Gideon (TV series)

Gideon was a late 1970s/early 1980s animated UK children's television series.

This basic animation was centred on Gideon, a duck with an unusually long neck. Gideon's abnormality was the subject of cruel taunts and jibes from the other ducks – who all had normal length necks – but good always came out in the end.

Gideon originated as a series of French storybooks, written by Benjamin Rabier in 1923, under the name Gédéon. In the 1970s French television produced the cartoon series, directed and co-written by Michel Ocelot, which was then sold to the United Kingdom television company Yorkshire Television and made into an English-language version. It was directed by Steve Haynes and featured music by Alan Parker ex Blue Mink.

Goodie Tim Brooke-Taylor narrated the series, as well as providing all the voices – he estimated[1] he had to do around 57 voices for all the various characters, which included Winston the circus dog, Cornelia the tortoise, Stalker the poacher and even flying rabbits.