''The Famous Five'' is a series of children's
adventure
An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...
novels and short stories written by English author
Enid Blyton
Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 November 1968) was an English children's writer, whose books have been worldwide bestsellers since the 1930s, selling more than 600 million copies. Her books are still enormously popular and have be ...
. The first book, ''
Five on a Treasure Island
''Five on a Treasure Island'' (published in 1942) is a popular children's book by Enid Blyton. It is the first book in ''The Famous Five'' series. The first edition of the book was illustrated by Eileen Soper.
Background
It has been suggeste ...
'', was published in 1942. The novels feature the adventures of a group of young children – Julian, Dick, Anne, George and their dog Timmy.
The vast majority of the stories take place in the children's school holidays. Each time they meet they get caught up in an adventure, often involving criminals or lost treasure. Sometimes the scene is set close to George's family home at Kirrin Cottage, such as the picturesque Kirrin Island, owned by George and her family in Kirrin Bay. George's own home and various other houses the children visit or stay in are hundreds of years old and often contain secret passages or
smugglers
Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.
There are various ...
' tunnels.
In some books the children go camping in the countryside, on a hike or holiday together elsewhere. However, the settings are almost always rural and enable the children to discover the simple joys of cottages, islands, the English and
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
countryside and sea shores, as well as an outdoor life of picnics, bicycle trips and swimming.
Blyton intended to write only six or eight books in the series, but owing to their high sales and immense commercial success she went on to write twenty-one full-length ''Famous Five'' novels, as well as a number of other series in similar style following groups of children discovering crime on holiday.
By the end of 1953, more than six million copies had been sold. Today, more than two million copies of the books are sold each year, making them one of the best-selling series for children ever written, with sales totalling over a hundred million. All the novels have been adapted for television, and several have been adapted as films in various countries.
Blyton's publisher,
Hodder & Stoughton
Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint (trade name), imprint of Hachette (publisher), Hachette.
History
Early history
The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged 14, with Messrs ...
, first used the term "The Famous Five" in 1951, after nine books in the series had been published. Before this, the series was referred to as ''The 'Fives' Books''.
Characters
The Five
* is the oldest of the five, cousin to George and elder brother to Dick and Anne. He is tall, strong and intelligent as well as caring, responsible and kind. His cleverness and reliability are often noted by Aunt Fanny. He is the leader of the group and is very protective towards Anne and sometimes, to her frustration, towards George. Julian is the most mature of the group but, although well-meaning, his manner can at times come over as overbearing, pompous or priggish. At the start of the series, Julian is 12 years old. Over time, he reaches his goal of fully maturing into a young adult.
* has a cheeky sense of humour, but is also dependable and kind in nature. He is the same age as his cousin George, 1 year younger than his brother Julian and a year older than his sister Anne – eleven at the start of the series. Though inclined to tease his sister at times, Dick is, like Julian, very caring towards Anne and does his best to keep her cheered up when she gets upset. He had a heroic role in ''Five on a Treasure Island''. He uses his wits and saves the five in many adventures but probably has the least clearly-drawn character of the four cousins.
*George is a tomboy, who demands that people call her instead of Georgina; she cuts her hair very short and dresses like a boy. She is headstrong and courageous by nature and, like her father, scientist Quentin Kirrin, has a hot and fiery temper. Introduced to the other characters in the first book, she later attends a boarding school with Anne where the teachers also agree to call her 'George'. Blyton eventually revealed that the character was based on herself. It is notable that the chief protagonist of the Malory Towers stories also possessed a fiery temper as a defining character trait.
George has a loyal dog named Timmy who would do anything for her. She often gets cross when anyone calls her by her birth name or makes fun of Timmy, and she loves it when somebody calls her George or mistakes her for a boy. In ''Five Get into a Fix'', old Mrs Jones mistakes her for a boy: even though Julian had told her that she was a girl, she later forgets this. George sometimes takes this to the point of asking that her name be prefixed with
Master
Master or masters may refer to:
Ranks or titles
* Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans
*Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...
instead of
Miss
Miss (pronounced ) is an English language honorific typically used for a girl, for an unmarried woman (when not using another title such as "Doctor" or "Dame"), or for a married woman retaining her maiden name. Originating in the 17th century, it ...
. Various references have been made to what meaning should be read into this – for instance "I remember reading in my first Famous Five book about a girl called Master George. What a puzzle and thrill. She claims to never tell lies as that is cowardly."
* is the youngest in the group, and generally takes care of the domestic duties during the Five's various camping holidays. As the youngest, she is more likely than the others to be frightened, and does not really enjoy the adventures as much as the others. She is ten years old in the first book of the series. She sometimes lets her tongue run away with her, but ultimately she is as brave and resourceful as the others. She likes doing the domestic things such as planning, organising and preparing meals, and keeping where they are staying clean and tidy, be it a cave, house, tent or caravan. In ''Smuggler's Top'' it is suggested she is
claustrophobic
Claustrophobia is the fear of confined spaces. It can be triggered by many situations or stimuli, including elevators, especially when crowded to capacity, windowless rooms, and hotel rooms with closed doors and sealed windows. Even bedrooms with ...
, as she is frightened of enclosed spaces, which remind her of bad dreams. But the adventures invariably lead the five into tunnels, down wells, and into dungeons and other enclosed spaces, demonstrating how brave she really is.
* Alias Timmy is George's faithful dog. He is a large, brown mongrel with a long tail. George adopted him after finding him abandoned on the moors as a puppy. He is very friendly; he is clever, affectionate and loyal to the children and to George in particular; he provides physical protection for them many times. Timmy's presence is frequently given as the reason the children's parents allow them to wander unsupervised. George adores Timmy and thinks that he is the best dog in the world, and often becomes furious when people insult or threaten him. This is shown in 'Five On A Secret Trail' when she runs away from home with Timmy because he was being teased as he was forced to wear a cardboard collar. In the first book of the series, George's parents have forbidden her to keep Timmy, and she is forced to hide him with a fisher boy in the village. After the end of the Five's first adventure, her parents relent and she is allowed to keep him in the house and also take him with her to boarding school. It is a notable feature of the stories that Timmy's thoughts and feelings are frequently described.
Friends the Five meet
*, the fisherboy, appears in some of the books set in Kirrin Cottage. In the first book, after George's parents forbid her to keep the dog, Alf keeps Timmy for her. Timmy adores Alf. Alf also looks after George's boat. In later books Alf only looks after George's boat, as George's parents let Timmy stay in the house. Alf also appears as James of the same background.
*, the ragamuffin girl, clever but wild, joins the Five on three adventures near the end of the series. She is approximately the same age as the children and is a tomboy like George. Her parents were in the
circus
A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclist ...
, but her mother died and her father was imprisoned for theft. She admires Dick and thinks the world of him.
* is the housekeeper at George's house. She is an extremely kind woman who is often present at Kirrin Cottage when Uncle Quentin and Aunt Fanny go off somewhere. All the four cousins are extremely attached to her. Joanna contracts scarlet fever in the last book. She is sometimes referred to as Joan in Blyton's Famous Five short stories like ''Five Have a Puzzling Time and other stories''.
* appears in two books. He has a habit of imitating cars (which drives his father mad) and has a pet monkey called Mischief. His father is also a scientist who is Uncle Quentin's friend.
* is a friend of Jo's who works in the circus. The Five meet in him in the 14th book in the series, ''Five Have Plenty of Fun''.
*Wilfred meets the Five in the book ''Five Have a Mystery to Solve''. He has an unexplainable ability of attracting animals.
Grown-ups in the Famous Five
* is George's mother, and aunt to Dick, Julian and Anne. She is married to Uncle Quentin, and is, through most of Blyton's Famous Five novels, the principal maternal figure in the lives of the children. She is a very kind and easy-going woman, and shows considerable patience with her husband over his short temper and absent-mindedness.
* is George's father, and a world-famous scientist, who is kidnapped or held hostage in several of the children's adventures. He possesses a quick temper and has little tolerance for the children on school holidays, but is nevertheless a loving and caring husband, father and uncle, and is extremely proud of his daughter. He is also inclined to be very absent-minded, as he finds it hard to switch off from his work and readjust to everyday life. Despite his fame as a scientist, his work does not earn him much money. In the first book of the series, it is established that he is brother to the father of Julian, Dick and Anne.
* is a very nice woman. In ''Five Go Off In a Caravan'', she persuades the children's father to let them travel in the caravan. She's referred to as Mrs. Barnard in ''Five Get Into a Fix''.
*Mr. Roland is introduced in the second book. He is a tutor, and coaches the Five during the holidays. He then steals Uncle Quentin's important papers, but is caught by the Five.
*Lucas appears in ''Five Have a Mystery to Solve''.
Critical discussion
Blyton was a
nature writer
Nature writing is nonfiction or fiction prose or poetry about the natural environment. Nature writing encompasses a wide variety of works, ranging from those that place primary emphasis on natural history facts (such as field guides) to those in w ...
early in her career, and the books are strongly atmospheric, with a detailed but
idealised presentation of the rural landscape. The books present children exploring this landscape without parental supervision as natural and normal. Pete Cash of the
English Association
The English Association is a subject association for English dedicated to furthering the study and enjoyment of English language and literature in schools, higher education institutes and amongst the public in general.
It was founded in 1906 by ...
has noted that the children "are allowed to go off on their own to an extent that today would contravene the
Child Protection Act (1999) and interest
Social Services
Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. They may be provided by individuals, private and independent organisations, or administe ...
."
The books are written in a
nostalgic
Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word ''nostalgia'' is a learned formation of a Greek compound, consisting of (''nóstos''), meaning "homecoming", a Homeric word, ...
style even for the time they were written, avoiding reference to specific political events or technological developments.
Cash noted that the characters do not watch television apart from one appearance in 1947, or even make much use of radios, despite George's father's work presumably involving advanced technology.
The books have been criticised for being repetitive, with repeated use of
stock elements such as obnoxious, unfriendly people who turn out to be criminals and the discovery of a
secret passageway
Secret passages, also commonly referred to as hidden passages or secret tunnels, are hidden routes used for stealthy travel, escape, or movement of people and goods. They are sometimes inside buildings leading to secret rooms. Others allow peop ...
.
Blyton wrote rapidly and could finish a book in a week, which meant that unlike other book series of the period, such as
Nancy Drew
Nancy Drew is a Fictional character, fictional character appearing in several Mystery fiction, mystery book series, movies, and a TV show as a teenage amateur sleuth. The books are ghostwriter, ghostwritten by a number of authors and published ...
or
The Hardy Boys
The Hardy Boys, brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, are fictional characters who appear in several mystery series for children and teens. The series revolves around teenagers who are amateur sleuths, solving cases that stumped their adult counterpa ...
, she was able to maintain control of her creations and write all the stories in a series herself.
The treatment of girls in the books provides a contrast, with Anne, the youngest and most fragile character, a contrast to the brash and headstrong George.
Floating timeline
The seemingly perpetual youth of the Famous Five, who experience a world of apparently endless holidays while not ageing significantly, is known as a
floating timeline
A floating timeline (also known as a sliding timescale) is a device used in fiction, particularly in long-running serials in comics and animation as well as other media, to explain why characters Ageless, age little or not at all over a period of t ...
. Floating timelines allow for an episodic series with no defined end-point, but at the expense of losing a sense of the characters growing up.
J. K. Rowling
Joanne Rowling ( "rolling"; born 31 July 1965), also known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and Philanthropy, philanthropist. She wrote ''Harry Potter'', a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to ...
commented of her
Harry Potter
''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...
series that she deliberately intended to avoid this in her writing: "in book four the hormones are going to kick in – I don't want him stuck in a state of permanent pre-pubescence like poor Julian in the Famous Five!"
Bibliography
Enid Blyton's "Famous Five" novel series
#
Five on a Treasure Island
''Five on a Treasure Island'' (published in 1942) is a popular children's book by Enid Blyton. It is the first book in ''The Famous Five'' series. The first edition of the book was illustrated by Eileen Soper.
Background
It has been suggeste ...
(1942)
#
Five Go Adventuring Again (1943)
#
Five Run Away Together
''Five Run Away Together'' (published in 1944) is the third book in the Famous Five series by the British author Enid Blyton.
Plot
Julian, Dick and Anne arrive in Kirrin Cottage to stay with George (real name Georgina) for the holidays. They ...
(1944)
#
Five Go to Smuggler's Top
''Five Go to Smuggler's Top'' is the fourth book in the Famous Five series by the British author Enid Blyton
Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 November 1968) was an English children's writer, whose books have been worldwide b ...
(1945)
#
Five Go Off in a Caravan
''Five Go Off In A Caravan'' is the fifth book in the Famous Five series by the British author, Enid Blyton and published by Hodder and Stoughton. The book includes a circus boy character named Nobby, whose name was changed to Ned, when publis ...
(1946)
#
Five on Kirrin Island Again
''Five On Kirrin Island Again'' is the sixth novel in the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. It was first published in October 1947.
Plot
Julian, Dick, Anne and George had planned to visit Kirrin Island for their school holidays, but George' ...
(1947)
#
Five Go Off to Camp
''Five Go Off To Camp'' is the seventh novel in the Famous Five children's adventure series by Enid Blyton
Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 November 1968) was an English children's writer, whose books have been worldwide bes ...
(1948)
#
Five Get into Trouble (1949)
#
Five Fall into Adventure (1950)
#
Five on a Hike Together (1951)
#
Five Have a Wonderful Time
''Five Have A Wonderful Time'' (published in 1952) is a popular children's book written by Enid Blyton. It is the eleventh novel in the Famous Five series of books.
Plot
George has caught a cold due to swimming in the sea in April and, as s ...
(1952)
#
Five Go Down to the Sea
''Five Go Down To The Sea'' is the twelfth novel in The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. It was first published in 1953.
Plot
Siblings Julian, Dick and Anne Kirrin, and their cousin Georgina 'George' Kirrin and her dog, Timmy, spend a hol ...
(1953)
#
Five Go to Mystery Moor
''Five Go to Mystery Moor'' (published in 1954) is a popular children's book written by Enid Blyton. It is the thirteenth novel in the '' Famous Five'' series of books.
Plot
George and her cousin Anne are spending their holiday at Captain ...
(1954)
#
Five Have Plenty of Fun
''Five Have Plenty Of Fun'' is the 14th novel in ''The Famous Five'' series by Enid Blyton
Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 November 1968) was an English children's writer, whose books have been worldwide bestsellers since ...
(1955)
#
Five on a Secret Trail
''Five on a Secret Trail'' is the fifteenth novel in the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton
Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 November 1968) was an English children's writer, whose books have been worldwide bestsellers since ...
(1956)
#
Five Go to Billycock Hill
''Five Go to Billycock Hill'' is the sixteenth novel in the ''Famous Five'' series by Enid Blyton. It was first published in 1957.
Plot
The Five are camping on Billycock Hill, near the farm of Toby, a boy who loves jokes and pranks. When To ...
(1957)
#
Five Get into a Fix
Five Get into a Fix is a children's novel written by Enid Blyton and published by Hodder and Stoughton in 1958. It is the seventeenth book in the Famous Five series.
Story
Siblings Julian, Dick and Anne are at home with their cousin George a ...
(1958)
#
Five on Finniston Farm
''Five on Finniston Farm'' is the eighteenth novel in the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. It was first published in 1960.
Plot
The Famous Five spend their summer holidays at Finniston Farm as paying guests. Upon arrival, they are greete ...
(1960)
#
Five Go to Demon's Rocks
''Five Go to Demon's Rocks'' is the nineteenth novel in ''The Famous Five'' series by Enid Blyton. It was first published in 1961.
Plot
Irascible scientist Quentin Kirrin informs his wife, Fanny, that his colleague, Professor Hayling, will ...
(1961)
#
Five Have a Mystery to Solve
''Five Have a Mystery to Solve'' is the 20th novel in the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. It was first published in 1962. As the penultimate novel in the Famous Five series, it follows the usual formula of finding secret passages, drinking ...
(1962)
#
Five Are Together Again
''Five Are Together Again'' (published 1963) is a children's novel in The Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. It was first published by Hodder and Stoughton and in its first edition illustrated by Eileen Soper.
This is the 21st and last comp ...
(1963)
Blyton also wrote a number of short stories featuring the characters, which were collected together in 1995 as ''Five Have a Puzzling Time, and Other Stories''.
These books can be found as ebooks i
Ebook-Hunter
Other book series
Claude Voilier
There are also books written originally in French by
Claude Voilier (the Five have long been extremely popular in translation - by Voilier - in the French-speaking parts of Europe) and later translated into English. The Voilier titles are:
# ''
Les Cinq sont les plus forts'' (1971; English title: ''The Famous Five and the Mystery of the Emeralds'', English number: 2)
# ''Les Cinq au bal des espions'' (1971; English title: ''The Famous Five in Fancy Dress'', English number: 7)
# ''Le Marquis appelle les Cinq'' (1972; English title: ''The Famous Five and the Stately Homes Gang'', English number: 1)
# ''Les Cinq au Cap des tempêtes'' (1972; English title: ''The Famous Five and the Missing Cheetah'', English number: 3)
# ''Les Cinq à la Télévision'' (1973; English title: ''The Famous Five Go on Television'', English number: 4)
# ''Les Cinq et les pirates du ciel'' (1973; English title: ''The Famous Five and the Hijackers'', English number: 13)
# ''Les Cinq contre le masque noir'' (1974; English title: ''The Famous Five Versus the Black Mask'', English number: 6)
# ''Les Cinq et le galion d'or'' (1974; English title: ''The Famous Five and the Golden Galleon'', English number: 5)
# ''Les Cinq font de la brocante'' (1975; English title: ''The Famous Five and the Inca God'', English number: 9)
# ''Les Cinq se mettent en quatre'' (1975; English title: ''The Famous Five and the Pink Pearls'', English number: 18)
# ''Les Cinq dans la cité secrète'' (1976; English title: ''The Famous Five and the Secret of the Caves'', English number: 12)
# ''La fortune sourit aux Cinq'' (1976; English title: ''The Famous Five and the Cavalier's Treasure'', English number: 10)
# ''Les Cinq et le rayon Z'' (1977; English title: ''The Famous Five and the Z-Rays'', English number: 17)
# ''Les Cinq vendent la peau de l'ours'' (1977; English title: ''The Famous Five and the Blue Bear Mystery'', English number: 8)
# ''Les Cinq aux rendez-vous du diable'' (1978; English title: ''The Famous Five in Deadly Danger'', English number: 15)
# ''Du neuf pour les Cinq'' (1978; English title: ''The Famous Five and the Strange Legacy'', English number: 11)
# ''Les Cinq et le trésor de Roquépine'' (1979; English title: ''The Famous Five and the Knights' Treasure'', English Number: 16)
# ''Les Cinq et le diamant bleu'' (1979; reprinted in 1980 as ''Les Cinq et le rubis d'Akbar''; (''The Five and the Rubies Of Akbar''))
# ''Les Cinq jouent serré'' (1980; English title: ''The Famous Five and the Strange Scientist'', English number: 14)
# ''Les Cinq en croisière'' (1980; never translated into English; "The Five on a Cruise")
# ''Les Cinq contre les fantômes'' (1981; never translated into English; "The Five Against the Ghosts")
# ''Les Cinq en Amazonie'' (1983; never translated into English; "The Five in
Amazonia
The Amazon rainforest, Amazon jungle or ; es, Selva amazónica, , or usually ; french: Forêt amazonienne; nl, Amazoneregenwoud. In English, the names are sometimes capitalized further, as Amazon Rainforest, Amazon Forest, or Amazon Jungle. ...
")
# ''Les Cinq et le trésor du pirate'' (1984; never translated into English; "The Five and the Pirate's Treasure")
# ''Les Cinq contre le loup-garou'' (1985; never translated into English; "The Five against the werewolf")
The German "Geisterbände"
In Germany, two books came out with a questionable author. The titles are:
# ''Fünf Freunde auf der verbotenen Insel'' ("Five Friends on the Forbidden Island") (1977)
# ''Fünf Freunde und der blaue Diamant'' ("Five Friends and the Blue Diamond") (1979)
#''Fünf Freunde verfolgen die Strandräuber (1963)''
#''Fünf Freunde jagen die Entführer'' (1966)
Although Enid Blyton is named as author on the cover, the books were most likely written by German author Brigitte Blobel, who is credited as the translator. The books were recalled after the first edition owing to copyright issues, and are now rare and high-priced collector's items.
Film and television adaptations
Films
There exist two
Children's Film Foundation
The Children's Film Foundation (CFF) was a non-profit organisation which made films for children in the United Kingdom originally to be shown as part of childrens' Saturday morning matinée cinema programming. The films typically were about 55 ...
films of the ''Famous Five'' books: ''
Five on a Treasure Island
''Five on a Treasure Island'' (published in 1942) is a popular children's book by Enid Blyton. It is the first book in ''The Famous Five'' series. The first edition of the book was illustrated by Eileen Soper.
Background
It has been suggeste ...
'', made in 1957, and ''
Five Have a Mystery to Solve
''Five Have a Mystery to Solve'' is the 20th novel in the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. It was first published in 1962. As the penultimate novel in the Famous Five series, it follows the usual formula of finding secret passages, drinking ...
'', produced in 1964.
Two of the Famous Five stories by Enid Blyton have been filmed by Danish director
Katrine Hedman. The cast consisted of Danish actors and were originally released in
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...
.
Ove Sprogøe
Ove Wendelboe Sprogøe Petersen (21 December 1919 – 14 September 2004) was a Danish actor.
Life
Born in Odense, his parents were Arthur and Inger Sprogøe Petersen. He married Eva Rasmussen in 1945, with whom he had three children. O ...
stars as Uncle Quentin. The movies are: ' (''Five and the Spies'') (1969) and ''
De 5 i fedtefadet'' (''Famous Five Get in Trouble'') (1970).
All four of the films have been released on DVD in their respective countries.
In 2012 the movie ''
Fünf Freunde
''Famous Five'' (german: link=no, Fünf Freunde) is a 2012 German children's film. Directed by , it is a film adaptation of '' The Famous Five'' series by Enid Blyton, which is based primarily on the 1947 book ''Five on Kirrin Island Again''.
...
'' was released in Germany, with Marcus Harris in a small role. Now also ''Fünf Freunde 2'', ''3'' and ''4''.
Television
1978–79 series
The ''Famous Five'' television series was produced by
Southern Television
Southern Television was the ITV broadcasting licence holder for the South and South-East of England from 30 August 1958 to 31 December 1981. The company was launched as 'Southern Television Limited' and the title 'Southern Television' was con ...
and Portman Productions for
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
in the UK, in 26 episodes of thirty minutes (including time for advertisements). It starred Michele Gallagher as Georgina, Marcus Harris as Julian,
Jennifer Thanisch
Jennifer Thanisch (born 24 April 1964) is an English former child actress, most active during the 1970s.
Life
Jennifer Thanisch is a native of Laleham, Middlesex, where her parents owned the Three Horseshoes, a public house. Her first role was in ...
as Anne,
Gary Russell
Gary Russell (born 18 September 1963) is a British freelance writer, producer and former child actor. As a writer, he is best known for his work in connection with the television series ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-offs in other media. As an a ...
as Dick, Toddy Woodgate as Timmy,
Michael Hinz
Michael Hinz (28 December 1939 – 6 November 2008) was a German actor.
Life and career
Hinz came from an acting family, his parents were Werner Hinz and Ehmi Bessel, both actors, as well as his brother Knut and half-sister Dinah.
After gro ...
as Uncle Quentin and Sue Best as Aunt Fanny. It also starred
Ronald Fraser,
John Carson,
Patrick Troughton
Patrick George Troughton (; 25 March 1920 – 28 March 1987) was an English actor who was classically trained for the stage but became known for his roles in television and film. His work included appearances in several fantasy, science fiction ...
,
James Villiers
James Michael Hyde Villiers (29 September 1933 – 18 January 1998) was an English character actor. He was particularly known for his plummy voice and ripe articulation.
He was a great-grandson of the 4th Earl of Clarendon.
Early life
Villie ...
,
Cyril Luckham
Cyril Alexander Garland Luckham (25 July 1907 – 8 February 1989) was an English film, television and theatre actor. He was the husband of stage and screen actress Violet Lamb.
Career
The son of a paymaster captain in the Royal Navy, Cyril Lu ...
and
Brian Glover
Brian Glover (2 April 1934 – 24 July 1997) was an English actor and writer. He worked as a teacher and professional wrestler before commencing an acting career which included films, many roles on British television and work on the stage. His ...
. The screenplays were written by Gloria Tors, Gail Renard,
Richard Carpenter and Richard Sparks. The episodes were directed by
Peter Duffell
Peter Duffell (10 July 1922 − 12 December 2017) was a British film and television director and screenwriter, born in Canterbury, England.
The British actor Christopher Lee called Duffell Britain's "most under-rated director."
Biography
Duffel ...
, Don Leaver, James Gatward and Mike Connor. The series was produced by Don Leaver and James Gatward. Most of the outdoor filming was done in the
New Forest
The New Forest is one of the largest remaining tracts of unenclosed pasture land, heathland and forest in Southern England, covering southwest Hampshire and southeast Wiltshire. It was proclaimed a royal forest by William the Conqueror, featu ...
and parts of
Dorset
Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...
and
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
.The series was set in the present day, fifteen years after Blyton's last novel in the series.
Of the original 21 novels, three were not adapted for this series; ''
Five on a Treasure Island
''Five on a Treasure Island'' (published in 1942) is a popular children's book by Enid Blyton. It is the first book in ''The Famous Five'' series. The first edition of the book was illustrated by Eileen Soper.
Background
It has been suggeste ...
'' and ''
Five Have a Mystery to Solve
''Five Have a Mystery to Solve'' is the 20th novel in the Famous Five series by Enid Blyton. It was first published in 1962. As the penultimate novel in the Famous Five series, it follows the usual formula of finding secret passages, drinking ...
'' because the
Children's Film Foundation
The Children's Film Foundation (CFF) was a non-profit organisation which made films for children in the United Kingdom originally to be shown as part of childrens' Saturday morning matinée cinema programming. The films typically were about 55 ...
still own the film and TV rights to the books, while ''
Five Have Plenty of Fun
''Five Have Plenty Of Fun'' is the 14th novel in ''The Famous Five'' series by Enid Blyton
Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 November 1968) was an English children's writer, whose books have been worldwide bestsellers since ...
'' did not fit in the production schedule. Due to the success of the series, Southern Television were keen to make another season of episodes, but the Enid Blyton estate forbade them to create original stories.
The 1978 series was originally released on video by Portman Productions with reasonable regularity between 1983 and 1999, many of which are still easy to find second-hand, although the sound and picture quality is not always what it could be. A four-disc DVD collection, containing 23 of the 26 episodes produced for the 1978 series (and two episodes from the 1996 series) was released in region 4 (Australia and New Zealand) in 2005. The box and disc art identify it as a release of the 1996 series. (The distributor had licensed the 1996 series, but due to an administrative glitch was supplied with master tapes and artwork for the 1978 series.) The error was corrected in a later release.
A seven-DVD set containing the entire series and extensive bonus material was released in October 2010 in Germany by Koch Media; although there was an option to choose either the original English or German dubbed versions, the English version had non-removable German subtitles across the bottom of the screen on every episode. The same company released the DVD set in the UK (without the non-removable subtitles) on 25 June 2012.
A four DVD set containing all 26 episodes, without additional content, was released for region 4 (Australia and New Zealand) in late 2011, as ''Enid Blyton's The Famous Five: The Complete Collection''.
(The Finnish punk band Widows (of Helsinki) made three different cover versions of the theme song, the first in early 1979, as did the Irish indie outfit Fleur, in 1996.)
1995 series
A later series, ''
The Famous Five
''The Famous Five'' is a series of children's Adventure fiction, adventure novels and short stories written by English author Enid Blyton. The first book, ''Five on a Treasure Island'', was published in 1942. The novels feature the adventures ...
'', initiated by
Victor Glynn
Victor Glynn (born 11 October 1956) is a film and television producer and writer.
Career
Glynn was born in Balham, London. After working for the BBC World Service for a number of years in the mid to late 1970s he joined Michael Bogdanov at th ...
of
Portman Zenith Portman is a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin. Notable bearers were the Viscounts Portman. It may refer to:
Office
* Portman (burgess), a freeman or burgess of a port
Boats
* Portman 36, an American sailboat design
Places
* Portmán, a t ...
was aired first in 1995, a co-production between a number of companies including
Tyne Tees Television
ITV Tyne Tees, previously known as Tyne Tees, Channel 3 North East and Tyne Tees Television, is the ITV (TV network), ITV television franchise for North East England and parts of North Yorkshire.
Tyne Tees launched on 15 January 1959 from stud ...
,
HTV, Zenith North and the German channel
ZDF
ZDF (, short for Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen; ; "Second German Television") is a German public-service television broadcaster based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. It is run as an independent nonprofit institution, which was founded by all fe ...
. Unlike the previous TV series, this set the stories in the 1950s, around when they were written. It dramatised all the original books. Of the juvenile actors the best known is probably
Jemima Rooper
Jemima Rooper (born 24 October 1981) is a British actress. Having started as a child actress in television series, she has appeared in numerous film and theatre roles.
Background
Born in Hammersmith, London, Rooper is the daughter of TV journ ...
, who played George. Julian was portrayed by
Marco Williamson, Dick by
Paul Child, and Anne by Laura Petela. In this series, because of the slang meaning of the word fanny, Aunt Fanny, played by Mary Waterhouse, was known as Aunt Frances. (In some but not all recent reprints of the book, the character has been re-christened Aunt Franny.)
The 1995 series was released in its entirety on VHS video. A three-disc DVD collection, containing 13 of the 26 episodes of the 1995 series, was released in Australia and New Zealand in 2005, and is marked "Revised Edition" to avoid confusion with the previous release of the 1979 series with 1995 artwork. Other episodes have reportedly been released on DVD in Europe, but only the adaptation of ''Five on a Treasure Island'' was released on DVD in the UK.
''Famous 5: On the Case''
A new Famous Five animated TV series began airing in 2008. ''
Famous 5: On the Case'' is set in modern times and features the children of the original Famous Five: Max (the son of Julian and Brandine), Dylan (son of Dick and Michelle), Jo (daughter of George and Ravi – a tomboy who, like her mother, prefers a shorter name to her given name Jyoti) and Allie (daughter of Anne and John).
It has not been stated whether their dog is a descendant of Timmy. The new series was first announced in 2005, and is a co-production of
Chorion
The chorion is the outermost fetal membrane around the embryo in mammals, birds and reptiles (amniotes). It develops from an outer fold on the surface of the yolk sac, which lies outside the zona pellucida (in mammals), known as the vitelline ...
(which currently owns all Famous Five rights) and
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...
, in association with
France 3
France 3 () is a French free-to-air public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5 and France Info.
It is made up of a network of regional television services providing ...
and
The Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Company. ...
.
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
confirmed their involvement in December 2006. Stories were developed by
Douglas Tuber Douglas Tuber and Tim Maile are an American television writing and producing duo. Their credits include ''Herman's Head'', '' All American Girl'', ''Smart Guy'', '' Jessie'', ''Salute Your Shorts'' and ''Lizzie McGuire'', as well as creating ''Phi ...
and
Tim Maile Douglas Tuber and Tim Maile are an American television writer, television writing and Television producer, producing duo. Their credits include ''Herman's Head'', ''All American Girl (1994 TV series), All American Girl'', ''Smart Guy'', ''Jessie (20 ...
, who have previously written for ''
Lizzie McGuire
''Lizzie McGuire'' is an American comedy television series created by Terri Minsky that premiered on Disney Channel on January 12, 2001. The series stars Hilary Duff as the titular character, who navigates the personal and social issues of her te ...
''. Chorion claims on its website that "these new programmes will remain faithful to the themes of mystery and adventure central to Enid Blyton's classic series of books." In total, there will be 130 episodes, each 22 minutes long.
Other adaptations
Audio dramas
Hodder Headline
Headline Publishing Group is a British publishing brand and former company. It was founded in 1986 by Tim Hely Hutchinson. In 1993, Headline bought Hodder & Stoughton and the company became Hodder Headline Ltd. In 1999, Hodder Headline was acqui ...
produced in the late 1990s audio dramas in English, which were published on
audio cassette
The Compact Cassette or Musicassette (MC), also commonly called the tape cassette, cassette tape, audio cassette, or simply tape or cassette, is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. Invented by Lou Otten ...
and
CD. All 21 episodes of the original books were dramatised.
The 21 original stories by Enid Blyton have been released in the 70s as ''Fünf Freunde'' audio dramas in Germany as well. The speakers were the German dubbing artists for Gallagher, Thanisch, Russell and Harris, the leads of the first television series.
For the sequels (not written by Blyton and decidedly more "modern" action-oriented stories) the speakers were replaced by younger ones, because it was felt that they sounded too mature. In addition to the original Blyton books, another 110+ stories have subsequently been released and published as radio plays and more than 30 books different from the radioplays in Germany. They are based on the original characters, but written by various German writers.
Theatre
A 1997 musical was made to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Enid Blyton's birth with the title ''The Famous Five'' and later released on DVD as ''The Famous Five – Smuggler's Gold – The Musical''.
Principal actors: Elizabeth Marsland, Lyndon Ogbourne, Matthew Johnson, Vicky Taylor,
Jon Lee, Director: Roz Storey
and also in the five
A brand new musical adaptation was premièred at the Tabard Theatre on 8 December 2009 and played until 10 January 2010.
Gamebooks
Two sets of
gamebook
A gamebook is a work of printed fiction that allows the reader to participate in the story by making choices. The narrative branches along various paths, typically through the use of numbered paragraphs or pages. Each narrative typically does not ...
s in a ''
Choose Your Own Adventure
''Choose Your Own Adventure'' is a series of children's gamebooks where each story is written from a second-person point of view, with the reader assuming the role of the protagonist and making choices that determine the main character's actio ...
'' style have been published. These books involve reading small sections of print and being given two or more options to follow, with a different page number for each option. The first series of these, written by
Stephen Thraves
Stephen Thraves is a British children's author. The author of over 200 books, he is the creator of ''Fetch the Vet'', a 26 episode animation for pre-school which aired on ITV (TV channel), ITV between 1999 and 2001. He also wrote eight ''The Famou ...
, featured stories loosely based on the original books. They were issued in plastic wallets with accessories such as maps, dice and codebooks. The gamebooks were titled as follows:
#''The Wreckers' Tower Game, based on Five Go Down to the Sea''
#''The Haunted Railway Game, based on Five Go Off to Camp''
#''The Whispering Island Game, based on Five Have a Mystery to Solve''
#''The Sinister Lake Game, based on Five On a Hike Together''
#''The Wailing Lighthouse Game, based on Five Go to Demon's Rocks''
#''The Secret Airfield Game, based on Five Go to Billycock Hill''
#''The Shuddering Mountain Game, based on Five Get into a Fix''
#''The Missing Scientist Game, based on Five Have a Wonderful Time''
The second series, written by
Mary Danby, was entitled "The Famous Five and You". These consisted of abridged versions of the original text, with additional text for the alternative story routes. The books in this series were based on the first six original Famous Five books:
#''The Famous Five and You Search for Treasure!''
#''The Famous Five and You Find Adventure!''
#''The Famous Five and You Run Away!''
#''The Famous Five and You Search for Smugglers!''
#''The Famous Five and You Take Off!''
#''The Famous Five and You Underground!''
Comics
A weekly comic strip based on the 1978 television series was published in ''
Look-in
''Look-in'' was a children's magazine centred on ITV's television programmes in the United Kingdom, and subtitled "The Junior ''TVTimes''". It ran from 9 January 1971 to 12 March 1994.comic album
a medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, captions, and onomatopoeia can indicate ...
s drawn by Bernard Dufossé and scripted by Serge Rosenzweig and Rafael Carlo Marcello were released in France between 1982 and 1986, under the title ''Le Club des Cinq''. Most of comic books in the series are based on Famous Five books created by
Claude Voilier. Books were released by
Hachette Livre
Hachette () is a French publisher. Founded in 1826 by Louis Hachette as Brédif, the company later became L. Hachette et Compagnie, Librairie Hachette, Hachette SA and Hachette Livre in France. After acquiring an Australian publisher, Hachette ...
. The first three of these volumes have also been released in English, under the name ''Famous Five''. The titles included "Famous Five and the Golden Galleon" (which featured a sunken ship that was laden with gold with the Five fending off villains seeking to make off with the gold, "Famous Five and the Treasure of the Templars", where it transpires that Kirrin Castle is actually a Templar Castle that houses their hidden treasure which the Five ultimately secure with the help of members of the order, and "Famous Five and the Inca God" which was set in an antiquities museum and dealt with the theft of an Incan fetish.
Beginning in September 1985 a series of monthly Comic Magazine titles ''Enid Blyton's Adventure Magazine'' were published. Each issue published a full length illustrative comic book story adapted from Famous 5 Novels. The series came to end in the 1990s.
Parodies
The Comic Strip Presents...
The Five inspired the
parody
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...
''
Five Go Mad in Dorset
''Five Go Mad in Dorset'' was the first of three ''Five Go Mad'' specials from the long-running series of '' The Comic Strip Presents...'' television comedy films. It first aired on the launch night of Channel 4 (2 November 1982), and was writ ...
'' (1982) and its 1983 sequel ''Five Go Mad on Mescalin'', both produced by
The Comic Strip
The Comic Strip are a group of British comedians who came to prominence in the 1980s. They are known for their television series ''The Comic Strip Presents...'', which was labelled as a pioneering example of the alternative comedy scene. The c ...
, in which the characters express sympathies with
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
and opposition to the
Welfare State
A welfare state is a form of government in which the state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal opportunity, equitabl ...
, homosexuals, immigrants and Jews, in an extremely broad
parody
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...
not so much of Blyton but of views perceived to be common in the 1950s. The parodies were deliberately set towards the end of the original Famous Five "era" (1942–63) so as to make the point that the books were already becoming outmoded while they were still being written. Both parodies made use of Famous Five set pieces, such as the surrender of the criminals at the end when Julian states "We're the Famous Five!", the arrival of the police just in the nick of time, and the appeal for "some of your home-made ices" at a village shop. Unlike the books, the four children in the Comic Strip parody are all siblings, and none is the child of Aunt Fanny and Uncle Quentin.
The series was revived in 2012 with ''Five Go to Rehab'', with the original cast reprising their roles, now well into middle-age. Reuniting for Dick's birthday after decades apart, the four and Toby lament how their lives took unexpected paths while Dick drags them on another bicycle adventure, which he had meticulously planned for fourteen years. In a reversal, George had married a series of wealthy men whom she cuckolded with, among others, one of her stepsons (her continuing penchant for bestiality with the latest Timmy is also implied); whereas Anne has become a strongly opinionated vegan spinster and is suspected by Dick of being a "dyke" – an accusation made against George by Toby in the original ''Five Go Mad in Dorset''. George and Julian have been committed to an alcoholics' sanatorium, the latter owes a large debt to African gangsters, and Anne recently served a prison sentence for setting her nanny aflame. Robbie Coltrane reprised both of his roles. ''Five Go to Rehab'' utilises a form of a
floating timeline
A floating timeline (also known as a sliding timescale) is a device used in fiction, particularly in long-running serials in comics and animation as well as other media, to explain why characters Ageless, age little or not at all over a period of t ...
; although the original films' events are said to have taken place thirty years in the past and "five years after
the war", the reunion film appears to be set approximately contemporaneous to its filming.
Others
Parodies began early: in 1964, only the year after the last book was published,
John Lennon
John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...
in his work ''
In His Own Write
''In His Own Write'' is a 1964 Literary nonsense, nonsense book by English musician John Lennon. His first book, it consists of poems and short stories ranging from eight lines to three pages, as well as illustrations.
After Lennon showed jo ...
'' had the short story ''The Famous Five through Woenow Abbey''. Amidst a plethora of deliberate misspellings, he lists ten members of the Five, and a dog named Cragesmure.
Viz comic
''Viz'' is a British adult comic magazine founded in 1979 by Chris Donald. It parodies British comics of the post-war period, notably ''The Beano'' and ''The Dandy'', but with extensive profanity, toilet humour, black comedy, surreal humour a ...
has parodied the series' style of writing and type of stories on a number of occasions.
In the late eighties, Australian comedy team ''
The D-Generation
''The D-Generation'' was a popular and influential Australian TV sketch comedy show, produced and broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) for two series, between 1986 and 1987. A further four specials were broadcast on the ...
'' parodied The Famous Five on their breakfast radio show as a five-part serial entitled ''The Famous Five Get Their Teeth Kicked In''. The parody was based on the first book ''Five on a Treasure Island''.
The fourth short story in ''
Fearsome Tales for Fiendish Kids
''Fearsome Tales for Fiendish Kids'' is a 1996 children's black comedy horror literature, horror book written by British author Jamie Rix. It is the third book in the ''Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids'' series. It was published by Hodder Children ...
'' by
Jamie Rix
Jamie Rix (born 27 April 1958) is an English children's author, television comedy writer, and media producer. He is best known for the book series ''Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids'' and '' The War Diaries of Alistair Fury''; both were adapted i ...
is named "The Chipper Chums Go Scrumping", which is about five children in 1952 on a picnic in Kent during the summer holidays. After their nap, the youngest wants an apple to eat so the children decide to steal from a nearby orchard, but they are caught by the owner, who is armed with a
shotgun
A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small p ...
. It was later adapted for the ''
Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids
Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids (often nicknamed ''Grizzly Tales'') is the generic trademarked title for a series of award-winning children's books by British author Jamie Rix which were later adapted into an animated television series of the s ...
'' cartoon, which aired on
CITV
CITV (short for Children's ITV, also known as the CITV Channel) is a British free-to-air children's television channel owned by ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive and acquisitions, every day from 6 am to 9 pm which ...
in 2000.
A 2005 story in ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' also parodies the Famous Five. It argues that Anne, Dick, George and Julian are
caricature
A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, a ...
s rather than characters, portraying Anne as having no life outside of domestic labour. It highlights what the writer,
Lucy Mangan
Lucy Katherine Mangan''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' (born 1974) is a British journalist and author. She is a columnist, features writer and TV critic for ''The Guardian''. A major part of her writing is related t ...
, considers to be the power struggle between Dick, George and Julian while Anne is sidelined.
On 31 October 2009, the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
programme ''
The Impressions Show
''The Impressions Show (also known as The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson)'' is a British comedy sketch show which stars impressionists Jon Culshaw and Debra Stephenson. A second series began broadcasting on 14 November 2010 and ende ...
'' featured a sketch in which
Ross Kemp
Ross James Kemp (born 21 July 1964) is an English actor, author, and television presenter. He rose to prominence in the role of Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders''. He is also known for his other roles as Graham Lodsworth in ' ...
meets The Famous Five. It was a parody of his
Sky One
Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non-terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...
show, ''Ross Kemp on Gangs''.
British comedian
John Finnemore
John David Finnemore (born 28 September 1977) is a British comedy writer and actor. He wrote and performed in the radio series ''Cabin Pressure'', ''John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme'', and '' John Finnemore's Double Acts'', and frequently ...
did a radio sketch in which Julian and George run into each other as adults and reminisce. It is revealed that Julian has gone on to a career as a smuggler and regularly has to deal with copycat groups of children trying to thwart his plans. George is a happily married mother, Dick has gone to live in a commune in America, and Anne has just been released from prison having murdered a man with a ginger beer bottle.
''
Bert Fegg's Nasty Book for Boys and Girls
''Bert Fegg's Nasty Book for Boys And Girls'' is a humorous book first published by Methuen in 1974 which purports to have been written by a psychopathic character, Dr. Fegg. In fact, the book is the work of Terry Jones and Michael Palin, who a ...
'' features "The Famous Five Go Pillaging", – a short story which parodies the writing style of
Enid Blyton
Enid Mary Blyton (11 August 1897 – 28 November 1968) was an English children's writer, whose books have been worldwide bestsellers since the 1930s, selling more than 600 million copies. Her books are still enormously popular and have be ...
; five children witness the collapse of
Roman imperialism and their friends and family are slaughtered by 9000 invading
Vikings
Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden),
who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
.
Website
The Daily Mash
''The Daily Mash'' is a left wing British satirical website providing parodic commentary on current affairs and other news stories. Neil Rafferty (a former political correspondent for ''The Sunday Times'') and Paul Stokes (former business edit ...
reported a lost Blyton manuscript titled "Five Go Deporting Gypsies".
A spoof series of five books written by Bruno Vincent was published in November 2016. The books are titled ''Five Give Up the Booze'', ''Five Go Gluten Free'', ''Five Go On A Strategy Away Day'', ''Five Go Parenting'' and ''Five on
Brexit
Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or ...
Island''.
Vincent went on to write several more titles in the series: ''Five at the Office Christmas Party'', ''Five Get Gran Online'', ''Five Get On the Property Ladder'', ''Five Go Bump in the Night'', ''Five Escape Brexit Island'', ''Five Get Beach Body Ready'', ''Five Lose Dad in the Garden Centre'', and ''Five Forget Mother's Day''.
In November 2017, Return to Kirrin was released, written by Neil and Suzy Howlett. Set in 1979, it involves the Five (now middle-aged) reuniting on Kirrin Island, to discuss Julian's plans to develop Kirrin into a theme resort. Julian has become a successful stockbroker, Dick is a well-meaning but inept and overweight policeman, Anne is a worrisome housewife, and George is a feminist community worker (with her flatulent bulldog Gary in tow). Adventures then ensue, involving a host of other original characters.
References
Notes
Citations
External links
Famous Five Book Reviews & Articles
{{DEFAULTSORT:Famous Five, The
Book series introduced in 1942
British children's novels
Enid Blyton series
Hodder & Stoughton books
Novels set in Dorset
SAM Coupé games
ZX Spectrum games