Famous Five - which TV series?

[Melinda]

The 1970's series were the best- period, cos I grew up with them and still enjoy them now.
The scenery was so much better and the location shots of the forest and the lovely solent outweigh the locations of the 90's series.
Some of the 90's series was filmed by where near I live in Gloucestershire, nice as it is we dont hardly have any gorse bushes insight apart from a big one in my garden inspired by Blyton and the 5!

I suppose it depends when you grew up, but in five go to Smugglers Top for instance Block and Mr Barling are so more real and believable in the 70's series and Uncle quentin (Michael Hinz) was great, the one in the 90's didn't seem like a scientist just an actor who looked eccentric!

Also I guess I had the crush on Marcus Harris who played Julian growing up, all the cast were very believable and they used some great actors of the time to do guest roles.

Yes The 70's Rule for me, each time and forever.

FF mad

Melinda (AKA Jo the Gypsy girl!)

P.s Liked Dick and Anne too and George was far more believable in the 70's series, good old Michele.

[Georgina]

Have to add my support to the 70s series.

all the cast were very believable and they used some great actors of the time to do guest roles.

I agree, Melinda esp in Smugglers Top, loved Ronald Fraser as Barling!

IMO the parts of the five in 90s version were slightly overacted and out of character (made me cringe on occasions)+ theme tune wasn't as good.

[alf,fisherboy]

Got to be the 70s, because again it reminds me of my childhood, and yes i still watch it now

[Rob Houghton]

A really difficult decision, but in the end, despite nostalgia, I voted for the 1990's series. I like the period details, and the fact the stories are set in the times they were meant to be in. I also think the acting (particularly the adults) is better in the 1990's series.

Saying that though, I do love the 1970's version because I grew up with it, and to me the 1970's kids WERE the Famous Five. I grew up with the annuals rather than the original books, and so couldnt identify with the Soper illustrations of the characters when I first saw them. For me, its the characters of the 1970's with the settings of the 1990's.

[famousfiver]

Definitely the original 70's series is the best by far. The actors are terrific - I couldn't imagine a better cast. They portray the characters so well and their acting is so real to life. All the episodes are fantastic - very close to the books and the locations are wonderful. I also love the theme song and the incidental music throughout - it is so appropriate.

[RDMorrell]

The 1970s FF series introduced me to the Famous Five and led me to discover Enid Blyton properly. Previously, I had only known Enid as the author of my lone Noddy book, (ABC with Noddy), so I had a lot to learn!

The theme tune of the 1970s series just can't be beat. It's my most favourite TV theme of all, and one of my favourite songs, full stop!

I did watch the 1990s series, and enjoyed it. The period feel of that series was certainly excellent, and the acting was probably better. But somehow the '70s series has a certain je ne sais quoi about it. The music is considerably superior, and the casting really isn't too shabby. Toddy for instance is a far better Timmy than the '90s one! Michele Gallagher was also a great George. And Jenny Thanisch is a gorgeous Anne! The '90s Anne is a bit young, although probably closer to the actual age Anne was in the books! But all the characters - including some of the villains - stick in my mind more than is the case with the '90s series.

For all that the '90s series was probably better in many ways, there's just something about the '70s series that makes it my first choice in this poll.

Wherever there's adventure to be found ...

[caretaker.thms]

i enjoyed them both but prefere the 70s one because timmy the dog is more convincing.
how on earth could the directors have cast that tiny thing.
timmy was a big dog who frightened the baddies away, that tiny thing wouldnt frighten my cat!!!!!
the boy who played julian was a bit unconvincing too
if only the directors had got it right it would have beaten the 70s hands down

[Stephen]

Oh dear! The snag is I'm a bit too young to remember the 70s series, and a bit too old to remember the 90s series. Yes, I've since seen episodes of both, but that was as an adult - and as objective as I'd like to be, I'm not watching as a member of the target audience. The 70s series has become something of a cult show with an amazingly catchy theme tune and actors who were (largely) unknown at the time, but are now seen as these iconic figures of nostalgia. On the other hand, the 90s series was a period piece set in the time that Blyton originally intended, and for that fact alone it has to be commended.

[Lucky Star]

Got to be the 70s, because again it reminds me of my childhood, and yes i still watch it now

Same here, I was 11 years old when the series first appeared and had only fairly recently finished my first ever reading of the 21 books. I loved the programmes even though I can now see the technical flaws. Nostalgia does play a big role in the series' popularity but it is also a fascinating time capsule of 70's Britain. I have a bootleg DVD set and I generaly watch an episode or two each month.

[Petermax]

Nostalgia does play a big role in the series' popularity but it is also a fascinating time capsule of 70's Britain.

The series does indeed capture certain aspects of 1970s Britain, although the scripts more or less kept to the 1940s/50s feel of the books. It is always fascinating to see the vehicles of the 1970s period such as the police Volvos and also the uniforms that the officers wore back then. No advanced equipment or hi-vis jackets to be seen.

I watched the 1970s series when it first aired before reading the books for the first time at the relatively late age of twelve. Somehow up to then I had bypassed the Famous Five and gone straight onto the Adventure series as well as being distracted by Jennings and Just William along the way!

[Moonraker]

It is always fascinating to see the vehicles of the 1970s period such as the police Volvos and also the unforms that the officers wore back then. No advanced equipment or hi-vis jackets to be seen.

True, but of course, they should have been Wolseley's, set in a 40s/50s period!

[Petermax]

Actually I am the author of the above quote, not Lucky Star! Not to worry. On the subject of the Wolseleys, they were probably withdrawn from frontline service before I was even born. What understated cars they were with polite bells instead of screaming sirens and disco style lights.

From the late 1970s the police used Volvos for some reason, hence my delight at seeing once again these unwieldly vehicles in the Famous Five series.

[Lucky Star]

There are other things besides the cars. The bicycle lamp style torches, I had one of those. Georges bike in the opening sequence, a grifter? The clothes were mostly dreadful I admit but I wore all the same things. I even had a haircut like Dick's.

[Moonraker]

Actually I am the author of the above quote, not Lucky Star!

Apologies, Petermax! In fact, I ended up with two Quote boxes, and obviously deleted the wrong one!

Incidentally, speaking of bells, I was thrilled when our ambulances had a siren 'tone' labelled "Bell". I thought, "Great, it'll sound like an old ambulance from the 50s!" However, on using it, it bore more resemblance to a Dalek being strangled than an old emergency bell!

[adventuregirl]

Well, I grew up with the 90s series but I've just been watching some episode from the 70s and i have to say I actually prefer the 70s. Okay, so it does sometimes diviate a bit from the books (as in the first episode was a 'Treasure Island' and Kirren Island Again' combination and for some reason they seem to have a gardener instead of a cook) but I enjoyed it more for some reason. I think the acting was better. The acting in the 90s series was extremely fake I thought and I prefer the children in the 70s much more. I mean I do love the 90s show all the same as like i said that's what i grew up watching, but I really am enjoying watching the 70s show alot. (Plus, I just LOVE the flared jeans! )