''The Phoenix and the Carpet'' is a
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 193 ...
adaption of the 1904
book of the same name by
E. Nesbit
Edith Nesbit (married name Edith Bland; 15 August 1858 – 4 May 1924) was an English writer and poet, who published her books for children as E. Nesbit. She wrote or collaborated on more than 60 such books. She was also a political activist an ...
about four children in
Edwardian England
The Edwardian era or Edwardian period of British history spanned the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910 and is sometimes extended to the start of the First World War. The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 marked the end of the Victori ...
who acquire a
phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
and the adventures they have as a result.
The six-part serial was first broadcast in 1997 and starred
David Suchet
Sir David Courtney Suchet''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' ( ; born 2 May 1946) is an English actor known for his work on British stage and television. He portrayed Edward Teller in the television serial '' Oppenh ...
as the Phoenix.
Production
The series was a co-production between the BBC and
HIT Entertainment
HIT Entertainment Limited (commonly written as HiT) was a British-American entertainment company founded in 1982 as Henson International Television, the international distribution arm of The Jim Henson Company, by Jim Henson, Peter Orton, and Soph ...
and took the format of six 28-minute episodes, first broadcast on
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, p ...
between November and December 1997.
''The Phoenix and the Carpet'' is part of a family of BBC productions about the adventures of the Bastable children, based on novels by E. Nesbit, launched in 1991 with ''
Five Children and It
''Five Children and It'' is a children's novel by English author E. Nesbit. It was originally published in 1902 in the '' Strand Magazine'' under the general title ''The Psammead, or the Gifts'', with a segment appearing each month from April ...
'' in six episodes, followed in 1993 by ''The Return of the Psammead''. All three were adapted by
Helen Cresswell
Helen Cresswell (11 July 1934 – 26 September 2005) was an English television scriptwriter and author of more than 100 children's books, best known for comedy and supernatural fiction. Her most popular book series, ''Lizzie Dripping'' and ''The ...
, and apart from the children the Psammead, created and voiced by Francis Wright, appears in all three.
The serial was first released on DVD in a truncated version, only half as long as the original, but a full version was issued in February 2015.
Outline
In the first episode, a second-hand carpet is delivered to the Bastable household in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. Impatient for the arrival of
Guy Fawkes Night
Guy Fawkes Night, also known as Guy Fawkes Day, Bonfire Night and Fireworks Night, is an annual commemoration observed on 5 November, primarily in Great Britain, involving bonfires and fireworks displays. Its history begins with the ev ...
, the four Bastable children had set off fireworks in the nursery, leading to a fire. Rolled up in the carpet, the children find a large egg. When they accidentally knock it into the fire, it hatches, and a talking Phoenix emerges. The new carpet is a
magic carpet
A magic carpet, also called a flying carpet, is a legendary carpet and common trope in fantasy fiction. It is typically used as a form of transportation and can quickly or instantaneously carry its users to their destination.
In literature
One o ...
and can take the children anywhere, and with it they have some exotic adventures.
The Phoenix is a friend of the
Psammead
''Five Children and It'' is a children's novel by English author E. Nesbit. It was originally published in 1902 in the ''Strand Magazine'' under the general title ''The Psammead, or the Gifts'', with a segment appearing each month from April t ...
, whom the children already know, and his help is sometimes called upon.
In the sixth episode, the Phoenix decides it is time for him to begin his cycle again, going up in flames to arise from the ashes in two thousand years’ time. He lays an egg, and immolates himself.
Cast
*
David Suchet
Sir David Courtney Suchet''England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007'' ( ; born 2 May 1946) is an English actor known for his work on British stage and television. He portrayed Edward Teller in the television serial '' Oppenh ...
as the Phoenix
*
Francis Wright as the Psammead
*
Jessica Fox as Anthea Bastable
*Ben Simpson as Cyril Bastable
*Charlotte Chinn as Jane Bastable
*Ivan Berry as Robert Bastable
*
Miriam Margolyes
Miriam ( he, מִרְיָם ''Mīryām'', lit. 'Rebellion') is described in the Hebrew Bible as the daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and the older sister of Moses and Aaron. She was a prophetess and first appears in the Book of Exodus.
The Tora ...
as Cook
*
Lesley Dunlop
Lesley Jane Dunlop (born 10 March 1956) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Norna in the ''Doctor Who'' serial "Frontios", Anna Kirkwall in ''Where the Heart Is (British TV series), Where the Heart Is'' and Zoë Angell in ''May ...
as Eliza
*
Christopher Biggins
Christopher Kenneth Biggins (born 16 December 1948) is an English actor and television presenter.
Early life
Biggins was born in Oldham, Lancashire, the son of William and Pamela Biggins. He was brought up in Salisbury, Wiltshire, attended St P ...
as Tonks
*
Shaun Dingwall
Shaun Dingwall (born 21st February 1970) is a British actor from London. He is known for his roles as Pete Tyler in ''Doctor Who'', as Reg Trotter in ''Rock & Chips'' and as D.C. Mark Rivers in ''Touching Evil''.
Early life
Shaun Dingwall was b ...
as Burglar
*
Gemma Jones
Jennifer "Gemma" Jones (born 4 December 1942) is an English actress. Appearing on both stage and screen, her film appearances include ''Sense and Sensibility'' (1995), the ''Bridget Jones'' series (2001–2016), the ''Harry Potter'' series ( ...
as Mrs Bibble
*
Jean Alexander
Jean Margaret Hodgkinson (11 October 1926 – 14 October 2016), known by the stage name Jean Alexander, was a British television actress. She was best known to television viewers for her long running role of Hilda Ogden in the soap opera ''Co ...
as Lily
*
Kim Vithana
Kim Vithana (born 4 June 1970) is a British actress.
She had acted in television serials '' Family Pride'', '' Specials'' and '' Firm Friends'' when the filmmaker Gurinder Chadha took her in ''Bhaji on the Beach'' to play the role of Ginder, a ...
as Oriental Princess
*Zina Badran as a Lady
*Miranda Pleasence as Miss Peasmarsh
*Nicola Redmond as Amelia
*Ian Keith as Father
*Mary Waterhouse as Mother
Home Media
A VHS and DVD release from
Reader's Digest
''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...
(under license from
BBC Worldwide
BBC Worldwide Ltd. was the wholly owned commercial subsidiary of the BBC, formed out of a restructuring of its predecessor BBC Enterprises in January 1995. The company monetises BBC brands, selling BBC and other British programming for broadcas ...
) were released, containing the entirety of the serial.
Notes
External links
The Phoenix and the Carpetat bbc.co.uk
*
Playlist of the productionon
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phoenix and the Carpet, The
1990s British drama television series
Television series set in the 1900s
1997 British television series debuts
1997 British television series endings
Television shows based on British novels
Television shows set in London
BBC television dramas
Television series by Mattel Creations
Television series by Miramax Television
English-language television shows