Paddington Bear

[Courtenay]

Hi everyone,

I mentioned Paddington Bear in another thread (rather off topic!) recently, and just heard that there's a film about him to be released later this year. I've watched the trailer, but oh dear...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-d-V9jXYDE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

... don't know about anyone else, but it makes my stomach turn. Looks like yet another film trying to appeal to a "modern" audience by replacing the gentle, warm, relatively understated humour of the original books with overdone slapstick and gross toilet humour.

Also, just going by this trailer, they seem to have some trouble deciding what period it's set in... that's a present-day First Great Western engine at Paddington Station (I'm sure railway buffs can name the exact model), but the Browns' bathroom looks decidedly retro!

I didn't get to know Paddington in my childhood as well as I would have liked to, but I still have fond memories of him being very unlike this movie rendition appears to be. Does anyone else remember this endearingly clunky TV version? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mClA14WQFu8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm looking forward to reading more of the original Michael Bond stories when I have time, but think I'll steer clear of the new film, thank you.

How do others here feel - about the books, the film, TV versions, or just Paddington in general?

[Anita Bensoussane]

I agree that that new Paddington film looks over the top and rather gross, Courtenay.

As a child I watched the "clunky" 1970s TV version and read some of the books by Michael Bond, and my sister and I had Paddington Bear posters on our bedroom wall. I thought the TV series captured the gentle charm of the stories quite well. My daughter also enjoyed some of the books when she was little.

[Moonraker]

Certainly not my cup of tea. The FGW train is a class 43 (HST), which was first introduced to the network in 1975. They used to have yellow fronts, and were known as flying bananas.

[Katharine]

Ugh, gross. I stopped the trailer half way through, as I could anticipate what was probably going to happen next, and don't find that kind of thing funny.

I much prefer the more gentle version from my childhood.

[Courtenay]

Thanks, Nigel - thought you'd know. I've been on them many times myself (mainly when I lived near Reading), but while I can certainly tell one model of train from another visually, I don't know their official names. I just know that type as "the one where you have to reach through the window in the carriage door to open it using the handle on the outside" - which I don't think I've ever managed to do by myself, so have to get someone else to open it!!

Don't worry, Katharine, you really didn't miss much by not watching the whole trailer - it only keeps getting worse.

[Lucky Star]

I used to love the little five minute cartoon series which was shown on BBC1 daily many years ago. As Anita said it captured the gentle humour and personality of the stories very well. I wonder if it is available on DVD anywhere.

[Deej]

Erm... why the hideous Greek music in the background?

Why the modern train?

Is that really supposed to be the Paddington that I know?

And why is the video so silly and disgusting?

I hate it and certainly won't be watching the film

[John Pickup]

Rubbish. As soon as he withdrew the toothbrushes from his ears, that was enough for me.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Erm... why the hideous Greek music in the background?

Maybe it's Peruvian? I must admit I didn't actually notice it till you pointed it out.

[Poppy]

Me and my sister were in fits of laughter watching this!! Perhaps it is a little silly at times, but her reaction was "We have to get this film!" I can see it appealing to a wide selection of watchers: both the younger generation and those who are fans of Paddington Bear.

[Fiona1986]

I doubt you will find a bigger Paddington fan than my mother. She has at least a hundred figurines, ornaments, crockeries, stuffed toys, books... tshirts, aprons... if it has Paddington on it, she's got it.

And she's excited about the film. I'm sure she's seen the trailer though she hasn't said anything about it to me, I'm assuming if she thought it awful she would have said something.

And yes, you can get the old Paddington on DVD, Mum's got most of them though there are a few episodes that aren't on them (the one where he dreams about being a circus performer while in the headmaster's office is one if I remember rightly, Mum's got that on video though!)

[Katharine]

Is this the same mother who can't understand your obsession with all things Enid Blyton??????

[Fiona1986]

The very same!

Just asked her about the film. She said it's not how she imagines Paddington, he's a bit too humanised, but she's still looking forward to it. She recognises it's for modern kids and that it won't be the same as "her" Paddington, ie the 70s TV version, but it's still Paddington in the end.

[Zar Quon]

And yes, you can get the old Paddington on DVD, Mum's got most of them though there are a few episodes that aren't on them (the one where he dreams about being a circus performer while in the headmaster's office is one if I remember rightly, Mum's got that on video though!)

Sure?

Amazons listing says 56 + 3, which wiki agrees with as an episode count

[Fiona1986]

Those do include the three half hour specials, so I'd better tell my mum! She's had her DVDs for several years and they were single disks containing just the regular length episodes, and when those were released the specials were not included.