Actors from the 78 Famous Five Series

Belly · Post by **Belly** » 22 Mar 2006, 20:32

Did the actors in the Famous Five 78 TV series go on to star in any other well known films/dramas etc?

LuvMyBlyton · Post by **LuvMyBlyton** » 31 Mar 2006, 02:12

I would love to know this too. It's funny b/c I've never seen any of the tv shows, but my 1st books were the TV covers, so I remember all the actor's names to this day

HeatherS · Post by **HeatherS** » 31 Mar 2006, 03:28

According to IMDB, three of them did: Dick, Anne and Uncle Quentin (who seemed to be quite prolific in foreign films.

See these links for their full credits:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751152/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0857039/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0386066/

Post by **Anita Bensoussane** » 31 Mar 2006, 07:54

I notice that Gary Russell (Dick) was born in Maidenhead. That seems appropriate as it's one of the few real place names mentioned in Blyton (in the Find-Outers series).

Lulie · Post by **Lulie** » 31 Mar 2006, 08:43

Gosh, Gary Russell was in Dark Towers!! I remember we used to watch that at school and I loved it

I wonder if it's available on video??

Steve Alpe · Post by **Steve Alpe** » 03 Apr 2006, 14:13

As you will probably be aware but just in case you are not - Gary will be at the Enid Blyton Day in May.

Moonraker · Post by **Moonraker** » 05 Jun 2006, 12:32

Having just bought a DVD collection of the 78 tv series, I was a bit nonplussed at the first programme.

It is entiltled, Five Go To Kirren (sic) Island. As there is no story with this tiltle, I was wondering which book it would be based on.

It appears to be based on Five on Kirrin Island Again, but Julian, Dick and Anne meet George for the first time!

I seem to remember Tony (I think) saying that they couldn't make Five on a Treasure Island for copyright reasons. Why was this?

George@Kirrin · Post by **George@Kirrin** » 05 Jun 2006, 12:53

Five on a Treasure Island was still under licence from the childrens film foundation after the 1957 serial of it.

I quite liked the way they merges it into book six, rather than either have them already friends or have to make a new story.

Not that I'm biased...

Moon - Nonplussed - you, me, outside!

Post by **Anita Bensoussane** » 05 Jun 2006, 13:42

I agree that the merging of books 1 and 6 in the 1970s FF series was done well. That's one of my favourite episodes, in fact, because I love the casting of the villains (especially Curton but also the other chap with the dark hair whose name I forget) and I very much enjoy the scenes between George and her father in the underground passages. The story is gripping, especially towards the end. Throughout the series, the 1970s Uncle Quentin comes across as rather a likeable and sympathetic character - a concerned and caring father who has a fairly close bond with George. Different from the books, of course, but I like it. Other favourite 1970s episodes include Smuggler's Top, Hike Together and Go Off in a Caravan. Does anyone else agree (George@Kirrin need not answer!

) that the series benefits from some wonderful casting? Look at Tinker, Nobby, Sooty and Sniffer (called Sniffy!

) for example, and Curton and Barling, and Lou and Tiger Dan. Then there's the incidental music, which is simply wizard! There are a few disappointing episodes though, in particular Five Run Away Together which bears very little resemblance to the book.

Anita

Georgina · Post by **Georgina** » 05 Jun 2006, 14:35

Other favourite 1970s episodes include Smuggler's Top, Hike Together and Go Off in a Caravan. Does anyone else agree (George@Kirrin need not answer! ) that the series benefits from some wonderful casting? Look at Tinker, Nobby, Sooty and Sniffer (called Sniffy! ) for example, and Curton and Barling, and Lou and Tiger Dan.

Yes I have to agree with you Anita, my favourites from the series were Kirren Island, Smugglers'Top and Hike (though I have to admit I didn't particularly like Caravan) and I was disappointed with Five run away together and Five on a secret trail.

Apart from these two, however, I thought the cast were great. (I know the 'real' five never wore flares, jeans or trainers, but I definitely prefer the 70s series to the 90s as I think it reflects the nature of the original characters better)

Wasn't Ronald Fraser wonderful as Mr Barling!!

I don't know about all of them but I know James Villiers (Johnson) has appeared in a number of other productions and Rupert Graves (Yan) has also had a number of acting parts, see below

http://www.rupert-graves.com/film.html

Post by **Anita Bensoussane** » 05 Jun 2006, 17:31

Interesting link, Georgina. Rupert Graves has been in some great films - I love all those Merchant Ivory films of E. M. Forster's books.

Anita

Wouter · Post by **Wouter** » 07 Jun 2006, 20:21

Hello,

I have read the topics about the Enid Blyton day with great interest, especially the item about the speech of Marcus Harris - Julian in the seventies television series. Those series were broadcasted here when I was 8-9 years old.

At those days, I was more a "fan" of Dick, played by Gary Russell. As said elsewhere in the forum, his story about the filming was published in the E.B.S. Journal, although he claimed that the funny bits in his text were cut away. A few years ago, his complete story could be found on his homepage, but shortly after the page was removed. After reading these topics, I searched again on the internet, and last week I found it appearing on a "˜backup' page posted by a F5 fan

. The address is listed here:

http://dick.at.tt/

Something else, in the topic about the E.B. day, I found a striking quote that there were rumours that Michelle Gallagher (George in the 70tie series) has past away. Indeed, nothing can be found about her on the net. There is one picture, however, showing her at the age of 21. I hope your German language is well enough (exercising for the world championship football...

) to read all about on a big German fan site:

http://home.arcor.de/lgfb/ffreunde/de_s ... eler78.htm

I know there are big fans of the F5 70ties television series out here (Zoe"¦??) but I was really surprised to read that these people really have spent their holidays to seek out the filming locations. They took pictures with a comparison of the scenery now and that of those days. All can be found in the following link (again in German

, sorry for that!):

http://home.arcor.de/lgfb/ffreunde/de_a-drehort.htm

Et voila (in French, to alternate

) I hope I brought something new to the discussion about the actors of the 70ties television series, and I hope you all enjoyed the links to images of our (well, at least mine

) childhood!

Groeten (= Dutch

) "“ Wouter

(please give me some feedback if this links were already known/posted)

Post by **Anita Bensoussane** » 08 Jun 2006, 10:02

Hi Wouter,

I'm afraid I don't speak a word of German but the pictures are marvellous, especially the ones which show the various locations as they were in the 70s and as they are today.

I also loved seeing the photos of Michael Hinz (Uncle Quentin) at different ages.

Like you, I first watched the series when I was 8 or 9 years old.

Anita

Eljay · Post by **Eljay** » 10 Jun 2006, 18:05

Lulie wrote:Gosh, Gary Russell was in Dark Towers!! I remember we used to watch that at school and I loved it

I wonder if it's available on video??

'Dark Towers' isn't on video, but it turns up regularly on the CBBC Channel as part of their 'Look and Read' repeats.

Wouter · Post by **Wouter** » 13 Jun 2006, 16:57

Hoi Anita,

Well, at least we share two things: we are born in the same year, and we both do not understand a word of German...

But indeed, those pictures on that site bring us back to the late seventies...!

I noticed that the link to the Gary Russell story was broken, but it seems now back on-line!

Regards - Wouter

Actors from the 78 Famous Five Series

TV Series