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THROUGH THE DRAGON'S EYE
Index
    > Introduction
    > Episode Listings
    > Cast and Crew
    > Theme Tune (download!)
    > Characters
    > Notes
    > Links
    > Picture Gallery
Things To Do
    > Veetacookies Recipe
    > Christmas With Grandma
    > Behind-the-Scenes Photos
    > Stuff
Story Guide
    > Episode 1
    > Episode 2
    > Episode 3
    > Episode 4
    > Episode 5
    > Episode 6
    > Episode 7
    > Episode 8
    > Episode 9
    > Episode 10

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ON TV:Not scheduled at the moment, but it will probably be repeated again in 2007 - watch this space
ON VIDEO:Video Plus Pack about £55 from the BBC

Through The Dragon's Eye Introduction

Developing the trend of having more involved stories in Look and Read throughout the 80s, this series finally did away with Wordy, along with the whole concept of separate learning bits. Instead, we get almost the entire programme taken up with telling the story, with just one quick song in the middle.
The story itself was all-out fantasy, with three kids pulled into a mural they'd painted in their playground and asked to help save the dying land of Pelamar by retrieving the missing parts of its mysterious power source, the Veetacore. This involves a lot of trying to read difficult passages, and charging off round the neighbouring country of Widge, inhabited by the horrible furry little Widgets. The children are lead and helped by a flying dragon called Gorwen and a big talking mouse called Rodey (who inherited the arrogance and the voice - Charles Collingwood's - of Wordy). Until they succeed, Pelamar turns increasingly barren and its inhabitants just fade away to nothing. The situation is further complicated by the big baddie Charn, who wants to hijack the Veetacore for his own evil purposes.
This unit is often dismissed when people look over the Look and Read canon due to its lack of teaching bits and, in particular, of Wordy. This is unfair, as the story is actually a nicely executed fantasy and, based on emails I've received, seems to be the most popular story in schools today. The story, by the way, seems to owe a great deal to the Chronicles of Narnia: Gorwen is Aslan, obviously, and Charn was the name of that dead world that Digory and that girl rescued that woman from in The Magician's Nephew. Well I can't really remember much about the book, but that world was definitely called Charn. Also, notice the large number of former Look and Read cast members reunited here: Charles Collingwood, as mentioned above, plus Dark Towers and Fair Ground! narrator Sean Barrett doing Gorwen's voice, and David Collings in his third Look and Read role (following twin appearances in Dark Towers) as Charn.

EXTRA: Things To Do - a recipe, a fun photo album, behind-the-scenes photos, details of all the TTDE merchandise, and even more!





Episode Listings

You can now read detailed guides to each individual episode, including production notes and photos, in the Story Guide.

1.   The Dragon From Pelamar
Jenny, Scott and Amanda mysteriously pass through a mural they've been painting and find themselves in the magical land of Pelamar. There, Gorwen the dragon has a momentous task for them.
2.   Flight to Widge
Gorwen the dragon believes that the missing Veetons must have fallen beyond the mountains in the strange land of Widge. A search party is formed, and the quest begins to save the land of Pelamar from certain destruction.
3.   The First Veeton
The problem with Widge is its inhabitants - the Widgets. These are mischievous little creatures who go out of their way to make life as difficult as possible for the search party as they begin their quest.
4.   Word Magic
The Widgets have hidden the first Veeton inside a huge book tree. While Boris and Amanda go in search of the Veeton, Scott and the dragon Gorwen search for their missing friend Rodey.
5.   Clues in the Snow
Doris is frightened, and too scared even to speak to Boris on the videophone. Charn, the evil one, has returned to Pelamar.
6.   Jenny's Scarf
Amanda has rescued Boris's magic rucksack from the Widgets, but she finds herself lost in the snow. Jenny has persuaded Charn to let Morris knit her a special scarf.
7.   The Waterfall of Words
'No-one can face Charn and live. Only Gorwen has a chance... ' As Gorwen prepares for his challenge, word magic again comes to the aid of the search party.
8.   The Great Battle
The dragon Gorwen has returned to Pelamar to do battle with the evil Charn.
9.   Danger on High
The veetarod has fallen down a deep chasm in the tunnel. Rocey bravely volunteers to rescue it - it's their only hope.
10.   The Final Page
The search party are in a race against time to rescue the last Veeton and return it to save Pelamar and Gorwen, who has virtually faded away.




Cast and Crew

Written by
Producer
Music by
Christopher and Christine Russell
Sue Weeks
Roger Limb
Reading consultant Mary Hoffman, film animation Tomcat Animations, graphic designer Joanna Cheese, background painting Ray Rankine, lighting cameraman Bill Dudman, videotape editor Steve Knattress, design Kathy Atty and Maggie Carroll, video effects Dave Jervis, visual effects designer Mike Ellis, camera operator Chris Kochanowicz, sound Ron Keightley and Brian Clark, costume designer Andrew Rose, make-up designer Martha Livesley, production unit manager Chris D'Oyly-John, assistant floor manager Charles Whaley, production assistants Louise E. Kobrak and Jane Sprague, assistant producers Sophie Neville and Di Millward

Starring











Singers



With
Sean Barrett as Gorwen (voice)
David Collings
as Charn
Charles Collingwood
as Rodey (voice)
Simon Fenton
as Scott Bates
Marlaine Gordon
as Amanda Jackson
Michael Heath
as Morris
Katie Hebb
as Rodey (puppeteer)
Timothy Lyn
as Boris
Carolyn Pickles
as Doris
Nicola Stewart
as Jenny
and the Puppet Factory.

Derek Griffiths
Julie Stevens
Jeremy Birchall

Peter Bonner, Chris Burke, Samantha Burroughs, Willie Coppen, Melanie Dixon, Raymond Griffiths, Peter Mandell, Sandra Nicholson, Kate Purvis
and Nicky Reed as Widgets




Theme Tune

The Through The Dragon's Eye theme tune, as sung by Derek Griffiths.

North or South, East or West,
The quest
To save the life of Pelamar
Goes far.
Look bravely through the dragon's eye
and fly...

There was also a different version of the theme tune that didn't give away the stuff about Pelamar and the storyline:

North or South, East or West,
The test
Is can you finish what you start,
Take heart!
Look bravely through the dragon's eye
and fly...

And yet another one:

North or South, East or West,
It's best
To know for sure you understand
The plan
Look bravely through the dragon's eye
and fly...
Download MP3 file music by Roger Limb, sung by Derek Griffiths
MP3 file: 19 seconds, 151 kb


> CLICK HERE for the Downloads section, including this and several other theme tunes.




Characters

Jenny Jenny   (Nicola Stewart)
One of the three children transported to Pelamar. Jenny is timid and artistic, and not a confident reader, but she gets the job done when she needs to. She stays behind in the Veetacore House to read the instruction book whilst the others go off on the quest.
Scott Bates Scott Bates   (Simon Fenton)
Another of the kids transported to Pelamar. Scott is the boy and so tries to seem cool and casual at all times, though really he's the one who needs the most persuasion to investigate strange things.
Amanda Jackson Amanda Jackson   (Marlaine Gordon)
The last of the kids transported to Pelamar, who also goes out with the search party to Widge. Amanda is trusting and rash, and always the first to rush into new things without thinking it through.
Doris Doris   (Carolyn Pickles)
One of the Pelamots charged with looking after the Veetacore. Doris is the purple one and the most responsible, which isn't saying much.
Morris Morris   (Michael Heath)
Another of the Keepers of the Veetacore, Morris has lots of pets around the Veetacore house including a caterpillar called Frug. Morris is the green one.
Boris Boris   (Timothy Lyn)
The third Keeper of the Veetacore, Boris has a magical cricket bat that can grow and fly. He goes on the quest with Gorwen and the kids. Boris is the orange one.
Gorwen Gorwen   (Sean Barrett)
A powerful, flying dragon from Pelamar who calls the children to the land to help in the quest for the missing Veetons.
Rodey Rodey   (Charles Collingwood)
A white mouse who can grow to the size of an adult human or shrink to the size of a, err.. mouse. He accompanies the expedition to Widge because he can communicate with the Widgets.
Charn Charn   (David Collings)
*BADDIE* A Pelamot banished from the country for being evil. After the Veetacore explodes, he's able to come back to Pelamar and tries to make the land evil.




Notes

©BBC According to the Teacher's Notes, the design of the Veetacore (pictured left) was "inspired by a popular kind of storage jar belonging to Christopher and Christine Russell." Can anybody work out how the object pictured is supposed to be made up of twenty-five separate components?

(T)his is the story of Jenny, Scott and Amanda, who walk into the strange land of Pelamar through a mural they have painted on the playground wall. Gorwen the dragon needs their help. Pelamar will die unless its life force can be mended quickly. The children think they can do it, but first they must find the missing parts - and that means solving riddles, climbing mountains and outwitting the Widgets. Can they mend the Veetacore in time to save Pelamar? And can Gorwen defeat the evil Charn? Step behind the painted waterfall and find out... - novelisation cover blurb

©BBC The most popular of all the Look and Read adventure stories, Through the Dragon's Eye captivated pupils in over 25,000 UK primary schools when first broadcast in 1989 - video sleeve note

Here is a list of all of the broadcasts of this story on the BBC. Unless your teachers managed to get the video recorder to work, this is when you would have seen it in school. See the Air Dates section for precise dates and times.
      Autumn 1989, BBC2
      Autumn 1991, BBC2
      Autumn 1993, BBC2
      Spring 1997, BBC2
      Spring 2000, BBC2
      Summer 2002, CBBC
      Autumn 2002, CBBC
      Summer 2003, CBBC
      Spring 2004, CBBC
      Summer 2005, CBBC
      Spring 2006, CBBC




Links

The first chapter of the Through The Dragon's Eye story book can be seen online at a personal website that unfortunately hasn't been updated since 1999.
http://www.angelfire.com/az/sugarbabylon/stories.html

Lovely wall display of Gorwen from a primary school class that watched the story, again from 1999.
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/Members/s.livingston/art/artdragon.html

Scroll to the bottom of this page for another primary school wall display, this one based around the Veetacore and various key plot words.
http://shrewsbury.digitalbrain.com/shrewsbury/Virtual tour/Key Stage 2/3G Mrs Smith/?verb=view

This school webpage includes a pupil's wordsearch based on characters and other vocabulary from Dragon's Eye, plus a nice line drawing of Gorwen.
http://website.hallfield-inf.westminster.sch.uk/NEWS2000/page11.html

Ian Trembirth's Look and Read site has a write-up of the Through The Dragon's Eye story.
http://www.trembirth.demon.co.uk/lookread/   (frameset)

> CLICK HERE for more general links about Look And Read and schools TV.


Picture Gallery

©BBC  illustration by Chris Burke, text by Christine & Christopher Russell ©BBC  illustration by Cheryl Tarbuck, text by Christine & Christopher Russell
'It's our mural...' whispered Jenny, 'come alive.' The dragon bowed. 'Welcome to Pelamar,' he said. 'My name is Gorwen.'

©BBC  illustration by Chris Burke, text by Christine & Christopher Russell ©BBC  illustration by Cheryl Tarbuck, text by Christine & Christopher Russell
Boris called Doris on the videophone. He was excited. 'Hi, Doris! Guess what?' But Doris wasn't listening. She looked scared. A dark shadow fell across her face.

©BBC  illustration by Chris Burke, text by Christine & Christopher Russell ©BBC  illustration by Cheryl Tarbuck, text by Christine & Christopher Russell
He laughed. 'All Pelamots will grow cruel and wicked and I, Charn, will rule!' Jenny slowly closed the book.

©BBC  illustration by Chris Burke, text by Christine & Christopher Russell ©BBC  illustration by Cheryl Tarbuck, text by Christine & Christopher Russell
So they walked on up the mountain. But a Widget had hidden part of the notice. It really said 'ROAD UNSAFE'.

©BBC  illustration by Chris Burke, text by Christine & Christopher Russell ©BBC  illustration by Cheryl Tarbuck, text by Christine & Christopher Russell
Colour came back to the grey land of Pelamar and to the Pelamots. They grew strong again. Even Gorwen was going to be alright.

©BBC
> See every Look & Read book cover in the Trivia section
> Get complete books from the Downloads section (but not this one)
©BBC ©BBC
The story book Through The Dragon's Eye continuity slide And another one

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