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" 'Brendon Chase' was adapted by James Andrew Hall, producedby Southern Television in association with RM Productions and Primetime Television in1980, and shown on ITVin the United Kingdom from December 31, 1980 to March 25,1981 (other than in Waleswhere HTVWales transmitted it between April and July 1981, after it had beendisplaced by Welsh-language programmes before the inception of S4C). The series was alsoshown in many other European countries, including Germany, TheNetherlands, Swedenand Norway. Inthe UnitedStates it aired on HBO.
It was a typical example of the highquality and high output of children's drama that commercial television excelledin for many years.
The TV series was filmed mainly around the New Forestand in Portchester,Hampshire(although the setting of the book was inspired more by the author's native Northamptonshire),and was produced and directed by DavidCobham with music by Paul Lewis (flute played by JamesGalway). It contains much striking and poignant wildlife photography.
The story takes place around 1925 andcentres round the Hensman boys, Robin (Craig McFarlane), John (Howard Taylor)and Harold (Paul Erangey), who are spending their summer holiday away fromtheir boarding school and living in the country house of their aunt Ellen(Rosalie Crutchley). With romantic notions of living life in the forest asoutlaws they take off for the woods of Brendon Chase where they must fend forthemselves, fighting off the natural dangers of living life rough andoccasionally foraging into town for food whilst avoiding the local villagerswho have by now formed a search party for the errant adolescents. Also helpingthe search is the local vicar (played by Christopher Biggins), the local policemanPS Bunting (Michael Robbins) and intrepid reporter Monica Hurling (LizaGoddard).
The boys are not entirely alone thewhole time and occasionally encounter some of the forests other residents suchas Smokoe Joe (Paul Curran), who shares his secrets of the forest with themenabling the children to survive through the summer until (by the last episode)the autumn, when they are finally reunited with their spinster aunt.
The production staff went to greatlengths to get a period feel for the drama and even altered road markings,removed roof aerials and repainted front doors, in Porchester, in order torecreate the 1920s. The original story was written by writer and artist, 'BB'(Denys Watkins-Pitchford who decided that his proper name was too long andunwieldy), and first published in 1944.
Although it was shown more than once in some othercountries it only received one transmission in Britain, mainly because ofSouthern's loss of its ITV contract from 1982 (although Runaround and WorzelGummidge were repeated after the company had gone off the air). The serieshas until now never received any kind of commercial release, whether on video or DVD. A 2 Disc DVD Set isslated for an August 2012 release in Germany, containing (so it seems) only thedubbed German language version.[1]However, it has been available in full on YouTube since May2009."
( Taken from www.televisionheaven.co.uk and wikipedia )
Just wondering if anyone else recalls this TV series. I have vivid memories of watching this in my school-days, and even though it was set in a different era, the spirit of the programme made a big impression. Thanks to Youtube, I was recently able to enjoy it all over again, and to gain a whole new appreciation of it's qualities. I know it's such a cliche, but it is basically true, they just don't make children's tv with this kind of accomplishment anymore!
It was a typical example of the highquality and high output of children's drama that commercial television excelledin for many years.
The TV series was filmed mainly around the New Forestand in Portchester,Hampshire(although the setting of the book was inspired more by the author's native Northamptonshire),and was produced and directed by DavidCobham with music by Paul Lewis (flute played by JamesGalway). It contains much striking and poignant wildlife photography.
The story takes place around 1925 andcentres round the Hensman boys, Robin (Craig McFarlane), John (Howard Taylor)and Harold (Paul Erangey), who are spending their summer holiday away fromtheir boarding school and living in the country house of their aunt Ellen(Rosalie Crutchley). With romantic notions of living life in the forest asoutlaws they take off for the woods of Brendon Chase where they must fend forthemselves, fighting off the natural dangers of living life rough andoccasionally foraging into town for food whilst avoiding the local villagerswho have by now formed a search party for the errant adolescents. Also helpingthe search is the local vicar (played by Christopher Biggins), the local policemanPS Bunting (Michael Robbins) and intrepid reporter Monica Hurling (LizaGoddard).
The boys are not entirely alone thewhole time and occasionally encounter some of the forests other residents suchas Smokoe Joe (Paul Curran), who shares his secrets of the forest with themenabling the children to survive through the summer until (by the last episode)the autumn, when they are finally reunited with their spinster aunt.
The production staff went to greatlengths to get a period feel for the drama and even altered road markings,removed roof aerials and repainted front doors, in Porchester, in order torecreate the 1920s. The original story was written by writer and artist, 'BB'(Denys Watkins-Pitchford who decided that his proper name was too long andunwieldy), and first published in 1944.
Although it was shown more than once in some othercountries it only received one transmission in Britain, mainly because ofSouthern's loss of its ITV contract from 1982 (although Runaround and WorzelGummidge were repeated after the company had gone off the air). The serieshas until now never received any kind of commercial release, whether on video or DVD. A 2 Disc DVD Set isslated for an August 2012 release in Germany, containing (so it seems) only thedubbed German language version.[1]However, it has been available in full on YouTube since May2009."
( Taken from www.televisionheaven.co.uk and wikipedia )
Just wondering if anyone else recalls this TV series. I have vivid memories of watching this in my school-days, and even though it was set in a different era, the spirit of the programme made a big impression. Thanks to Youtube, I was recently able to enjoy it all over again, and to gain a whole new appreciation of it's qualities. I know it's such a cliche, but it is basically true, they just don't make children's tv with this kind of accomplishment anymore!
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