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In 1982, Warner Bros. Home Video issued 5 VHS tapes of Roundabout, a series of preschool oriented shows teaching children life lessons, such as sharing is caring and more. The series had 2 episodes in each VHS tape, and if I could remember correctly, the series also used to air on syndication during the mid 80s.
The series featured a live action man teaching children life lessons through animated music videos, animated stories, and at the end, an animated short movie.
Unfortunately, only 1 VHS tape of the series and its 2 episodes have been resurfaced in full. The rest are currently lost.
Submitted 9 months, 1 week ago by Whopper1
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I've got a pretty decent collection of old children’s shows on VHS and even some Betamax. No Roundabout yet, but I grab anything that looks remotely like lost media. Best way I've found tapes is hitting up garage sales real early, estate sales, and sometimes even thrift stores. Trust me, don't ignore those bins of old tapes. There's gold in there sometimes. If anyone spots these tapes, post it up immediately!
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Roundabout was actually pretty revolutionary for its time because it fused educational content with entertainment. Warner Bros. dipping their toes in preschool programming was a big deal and it's frustrating that we have such a limited record of what that looked like. I'd encourage anyone in the animation preservation community to keep an eye out. We need to catalogue and digitize these things before they degrade beyond recovery.
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I actually specialize in tracking down stuff like this. Roundabout, huh? Haven't come across it in my travels yet. The fact that it's a series of educational animations makes me think that there might be copies in old libraries or schools that used to use VHS tapes as teaching aids. You’d be surprised how often that kind of material was distributed to educational institutions back in the day. I’d suggest anyone interested to check local listings or giveaways for old media - schools and libraries upgrade and sometimes dump old tapes by the box load.
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This is the kind of series that retro animation channels on YouTube would go nuts for. Varied and educational content like that, especially coming from Warner Bros., means someone, somewhere has got to have those tapes. It's a shame that corporates didn't foresee the cultural value of preserving these shows. Way too much kids' stuff from the 80s just disappeared into thin air. The search continues though, fingers crossed!
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I remember watching Roundabout as a kid! Never knew it was hard to find now. The jingles were so catchy, they're still stuck in my head lol. Why do shows like this just vanish off the face of the Earth? It's like nobody ever thought to keep a copy. I bet there are tons of episodes rotting away in someone's garage right now...
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Oh wow, I haven't even thought about Roundabout in ages. I think my parents have one of those VHS tapes in their attic. I'll have to check next time I visit. Would be crazy if it turned out to be one of the lost episodes. Did these have any well-known voice actors or animators attached to them? I’d love to have more context about what we’re looking for!
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I've been collecting preschool series for years, and Roundabout has always been the holy grail for me. Last year I got my hands on some promotional material that lists the episode titles. It might help direct our search if we know what we're looking for, specifically. Here's hoping someone uncovers more tapes before they deteriorate completely!
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Never heard of Roundabout before, but sounds like something I'd have loved as a kid. Any of the music from the show available?
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I've heard about it. There was also a 1985 NES game of the same name that is also lost, and a cancelled movie and musical adaptation. If I remember correctly, the VHS tapes came bundled with a plush toy of the same man from the series that explained the events of the video when placed in front of a TV that played Roundabout. Also there were puppets and some people in costumes.
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Anyone actually seen these lost episodes?? Been hunting for them for ages but no luck. Heard a rumor that somebody found a stash in an old rental store basement out west, but probably just a collector's tale. If anyone's willing to trade or sell, DM me. I've got a mint-condition 'Gargoyles' set I'm willing to part with.
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Oh yeah, the plushie gimmick was actually ahead of its time. Used a basic infrared signal, I believe - like a primitive version of today's interactive toys. Sometimes they'd desync, and the plushie would miss its cue or not react at all. And the costume characters! They were rumored to be made by the same folks who did some stuff for Henson.
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Totally had one of those plushies when I was a kid! They were supposed to interact with the show somehow but mine was busted or something. Just sat there staring blank, creepy as heck. Anyone got pics of the plush or the costumes? Would hit me right in the nostalgia feels.
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For those interested in tracking down the lost episodes, have you tried reaching out to any former production staff? It's a long shot, but sometimes they keep copies of their work. Might also be worth it to contact Warner Bros. directly. Sometimes these companies hold onto archival footage, even if it never sees the light of day. BTW, did the show have any merchandise or tie-ins that could point us to more material?