The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo

30min

Family

Animation

Comedy

The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo is an animated television series, produced by United Productions of America, which aired for one season. The television series was based on the original cartoon of the same name, with Jim Backus reprising the voice over of the role he did on TV: while doing this show, he continued with the prime time show Gilligan's Island. Unlike the theatrical cartoons, which focused on the extremely nearsighted Quincy Magoo's bumbling, the show featured the Magoo character as an actor in adaptations of such literary classics as Don Quixote and Gunga Din. Each of these roles was played seriously, with few if any references to Magoo's nearsightedness; however, introductory segments in each program featured Magoo backstage stumbling into scenery and talking to props, thus connecting the older cartoons to this series. Some stories were contained in a single half-hour episode, but others ran to two and even four episodes. As UPA did not have its own studio facility the production was farmed out to the Grantray-Lawrence and Format Films studios. Among the most ambitious adaptations mounted in this format were the four-part Robin Hood, in which he took the role of Friar Tuck; Treasure Island, in which he played the villainous Long John Silver; and a version of Snow White in which he portrayed all seven dwarves.

Episodes

Cast

Mr. Magoo's Wlliam Tell

1. Mr. Magoo's Wlliam Tell

30min

26th Sep 1964

Mr. Magoo plays legendary archer, William Tell.

Mr. Magoo's Treasure Island Part 1

2. Mr. Magoo's Treasure Island Part 1

30min

26th Sep 1964

Mr. Magoo plays famous Pirate, Long John Silver.

Mr. Magoo's Treasure Island Part 2

3. Mr. Magoo's Treasure Island Part 2

30min

3rd Oct 1964

Mr. Magoo plays famous Pirate, Long John Silver.

Mr. Magoo's Gunga Din

4. Mr. Magoo's Gunga Din

30min

3rd Nov 1964

Mr. Magoo plays humble water-carrier, Gunga Din.

Mr. Magoo's Moby Dick

5. Mr. Magoo's Moby Dick

30min

17th Oct 1964

Mr. Magoo plays Ishmael, a sailor on the "Pequod", Captain Ahab's ship.

Mr. Magoo's The Three Musketeers Part 1

6. Mr. Magoo's The Three Musketeers Part 1

30min

24th Oct 1964

Mr. Magoo plays D'Artagnan, a man who goes to Paris in 1625 in hopes of becoming a musketeer.

Mr. Magoo's The Three Musketeers Part 2

7. Mr. Magoo's The Three Musketeers Part 2

30min

7th Nov 1964

Mr. Magoo plays D'Artagnan, a man who goes to Paris in 1625 in hopes of becoming a musketeer.

Mr. Magoo's Robin Hood Part 1

8. Mr. Magoo's Robin Hood Part 1

30min

14th Nov 1964

Mr. Magoo, the nearsighted bungler, plays Robin Hood's friend and ally, Friar Tuck, and has a number of comical misadventures. It's hard to steal from the rich and give to the poor when one can't tell the difference between the two!

Mr. Magoo's Robin Hood Part 2

9. Mr. Magoo's Robin Hood Part 2

30min

21st Nov 1964

Mr. Magoo plays Friar Tuck, Robin Hood's friend and ally. When Robin Hood is kidnapped by the evil Sheriff of Nottingham, Friar Tuck and the rest of the Merry Men hatch a plan to save him.

Mr. Magoo's Robin Hood Part 3

10. Mr. Magoo's Robin Hood Part 3

30min

28th Nov 1964

Mr. Magoo plays Friar Tuck, Robin Hood's friend and ally. Robin Hood has been freed by his Merry Men, but has learned that his love, Maid Marian, is being forced to marry someone else. He and his Merry Men hatch a plan to stop it.

Mr. Magoo's Robin Hood Part 4

11. Mr. Magoo's Robin Hood Part 4

30min

5th Dec 1964

Mr. Magoo plays Friar Tuck, Robin Hood's friend and ally. Robin Hood and his men succeeds in freeing Marian, and King Richard returns and ends the Sheriff of Nottingham's evil tyrade.

Mr. Magoo's Don Quixote de la Mancha Part 1

12. Mr. Magoo's Don Quixote de la Mancha Part 1

30min

19th Dec 1964

Mr. Magoo plays well-to-do nobleman Don Quixote, who is appalled that there are no more knights in the world. Seeing that a hero is needed in the world again, he dons a rusty suit of armor and asks a simple-minded but loyal farmer named Sancho Panza to be his aide de camp. The two ride through the countryside to try and right wrongs...but all they accomplish is creating havoc at every turn.

Mr. Magoo's Cyrano de Bergerac

13. Mr. Magoo's Cyrano de Bergerac

30min

27th Dec 1964

Mr. Magoo plays Cyrano de Bergerac, a love stricken soldier embarassed by his large nose.

Mr. Magoo's Little Snow White Part 1

14. Mr. Magoo's Little Snow White Part 1

30min

2nd Jan 1965

Mr. Magoo plays all seven of Snow White's dwarves in this adaptation of a beloved Grimms Fairy Tale.

Mr. Magoo's Little Snow White Part 2

15. Mr. Magoo's Little Snow White Part 2

30min

9th Jan 1965

Mr. Magoo plays all seven of Snow White's dwarves in this adaptation of a beloved Grimms Fairy Tale.

Mr. Magoo's Rip Van Winkle

16. Mr. Magoo's Rip Van Winkle

30min

16th Jan 1965

Mr. Magoo plays Rip Van Winkle, the man who fell asleep for 20 years.

Mr. Magoo's Dick Tracy and the Mob

17. Mr. Magoo's Dick Tracy and the Mob

30min

6th Feb 1965

Mr. Magoo finds himself alongside Chester Gould's famous 'Dick Tracy'. Police Chief Patton and Dick Tracy come to Mr. Magoo with a plan to impersonate a notorious crime kingpin known as Squinty, allowing them to capture Prune Face and his gang of super-villains. Mr. Magoo agrees to this plan, and disguises himself as Squinty to infiltrate the crooks hideout and learn their plans.

Mr. Magoo's Midsummer Night's Dream

18. Mr. Magoo's Midsummer Night's Dream

30min

13th Feb 1965

Magoo plays Puck in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer's Night Dream," where he has great fun with foolish mortals.

Mr. Magoo's The Count of Monte Cristo

19. Mr. Magoo's The Count of Monte Cristo

30min

27th Feb 1965

Mr. Magoo plays Edmond Dantes, a man who was imprisoned for a crime he never committed.

Mr. Magoo's Doctor Frankenstein

20. Mr. Magoo's Doctor Frankenstein

30min

13th Mar 1965

Mr. Magoo plays Mary Shelley's Dr. Frankenstein, an insane scientist who brings a creature to life.When the creature breaks out, he threatens to cause mayhem and disaster.

Mr. Magoo's Don Quixote de la Mancha Part 2

21. Mr. Magoo's Don Quixote de la Mancha Part 2

30min

20th Mar 1965

Mr. Magoo plays well-to-do nobleman Don Quixote, who is appalled that there are no more knights in the world. Seeing that a hero is needed in the world again, he dons a rusty suit of armor and asks a simple-minded but loyal farmer named Sancho Panza to be his aide de camp. The two ride through the countryside to try and right wrongs...but all they accomplish is creating havoc at every turn.

Mr. Magoo's Captain Kidd

22. Mr. Magoo's Captain Kidd

30min

27th Mar 1965

Mr. Magoo plays notorious pirate, Captain Kidd. On the high seas, he has many a thing to do. First, he must find a mysterious treasure. But, he must also hold his rebellious crew in check before a mutiny breaks out.

Mr. Magoo's Noah's Ark

23. Mr. Magoo's Noah's Ark

30min

3rd Apr 1965

Mr. Magoo plays Noah, a man who is instructed by God to build an ark, before God unleashes a large storm on the world. God also tells Noah to take 2 of very animal (Male, Female) with him, so that when the storm is over, the world can be repopulated.

Mr. Magoo's Sherlock Holmes

24. Mr. Magoo's Sherlock Holmes

30min

10th Apr 1965

Mr. Magoo plays Dr. Watson, Sherlock Holmes' Assistant. It's a good thing Sherlock Holmes is such a good sleuth, because with Mr. Magoo as Doctor Watson he has to do all the searching for clues himself.

Mr. Magoo's King Arthur

25. Mr. Magoo's King Arthur

30min

17th Apr 1965

Mr. Magoo plays Merlin, the man who helps Arthur become King.

Mr. Magoo's Paul Revere

26. Mr. Magoo's Paul Revere

30min

24th Apr 1965

Mr. Magoo plays Paul Revere, the young Boston man who warned that the ""British are coming! The British are coming!"".

Uncle Sam Magoo

27. Uncle Sam Magoo

30min

24th Apr 1965

The story of America - from the landing of the pilgrims to the landing on the moon. Relive the pilgrim's first Thanksgiving, march with Davy Crockett and listen to America's golden legends.

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol

28. Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol

30min

18th Dec 1962

Mr. Magoo plays an actor who has auditioned for the part of 'Scrooge' in Charles Dickens 'A Christmas Carol'. This play within a movie was the inspiration for the popular 'Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo' series and is considered by some to be an unofficial Pilot. Includes a magical soundtrack from Jules Styne and Bob Merrill ('Funny Girl' Soundtrack), and features Jim Backus, as everyone's favorite near-sighted grump, Mr. Magoo. Backus is probably best recognized by non-'Magoo' fans for his work on one of the most popular sitcoms in television history, 'Gilligan's Island'. Backus played the snobby, yet likable millionaire, Thurston Howell III, and although the series lasted only 3 seasons on CBS, it lives on forever in syndication, and every day it is being introduced to new audiences all around the world. Yes, Jim Backus was one of the few actors to do it all, radio, Broadway, movies, television and cartoons, and everything he did, he excelled at. He has his own star on the Hollywood

Uncle Sam Magoo

31. Uncle Sam Magoo

30min

The story of America - from the landing of the pilgrims to the landing on the moon. Relive the pilgrim's first Thanksgiving, march with Davy Crockett and listen to America's golden legends.

First air date

26th Sep 1964

Last air date

24th Apr 1965

Status

Ended

Type

Scripted

Original language

en

Networks