TV drama - Children crossing a desert

[Cantabrigian]

Have the vaguest memory of a children's TV drama - possibly a series, not sure. It would have been shown on British TV in the early 1980's (just possibly, late 70's) - probably on the BBC. I doubt it was made by the BBC.

The story mainly involves at least two children (probably a brother and sister) making a long journey across a desert. During this, they run incredibly low on water. I don't recall that are completely alone on this trek - there may be more than 1 adult...

...but I do remember that the person who was meant to guide them cannot as he ill, having been bitten by a scorpion before they start (possibly this bit is undramatised).

That's about all I remember, except them draining their water bottles to the last drop.


Many thanks for any help remembering,



John

[Semi42]

Re: TV drama - Children crossing a desert

Sounds like that Jenny agutter movie

walkabout

[Cantabrigian]

Re: TV drama - Children crossing a desert

Sounds like that Jenny agutter movie

walkabout

Thanks for the suggestion... but it's certainly not that film (which I've seen, but much later).

This was definitely a drama primarily aimed at/for children.

I don't think it was set in Australia.

[Zincubus]

Re: TV drama - Children crossing a desert

Sounds like that Jenny agutter movie

walkabout

Agreed


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[Moonraker]

Re: TV drama - Children crossing a desert

I was thinking it was Walkabout. But held out because it was mentioned above that it may have been a series

[Cantabrigian]

Re: TV drama - Children crossing a desert

Hi - thanks for the suggestions.

For some reason, my much earlier follow-up hasn't show up here. It said basically:

No, it definitely _wasn't_ Walkabout. This was not a feature film, and it was aimed at children - may be 12 year olds for it's central audience - it didn't just feature children.

And I'm 99% certain it wasn't set in Australia.

It was a brother and sister, crossing the Sahara probably, or perhaps Arabia... with at least one adult as guide - but not the proper guide they were going to go with.

I think they were to be reunited with their father, who was somehow on the other side of the desert.

[NostalgiaGuy]

Re: TV drama - Children crossing a desert

Only a partial match - and way too recent for your time frame - but could you be thinking of A Far Off Place?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Far_Off_Place

[Cantabrigian]

Re: TV drama - Children crossing a desert

Thanks - that looks a really interesting film, but it wasn't that, as you suggest.

The programme that's nagging at me was shown on the BBC in the early 1980's. But I've a feeling it wasn't a UK productions - and I suppose it might have been made earlier that that - in the 1970's perhaps.

It was definitely a colour production though.

[bredd33]

Re: TV drama - Children crossing a desert

Thanks - that looks a really interesting film, but it wasn't that, as you suggest.

The programme that's nagging at me was shown on the BBC in the early 1980's. But I've a feeling it wasn't a UK productions - and I suppose it might have been made earlier that that - in the 1970's perhaps. And the https://writemyessay4me.org/research-paper service

It was definitely a colour production though.

So
no luck find out the name of the show yet?
I'm really interested in the results

[Cantabrigian]

I've come back to this and I've worked out what it was. On 13th August 1979 at 10:15am, BBC 1 showed the first part of:

Desert Adventure

An eight-part serial from Poland Stas and Nel, two children whose fathers are working on the Suez Canal, are living near Port Said in 1884, a time of trouble and unrest in the Sudan. The BBC had first screened it in 1977, but as I was only 4, I'm sure it was the summer holidays re-screening in 1979 that I remember. And I certainly didn't see all of it. The showed the 8 episodes on consecutive weekdays. It turns out the BBC had re-cut a 3 part Polish mini-series of 1974. This itself had been edited (and slightly lengthened) from a Polish film of the previous year: W Pustyni i w Puszczy It's very satisfying to have finally nailed that one down. The film is available (undubbed and un-subtitled) on YouTube. The scorpion being despatched is 18 minutes in...

[vindo]

Was it called Jepardy ?

[HG]

I've come back to this and I've worked out what it was. On 13th August 1979 at 10:15am, BBC 1 showed the first part of:

Desert Adventure

An eight-part serial from Poland Stas and Nel, two children whose fathers are working on the Suez Canal, are living near Port Said in 1884, a time of trouble and unrest in the Sudan. The BBC had first screened it in 1977, but as I was only 4, I'm sure it was the summer holidays re-screening in 1979 that I remember. And I certainly didn't see all of it. The showed the 8 episodes on consecutive weekdays. It turns out the BBC had re-cut a 3 part Polish mini-series of 1974. This itself had been edited (and slightly lengthened) from a Polish film of the previous year: W Pustyni i w Puszczy It's very satisfying to have finally nailed that one down. The film is available (undubbed and un-subtitled) on YouTube. The scorpion being despatched is 18 minutes in...

good find, thanks for coming back to tell us what it was