible to circumvent the globe in eighty days. The other members of the club laugh at Lord Guinness's suggestion that he would take on the challenge if he were younger, prompting Fog to defend his honor by taking up the task himself. Sullivan bets Fog £5,000 that it is impossible, and additional wagers by three other club members increase this amount to £20,000. He then stuns the club by announcing that he will leave that very evening and promises to return to the club by 8.45pm on December 21, 1872.
Rigadon is less than thrilled to hear the news of their impending trip, having spent his life travelling with the circus, but dutifully accompanies his master as they set out, with Tico still in hiding. Little are they aware, however, that they are pursued by three individuals determined to halt their progress - Inspector Dix and Constable Bully of Scotland Yard, who are convinced that Fog is the thief who robbed the Bank of England, and the wicked and conniving Transfer, a saboteur hired by Mr. Sullivan to impede Fog's journey in any way.
Main Characters
Willy Fog is the hero of the whole adventure. As English as muffins at breakfast, hot buttered toast and tea at four o'clock he is determined to prove that his assessment of an eighty day journey around the world is fact.
Theme Tune and Lyrics
FOG, I'M THE ONE WHO MADE THE BET, AND I KNOW WE'LL BE EXACTLY RIGHT ON TIME
FOG IS MY NAME AND I COULD PLAY WITH MY LIFE IN MANY WAYS, THAT'S WHAT THEY SAY
HERE I AM - A RIGADON
I'M A TICO - D'MASCOTA
IT'S MY TURN - THE GENTLE TOUCH, I'M ROMY THEY LOVE ME SO MUCH
HEY NOW THEY STORY MUST GO ON 'COS A LOT OF TIME HAS GONE WE MUST BE READY TO GO AWAY
80 DAYS AROUND THE WORLD
WE'LL FIND A POT OF GOLD
JUST SITTING WHERE THE RAINBOW'S ENDING
TIME - WE'LL FIGHT AGAINST THE TIME
AND WE'LL FLY ON THE WHITE WINGS OF THE WIND
80 DAYS AROUND THE WORLD
ROUND, ALL AROUND THE WORLD
NO WE WON'T SAY A WORD
BEFORE THE SHIP IS REALLY BACK
ROUND, ROUND, ALL AROUND THE WORLD
ROUND, ALL AROUND THE WORLD
ROUND, ALL AROUND THE WORLD
Merchandise
DVD
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External Links
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
- Jedi's Paradise
- Watched It!
- 80's Cartoons
- SausageNet
