The Enid Blyton Society

Tony Summerfield wrote:All 21 stories were filmed and released on video - the only problem was that one of them was only released in a cardboard cover as a free give away! That is probably the hardest video to find now - Five on a Secret Trail.

Just the one that I love so much!

I should point out that the dates that I put on my lists on the previous page were just for the first showing on the ITV regions that actually financed it. When it came to the ITV network showing on all regions the second series suffered a major blow as it had very poor viewing figures and ITV took it off before some of the episodes were shown, so at the time buying the video was the only way that you could see them. Although I can't remember for certain, I think the timing of it clashed with Blue Peter on BBC and Blue Peter won!

Wolfgang wrote: Yes, I read it, and that's puzzling me. Why should foreign editions with original English sound track publish more episodes than the English themselves? And I also wonder why you haven't already acquired a complete set?

Not sure why foreign editions should publish more episodes than in UK - except perhaps that I'm talking about videos, which were out on the mid 1990's, and you're talking about DVD's that have been out more recently - so I guess that's why the promotional video of 'Secret Trail' is now a part of the DVD set.

My videos are all originals from the 1990's but I agree I could update and buy the DVD's. However, I'd really only be buying it for the one episode, as I have all the others!

Tony Summerfield wrote:I should point out that the dates that I put on my lists on the previous page were just for the first showing on the ITV regions that actually financed it. When it came to the ITV network showing on all regions the second series suffered a major blow as it had very poor viewing figures and ITV took it off before some of the episodes were shown, so at the time buying the video was the only way that you could see them. Although I can't remember for certain, I think the timing of it clashed with Blue Peter on BBC and Blue Peter won!

That's very interesting. I didn't know that it had done so badly in the ratings. Am I right in saying that those dates listed mean that the second series was shown on a Sunday in those specific ITV regions?

I could be completely wrong here but I think Blue Peter was shown at 17.10 (just before Neighbours) during that era. CITV finished at that time each day and I would have thought it more likely that The Famous Five would have started at around 16.40 and been up against one of the dramas like The Queen's Nose or The Demon Headmaster or something like that. As I say, I could be wrong and probably am.

I guess the failure in the ratings gives one indication why Chorion may have wanted any adaptation of the Mystery series to have been updated to the present.

You had Blue Peter then Newsround and then Neighbours in those days. Can't remember the exact times but around 5pm onwards probably. I seem to remember the first series was shown earlyish in the children's programmes - I just had time to finish school at 3.15 and get home, change out of my uniform then sit down to watch it, so it was probably on about 4 I would think. I don't remember anything specifically about the second series, though so they could have changed it all around by then.

I did have the bright idea of having a look at the Radio Times archive but it only lists BBC's own channels.

Well, at least I can confirm the Blue Peter timings!

Monday 11th September 1995
Grange Hill, 4.35
Newsround 5.00
Blue Peter 5.10
Neighbours 5.35

(Why did I always think Newsround came after BP?)

Tuesday had Byker Grove at 5.05
Wednesday Blue Peter at 5.05
Thursday The Animals of Farthing wood at 3.30 (I LOVED that cartoon so I must have made it home as early as 3.30 quite often) and Byker Grove at 5.05
Friday was Blue Peter at 5.10 again

I think that pattern would have been the same every week and certainly very similar the next year or two when the second series was being shown on CITV.

Those were the days when we still had quality children's television and not the 'all day' rubbish on freeview we get today!

I remember through the 1970's rushing home to watch BBC children's TV (rarely watched ITV) - and all the quality drams in particular like The Enchanted Castle, Swish of the Curtain, Box of Delights, Moondial etc.

I was a bit 'too old' for the 1990's Famous Five when it came out - but I did catch a few of them. I'm constantly torn between this series and the 1970's series. For me, I think the 70's series just wins - because I watched it at the time, whereas I mainly saw the 90's version on video.

Fiona1986 wrote: Thursday The Animals of Farthing wood at 3.30 (I LOVED that cartoon so I must have made it home as early as 3.30 quite often)

Ooh, me too, by the way! We had it in Australia as well — I had most of the books (by Colin Dann) too.

I honestly can't remember what time/day/channel the '90s Famous Five were on TV in Australia, as that was during my I've-gone-off-Enid-Blyton phase in my early/mid teens. I was aware of the series, though, so I'm almost certain we did have it. It wouldn't have been up against Blue Peter, though, as we don't have that in Australia. (For some reason, we do have Neighbours. )

Newsround did follow Blue Peter at one time.

That's good to know, Daisy (assuming it was in my lifetime!)

I can't remember the dates Fiona but John Craven had very dark hair at the time!

Fiona1986 wrote:Well, at least I can confirm the Blue Peter timings!

Monday 11th September 1995
Grange Hill, 4.35
Newsround 5.00
Blue Peter 5.10
Neighbours 5.35

(Why did I always think Newsround came after BP?)

Tuesday had Byker Grove at 5.05
Wednesday Blue Peter at 5.05
Thursday The Animals of Farthing wood at 3.30 (I LOVED that cartoon so I must have made it home as early as 3.30 quite often) and Byker Grove at 5.05
Friday was Blue Peter at 5.10 again

I think that pattern would have been the same every week and certainly very similar the next year or two when the second series was being shown on CITV.

The second Famous Five series was on a Monday at 4.15 as there's a video on YouTube. As I used to watch it religiously, I am fairly sure the first series was also on at 4.15 but it was on a different day, a Wednesday I *think*. I can't think why it would have got a poor rating as it would have only been up against cartoonish shows on CBBC at that time, unless people didn't bother putting it on so they wouldn't have to switch over half way through it.

As an aside, as a devout lifelong addict and even more religious follower of Farthing Wood, it's interesting to see your region had it on at 3.30, here whilst it was also on a Thursday, it was on at 4.30 instead.

Those times and dates were for London as those are the only ones given. It's quite possible it was different for me in Scotland actually.

IceMaiden wrote:How come you can get all of the 70's series on DVD but the 90's ones are only available in Dutch and the two parter Smuggler's Top is missing from it? It's not even on YouTube, unlike all the other episodes. Why is this one left out/ not available compared to the others?

As an aside, does anybody know where to get a copy? I have it on video but I want to put it on my computer or a DVD. It seems impossible to track down!

Just belatedly read this post. The Smuggler's Top question pops up on a regular basis. A few years ago I posted some information about the Dutch DVD editions of the 1990's Famous Five series, this may well be of interest to you. Link