Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Discuss the television and film adaptations of Enid Blyton's stories.
User avatar
number 6
Posts: 4342
Joined: 11 Jun 2010, 17:12
Favourite book/series: Famous Five
Favourite character: George/Jo
Location: Robin Hood Country

Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by number 6 »

I've been sitting on the fence with this one. I couldn't make up my mind.. Until now! I've just been sorting out my storage cupboard & found my very first tent. My parents bought it me for Xmas 1978 & I've been a keen camper ever since! My influence, of course, was 'Five go off to Camp'!! This episode always takes me back to that Xmas & the excitement of following in the Five's footsteps! Great days..Great memories! :D
User avatar
Poppy
Posts: 5725
Joined: 24 Apr 2012, 16:06
Favourite book/series: Famous Five/ Adventure Series/ Malory Towers
Favourite character: George Kirrin, Andy, Jack Trent & Diana.
Location: UK

Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Poppy »

Yes I agree, number 6, Five Go Off To Camp is a very good episode.

I watched three episodes yesterday and my favourite of the three was Five Get Into a Fix. It is very exciting and the place it is set in is almost exactly how I imagined it to be in the book! :D
"Beware of young men with long hair - that's what dad says, isn't it?"
Pat, Holiday House


Poppy's Best of Books

Society Member
User avatar
Anita Bensoussane
Forum Administrator
Posts: 26768
Joined: 30 Jan 2005, 23:25
Favourite book/series: Adventure series, Six Cousins books, Six Bad Boys
Favourite character: Jack Trent, Fatty and Elizabeth Allen
Location: UK

Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

I miss the snow in the 1970s TV version of Five Get Into a Fix, but I like the portrayal of Morgan and I love it when Julian and the others sing "Happy Birthday" in Welsh.
"Heyho for a starry night and a heathery bed!" - Jack, The Secret Island.

"There is no bond like the bond of having read and liked the same books."
- E. Nesbit, The Wonderful Garden.


Society Member
User avatar
Poppy
Posts: 5725
Joined: 24 Apr 2012, 16:06
Favourite book/series: Famous Five/ Adventure Series/ Malory Towers
Favourite character: George Kirrin, Andy, Jack Trent & Diana.
Location: UK

Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Poppy »

Yes, it is very good when they sing happy birthday in welsh! I enjoyed that bit! Yes, I certainly missed the snow in 'Fix' and I also miss it in 'Go Adventuring Again', but I suppose they couldn't time it that well! Also they'd be freezing filming in that weather! :D
"Beware of young men with long hair - that's what dad says, isn't it?"
Pat, Holiday House


Poppy's Best of Books

Society Member
Dick Kirrin
Posts: 2564
Joined: 14 Jun 2009, 18:19
Favourite book/series: Famous Five, Barney Mysteries
Favourite character: Julian, Dick
Location: Southwest Germany

Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Dick Kirrin »

As far as I know, they filmed during the summer hols in two subsequent years. That makes the prospects of snow pretty slim, I'm afraid. :wink:

Just rewatched Fix, and even though I still don't put it top of my personal hit list, I appreciate their work.
They did try to resolve some problems the book poses as it is one of the less logical ones of the series.
I also like Morgan's dry sense of humor and of course Mrs Jones is lovely. :)
The hut isn't too bad, though reading the book makes you expect something a bit cosier... The acting of the children is their usual very good standard, without overdoing things too much. I like George very much in this episode.
And being the old Ford fan I am, the opening with the Cortina playing up appeals to me a lot. :D
"You just never knew what would happen. It made life exciting, of course - but it did spoil a cycling tour!"
User avatar
Julie2owlsdene
Posts: 15244
Joined: 24 Jul 2007, 20:15
Favourite book/series: F.F. and Mystery Series - Five get into Trouble
Favourite character: Dick
Location: Cornwall

Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

I thought Fix was quite good really, but as Anita says, it lacks the snow, but of course, if it was filmed in summer then there wouldn't be any. :lol:

8)
Julian gave an exclamation and nudged George.
"See that? It's the black Bentley again. KMF 102!"

Society Member
Katharine
Posts: 12284
Joined: 25 Nov 2009, 15:50

Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Katharine »

I don't think I've got a favourite so far, but I haven't watched them all. I'm half way through Demon's Rocks and from what I've seen, that won't be anywhere near the top of my list. It seems to be from the second series, as Julian sounds as though his voice is breaking, and Dick seems almost as tall as him. It seems a bit drawn out as it's a 2 episode story. I also don't like the way Julian speaks to the two brothers who are after the gold. One of Julian's qualities should be the calm polite way he deals with undesirables, but he just came across as plain rude in the bit I saw.

I've recently watched Smuggler's Top and On A Hike. I was a bit apprehensive, as both the books are among my favourites, but I thought that considering they had to squeeze the stories into such a short space of time, that they did a good job of capturing the feel of the books.
Society Member
User avatar
corkontheocean
Posts: 34
Joined: 21 Mar 2013, 15:27
Favourite book/series: The Famous Five, Adventure Series
Favourite character: George, Dick, Jack Trent, Barney

Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by corkontheocean »

Five Get Into Trouble is mine, it also happened to be the first one I ever watched.
"If anyone's on my island," began George, looking very fierce and angry, "if anyone's on my island, I'll-I'll-I'll-"

"You'll explode and go up in smoke!" said Dick.
User avatar
Poppy
Posts: 5725
Joined: 24 Apr 2012, 16:06
Favourite book/series: Famous Five/ Adventure Series/ Malory Towers
Favourite character: George Kirrin, Andy, Jack Trent & Diana.
Location: UK

Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Poppy »

I love that one too, Cheryl!

I especially love the scene:

Julian: George
George: Yes
Julian: Do you think he's trying to scare us?
George: No, I think he's trying to make us laugh...
Julian: Well he's not succeeding.
George: I don't know...Anne's laughing.

:lol: :lol:
"Beware of young men with long hair - that's what dad says, isn't it?"
Pat, Holiday House


Poppy's Best of Books

Society Member
User avatar
corkontheocean
Posts: 34
Joined: 21 Mar 2013, 15:27
Favourite book/series: The Famous Five, Adventure Series
Favourite character: George, Dick, Jack Trent, Barney

Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by corkontheocean »

Haha yes Poppy, I love that scene! I laugh everytime I see it :D
"If anyone's on my island," began George, looking very fierce and angry, "if anyone's on my island, I'll-I'll-I'll-"

"You'll explode and go up in smoke!" said Dick.
User avatar
daanton
Posts: 1114
Joined: 01 Apr 2014, 03:26
Favourite book/series: FAMOUS FIVE
Favourite character: All the Five, but especially Anne.
Location: Canada

Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by daanton »

Yes indeed! Really releases a bit of the tension of the moment. Just as Hunchy, upon his claim of their breaking into the place (Owls Dene), threatens to give them "the edge of [his] belt"!

And as an impressionable young lad like me who felt he was right there along with the Five and Richard experiencing everything, it was incredible!

And shortly thereafter, the tension is lightened by said scene:
Poppy wrote: JULIAN: "George?"
GEORGE: "Yes?"
JULIAN: "Do you think he's trying to scare us?"
GEORGE: "No, I think he's trying to make us laugh."
JULIAN: "He's not succeeding, is he?"
GEORGE: "Oh I don't know... Anne's laughing."

:lol: :lol:
Or at least Jennifer Thanisch is making a scared Anne try to laugh....!

Beaut! A nice difference (dare I say, improvement?) over how the book originally details the exchange between Hunchy and Julian:
"You're so sharp you'll cut yourself one day!" Hunchy said going to the door.

"So my Mother told me that when I was two years old!" said Julian and the others giggled.

BTW, yes, "Five Get Into a Fix" was also incredible. "Explosive" action near the end....!

I'm curious: did anyone catch what Morgan Jones named his working dogs?
Famous Five TV Fan
Image
User avatar
Gary Russell
Posts: 391
Joined: 10 Mar 2007, 21:41
Favourite book/series: FF
Favourite character: well duh...
Location: Cold, windy but beautiful Cardiff

Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Gary Russell »

Hike *cough cough* but I'm biased. :D
User avatar
Moonraker
Posts: 22387
Joined: 31 Jan 2005, 19:15
Location: Wiltshire, England
Contact:

Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Moonraker »

I must say, the tv script made me laugh out loud! And I'm not biased! :D
Society Member
User avatar
Petermax
Posts: 1183
Joined: 25 Jan 2007, 21:51
Location: United Kingdom

Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Petermax »

Five Go Off To Camp does it for me every time. That 1938 Morris 8 Tourer! :-) Five Fall Into Adventure comes a close second though. The fight scene between Gary Russell and Julie Davis is always very amusing, no way would such a scene be permitted today in a children's TV series.
User avatar
daanton
Posts: 1114
Joined: 01 Apr 2014, 03:26
Favourite book/series: FAMOUS FIVE
Favourite character: All the Five, but especially Anne.
Location: Canada

Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by daanton »

Whenever I recall (or rewatch) "Five Go Off To Camp", I too marvel at that 1938 Morris 8 Tourer, Cyril Luckham playing a marvellous half-forgetful yet kind-hearted Mr Luffy, and how "Anne's Volcano" was handled in this episode. And let's not forget:
QUENTIN: "[...] I say.... I've never seen dirtier children in my life!"
Except Anne, of course, she didn't "frolic" in that train tunnel (or that vent shaft) as long as the others!


As for "Five Fall Into Adventure" and the fight scene.... amazing how first Dick tells Jo she can't fight George because she's a girl, it's only when Jo decides to fight Dick and Dick hits her back that Jo would say she too was a girl! :lol:


As for "Five Get Into a Fix": does "Happy Birthday" have the same meaning when sung in Welsh? :P Kidding.

And yes, as the book mentions the action taking place in wintertime, Portman/Southern did a fairly good job in rewriting to make up for that lack. Y'see, I only found about the book long after watching the episode....
Famous Five TV Fan
Image
Post Reply