The Adventures of Black Beauty

It seems almost unbelievable that this iconic family series was made fifty years ago and yet, here we have the complete series beautifully restored in Blu-ray and presented as a 7-disc set. Broadcast by ITV between 1972 and 1974, THE ADVENTURES OF BLACK BEAUTY turned out to be one of the most successful children’s television series ever made!

Although not an adaptation of author Anna Sewell's perennial classic (the series features new characters created by British playwright Ted Willis) the overall tone is much in keeping with the literary source. Of course, the real star is an incredibly clever black stallion called ‘Black Beauty’ and was actually played by three different horses.
Set during the late 19th century, the action revolves around the Gordon family, with widower Dr. Gordon (William Lucas) leaving the hustle and bustle to move to the country where he has taken up residence in a grand old farm house together with his teenage daughter Vicky (the angelic Judi Bowker – no doubt many a young boy had their first crush on her), his slightly younger teenage son Kevin (the ill-fated Roderick Shaw), their devoted housekeeper Amy Winthrop (Charlotte Mitchell) and an array of farm animals. Although it all looks like the deepest countryside, filming actually took place at Stocker’s Farm in Rickmansworth (about half an hour’s drive from London).

Little did the Gordon Family know that they were soon to make the acquaintance of possibly the world's most intelligent horse, which brings us to SERIES 1 and the first episode ‘The Fugitive’ in which Vicky and Kevin come across an injured and apparently ill-treated black horse while out exploring their new surroundings of Five Oaks. The animal’s owner, a horse dealer named Mr. Ryder (Denis Carey), agrees to let his horse stay with the Gordon’s after the Doctor refuses to hand it back until it has recovered, during which time – suffice to say – his children take a massive liking to the black stallion and vice versa. In the end, Dr. Gordon finds himself treating the owner after the old man has fallen seriously ill and as a ‘thank you’ the Gordons are allowed to keep the horse, which a delighted Vicky names ‘Black Beauty’.
Right from the start, a host of established TV-stars feature in guest appearances like John Thaw as an escaped convict in ‘The Hostage’ whose fondness for children and animals sees him back in the slammer. Along the way we are furthermore introduced to more characters who became regular faces, such as local working class lad Albert Clifton (Tony Maiden – another ill-fated actor) and an adorable white Shetland pony called Jonah plus Robbie Jameson (Alastair Mackenzie), another young lad (albeit of a rather wealthy background) whose fragile health often compromises his thirst for adventure. We have ‘Catweazle’ Geoffrey Bayldon as archaeologist Professor Miles in the two-parter ‘The Viking Helmet’ during which his shady assistant Peter Stockman (Leigh Lawson) is in cahoots with a thief called Dykes (Martin Gordon) while Vicky has a crush on Peter…
In ‘The Witch’ local superstitions even convince the Gordon children that an eccentric old woman might be in league with dark powers.

SERIES 2 has a massive change in so far that Vicky is out of the picture. Instead she is replaced by her sister Jenny (Stacy Dorning) who, throughout the first series, was away at a posh boarding school - though we never learn where Vicky went in the second series. Another newcomer is young ruffian Ned Lewis (Stephen Garlick), an Artful Dodger type who not only ran away from a London reform school but happens to be the nephew of Dr. Gordon’s housekeeper Amy. Bighearted as the Gordon family is, Ned is allowed to stay on as a farmhand but trouble soon follows – not just because the law is on the lookout but his Fagin cum Bill Sikes-like mentor Simey (Mike Pratt of ‘Randall and Hopkirk, Deceased’ fame) has big plans in store for the lad in another two-parter: ‘A Member of The Family’. In this Season 2 opener we also make the acquaintance of arrogant new Squire Armstrong (Michael Culver), who happens to be the local magistrate – making life rather difficult for Dr. Gordon and his children.
The episode ‘Race Against Time’ (you'd have to over a certain age to get it) features the original Ratcatcher's Gerald Flood and Glyn Owen as right pair of villains. We also have Jack Shepherd as a slippery travelling medicine man and quack.

While some episodes are filled with derring-do and fast-paced action we are treated to humour in equal measure, such as in ‘Where’s Jonah?’ in which two opportunistic con-men (played by Alfie Bass and John Rhys-Davies) get a taste of their own medicine after first stealing Squire Armstrong’s honey combs before stealing lovely Shetland pony Jonah by means of chicanery but fear not… Black Beauty is on the case before everyone else is! We even get a dose of Hammer Horror in ‘Out of the Night’ complete with spooky graveyards, a seemingly never-ending supply of dry ice and a ghostly monk.

A plethora of top British film director's were responsible for the majority of episodes such as Ealing veteran Charles Crichton (who directed most), Freddie Francis (an ace cinematographer and later the director of a number of classic horror films), Alan Gibson (who directed a number of Hammer horrors among others) and Peter Duffell (who also had some considerable pedigree). Richard Carpenter (creator of the brilliant ‘Catweazle’) is just one person responsible for the scripts!
Ken Higgins photography is quite breath-taking while the series’ rousing theme tune ‘Galloping Home’ (written by Denis King) won the ‘Ivor Novello Award’ in 1973.

If all this isn’t enough to wet your appetite then I don’t know what is! As ever, the good people at Network (www.networkonair.com) excelled themselves and offer incredibly generous Bonus material including over two hours of brand-new interviews (including actors Judi Bowker and Stephen Garlick, who laments the fact that a third season never came to fruition), image galleries plus a commemorative booklet. The 7-disc set is presented in a Limited Edition O-ring packaging (while stock lasts).