The Enid Blyton Society

who has seen this is it worth buying or if you like the 1996 series (which looks very similar) would you be upset at a soppf? tell me your thoughts!

I only dimly remember this, mainly because at the time I wasn't interested much in seeing anything based on Enid Blyton (I had temporarily grown out of Blyton at the time!) But I seem to remember it was quite funny, and saw clips of it which poked fun, but not in a savage or nasty way.

I would definately buy them if I could, as they are certainly part of the vast legacy of all things Blyton.

your right I mean I suppose they were done affectionatly in good spirit and as I said the 1996 one was very close in look!
They just look like the famous five!

Hi,
A few months ago I bought a video which has Five Go Mad in Dorset and Five Go Mad on Mescalin on it. I remembered seeing the first one as a teenager, but I'd never seen the second one before. Five Go Mad in Dorset had me in stitches - it's a brilliant spoof, I think . Some of the scenes are based closely on the books (especially Five On a Hike Together and Five Get Into Trouble). The characters, language, settings, food and villains are spot-on, and the scriptwriters must surely have felt great affection for the original books in order to be able to mock them so cleverly . Five Go Mad on Mescalin didn't appeal to me so much, as it strays further from Blyton's originals and appears to be a mockery of the hippy culture as much as of Enid Blyton. What do others think about the Comic Strip spoofs? Love them or loathe them?

Anita

I really (once again) have to agree with Anita. I was in stiches with "Dorset". The poisoned meat, the villains; it was all 'over the top' Blyton. However, "Mescalin" went too far off course, with drugs, homosexuality, Quentin being really off-character, and, losing its 'reality'. Still worth a look in though.

I think its just the way they look as well they are so convincing!

I remember watching Five Go Mad in Dorset with my in-laws when it first came out. I was rolling around on the floor in mirth, while they were completely stony-faced. It turned out they had never been keen on EB, so were unable to appreciate this brilliant spoof.

more shame on them I think (from the very little I have seen) it is 'affectionately' done!
Off on hols now speak soon!

The sequence with the American boy in "Five Go Mad On Mescalin" is lifted almost directly from "Five On Finniston Farm" ... except that Enid didn't have the Five expressing Nazi sympathies!

Yes I go that as well (I just bought the video) but where mrs french came from I have no idea!
I also got five have a mystery to solve and five get in to trouble
also in five go mad in dorset five on a hike together five go to billycock hill and five have a wonderful time hurrah!
'were the famous five and would like some of your own cured ham'! so funny! as they never say that in the 1996 series or even the books or do they say lashings of ginger beer!

There is a showing of the Comic Strip's excellent Five Go Mad in Dorset on Saturday 27 May, at 10.40pm on Paramount 2.

If you've not seen this (or want to see it again!), make a date with the tv.

Not seen it and don't have that channel

But thanks Nige

We don't have satellite or cable, but for those that can access that channel I have to agree with Moonraker that Five Go Mad in Dorset is well worth watching. I've got it on video, together with Five Go Mad on Mescalin, and it's a very clever send-up of the Famous Five (George@Kirrin, I'm sure you'd love it if you get the chance to see it.) Go Mad in Dorset is better than Go Mad on Mescalin, I think. Some of the dialogue stays pretty close to the books. I re-read Five Get into Trouble recently, and chuckled as the odd scene from Five Go Mad in Dorset floated before my eyes!

Anita

Can you believe it? I forgot all about it and missed it!

Five Go Mad On Mescalin is on Paramount 2 tonight at 10.40. I didn't think this was anywhere as good as Dorset.

Sorry to swim against the tide but I couln't stand either of them. But there again I take the famous five very seriously and resent any mickey-taking.