The programme is based around the titular young boy and his torch. When shone on the floor, the torch opens up a hole into a fun fantasy world called Cuckoo Land.[3]
The beginning of each episode has Jamie's mother tucking him into bed at night and saying, "Sleep well, Jamie." Then from under his bed, his pet Old English Sheepdog, Wordsworth, appears, holding the torch in his mouth. Jamie takes the torch and shines it on the floor, opening up a portal to Cuckoo Land (in which Wordsworth always gets stuck). The portal manifests itself as a helter skelter.
When they reach the end of the slide, they fly out into Cuckoo Land from the bottom of a tree trunk, and land on a trampoline. All of this is accompanied by a song, written by Joe Griffiths. Once in Cuckoo Land, the fun begins.
Characters in Cuckoo Land
Mr. Boo, who flies around in his 'submachine', obsessed with counting things.
Officer Gotcha, who rides a unicycle and eats truncheons.
Strumpers Plunkett, who plays melodies on his trumpet nose.
Wellibob the cat, who does everything backwards and speaks with a Glaswegian accent.
Jo-Jo Help the unhelpful handyman.
Nutmeg the ragdoll, whose magical pocket can produce all kinds of items.
The Yoo-hoo Bird, who plays tricks on and runs from Officer Gotcha.
Bullybundy, the show business rabbit with oversized feet.
The first two series have also been released on DVD, In 2024, all 3 series of the show were finally released on DVD & Blu-Ray. In July 2024, all 3 series were made available via a premium subscription to the ITVX streaming service.
References
^The Stage: Thursday 23 September 1976 : P13. TELEVISION TODAY: New Thames subsidiary
^The Stage: Thursday 25 November 1976 : P14. ITV keeps accent on drama serials for children
^Sheridan, Simon (2004). The A-Z of Classic Children's Television: From Alberto Frog to Zebedee. Reynolds & Hearn Ltd. pp. 142–144. ISBN1903111277.
