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TV series for 'adult' Famous Five (August 2007)

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A former member
Quote:
The Famous Five, Enid Blyton's literary childhood sleuths, are set to be "reimagined" as middle-aged grown-ups in a new TV drama for adults.

Julian, Dick, Anne, George - with a descendant of the original Timmy the dog - will be reunited 30 years after their original exploits.

The series is being developed by Blyton rights holder Chorion and production company Twofour.

Blyton wrote the Famous Five books between 1942 and 1963.

In the television series, the characters will be in their forties and drawn together to solve complex contemporary mysteries.

It is hoped it will appeal to people who grew up reading the Five's adventures.

'Fascinating'

A new Famous Five animated TV series, chronicling the Kirrin Island kids in a 21st century setting, is also currently in co-production with Disney.

It is set to be broadcast on Disney Channel in the UK in the spring of 2008.

Chorion owns and manages the copyright for Enid Blyton's work, and is also the long-time producer of ITV's Marple and Poirot series.

Phil Clymer, Chorion's director of TV and film, said: "The Famous Five obviously have an appeal that crosses generations.

"We thought, in addition to the new dynamic animated TV approach for the core audience of kids, that it would be a fascinating exercise to look at what might happen to the characters when they arrive at middle-age."

Twofour's head of drama Jo Wright added: "We felt that the idea of a grown-up Famous Five would appeal to many generations of readers in Britain and Europe.

"The characters will be looking back to a simpler time when their lives were stress-free and more enjoyable."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6967050.stm

Dam buttons. anyway it make;s a change that there may actually have a good remake of a show.
MH
miss hellfire
That would sound even better with lashings of ginger beer.

Sounds cool. But for those of us who grew up with Julian, Dick Anne George and Timmy the dog prefered the Comic Strips version.

I'd love Enid Blytons Mr Pinkwhistle book made into kiddies programme.
WE
Westy2
Did anyone collect the novelisations based on the old Southern Tv late 70's series?(I know they were the original stories rejacketed btw!)

I think all of the books received a TV tie in 'As seen on TV' photo cover, but ISTR at least 2 of the stories never got a Southern Tv adaptation, but received a photo cover minus the 'As seen on TV' flash!

(The Southern Tv series was where Gary 'Dr Who Magazine' Russell first appeared AFAIK !)
SC
Si-Co
Westy2 posted:
Did anyone collect the novelisations based on the old Southern Tv late 70's series?(I know they were the original stories rejacketed btw!)

I think all of the books received a TV tie in 'As seen on TV' photo cover, but ISTR at least 2 of the stories never got a Southern Tv adaptation, but received a photo cover minus the 'As seen on TV' flash!

(The Southern Tv series was where Gary 'Dr Who Magazine' Russell first appeared AFAIK !)


I think only about 8 of the 21 books were adapted for the Southern TV series, although some of the stories were in two parts.

I did have the full set of novels (with the tv-tie-in covers) - ISTR some were badged 'As seen on TV' and some badged 'Now on TV'. One or two had no such badge, as you say.

This new-style Famous Five series will either be a total flop or a moderate success, I am guessing. Somehow I prefer to believe that almost 50 years later Julian, Dick et al are still in their early teens and solving a mystery in some quaint Dorset village.

Funny how they had 21 holiday adventures (and a further 18 if you include the follow-up novels written by a French author) and most these were during their summer breaks from school - yet they never got any older. By book 21 they should have been in their mid 20s at least!
JE
Jenny Founding member
There was a radio programme, probably mid-90s, which was mock-documentaries "catching up" with now-adult versions of child characters - I particularly remember the Famous Five episode for a running joke that none of them remembered the dog and all insisted that they were the Famous Four.
JR
jrothwell97
Hmm... interesting...

So will George and Dick (or Richard as he prefers to be known these days) be shining their torches around a haunted house sipping condensed milk while Anne and Julian have a one-night stand upstairs?

And what about the dog?
TG
TG
jrothwell97 posted:
while Anne and Julian have a one-night stand upstairs?


Hehe, only if incest is the order of the day in modern day Kirrin!
JE
Jenny Founding member
TG posted:
jrothwell97 posted:
while Anne and Julian have a one-night stand upstairs?


Hehe, only if incest is the order of the day in modern day Kirrin!


Oh, now I'm interested.
MH
miss hellfire
Sad as this may be. This thread has made me want to dig my old Famous five books out of the loft. I think i had every book in the collection. I used to get a new book every christmas or b'day from various members of my family. I got a few secret 7 books too.
The programmes will never be as good as the books though.
JR
jrothwell97
Jenny posted:
TG posted:
jrothwell97 posted:
while Anne and Julian have a one-night stand upstairs?


Hehe, only if incest is the order of the day in modern day Kirrin!


Oh, now I'm interested.


If we changed so that it emerged George and Dick were actually gay and had a civil partnership ceremony? And that the baddie turns out to be the love child of Timmy the dog and Papa Smurf?
MH
miss hellfire
jrothwell97 posted:
Jenny posted:
TG posted:
jrothwell97 posted:
while Anne and Julian have a one-night stand upstairs?


Hehe, only if incest is the order of the day in modern day Kirrin!


Oh, now I'm interested.


If we changed so that it emerged George and Dick were actually gay and had a civil partnership ceremony? And that the baddie turns out to be the love child of Timmy the dog and Papa Smurf?


You're just spoiling the magic now!
SC
Si-Co
jrothwell97 posted:
Jenny posted:
TG posted:
jrothwell97 posted:
while Anne and Julian have a one-night stand upstairs?


Hehe, only if incest is the order of the day in modern day Kirrin!


Oh, now I'm interested.


If we changed so that it emerged George and Dick were actually gay and had a civil partnership ceremony? And that the baddie turns out to be the love child of Timmy the dog and Papa Smurf?


According to Blyton, it was the plump and jovial farmer's wife who was 'gay'.

And George was a girl, silly! A great big bulldyke, but still a girl.

However, in the American version of the novels, Dick was indeed described as 'full of spunk' of several occasions*, so I'm really not so sure about him.

*A blatant untruth, but it allowed me to get my rather lame joke in.

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