The Magician's House

The Magician's House

12199930m5.5/10
DramaSci-Fi & Fantasy

Ratings

🎬TMDb
5.5/10(4)

The Magician's House is a quartet of children's fantasy books by William Corlett. Two mini-series were produced in 1999 for British television, which were directed by Paul Lynch. The series featured Jennifer Saunders and Stephen Fry voicing some of the animal characters. The books were published in the early 1990s, and named as follows: ⁕The Steps up the Chimney ⁕The Door in the Tree ⁕The Tunnel behind the Waterfall ⁕The Bridge in the Clouds Although in a rural setting, this series' focus on subjects such as industrial development and the combining of present-day and past settings in the plotline gives it a feeling tending more towards urban fantasy than simply contemporary fantasy. In addition, though there is no specific mention of Welsh myths and legends, the strong part nature plays in the stories and the settings bring to mind other British children's authors. Authors like Alan Garner, who is perhaps best known for The Owl Service and Elidor, and Susan Cooper, famous for The Dark Is Rising sequence of books, who allude more specifically to British myth and legend in their writings.

Production

Kudos, BBC Cymru Wales, Forefront Entertainment

Language

EN

Status

Ended

First Aired

October 31, 1999

Last Aired

December 17, 2000

Networks

BBC One

Where to Watch
Region US · Lang EN
US
No providers available for this region.
Seasons & Episodes
Select a season to view episodes. Reddit links may contain spoilers.
Season
E1
ONE
Air date: 1999-10-31
Three children, Mary Green and her cousins William and Alice Constant, arrive with her Uncle Jack at Mary's father's home, Golden House, in the forests of Wales' Golden Valley, to spend their Christmas holidays. Once there they meet a 400-year-old magician who has been waiting for their help.
E2
TWO
Air date: 1999-11-07
The evil Morden, the magician's former apprentice, sends a talking rat from the year 1590 to the present. Not only does this upset the balance of time, but the rat persuades Mary that her pregnant stepmother Phoebe is a witch who has cast a spell over her father. Meanwhile, William and Alice try to befriend Meg Lewis, an elderly animal activist, who warns the children about the valley's evil badger hunters.
E3
THREE
Air date: 1999-11-14
Still under Morden's rat's influence, Mary hides her stepmother Phoebe's protective talisman and arranges for her to have an accident. Alice suspects that Mary is subverting their efforts to find the rat. Meg Lewis worries that badger hunters plan to dig out and torture the valley's rare golden badgers.
E4
FOUR
Air date: 1999-11-21
Trapped in the cellar by Morden's rat, Phoebe goes into labor during a blinding snowstorm. Going for help, William receives assistance from the valley's magical animals.
E5
FIVE
Air date: 1999-11-28
Morden manages to project his consciousness from the year 1590 into the present, and Mary discovers the truth about her rat friend as Morden inhabits the creature and starts to assemble an army of rat followers to attack Golden House.
E6
SIX
Air date: 1999-12-05
Alice seeks comfort from Spot the dog, unaware that he is now inhabited by Morden. The children race to an abandoned quarry, where Tyler the Magician has challenged his evil apprentice Morden to a final battle.

Cast

Katie Stuart

Katie Stuart

Mary Green

Ian Richardson

Ian Richardson

Stephen Tyler

Neil Pearson

Neil Pearson

Jack Green

Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry

Jasper the Owl (voice)

Steven Webb

Steven Webb

William Constant

Christopher Redman

Christopher Redman

Matthew Morden

Olivia Coles

Alice Constant

Kendall Cross

Kendall Cross

Phoebe Taylor

Robert Wisden

Robert Wisden

Charles Morden

Jesse Moss

Jesse Moss

Mark

Recommended

Similar TV Shows