Kids tv drama from about 20 years ago.

[squirtle]

Can anyone help me here? I was thinking the other day about christmas and how there always seemed to be a kids tv drama on during the build up to christmas, one i remember was "the box of delights" . I have been racking my brain as to another i only vaguely remember watching and it may not have been at christmas and all i can remember is a big stately home and a statue of St Christopher in the garden which came to life and saved a young boy possibly from a flooded river. I am fairly sure i didn't dream it. Can anyone prove my sanity? I have tried to google but i just don't know what to search for. Thanks to anyone.

[4getmenot]

I remember it too. Aaaaaaghhhh. It wasnt Toms midnight garden but it was along those lines

[4getmenot]

Found it yeeeeeeeeghhhhhhhh

The Children of Green Knowe - was a BBC production in the late 80's i think maybe 86 - 87. Written by Lucy M Boston. The story is based around a boy named Tolly who is staying with his Grandmother during the war. The house has been in the family for generations. His Grandmother tells him (Tolly) to make a great blaze (a fire) and then she tells him a story based upon the family history in every episode. The house was originally called Olde Knowe. One night, while attempting to steal horses from the grounds, Gypsies (Black Ferdie and Petronella) were caught and they cast a curse on the house and surroundings; thus renaming the place Green Knowe. The series continues with the boy unravelling the plot/story of the curse with the aid of three ghosts of children (Linet, Alexander and Toby). These were former residents of the house who died during the Great Plague and now occupy the grounds. Green Knowe is a tree in the grounds that was created to hold the curse over the grounds. It is a demon tree. The series ends by Green Knowe being defeated by a Statue of Saint Christopher who is the protector of the grounds. This is just a basic outline and the story was much better.

[squirtle]

Oh my god, thankyou so very much for that, its all coming back to me now.

Here is another then, now this one used to freak me out as i was about 10 at the time if not much younger and it was a series where some children were in some big house staying and to entertain themselves they decided to put on a play and made themselves an audience of what i can only describe as 'guys'. (As in penny for the guy) now these dummies came to life and i think were then after the kids. There was some garden there too and a secret gate or door they went through.

[4getmenot]

the only other one I can think of with a garden is Moondial , those guys dont ring any bells with me. Ask this as a new question though, someone may be able to help :-)

[4getmenot]

The only programmes like that I can think of are Moondial, Children of Green Knowe, The Secret Garden (was a series in 1975 and Toms midnight garden.

[reinganum]

The Box of Delights was screened leading up to Christmas because the action in the drama happened at that time of year.

And it was done on the radio no less than three times, in 1943, 1948 and 1955 (each time with a slightly different cast) and again in 1969 (I think) as a two-part Sunday Afternoon play.

If you enjoyed Box of Delights, tune in again next week and the week after (Dec 10 and 17) because they are doing The Midnight Folk, also by John Masefield. Midnight Folk is a sort of "prequel" to Box of Delights, though if I remember correctly, the action takes place at midsummer.