Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Discuss the television and film adaptations of Enid Blyton's stories.
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Yan
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Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Yan »

Hi :wink:

What are your favourite episodes of the 1977/78 Famous Five TV-series? And why?
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Post by Anita Bensoussane »

That's a great question. Five On Kirrin Island is my top favourite because of the superb casting of Curton and Johnson and because I love the little coastguard's cottage on the beach and all the archaic-looking scientific equipment in the underground passages. We see George at her sulkiest near the beginning, accompanied by moody guitar music at one point. It's a classic!

Smuggler's Top is another wonderful one - I love Sooty and Mr. and Mrs. Lenoir and I think the producers get the creepy atmosphere spot-on. Barling is a real character.

Also Hike Together because it's funny, and Go Off in a Caravan because Nobby is great and I like the Lou/Tiger Dan double-act. The old gypsy caravans are another attraction.

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Last edited by Anita Bensoussane on 01 Mar 2007, 15:32, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by George@Kirrin »

Oh I'm so torn!

Smugglers Top is a definite, the superb casting and so close to the book.

Hike is another of my favourites, though would have been better longer...

Camp and Trouble I rate highly, again close to the books.

Have to say Demon Rocks is up there as I love lighthouses...

I'd better stop for now before I name all of them...

Oh, Sea too, and Finniston
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Post by Anita Bensoussane »

[George:] "Have to say Demon Rocks is up there as I love lighthouses..."

One of my favourite parts of the whole series is when the children go up the spiral staircase of the lighthouse, making spooky wailing noises.

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Post by Yan »

I think my favourite episode is "Run away together", although I know it's not close to the book. But I like the performance of Mr. and Mrs. Stick. And Michele Gallagher is looking best in this one. :oops: :wink:

"Go down to the sea" is great, too. Rupert "Yan" Graves is a good sidekick. And I love the sequence when the FF enter the old castle and escape over the roof.

From the first season, I like "on Kirrin Island" most. Really great performance of Michele as the unfriendly George ("so don't try to follow me, any of you!"). But how she smiles after Julian asked her to join them. Also credible acting from James Villiers as Johnson (not only during the filming as Gary Russell says). :lol:
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Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by famousfiver »

Such a hard decision - I really love them all. The characters and actors in all episodes are fabulour. But I guess if I had to pick a few particular favourites I would have to say:
Five Get Into Trouble - I love that the Five are on a cycling holiday in the lovely forest environment and the excitement of hiding at Owl's Dene to rescue Dick after he is kidnapped. I love the actors who play the bad characters - they do such a good job of acting and they look the part.
Five Have a Wonderful Time - I love that this is set at the grounds of Faynights Castle, the adventure to find imprisoned Terry-Kane and the Gypsies that help the Five.
Five Get Into a Fix - I love the setting of this in Wales and the atmosphere and cosy feel to this when the Five stay in the wooden hut and adventure into Red Towers.
I also love Five Go Adventuring Again and Five Run Away Together.
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Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Lucky Star »

Difficult question. I liked Five go to Smugglers Top for the atmosphere which was quite true to the book although I found Mr Barling to be a little ridiculous rather than sinister.

I also loved ..on Kirrin Island mainly for the first half which depicts the Five meeting for the first time, superbly played by the whole cast.

After that I dont know, I like Hike and Off to Camp particularly well as they are well performed and very true to the original stories. I have a soft spot for the whole series so it frequently deopends what mood I'm in as to which episodes I choose. :lol:
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Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by peppermint peppy »

I like to watch "Five go off in a caravan".It's because of Brian Glover and Sean Lynch.
In my opinion they were great actors and I love these antediluvian caravans.
Does anybody know anthing about Nobby(Gary Dundaven)?
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Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Petermax »

Without a doubt it has got to be "Five Go Off in a Caravan". I too love those Gypsy caravans as well as the the red Hants and Dorset bus, a very common sight at my local bus station back then. The caravans as depicted in the book and Soper illustations were actually quite modern in comparison although still horse drawn.

What a performance from Brian Glover, better known as the sadistic P.E teacher in the 1969 film Kes.

Demon's Rocks is also a favourite despite the manic performance of Wayne Brooks who played Tinker. The Tinker in the 1990s series was in comparison far more subdued although the 1970s version was probably closer to the book.
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Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Moonraker »

Petermax wrote: I too love those Gypsy caravans as well as the the red Hants and Dorset bus, a very common sight at my local bus station back then.

Of course, prior to becoming part of the National Bus network, H&D buses were painted in green and cream.

Image


They were painted in an orangey red livery after the National Bus Company came into being.

Image

Local rivals, the Wilts & Dorset bus company also had the new National livery - the red being lighter than their original red.

Image

After the demise of National, the buses in the south were returned to private enterprise. H&D and W&D were almagamated, and were called Wilts & Dorset from then on. Today, W&D is part of the Go-Ahead group, and has a new red and blue livery.
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Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

[Petermax:] Demon's Rocks is also a favourite despite the manic performance of Wayne Brooks who played Tinker.
I love Wayne Brooks' "manic performance" - he's rather an endearing little chap! One of the strengths of the 1970s series is the superb casting of many of the minor characters.

Edit: I see you've got yourself a new signature, Nigel! :roll:

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Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Ming »

Yes, isn't that sig amazing?! :D :lol:
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Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Moonraker »

Anita Bensoussane wrote: Edit: I see you've got yourself a new signature, Nigel! :roll:
We've got Keith to thank for this trend, Anita! What you say may well come back to haunt you! :oops:
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Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Ming »

That's why I'm so quiet nowadays. :wink:
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Re: Best episodes of the 78 Famous Five series?

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

Love the pics of the buses Nigel.

The green was called Tilling Green and the red buses at N.B.C. were Poppy Red.

My hubby is a bus fanatic as well as a steam train fanatic. We used to own a Blackburn Leyland Tiger back in the 70's which we went to vintage rallies with, won a number of cups too over the years. Sold it back to Blackburn Buses.

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