The Secret Garden (TV series)
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]
| The Secret Garden | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Children's drama |
| Based on | The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett |
| Written by | Dorothea Brooking |
| Directed by | Dorothea Brooking |
| Starring |
|
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 7 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Dorothea Brooking |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | BBC |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC 1 |
| Original release | 1 January – 12 February 1975 |
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 Misselthwaite Manor where her uncle lives. She befriends his maids and meets a boy named Dickon. One night she hears crying and leaves her room to investigate - she meets Colin her cousin. Colin is bedridden and thinks he is a hunchback, but learns he isn't. 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 and Mary's uncle learns of this and the series ends with her uncle and Colin walking with each other.
Episode list
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "There Is No-One Left" | 1 January 1975 |
| 2 | "The Cry in the Corridor" | 8 January 1975 |
| 3 | "The Door in the Wall" | 15 January 1975 |
| 4 | "I Am Colin" | 22 January 1975 |
| 5 | "A Tantrum" | 29 January 1975 |
| 6 | "When the Sun Went Down" | 5 February 1975 |
| 7 | "Magic" | 12 February 1975 |
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]
References
- McGown, Alistair. "Secret Garden, The (1975)". Screenonline. British Film Institute. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
- Listed at Ronald Binge's website.
- "Awards for The Secret Garden". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
