Last year, we received a copy of Moondial to review - a series that I had loved watching on TV back in the 1980's - but I wasn't sure if it would still appeal to a modern audience. Despite it appearing quite dated and low-tech compared to the programmes that today's generations of kids have been brought up on, the Madhouse kids loved it, so I was keen to see what they would think of another classic children's series, The Children of Green Knowe, which will be released on DVD for the first time on 28th March 2016.
I remember this four-part series, based on the novels by Lucy M. Boston, when it was on TV back in 1986 and, even if it's quite dated now, I was pleased to see that it has retained its charm. The fact that it is "old-fashioned" (to quote the Madhouse kids) actually fits in very well with the theme.
The story itself is timeless. Rather than being stuck at boarding school for Christmas while his father and step-mother are out of the country, a young boy - Toseland, known as Tolly - goes to stay with his rather eccentric great-grandmother at The Green Knowe estate, an 11th century house built by Normans. The very prophetically-named Mrs Oldknow regales her young charge with tales of his ancestors and he starts to see the spirits of children who lived in the house during the reign of Charles II.
It's a slightly spooky, magical ghost story that had the Madhouse kids totally enthralled and I loved it too, as a nostalgic trip down memory lane. It makes me sound ancient to say this, but they don't make children's TV drama like they used to !
star rating : 4.5/5
RRP : £14.99
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: U
- Studio: Simply Media
- DVD Release Date: 28 Mar. 2016
- Run Time: 100 minutes
Disclosure : We received the product in order to write an honest review.
Sounds wonderful, I think I'd enjoy it as much as your family. Eddie might like it too, he loves all the Goosebumps' spooky stories.
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