Magical Mary

After the breakout success of Tokimeki Mahou Mari in the 1980's, there was a great deal of interest in making a western version of the show that the western studios could get a cut of the toy sales from. After a great deal of scrabbling, the license was eventually landed by holding company Magical Mary Ltd, a joint-company owned in equal parts by Canadian television channel ZedTV and Italian Animation Studio Bongiorno Pictures. The new show (which, while loosely based on Tokimeki Mahou Mary, was not officially an adaptation of the manga) Magical Mary, and aired 65 episodes in Canada from 1995-1998, and in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia from 1997-2003.