The Famous Five return (in cardigans)

[faceless]

Return of the (middle aged) Famous Five
by PAUL REVOIR -
28th August 2007

They represent the childhood innocence of a bygone era, thwarting smugglers and spies while always finding time for a hearty picnic along the way. But now the mystery of what happened Enid Blyton's Famous Five is itself about to be solved after it was revealed that a new television series will show the frightfully proper crime fighting squad as middle-aged men and women back together for one more caper.

Chorion, which manages the author's works has struck a deal with a production company, Two Four, to develop a series which will see Julian, his brother Dick, their sister Anne and their tomboy cousin Georgina all in their forties reunited by circumstances for a new mystery. Even Timmy the dog, classed as the fifth member of the Famous Five, will be represented by one of his own descendants on the programme, which will portray them as they are 20 or 30 years after their original exploits.

While the makers are promising that the new series will be faithful to the spirit of Blyton and her characters, there are fears that seeing the carefree crime-fighters saddled down with the adult concerns, at least one of the team is likely to be divorced say insiders, could destroy the youthful innocence of the brand. Gone will be the lashings of ginger beer and the innocence of summer holidays, replaced with mid-life crises and possible failed marriages. It is believed that one idea for the new programme is that they will re-group to solve the murder of a family friend.

The new project comes amid a renaissance of the Famous Five brand with the books still selling well and a new animated series about the children of the once youthful detectives being made for Disney at the moment, which will air in 2008. Rights holder Chorion insists the drama will be nothing like the Comic Strip spoof which lampooned the antics of the Famous Five and says the programme will be a "wistful look back to a golden age".

Broadcasters including ITV and the BBC are believed to be interested in showing the drama as programme-makers are looking for a writer and cast for the show which will not air until next year at the earliest. Insiders hope the fact that viewers will be intrigued to find out how the characters have grown up will make the show a ratings hit.

Names in the frame to star in the programme include Imelda Staunton, Helen Baxendale and Claire Skinner. Members of the Enid Blyton society have given the plans their approval as long as it is faithful to the original books. Jo Wright head of drama at production company said: "They are in that baby boomer middle aged time when life is not as good as when they were kids. They had a great life when they were kids....they loved going to these places when summer was long and it is a way of refinding it. It will be a positive look at the Famous Five." She said the programme would appeal to people who dream of going back to their youth and remembered the time when they read the books.

Enid Blyton's first book was published in 1922. She churned out over 700 more, as well as 10,000 short stories. They delighted generations of readers until the late 60s when they began to be thought of as old fashioned. However, she remains the 20th century's most successful children's writer, selling more than 200 million Noddy books alone. The Famous Five book series began life in 1942 and 21 books were written in all.

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I was a big fan of these books when I was a kid and still have bit of a hankering for a holiday in a Gypsy caravan as a result, so this will be worth a look. They're gonna have to do it well considering the amount of people who know the original stories...

[Skylace]

I'll have to look for these. It looks like the UK version of the Hardy Boys.

[faceless]

Yeah, it's similar to Hardy Boys. A bit more quaint and implicitly racist though... haha

[Skylace]

[6ULDV8]

Cucumber sanies & ginger beer all round....



I loved the 'comic strip' when they did the parody, shame the new series won't be tongue in cheek, I have always seen these books as rather "camp" & thus would make for some great comedy rather than just another "damn them pesky kids that are all grown up" stuff...

[alan1254]