Around the World in Eighty Days is an animated television series that lasted one season of 16 episodes, broadcast during the 1972–1973 season byNBC. It was the first Australian-produced cartoon to be shown on American network television.[1] Leif Gram directed all 16 episodes, and the stories were loosely adapted by Chester "Chet" Stover from the1873 novel byJules Verne.[2]
More comedic in tone than Verne's novel, the motives ofPhileas Fogg (Alastair Duncan) differ from those of his literary forerunner. In this story, Fogg is passionately in love with Belinda Maze (Janet Waldo), whose uncle, Lord Maze (Owen Weingott), sternly disapproves of the commoner Fogg marrying his niece. Fogg proposes a wager: if he can travel around the world in eighty days, then Lord Maze will give him Belinda's hand in marriage; if Fogg fails, he will abandon her. The two men also make a side bet of £20,000.
Fogg is accompanied by his valet, Jean Passepartout (Ross Higgins), and Passepartout's pet monkey, Toto. They employ all the methods of transportation available in the late 19th century—balloons, trains, elephants, and steamships—in the course of their journey. Fogg and Passepartout dispense geographical knowledge to the audience at each of their stops.
Lord Maze hires a saboteur, Mr. Fix (Max Osbiston), to interfere with Fogg and Passepartout's journey. Unlike his counterpart in Verne's novel, Fix is not aScotland Yard detective attempting to arrest Fogg on suspicion of bank robbery.[2]
Fogg manages to complete his journey by the end of the programme's single-season run, winning Belinda's hand with little time to spare.
Each episode has the same structure:
| Number of chapter | Place | Proverb |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | London,Buckingham Palace | The motto of the wise is, be prepared for surprises. |
| 2 | Paris | Don't jump to conclusions, or conclusions may jump on you. |
| 3 | Switzerland and theAlps | There is always a way to save the day. |
| 4 | Rome | Don't put the cart before the horse. |
| 5 | Naples,Pompei | Don't make a mountain out of a molehill. |
| 6 | Mediterranean Sea,Greek islands | Doubting your chances before you're done, may cost you the race you might have won. On the other hand: If you're over confident, you might miss the boat. |
| 7 | Greece,Athens | There is a time and a place for everything. |
| 8 | Egypt and thepyramids | Always think a problem through, before deciding what to do. |
| 9 | Sinai andPetra | The cure to most fear is knowledge. |
| 10 | Gaza,Damascus andPalmyra | The little things in life are like links in a chain: they never seem important by themselves. |
| 11 | Persia,Isfahan | To win life's game without a fall, keep your eyes open and on the ball. |
| 12 | India,Udaipur | We always help ourselves whenever we help others. |
| 13 | China sea, China | Honesty is the best policy. |
| 14 | Japan,Tokyo,Mount Fuji | Our rewards will be sweet, if we keep our world neat. |
| 15 | United States,California,San Francisco | Don't let your thoughts get in a rut; the knife which spreads may also cut. |
| 16 | United States,Louisiana,New Orleans; boat to England. | Learn to use what you have got, and you won't need what you have not. |
The series was produced through Australian Air Programs International, one of whose staff producers, Walter J. Hucker, served as theshowrunner. NBC transmitted the sixteen episodes in the United States on its Saturday morning schedule during the 1972–1973 season.
John Sangster composed the theme music, set to a variation on the tune of "Mademoiselle from Armentières". The lyrics were written, specifically for the show, by an uncredited writer.
Around the World in Eighty Days was released on Region 1 DVD in the United States in a two disc set byVisual Entertainment on September 27, 2011.