Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2018 20:55:42 GMT
I watched the recent(ish) film version of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader on TV a couple of nights ago, and it inspired me to dig out my DVDs of the BBC series of 1988-90. Some (but not all) of the production values are a bit ropey by today's standards - though Aslan still looks magnificent; sometimes the acting is a bit dodgy, too - the children in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe particularly are very 'stagey' and Barbara Kellerman as the White Witch hams it up gloriously! For a child, though, it was enthralling and (though perhaps there's a certain sentimentality at work), to my eyes they still capture the magic better than the big budget movies. I'm halfway through Dawn Treader at the moment, with an extraordinarily young-looking Sam West as Caspian (wearing one of the most beautiful armours I've ever seen on screen!); after that it's The Silver Chair with Tom Baker's brilliant Puddleglum!
|
|
|
|
Post by Miranda on Jan 30, 2018 21:01:31 GMT
I don't remember a series!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2018 11:06:08 GMT
It was a lavish production. They did four of the books over eighteen episodes: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardobe, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair. There were a few notable names in the cast: Tom Baker and Sam West as I've already mentioned (although the latter wasn't notable at the time!), Joanna David as Trufflehunter, Warwick Davis as Reepicheep and Ronald Pickup as the voice of Aslan. Aslan himself was an animatronic two-person costume with an astonishingly realistic head (the only real let down was they couldn't quite get the mouth to move in synch with the lines). It was a pretty lavish affair, much of it done on location (including a specially built full-sized sailing Dawn Treader), elborate costumes and special effects some of which must have been, for the time, cutting edge (as far as their budget would allow, anyway). It was nominated for numerous awards.
|
|
|
|
Post by lugsbug on Jan 31, 2018 11:16:19 GMT
This sparked a memory - we were on holiday in Aviemore in 1988 and saw them filming in the snow  |
|
|
|
Post by Miranda on Jan 31, 2018 11:18:13 GMT
I must have been working away. I didn't see very much TV for about 3 years.
|
|
|
|
Post by technicolour on Jan 31, 2018 20:55:46 GMT
It was a lavish production. They did four of the books over eighteen episodes: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardobe, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair. There were a few notable names in the cast: Tom Baker and Sam West as I've already mentioned (although the latter wasn't notable at the time!), Joanna David as Trufflehunter, Warwick Davis as Reepicheep and Ronald Pickup as the voice of Aslan. Aslan himself was an animatronic two-person costume with an astonishingly realistic head (the only real let down was they couldn't quite get the mouth to move in synch with the lines). It was a pretty lavish affair, much of it done on location (including a specially built full-sized sailing Dawn Treader), elborate costumes and special effects some of which must have been, for the time, cutting edge (as far as their budget would allow, anyway). It was nominated for numerous awards. As an avid fan of the books I was appalled at the size of Mr and Mrs Beaver! Put me off the whole thing. Incidentally, inside the Mrs Beaver costume was the actress who played the cook in Downton Abbey. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2018 8:28:11 GMT
As they were going for the actors-in-costumes method, I suppose they could have used some camera trickery to adjust the height, or used short actors as they did with Reep. I gather the costumes were very impractical and they needed 'beaver handlers' close by to rescue the actors whenever they fell over (which was frequently, especially outside)!
|
|
|
|
Post by diziet sma on Feb 3, 2018 22:27:16 GMT
I remember this a little.
I hated the kids for being so posh. Oh Papa, Peter's being beastly, and everyone's horrid.
I don't remember seeing Mrs Patmore's beaver though.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2018 22:37:34 GMT
I've got to the end of The Silver Chair. I agree with Eustace that Jill Pole needed to "dry up" - she seemed to spend most of the time feeling very vocally sorry for herself. They really seem to have pushed the boat out with some spectacular sets (notably 'Underworld'). A lovely cameo from Patsy Byrne as a giant version of Blackadder's Nursie. Barbara Kellerman manages to be relatively restrained as the Lady of the Green Kirtle (she's actually quite creepy when trying to pursuade our heroes that Narnia doesn't exist). And, of course, there's Tom Baker's glorious turn as the ever-pessimistic Puddleglum. Just the Extras to look forward to, now.
|
|
|
|
Post by Miranda on Feb 3, 2018 22:59:51 GMT
Oh Tom Baker is a perfect Puddleglum!
|
|
|
|
Post by upton on Feb 5, 2018 8:32:07 GMT
I was in the centre of Birmingham on Thursday and sure I saw a boxed set of the Chronicals of Narnia in the window of a charity shop. No idea of the format - VHS, DVD etc. Did think about going in for a closer look but had to get back to the seminar I was attending.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2018 17:53:58 GMT
I watched the recent(ish) film version of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader on TV a couple of nights ago, and it inspired me to dig out my DVDs of the BBC series of 1988-90. Some (but not all) of the production values are a bit ropey by today's standards - though Aslan still looks magnificent; sometimes the acting is a bit dodgy, too - the children in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe particularly are very 'stagey' and Barbara Kellerman as the White Witch hams it up gloriously! For a child, though, it was enthralling and (though perhaps there's a certain sentimentality at work), to my eyes they still capture the magic better than the big budget movies. I'm halfway through Dawn Treader at the moment, with an extraordinarily young-looking Sam West as Caspian (wearing one of the most beautiful armours I've ever seen on screen!); after that it's The Silver Chair with Tom Baker's brilliant Puddleglum! I do recall the L the W and the W but couldn't possibly comment ! My memory is receeding so do envy you yours . |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2018 20:06:20 GMT
I've made a start on the Extras. A 2003 cast reunion of the children from LWW; funny to see them all grown up. 'Edmund' (a paintings restorer by then!) was the most recognisable, despite a receding hairline. 'Lucy' looks so different (much to her relief - whilst she loved being in it she's mortified by what she used to look like!). Also Outtakes (including Barbara Kellerman going so over-the-top her crown flies off) and a couple of Blue Peter segments which bizarrely I can remember bits of!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2018 22:12:18 GMT
Finished the Extras. There was a daytime TV interview with 'Lucy' and Barbara Kellerman from when TLWW came out. Assorted trivia stuff, and also some interactive quizzes with Easter Egg prizes if you get the questions right: Aslan in sunglasses tap-dancing, Reep in bermuda shorts also dancing on the deck of the Dawn Treader, Eustance the Dragon attempting to build a sandcastle, and an outtake in which 'Edmund' is a bit overambitious when stuffing his mouth with Turkish Delight.
|
|
Anymore to come?
