Five Find-Outers TV series?

[booklover]

Hi everyone

Has there ever been consideration of a FFO TV series? It would be much more interesting than the Famous Five. The stories are better and there would be plenty of laughs with Fatty and his disguises.

Importantly, a FFO series would be nice and cheap (or cheaper) for the producers - no exotic locations, just film everything in Bourne End!

[Ming]

That would be interesting, I often thought about it too. Fatty could give us a great good laugh!

[Lucky Star]

The FFO is one series that would really have to be done properly though. I mean Period settings, period costumes, old cars, the lot. Rather like the police show Heartbeat. Otherwise it would lose a lot of it's appeal if it was set in the present day.

[Kitty]

And they'd have to pick a decade and stick to it - rather like the Poirot producers opted for the middle-late 30s, and adapt the books slightly to match the setting if needs be.

Personally I'd set it in the late 40s. Would love to see a really good series of this. Shame the BBC don't tend to go in for weekend children's drama the way they used to - I could really see Fatty & co on an 6pm on a Sunday night!

[dsr]

I'd agree, Kitty, but I think it would have to be the late 40's without any war. OK, every chance that not a bomb fell on or near Peterswood, but we know rationing's out!

Could it sneak into the fifties or even early sixties, before the flower people appeared? After all, the Beatles were condemned for long hair as soon as it touched their collar - I could see the find-outers in Peterswood in 1962 as it is in the books, but 5 years later I can easily see Larry as a Herman's Hermit-type!:(

[Tony Summerfield]

I have posted on this before, but I can't seem to get the search to work at present. I will find it rather than repeating everything I said, but a series was planned and all fell through.

[Jeffery Greyling]

I have posted on this before, but I can't seem to get the search to work at present. I will find it rather than repeating everything I said, but a series was planned and all fell through.

I know you may have already posted about this Tony, but when were they going to make the series?

[Tony Summerfield]

Immediately after they finished the Famous Five series in the late 90s, Zenith North were intending to follow it with a Find-Outers serial, but they wanted to do it as a period film in the same way as the Famous Five series, and unfortunately the 'powers that decide these things' wanted to do it in a modern setting and Zenith said this was impossible and abandoned their plans.

[SecretJenny]

Thank goodness! If you put Blyton stories into a modern setting you lose all the magic. Imagine Fatty with a mobile phone!

[Ms Golightly]

The FFO is one series that would really have to be done properly though. I mean Period settings, period costumes, old cars, the lot. Rather like the police show Heartbeat. Otherwise it would lose a lot of it's appeal if it was set in the present day.

I totally agree, and would love to see it. I would want to be the casting director though, because if they pick the wrong people for those characters I would just go berserk! lol!

When I win the lottery, I'll finance it myself!

[Fiona1986]

I would want to be the casting director though, because if they pick the wrong people for those characters I would just go berserk! lol!

For example a less than plump Fatty?

[Petermax]

Immediately after they finished the Famous Five series in the late 90s, Zenith North were intending to follow it with a Find-Outers serial,

This is news to me, I had no idea. Had production gone ahead, then this could well have been been a very successful series. Providing of course that it was kept within the 1950's era and allowed a far longer running time and closer adherence to the original storylines than the 1970's and 1990's Famous Five TV series.

[Julie2owlsdene]

I guess there's no chance of any such a series now, with all these cut backs on TV.

[Dick Kirrin]

I agree, especially with Petermax. The series should be allowed more screen time, say 90min each and of course, they had to be "period".
Personally, I like the 70s version of the Famous Five better. I can live with careful adaptations, but I cannot see Julian calling in the police on his mobile once he's learned that is brother was mistaken for Richard and taken to Owl's Dene - disgusting thought!
It would make a nice difference to all that comic and cartoon stuff, live actors and complex stories. Besides, if I had to chose between "Five on the case" and a TV adaptiation of any other "real" Blyton series, I'd always go for the latter.
A new and final version of the Famous Five would be my first choice, especially with scripts written and adapted by Gary Russell , or the Barney series, which could be turned into 12-18 episodes (3 to each book) of the FFOs. But this is idle day-dreaming, I'm afraid. As they do not seem to be able to find out who'd be legally allowed to authorize a DVD collection of the 70s version of the Famous Five, I don't believe anybody would follow up our ideas. Pity.
Cheers

Dick Kirrin

[Fiona1986]

Pity.

Indeed, Spitty.