Swallows and Amazons Forever! facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Swallows and Amazons Forever! |
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Title Card
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| Genre | Children's |
| Written by | Arthur Ransome (books) Michael Robson (script) |
| Directed by | Andrew Morgan |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Production location(s) | Norfolk Broads |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC Two |
| Original release | 14 March – 2 May 1984 |
Swallows and Amazons Forever! is a fun British TV show from 1984. It was made by the BBC for children. The show is based on two adventure books by Arthur Ransome: Coot Club and The Big Six. Even though the title mentions "Swallows and Amazons," the famous children from Ransome's other books do not appear in this series.
About the Show
This TV series takes you back to the 1930s in a beautiful part of England called the Norfolk Broads. The stories happen near a village named Horning. The main characters are two visitors, Dick and Dorothea (Dot) Callum. There are also local children like Tom Dudgeon, the twins Nell and Bess, and three boatbuilders’ sons named Joe, Bill, and Pete. These three are known as the "Death and Glories." Adults like Mrs. Barrable, Dr. Dudgeon, and Frank Farland also play a part.
The Stories
The show is split into two main stories, each with four episodes.
Coot Club
In the "Coot Club" part, Dick and Dot are learning how to sail boats. They also have to deal with five annoying adults who travel in a motor cruiser called the Margoletta. The children call these adults the "Hullabaloos."
The Big Six
"The Big Six" is a detective story. In this part, the "Death and Glories" are wrongly accused of setting boats adrift. It's up to the children to solve the mystery and find out who the real culprits are.
Why the Series Ended
The people who made Swallows and Amazons Forever! wanted to make more episodes. They planned to adapt all of Arthur Ransome's books in the series. The next books they wanted to film were Swallowdale and The Picts and the Martyrs. They even started looking for actors and places to film. However, filming in the Lake District, where some of the books are set, was too expensive. Because of the high costs, the series had to be cancelled.
Episodes
The series was first shown on BBC Two in 1984. New episodes came out every Wednesday. It was shown again in 1986 as two longer compilation episodes.
| Episode | Date | Time |
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| Coot Club - Episode 1 | Wednesday 14 March 1984 | 7.10-7.35pm |
| Coot Club - Episode 2 | Wednesday 21 March 1984 | 7.10-7.35pm |
| Coot Club - Episode 3 | Wednesday 28 March 1984 | 7.10-7.35pm |
| Coot Club - Episode 4 | Wednesday 4 April 1984 | 7.00-7.25pm |
| The Big Six - Episode 1 | Wednesday 11 April 1984 | 7.05-7.30pm |
| The Big Six - Episode 2 | Wednesday 18 April 1984 | 7.15-7.40pm |
| The Big Six - Episode 3 | Wednesday 25 April 1984 | 7.15-7.40pm |
| The Big Six - Episode 4 | Wednesday 2 May 1984 | 7.10-7.35pm |
Characters
Here are some of the main actors and the characters they played in the show:
- Richard Walton as Dick Callum
- Caroline Downer as Dorothea Callum
- Henry Dimbleby as Tom Dudgeon
- Claire Matthews as Bess Farland
- Sarah Matthews as Nell Farland
- Nicholas Walpole as Joe
- Mark Page as Bill
- Jake Coppard as Pete
- Rosemary Leach as Mrs Barrable
- John Woodvine as Mr Tedder the Policeman
- Colin Baker as Dr Dudgeon
- Andrew Burt as Frank Farland
- Simon Hawes as George Owden
- Julian Fellowes as Jerry, one of the Hullabaloos
- Patrick Troughton as Harry Bangate, the Eel Man
- Sam Kelly as the Owner of the Cachalot
