The Secret Garden (TV series)

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The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden (TV series).jpg
DVD cover
GenreChildren's drama
Based on The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Written by Dorothea Brooking
Directed by Dorothea Brooking
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes7
Production
Producer Dorothea Brooking
Running time30 minutes
Production company BBC
Release
Original network BBC 1
Original release1 January (1975-01-01) 
12 February 1975 (1975-02-12)

The Secret Garden is a 1975 British television adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1911 novel of the same name. Adapted, produced and directed by Dorothea Brooking, it was first broadcast on BBC 1 in seven 30-minute episodes. [1] This is the only BBC adaptation of the novel known to exist in its entirety. The 1952 adaptation is missing all eight episodes and the 1960 adaptation is missing three of its eight episodes.

Contents

Plot

The series begins with Mary Lennox (played by Sarah Hollis Andrews) being abandoned by residents of a house, due to fears of cholera, and found by some soldiers. She is sent to her uncle's residence, Misselthwaite Manor. She befriends his maids and meets a boy named Dickon. One night she hears crying, and leaves her room to investigate; thereby she meets Colin, her cousin. Colin is bedridden and thinks he is a hunchback, but learns this is not true. He begins to go outside, spending time with Dickon and Mary in the gardens. Mary finds a key and finds a hidden door as well, and learns that behind the wall is a secret garden that her uncle's wife had worked on every day until she died, so he hid the key and the door. Colin learns to walk; Mary's uncle learns of this, and the series ends with her uncle and Colin walking with each other.

Cast

Episode list

No.TitleOriginal air date
1"There Is No-One Left"1 January 1975 (1975-01-01)
2"The Cry in the Corridor"8 January 1975 (1975-01-08)
3"The Door in the Wall"15 January 1975 (1975-01-15)
4"I Am Colin"22 January 1975 (1975-01-22)
5"A Tantrum"29 January 1975 (1975-01-29)
6"When the Sun Went Down"5 February 1975 (1975-02-05)
7"Magic"12 February 1975 (1975-02-12)

Theme music

The soundtrack features a solo oboe playing "The Watermill" by Ronald Binge. [2]

Reception

The drama was nominated for a British Academy Television Award in 1976 in the drama/entertainment category, and in 1979 it was nominated in the children's entertainment series category at the 1979 Daytime Emmy Awards. [3]

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References

  1. McGown, Alistair. "Secret Garden, The (1975)". Screenonline . British Film Institute . Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  2. Listed at Ronald Binge's website.
  3. "Awards for The Secret Garden". Internet Movie Database . Retrieved 25 August 2013.