Watching the 1970s FF series

[Machupicchu14]

I didn't exactly know where to post about the new episodes I have just watched recently so maybe I thought I could start a new thread.
So basically, I have the DVD of the 1st season but not of the 2nd season and I was actually quite reluctant to even approach the 2nd season at all. I have no idea why, but probably the radical change in the looks of the four actors kind of 'shocked' mean bit. But today I didn't I would give it a change and start watching them. I don't regret this decision because after watching "Five are in Trouble" and "Five Fall Into Adventure", I find the 2nd season to be equally delightful as the 1st one. I must say I have thoroughly enjoyed watching it for the first time. Those two episodes are totally nerve-racking and exciting to watch. Might be short, but a tense atmosphere was well created. Might not be exactly similar to the books, but it's still part of the 1970s series and that's for me enough to love it!

[burlingtonbertram]

I watched the series in the 70's, as a young lad, so it seemed 'cannonical' to me. Old editions of the books just seemed odd. I couldn't work out why the Five looked so old fashioned in the illustrations.

I taped the theme music on a cassette player (how quaint!) for regular playing. I can still remember the tune and words several decades on.

I did record the soundtrack of a couple of episodes on cassette too; complete with background noises from our house.

[daanton]

I will always have a fondness for the 1970s series, for various reasons.

For one thing, I grew up during the time when I managed to watch it on the Canadian tube two years later ITV/Southern had shown it.

For another, also at this time, you managed to buy Enid Blyton's Famous Five books that featured a bit of the TV series on the covers.

And also too, even if you weren't yet around when these books were first published—bearing in mind they were written during the Cold War and some of the titles mentioned spies and secrets—they could live them via both the books and the TV series, because by 1978-79 the Cold War was still in full force, just on the verge of getting a little bit hotter during the future Reagan administration in America....

But one other thing, one got a sense from the 1970s TV series that the young actors and actresses somehow very well knew their characters' parts and somehow worked very well together. The chemistry between them. As opposed to, say, the young actors and actresses of the 1990s series [no offence].

And besides, for a little kid like me at that time, I had truly thought J,D,A&G—or should I say Marcus,Gary,Jennifer&Michelle?—almost looked older than what they actually were (17/18yo and not 14yo!) or written to be.

Dunno. I just felt like deep reflection.

[number 6]

I was 13 when the 70's F5 series was first aired on TV. I was completely hooked after the first episode! I just loved everything about it. I thought the child actors were perfectly cast for their parts, as was Toddy (who played Timmy). Well, I was a bit biased as Border Collies were already my fav breed of dog! Although I had read all of the F5 books before I watched the series, I never really compared them to each other. I just loved the fact that the F5 were brought to life through the power of Television! I ended up with the full set of VHS videos and then eventually progressed to the DVD set. Ah, pure nostalgia!

[Machupicchu14]

And besides, for a little kid like me at that time, I had truly thought J,D,A&G—or should I say Marcus,Dick,Jennifer&Michelle?—almost looked older than what they actually were (17/18yo and not 14yo!) or written to be.

I have always felt like that, and even today I'm amazed to think that the children were younger than what I am at the moment.
I see my 14 year-old cousin and just cannot imagine him "going on adventures". Maybe he doesn't have the maturity, shown by the young actors/actresses of the 1970s?

[Boatbuilder]

And besides, for a little kid like me at that time, I had truly thought J,D,A&G—or should I say Marcus,Dick,Jennifer&Michelle?—almost looked older than what they actually were (17/18yo and not 14yo!) or written to be.

Don't you mean Gary, not Dick, as you are using their own names?

[Jack400]

Daanton wrote

And besides, for a little kid like me at that time, I had truly thought J,D,A&G—or should I say, Marcus, Dick*,Jennifer&Michelle?—almost looked older than what they actually were (17/18yo and not 14yo!) or written to be.

No, I can't say that they looked 17/18- old enough to buy an alcoholic drink for example- without an older friend to help. I reckon they'd have been shown the door pretty quickly.

*Gary.

[daanton]

And besides, for a little kid like me at that time, I had truly thought J,D,A&G—or should I say Marcus,Dick,Jennifer&Michelle?—almost looked older than what they actually were (17/18yo and not 14yo!) or written to be.

Don't you mean Gary, not Dick, as you are using their own names?

Corrected. Ta.

And besides, for a little kid like me at that time, I had truly thought J,D,A&G—or should I say Marcus,Gary,Jennifer&Michelle?—almost looked older than what they actually were (17/18yo and not 14yo!) or written to be.

No, I can't say that they looked 17/18- old enough to buy an alcoholic drink for example- without an older friend to help. I reckon they'd have been shown the door pretty quickly.

I'll agree with that.

If you were about 9/10yo (like me back then), would *you* have known the difference (physiologically) between 14yo and 17/18yo teens?

[PaulB123]

I was / still am a massive fan of the 1970s FF TV series.
I was about the age of the characters when it was aired so it made it even more special as I could relate to them / think it was me as Julian or Dick -- think I'm more of a Dick
To see the stories come alive on the small screen with all the locations, buildings, villains plus all the great friends and individuals the FF meet was special, and so many of them were just how I had imagined them in my mind when reading the books.
Needless to say I have the DVD collection

I've tried to watch the 90s series but it just dosen't grab me like the 70s

It's got to be the 1970s FF series for me !!!

[FiveFanDownunder]

[On the TV Locations Forum]

Adventurous hero??? Bah! I think you'll find Dick is the true hero of everything and Julian was just some hanger-on with better tee-shirts and stronger jawline. "Adventurous hero" indeed. Bah. Bah bah bah. Bah.



Bah.

Right. This has got me thinking. Who really *was* the true hero of everything? And did he ( or she ) have better or worse tee-shirts and/or a stronger jawline? It's an important, albeit multi-faceted question. And a great excuse to watch more 1970s Famous Five.

So I present to you, the 'Ultimate Hero of Everything' 1970s TV Famous Five Watch-a-Thon Thingy. With scorecard.

The scores so far, before our opening match of the series:

[FiveFanDownunder]

So I present to you, the 'Ultimate Hero of Everything' 1970s TV Famous Five Watch-a-Thon Thingy. With scorecard.

Let's not mess around, but get straight on with the first match.

Points are awarded for anything remotely hero/ine -ish and will be noted in a blog-like format with timestamp for each entry. Complaints and disputes gladly received but probably not acted upon.

Hopefully I can do one of these every week. I have been known to bite off more than I can chew though ...

ONE - FIVE ON KIRREN (sic) ISLAND:

0:05 GEORGE (1) slides the bike out with style.
0:09 JULIAN (1) opens his scoring with a confident, Tarzan-like traversal of a local waterway. He's setting the pace early on.
0:16 DICK (1) replies with a masterful drop into the Sowley Pond from the Secret Trail raft, arms splayed and mouth agape. Let's hope the water tasted OK. We're off to a flyer.
0:22 ANNE (1) turns back to camera with that winning smile - and she is only pretending to be on a horse for the close up!
0:43 RED CARD to the titles people who can't spell KIRRIN.
0:53 The gate people can spell KIRRIN!
1:15 Honourable mention to AUNT FANNY. Those scones look smashing!
1:42 JULIAN (2) is in command here on the bike ride to Kirrin, knowing how far they've come and pedalling confidently out front. Who needs a GPS? Wait, it was 1977 ...
1:50 How did ANNE (2) get her bike out front?
2:21 You can't help but be impressed as GEORGE (2) opens the window and shimmies down the drainpipe like a professional. Anything to avoid the cousins!
2:33 JULIAN (3) is back in the lead, peddaling confidently past a puddle, spying Kirrin Cottage through the trees, and urging the others on.
3:34 DICK (2) gets a giggle from ANNE with the gag about the rabbits.
3:54 A strong play from DICK (3) with effortless, scintillating conversation to charm his lovely Aunt. So bubbly! Was this scripted or an ad-lib?
4:12 Is anyone just a little concerned that the MAN IN THE GREY SUIT seems a bit too interested in what the children are up to?
6:00 JULIAN (4) jumps in first with his hello to GEORGE.
7:14 Full credit to ANNE (3) who is trying to get off to a good start with a very tetchy cousin GEORGE.
7:21 DICK (4) will not take his cousin's unfriendliness lying down.
7:39 More concerning behaviour from the MAN IN THE GREY SUIT who appears to be plying the GARDENER with alcohol. By the pint. And extracting information!
7:58 A committed and energetic GEORGE (2) is reunited with her beloved TIMMY.
8:00 TIMMY (1) jumps a gate in a single bound!
8:15 Look at GEORGE (3) and TIMMY (2) go!
8:57 RED CARD to the GARDENER who is leaking information to the MAN IN THE GREY SUIT at an outrageous pace even though he is only just starting his second pint. Unless they've been going pint-for-pint for a while.
9:18 DICK (5) is in the lead in the race along Lepe beach but JULIAN (5) appears to get more stones skimming across the water in a masterful manifestation of male multitasking.
9:44 Ever observant, DICK (6) is first to notice the strange, overgrown pipe and pokes his head in fearlessly for a good look.
9:53 DICK (7) wants to explore the cave straight away but JULIAN (6) provides a reality check, then quickly spoils the play with the dopey insult. How rude! (-1). No torches!
10:00 Timekeeper ANNE (4) provides the solution. Let's come back tomorrow. JULIAN (6) wants to keep it the cave a secret from GEORGE in a frank display of tit-for-tat.
10:22 I can't work out who gets the better of this tag game along the pristine white sands of Lepe.
10:28 Although he is too creepy to score a point, it is incredible how the MAN IN THE GREY SUIT keeps popping up in the right place at the right time whenever the children are around, presumably on foot and after consuming an unspecified amount of bitter way up the road in Exbury.
10:58 In the last play before half-time, ANNE (5) matter-of-factly classifies the entire population of the greater Kirrin area peculiar, with the exception of AUNT FANNY.

.... And the whistle blows for half time on episode 1. The scores so far...



Please feel free to comment, complain, suggest or otherwise respond. It's a bit of fun. I could move the post to a separate thread if we'd rather keep this one more serious ...

*EDIT When I first conceived this silliness I was thinking along the lines of Dick and Julian head to head, but after a few minutes watching I thought it better to open it up to all five, including Timmy of course.

[Debbie]

You put Anne as (2) twice at 7:14 and also at 10:00.

Going back to the earlier conversation. I remember the first time I saw it (in b/w) when my sister was watching it and thinking how grownup and old they all looked (and how terribly scary and violent it was!) It's funny how young they look now.

[FiveFanDownunder]

You put Anne as (2) twice at 7:14 and also at 10:00

Hmmm. I was in a rush. Thanks. Fixed.

Going back to the earlier conversation. I remember the first time I saw it (in b/w) when my sister was watching it and thinking how grownup and old they all looked (and how terribly scary and violent it was!) It's funny how young they look now.

Do you remember if it was transmitted in b/w or you were watching on a b/w set Debbie? Colour TV arrived in Oz in 1974 but we didn't get a colour set until a bit later. Actually my Ma won it in a radio station comp. Years later I found the old valve b/w TV under the house and plugged it in. It made some very strange noises ... lucky I didn't start a fire.

Unfortunately I don't have clear memories of when and which station for my first time watching 1970s FF, but I do remember feeling that I wanted desperately to be a part of what the five were doing ... exactly the same feeling I used to get reading the books. Watching the show now still does it to me, in a weird time warp kind of way.

[Debbie]

Do you remember if it was transmitted in b/w or you were watching on a b/w set Debbie? Colour TV arrived in Oz in 1974 but we didn't get a colour set until a bit later. Actually my Ma won it in a radio station comp. Years later I found the old valve b/w TV under the house and plugged it in. It made some very strange noises ... lucky I didn't start a fire.

It was a b/w TV. With one of those circular aerials on the back and twiddle the knob to tune it. There were three volumes: Off, intermittent and too loud for the parents to allow.
We had it until about 1992 the last people to get a colour TV... my parents finally got a video player in 1997, when everyone else was getting rid of them to get DVD players. So I do have a good collection of FF videos

[FiveFanDownunder]

It was a b/w TV. With one of those circular aerials on the back and twiddle the knob to tune it.

I can picture it well. My dad used to joke that he was surprised our little colour TV didn't take off and fly around the room with the way my brother used to spin the channel selector from one to another and back again.

my parents finally got a video player in 1997, when everyone else was getting rid of them to get DVD players. So I do have a good collection of FF videos

Keep the vids! Do they still play well, if you have a player? I had an unspecified *ahem* quantity of Doctor Who on VHS, my other vice, both bought and recorded from UK TV, a cable channel over here for many years.

I had been a bit vague as to when I first saw The Five on TV in the 70s, and incorrectly remembered it as being on a commercial network. Actually, I was misled ... But what better way to pass the time on a standby shift yesterday than search our national library's digitised newspapers for TV guides ....

Series One premiered on Tue May 22nd, ABC, 1979, 1730hrs, with new episodes each weekday. That meant it was done and dusted in about three weeks, then repeated by the looks. The second series premiered on Tuesday 4th March 1980, 1700hrs, and rather sensibly each new episode went out on the Tuesday, stretching things out a bit more. There's a couple of nice episode synopses I will try to post here.

I might try to get a screen shot of a 'classic' ABC evening line up ... Famous Five at 5pm, Goodies at 6pm, and Doctor Who at 6.30pm. I was a happy kid. The Five were repeated many times and eventually moved to 10am ... this was after I had finished high school, until about 1989 from what I can see. Our Goodies and Doctor Who combo continued for years!