Which Famous Five TV Series?

[Kirrin]

Basically which do you prefer the 70s one or the 90s one!
I like the 90s one because of the overall feel as it captured the books just right!!

[Rob Houghton]

I agree that the 1990's series is far superior when one considers costume, setting and general authenticity. BUT it was a hard choice for me to make, remembering the 1970's series so fondly from when I was a child. I loved the theme tune of that one best!

But my vote goes for 1990's version.

[Topsy-Turvy]

Wow Kirrin I have to say you are really active in the forum...you are everywhere! Though maybe this belongs in the miscellanous section!

I'm going to write here first that I really couldn't vote for either of the series. I really just felt that I would have liked a mix and match combination actors from both series to form the ideal Famous Five!

Julian - Marcus Harris from 70s
He fit my idea of Julian to a T when I read the books. All serious and in charge. Loved the way he handled the Richard Kent(?) kid. With Marco Williamson I always felt it was the height that did it!

George - Jemima Rooper from 90s
Without a doubt. She WAS George!

Timmy - Toddy from 70s.
Sorry he's the bigger dog!

Dick - I don't mind either actually!

Anne - Jennifer Thanisch from 70s
She was just right for Anne I thought. Girlish without being overly so (I always thought Anne was a normal girl; none of that feminist-contrast-with-George-nonsense).

Hmmm looks like I veer towards the 70s. But I didn't like them messing with the stories and of course in those days I suppose lighting was poorer....And hey Robert, I like the song too!

Some of the 90s dialogue however, didn't fit in with the 40s setting they were in though so it looked sort of, well, fake in that sense, compared to the 70s setting which was as it is.

See why I can't seem to choose?

[Anita Bensoussane]

Topsy-Turvy wrote that the ideal Anne was "Jennifer Thanisch from 70s.
She was just right for Anne I thought. Girlish without being overly so (I always thought Anne was a normal girl; none of that feminist-contrast-with-George-nonsense)."

Topsy-Turvy, I have to agree. Jennifer Thanisch played Anne as an immensely likeable girl with a warm, friendly personality who, unlike George, was happy to be female. Laura Petela's Anne was a bit too self-consciously "girly" for my taste.

Regarding Dick, I preferred the 1970s Dick (Gary Russell) because I felt that the 1990s Dick (Paul Child) played the part tongue-in-cheek, almost sending up the character at times.

I liked both Julians, but the 1990s Julian (Marco Williamson) looked much more as I imagined Julian to look. And Jemima Rooper (1990s) was George, as you said, Topsy-Turvy, though I thought Michelle Gallagher (1970s) did a very good job as well.

Anita

[Sooty]

Topsy-Turvy wrote that the ideal Anne was "Jennifer Thanisch from 70s.
She was just right for Anne I thought. Girlish without being overly so (I always thought Anne was a normal girl; none of that feminist-contrast-with-George-nonsense)."

Topsy-Turvy, I have to agree. Jennifer Thanisch played Anne as an immensely likeable girl with a warm, friendly personality who, unlike George, was happy to be female. Laura Petela's Anne was a bit too self-consciously "girly" for my taste.

Regarding Dick, I preferred the 1970s Dick (Gary Russell) because I felt that the 1990s Dick (Paul Child) played the part tongue-in-cheek, almost sending up the character at times.

I liked both Julians, but the 1990s Julian (Marco Williamson) looked much more as I imagined Julian to look. And Jemima Rooper (1990s) was George, as you said, Topsy-Turvy, though I thought Michelle Gallagher (1970s) did a very good job as well.

Anita

Yes yes yes.

[Topsy-Turvy]

Actually with Julian, I suspect I was influenced by the colouring...hence I favoured Marcus Harris. I always pictured Julian as being fair-haired and Dick being dark-haired so I got a bit mixed up watching the 90s programme sometimes!

Anita, Gary Russell is better portrayal of Dick than Paul Child. It's amazing how he's gone on to do all the Doctor Who stuff!

Could someone tell me what is Timmy's colour meant to be? I have 2 copies of Treasure island; the older one where he is brown but in the newer one, he is black and white. The pictures on Knight books show him to be black and white as well...When people say he's the wrong colour I never really know what his real colour is meant to be!

[Kirrin]

I cant understand why everyone said Dick was playing it tounge in cheek?
or maybe its because that was the first series I saw!
I always felt the 70's one was aimed at a younger audience as the videos are 'uc' instead of 'u' so...
sombody mentioned marco williamsons height was this because he looked slightly taller than 70's Julian?
Laura Petela was timid but wasnt Anne in the books??

[Topsy-Turvy]

sombody mentioned marco williamsons height was this because he looked slightly taller than 70's Julian?
Laura Petela was timid but wasnt Anne in the books??

Marco Williamson was quite a bit taller than the rest of the Five, which made him look like the leader but I never really felt he was in charge. The age felt a bit funny too since I always saw Julian as a 12-year old (albeit a mature one) and Marco looked about 15 to me!

Laura Petela was always in a skirt and had ribbons and things in her hair which wasn't quite how I'd picture Anne somehow...as Anita says very self-consciously "girly". Bit overdone.

[Anita Bensoussane]

Actually I liked the way Laura Petela looked because she resembled the Eileen Soper version of Anne. But she acted the part in a very "little girly" way, with quite a lot of squealing etc, and I don't think the warmth and friendliness of Anne's character came across in the 1990s series. I warmed to Jennifer Thanisch's Anne much more readily. Just my personal opinion, though.

Kirrin, to me Paul Child didn't seem genuine as Dick - he himself appeared to be laughing at some of the lines he was given to say. I've got a few episodes on video and, if I notice any specific examples next time I watch them, I'll let you know.

Topsy-Turvy, Enid Blyton describes Timmy in Five On a Treasure Island as "a big brown mongrel dog with an absurdly long tail and a big wide mouth that really seemed to grin!"

Anita

[Kirrin]

Kirrin, to me Paul Child didn't seem genuine as Dick - he himself appeared to be laughing at some of the lines he was given to say. I've got a few episodes on video and, if I notice any specific examples next time I watch them, I'll let you know.
Anita

Please do!
I do know sort of what you mean and I have them all on video but reading an interview with him it says he was meant to be sarcastic
I think he was more sarcastic in series one than two!

With regards to Julian he looked younger in series one by series two looked older but they all did as there was a year beteen filming and Julian always looked about as tall in Eileen Sopers illustrations!

What about the 90's mr durlston (antiques dealer five on finniston farm) talk about over acting!!
and maybe jennifer armstrong was a bit too but thats part of the fun!

so do you think Anne was too timid in the 90's

'Wow Kirrin I have to say you are really active in the forum...you are everywhere! ' thanks!!

[Topsy-Turvy]

Hi Anita,
You seem to have been heavily influenced by Eileen Soper Illustrators do have a power! Unfortunately when I started reading the Famous Five (quite a bit later) I only had the odd copy of the Knights books and now possess a full set of Award publications (whose illustrations I think is a bit rubbish, front covers aside).

I'm especially cross with the mix up of Timmy's colour in my new 1993 copy of Treasure Island! Thanks for the clarification! My old 1950s copy of Treasure Island also had James/Alf mixed a couple of times, hence my confusion on the editions and corrections!

I now wish I had gotten the Centenary editions instead! Eileen Soper's drawings are really lovely! But I really haven't got that much money to buy another set of FF.

Probably why I didn't see Anne the way Laura Petela was! I somehow didn't quite see so many...well, frills and flounces, I would say for an adventurous girl, though she appeared really sweet in the TV series. And I've yet to see a Timmy fitting the description in Treasure Island!

Would your vote go for an overall for the 1990s series though you think?

[Anita Bensoussane]

Hi Topsy-Turvy,

I haven't voted because I can't decide! I love the locations in the 1990s series, and the quality of the filming is obviously better, but the 1970s series is very nostalgic for me, from the opening sequence with George on her bike etc to the end in which the Famous Five race away over the moor (like others on the forum, I love that cheesy but catchy theme tune!)

As far as actors go, I prefer some from the 1970s series but others from the 1990s series.

My Famous Five books are Knight paperbacks, dating mainly from the 1970s, and some have illustrations by Eileen Soper while others have illustrations by Betty Maxey. I've always considered the Soper ones to be more atmospheric, though I do like the Maxey ones as well.

Does your 1993 Award copy of Five on a Treasure Island actually state that Timmy is black and white? Golly - I wonder when that change was first made?

Anita

[Kirrin]

I like the knight ones (I have several) but does anyone have the tv-tie in ones?
I have most of the 70's ones and all of the 90's ones theyre really nice with the casts on and not abridged or anything!
the 70's ones are really common in charity shops or were a few years ago!
Those award ones were a little cheap-looking to me and I only have 2 or 3 my five get into a fix illust by Joylene Knox (gosh sounds like a Dolly Parton song) has a desctiption of five have a mystery to solve on the back!! NOT IMPERSSIVE AT ALL!!

Anita did you get chance to remember some of Paul childs sarcastic comments? I do remember when he said in five run away 'lemon curd with a dash of pickle is not bad at all and put it like that (talking about clopper)in five go down to the sea! and 'lawdler an archaeologist in five on a secret trail but they were lines!

Talking of 90's videos how come five on a secret trail and five are together again are really hard to get (they were released seperatly)

[Topsy-Turvy]

[quote="Kirrin"]
Those award ones were a little cheap-looking to me and I only have 2 or 3 my five get into a fix illust by Joylene Knox (gosh sounds like a Dolly Parton song) has a desctiption of five have a mystery to solve on the back!! NOT IMPERSSIVE AT ALL!!

Oh Kirrin, you wound me Unfortunately for a lover of hardback copies they are all I could afford! (21 hardbacks!!). Though as I said to Anita earlier, I regretted it when I realised it was quite "updated", wrong bits of info of the children etc. However I do like the cheery yellow border around and the covers - inside illustrations are not as good as the good old days of course.

I wonder if any one has seen the latest covers (I think it's Ergmont or something) of the Mystery series and St Clare's. I just saw them at Waterstones and was too horrified to speak. They look like something out of Horrid Henry or Jacqueline Wilson!

Anita I haven't gotten round to checking my copy of 1993 Treasure Island as I've got a clearing out going on but the Centenary paperback editions I saw in Waterstones has got Timmy as being brown so that's a relief! However if you have a copy of FF Knights (not the 70s...maybe 80s?) books check the last book (Five are Together again). That should have a cover of the 5 together and I think Timmy is black and white in that cover. Anyone can verify this? I'm relying on memory here...

Seems it would be easier getting the Spanish/Australian DVDs if you want the episodes from 1990s TV series though they don't have them all either. Why this country doesn't do a proper DVD set for the Famous Five really beats me! Probably too politically incorrect for now?

[Kirrin]

Hi,
yes I've seen the egmont books they are well...-different!

sorry about yur famous five books the yellow ones are okay its the purple ones I think look cheap expecialy when the description on the back is wrong!

Are the spanish ones in english? if you have an Amazon account could you order on the spanish site I wonder??

It was just those 2 that are hard to get on video even though they were released as I got one from a car boot!

I dont know if they are avaliable now any of them apart from five on a treasure island!