Eric Thompson

Eric Norman Thompson (November 9, 1929 – November 30, 1982) was an English actor, television presenter and producer. He is best remembered for creating and performing the English narration for The Magic Roundabout, which he adapted from the original French Le Manège enchanté.

Career
Thompson worked regularly for the BBC, and was a presenter of the children's television programme Play School from 1964 to 1967. He was best known as the narrator of The Magic Roundabout, for which he also wrote the English language scripts, using the visuals from the original French Le Manège enchanté. These were transmitted from October 1965 to January 1977. His daughter Emma Thompson has noted his influence on her career, saying "his humour and his rigour, a self-taught man, who loved words and loved the use of words and how they worked. Everything about that was hugely influential. Thompson rarely worked on television after his voice became well-known, but occasionally appeared in programmes such as Doctor Who in the serial The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve in 1966.

On 30 November 1982, Thompson died of a heart attack in London.

Animated Series

 * The Magic Roundabout (1963-1971) - Narrator

Animated Films

 * Dougal and the Blue Cat (1970) - Dougal, Buxton, Florence, Zebedee, Brian, Ermintrude, Dylan, The Train, Dougal's Cuckoo Clock, Narrator, Additional Voices

Voice Director

 * Dougal and the Blue Cat

Writer

 * Dougal and the Blue Cat
 * The Magic Roundabout