The Adventures of Black Beauty facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Adventures of Black Beauty |
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| Genre | Adventure, family drama |
| Written by | Ted Willis (head writer) Richard Carpenter David Butler |
| Directed by | Charles Crichton Peter Duffell John Reardon |
| Starring | Judi Bowker William Lucas Stacy Dorning Roderick Shaw Charlotte Mitchell Michael Culver |
| Theme music composer | Denis King |
| Opening theme | Galloping Home |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 52 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Paul Knight |
| Producer(s) | Sidney Cole |
| Production location(s) | Hertfordshire, England |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production company(s) | The Fremantle Corporation London Weekend Television |
| Distributor | ITV Studios Global Entertainment London Weekend International The Fremantle Corporation (1972-1978) Peter Rodgers Organization |
| Release | |
| Original network | ITV |
| Picture format | Colour |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | 17 September 1972 – 10 March 1974 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | The New Adventures of Black Beauty |
The Adventures of Black Beauty is a British adventure and family television show. It was made by London Weekend Television and shown on ITV in the United Kingdom. The series ran from 1972 to 1974. It was also shown in many other countries around the world.
A later show, The New Adventures of Black Beauty, continued the story. It was set in the early 1900s, about 20 years after the first series.
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About the Show's Story
This TV series is not a direct copy of the famous 1877 book Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. Instead, it tells new stories with new characters. The main characters were created by Ted Willis.
The show focuses on Dr. James Gordon, played by William Lucas. He is a kind doctor who helps people and animals. His children, Vicky and Kevin, are also important characters. Vicky was played by Judi Bowker in the first season. In the second season, her character was named Jenny and played by Stacy Dorning. Kevin was played by Roderick Shaw.
Other important characters include Dr. Gordon's loyal housekeeper, Amy Winthrop, played by Charlotte Mitchell. There's also a local boy named Albert Clifton, played by Tony Maiden. The show was filmed mostly at Stockers Farm in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire, England.
The series was praised for its high quality. People liked the writing and the acting. Sometimes, the show had a slightly mysterious or "gothic" feel, which was unusual for a children's show.
Meet the Main Characters
Here are the main actors and the characters they played in The Adventures of Black Beauty:
- Dr. James Gordon – William Lucas (He appeared in all 52 episodes from 1972–1974)
- Amy Winthrop – Charlotte Mitchell (She was in all 52 episodes from 1972–1974)
- Kevin Gordon – Roderick Shaw (He appeared in 51 episodes from 1972–1974)
- Squire Armstrong – Michael Culver (He was in 31 episodes from 1972–1974)
- Vicky Gordon – Judi Bowker (She appeared in 26 episodes from 1972–1973)
- Jenny Gordon – Stacy Dorning (She was in 25 episodes from 1973–1974)
- Police Constable Dickins – Kenneth Thornett (He appeared in 16 episodes from 1972–1974)
- Albert Clifton – Tony Maiden (He was in 14 episodes from 1972–1974)
- Ned Lewis – Stephen Garlick (He appeared in 11 episodes from 1973–1974)
Episodes of the Show
The Adventures of Black Beauty had two seasons. In total, there were 52 episodes. Each episode was about 25 minutes long. The show first aired on September 17, 1972, and the last episode was shown on March 10, 1974.
Season 1: 1972–1973
The first season of the show had 26 episodes. It started in September 1972 and ended in March 1973. Some of the episode titles included "The Fugitive," "The Hostage," and "The Horse Thieves."
Season 2: 1973–1974
The second season also had 26 episodes. It began in September 1973 and finished in March 1974. Some episode titles from this season were "A Member of the Family," "The Outcast," and "Mission of Mercy."
The Famous Theme Song
The theme song for the show is called "Galloping Home." It was written by Denis King and played by the London String Chorale. The song became very popular.
In 1973, "Galloping Home" won an Ivor Novello Award for Best Theme Tune. This is a big award for music in the UK. It was also voted as the second-best TV theme song of all time in one poll.
The song was even released as a single record. It reached number 31 on the UK music charts in February 1974. You might have heard it in other TV shows too, like Absolutely Fabulous and I'm Alan Partridge. The song actually has lyrics, which were written by Dick Vosburgh.
