‘The Famous Five’: BBC Orders New Adaptation Of The Classic Enid Blyton Stories
Filming has begun on ‘The Famous Five‘, a brand new adaptation of the classic Enid Blyton stories from Moonage Pictures (The Pursuit of Love) and Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive), co-produced by BBC in the UK and ZDF in Germany.
The three, 90 min, episode series follows five daring young explorers as they encounter treacherous, action-packed adventures, remarkable mysteries, unparalleled danger, and astounding secrets in an unforgettable odyssey that evokes the power of camaraderie between the fearless young heroes.
It is created for television and executive produced by Nicolas Winding Refn (byNWR) and Matthew Read (Moonage Pictures) based on Enid Blyton’s 21 stories. Filming takes place across the South West of the UK.
“All my life I’ve fought vigorously to remain a child with a lust for adventure”, said Refn. “By reimagining The Famous Five, I am preserving that notion by bringing these iconic stories to life for a progressive new audience, instilling the undefinable allure and enchantment of childhood for current and future generations to come.”
Episode one is written by Matthew Read, episode two is written by Priya K Dosanjh, with episode three being written by Matthew Bouch and Matthew Read. Executive Producers are Nicolas Winding Refn, Matthew Read, Will Gould, Frith Tiplady, Christina Bostofte Erritzøe, Kimberly Willming and Matthew Bouch. Producer is Sophie MacClancy.
“Moonage Pictures was created to provide the right creative environment to explore ideas without limitation and this provides us with exactly that opportunity,” said Will Gould, co-founder of Moonage Pictures. “In the hands of Nicolas and Matthew this Famous Five will be a modern, timely and irreverent action series with adventure at its heart.”
The series was commissioned by Sarah Muller, Senior Head of Children’s Commissioning 7+ and the commissioning editor for the BBC is Amy Buscombe. The commissioning editors of ZDF will be Frank Seyberth and Katharina Kremling. It will be directed by Tim Kirkby and produced by Moonage Pictures and byNWR Originals. BBC Studios, who have a minority stake in Moonage, will oversee international distribution and brokered the co-production and presales deals with both France’s TF1 and Germany’s ZDF.
“Bringing these books to life with a new reimagining of The Famous Five is a real treat for BBC audiences and a celebration of British heritage,” adds Patricia Hidalgo, Director BBC Children’s and Education. “These stories are loved around the world and bringing families together is a key part of our strategy so we hope it introduces a new generation of viewers to these wonderful adventures.”
‘The Famous Five‘ does not yet have a premiere date, but will air on the BBC in the UK, ZDF in Germany, and TF1 in France. If you want to keep track of this or any other show, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date.
