The Enid Blyton Society

Friedrich von Thun is and was quite popular in Germany, but more on TV than in films.

Julie2owlsdene wrote:I like them all really, but Fall into Adventure does get my vote along with Trouble of course. I like Hike too and Wonderful Time.

I watched Five on a Hike Together last night. Personally, I don't like it as it doesn't follow the plot of the book. In the book, the children don't all go off to the barn to sleep overnight, whilst the children are found out a lot quicker by Dirty Dick and Maggie.

As well as that, I watched Five Go Off to Camp. It's good but so much of it is filmed in the dark that it's hard to see!

From what I've seen so far, the 90s series is better. Dick doesn't do it for me with his brown hair, nor does Julian. You don't get the same feel that they are going to argue over who leads the group as you do with Paul Child and Marco Williamson, two very strong actors and characters. Anne is an alright Anne and George at least as good as the one in the 1990s series. Timmy doesn't convince me either but nor does he in the 90s series. Did he look anything like that in the book?

From what I've seen so far, the 90s series is better. Dick doesn't do it for me with his brown hair, nor does Julian. You don't get the same feel that they are going to argue over who leads the group as you do with Paul Child and Marco Williamson, two very strong actors and characters. Anne is an alright Anne and George at least as good as the one in the 1990s series.

As was said before, it very much depends on which series you grew up with - if any of them at all.
The arguments about leadership are what annoys me a lot about the 1990s series in fact. While I wouldn't say it's not present in the books, I still think they overdoing it. What can be found in the books is a lot more subtle... and that's how Dick does it in the 1970s version. George is the one who challenges good old Ju, not Dick... and Michelle Galagher does that all right.
Jemina Roper is all right I guess, but the parody of a dog they used in the 1990s, no Timmy, not even close. Toddy, the dog from the 1970s, at least meets the requirement of being big enough to protect the children.
Both Laura Patel and Jennifer Thanisch are great as Anne, though personally I prefer Jenny, as she is the cautious and sensible Anne, whereas Laura has to add a certain whimpiness.

Dick Kirrin wrote: Jemina Roper is all right I guess...

How very dare you! All right? All right??

All right - correction for Nigel:

Jemina Roper is a superb actress and looks great. No joke.
I'm not too happy about her in the role of George that's all. It's not the actors that are to blame for that, it's the directors, I think. The children look as if they are permanently afraid to make mistakes, which makes their acting slightly cramped. Trusting them with some liberty would have helped a lot and would have made the difference.

Dick Kirrin wrote:As was said before, it very much depends on which series you grew up with - if any of them at all.
The arguments about leadership are what annoys me a lot about the 1990s series in fact. While I wouldn't say it's not present in the books, I still think they overdoing it. What can be found in the books is a lot more subtle... and that's how Dick does it in the 1970s version. George is the one who challenges good old Ju, not Dick... and Michelle Galagher does that all right.
Jemina Roper is all right I guess, but the parody of a dog they used in the 1990s, no Timmy, not even close. Toddy, the dog from the 1970s, at least meets the requirement of being big enough to protect the children.
Both Laura Patel and Jennifer Thanisch are great as Anne, though personally I prefer Jenny, as she is the cautious and sensible Anne, whereas Laura has to add a certain whimpiness.

Hi Dick

Your comments about a persons preference for the 1970s and 1990s series depending on when you were growing up are spot on. Personally, I am 21 and I was only four when the 1996 series came out, but I can still relate to that version better. I can understand your comments about the actors over doing it a little in the 1990s series.

One of the things I didn't like about the 1990s series was the fact that the actors looked older because the two series had been filmed over the course of a year and a half. I didn't like the older actors as much and Dick and Julian at times do get a little too big for their boots with their power struggles to lead the group. The series really does play on this, especially the second series.In the 1970s series, it's great when George challenges Ju, especially when the boys are mean to her in not letting her go to see the spook trains with her in Five Go Off to Camp.

Jemina Roper is a great actor. She has done very well for herself since that series, whilst the others haven't really done a great deal in terms of acting.

I didn't like the older actors as much and Dick and Julian at times do get a little too big for their boots with their power struggles to lead the group. The series really does play on this, especially the second series.

Boots? School sandals you mean surely?
Seriously, I agree with you about especially Marco looking a bit too old to be a 14-year-old. But this is partly to do with the clothing I think. We aren't used to teenagers in such clothing, so that might be an influence. The children in the 1970s series grew, too. But as they wore t-shirts, flares and trainers, which you can wear from say, 8 to 80 it didn't matter...

The series playing on these power struggles is what annoys me so much. Gary Russell, as Dick in the 1970s, challenges his "brother" Marcus Harris time and again, too. But he is a bit more subtle about it, which suits the series more than Paul's rather direct approach. Just my two pennies worth...

Speaking of Gary and Marcus, I had the chance to meet them both at an EB Day. It was a most entertaining afternoon and the way they interacted... it was like they were brothers.

I never liked the rivalry between Julian and Dick in the 90s series either. There's very little of it in the books, especially once they get past the very early ones. Julian and Dick almost always get on very well, and yes, if there's any challenging to be done, it's by George, which is much more in keeping with the books as I see it. The 90s series certainly looks better - the children look as though they have just stepped out of a Soper illustration, with the exception of Dick who I'm convinced has dark hair - but I much preferred the 1970s Julian and Dick even if they did wear flares and bomber jackets. My daughter, now 20, used to love the 90s series, but for me neither has really captured the Famous Five. I asked for a copy of the old Film Foundation Five on A Treasure Island for Christmas, and should soon be receiving it - it's from a very old friend and we usually don't meet up until her birthday in February. I'm looking forward to watching this as I've read in the forums that Enid had a hand in the casting, but then I have such clear pictures of the Five in my mind (courtesy of Soper and Blyton) that I'm not sure if anything will live up to them.

Lawrie, I hope you enjoy your late Christmas present. I've only watched the Film Foundation version once, but thought it captured the essence of the FF quite well. Probably helped by the fact that the film was made when FF books were still being written, and hair styles and clothes hadn't changed that much since the first book was written. A liberties have been taken with the plot, but probably because it would have been too difficult or taken too long to put everything in exactly as it was in the book.

From what I can remember, the children were all pretty much as I would have expected them to be. Apart from the fisher-boy, not only had they changed his name, but also he spoke the Queen's English, I would have thought he'd have had some kind of regional accent, but that's just a petty quibble really.

I've never really seen the 90's series, apart from about one, I think! The 78 is my favourite.

I'm sure you'll enjoy The Foundation Film of Treasur Island, Lawrie. I love it, especially the senery set at Corfe and the castle for Kirrin. And the landing cove at Lulworth. All a great area.

I find this "power struggle" thing between Julian and Dick interesting - never saw it in the books, and it ceratinly wasn't a "thing" in the 78 series. I think Dick seemed to defer to Julian cos I pretty much deferred to Marcus - although not older, he was bigger than me, and growing up with older brothers meant I naturally acceeded to bigger guys. I don't think the scripts put that idea across either - what may be being perceived as a bit of jostling is purely that I tended to take every line I was given in the first series (which was usually quite dull - Julian and George had the only really good lines, Anne and Dick were just supporting players) and make it snappy or sarcastic, so much so that for the second series, they actually wrote Dick that way - made me cocky and smug and all snarky one-liners. Much like myself

Nice to see you back posting, Gary. I enjoyed Dick's character right through the whole of the series!

Nice to see you're back, Gary.
In my humble opinion, your interaction with Marcus looked so much like the real thing... the little brother not generally questioning his big bro, but all the same not always agreeing heart and soul. I never understood why it had to be different in the 1990s series... couldn't they stand an unchallenged leader?

Five Get Into Trouble; for a great story line and wonderful scenery and settings, and great acting.

Five Go to Smugglers Tops; again for a fantastic setting and great acting!

Five Go Adventuring Again; for another great storyline and thrilling suspense.

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!