Gransnet forums

TV, radio, film, Arts

The Box of Delights BBC4 tonight 7 December.

(12 Posts)
NanKate Sat 07-Dec-24 15:58:13

It is the 40th Anniversary of John Masefield’s ‘Box of Delights’. I have just set it up on my TV. I hope I enjoy it as much as I did all those years ago. There are 6 episodes.

Fairislecable Sat 07-Dec-24 16:19:08

I loved it too all those years ago and last year I went to the RSC production at Stratford on Avon.

I was very disappointed at the dull stage setting, boxes draped with hessian etc.

I hope it is enjoyable revisited.

I can still hear ‘The Wolves are running’ said in that whispery fearful voice.

Grannybags Sat 07-Dec-24 16:19:15

Aah that’s brought back so many happy memories. Watching with my little boys 🥰

Fairislecable Sat 07-Dec-24 16:20:14

Sorry about all those sentences beginning with I !! 😆

Grandmabatty Sat 07-Dec-24 16:21:46

I'm going out tonight so I really hope it's on BBC iPlayer

Grannybags Sat 07-Dec-24 21:12:14

Thanks for that NanKate - both my sons (aged 47 & 45) are recording it now too!

mae13 Sun 08-Dec-24 02:51:37

Fairislecable

I loved it too all those years ago and last year I went to the RSC production at Stratford on Avon.

I was very disappointed at the dull stage setting, boxes draped with hessian etc.

I hope it is enjoyable revisited.

I can still hear ‘The Wolves are running’ said in that whispery fearful voice.

Ah well, if it doesn't live up to expectations there's always the much-hyped "Gavin & Stacey" Christmas Special to look forward to!

MayBee70 Sun 08-Dec-24 04:33:42

Fairislecable

I loved it too all those years ago and last year I went to the RSC production at Stratford on Avon.

I was very disappointed at the dull stage setting, boxes draped with hessian etc.

I hope it is enjoyable revisited.

I can still hear ‘The Wolves are running’ said in that whispery fearful voice.

I wasn’t sure about that production from what I’d heard about it. I wouldn’t’ve been able to go anyway. When I used to go to the theatre a lot I was often disappointed and it’s never very cheap. So, back then I ended up going to the cinema more because, if a film disappointed it hadn’t cost me a fortune. I saw a fantastic theatre production of Tom’s Midnight Garden once. I don’t actually remember watching TBOD first time round in the way that I remember loving The Children of Green Knowe and only became interested in it via a Facebook page about the latter which then lead me to a Facebook page about TBOD and The Dark is Rising. The new dvd is supposed to be very good. It has been enhanced but in a good way and there’s a documentary about the making of the series. I rather like the shared love and appreciation of the book and the series that I’ve found on the internet; one of the good things about social media.

fiorentina51 Sun 08-Dec-24 06:57:46

Some of the scenes were shot in a local town. A large quantity of Epsom Salts was scattered over one of the location streets to create a 'wintry' look. It looked very effective.
My children, now both in their 40s loved TBOD.

Deedaa Sun 08-Dec-24 23:01:39

MayBee70 I joined in with a group of people on Facebook talking about TBOD and discovered that they were all fans of The Children Of Greenknowe as well. About 15 years ago my son and I started looking for a DVD of Greenknowe. He eventually found one that someone had recorded from their TV. It was quite poor quality but better than nothing. I have since found a decent commercial DVD on eBay.

I always re read the books in the run up to Christmas, but I wish someone would film The Dark Is Rising. It could be very good.

MayBee70 Sun 08-Dec-24 23:04:38

I’m going to listen to the BBC Sounds audio adaptation of The Dark is Rising. I keep putting it off because I wanted to read the book but I have to admit to myself that there are too many books now that I ‘ intend’ to read!

MayBee70 Sun 15-Dec-24 17:47:02

I’ve just bought the 40th anniversary dvd of the series. In the bonus features documentary about the making of it, it pointed out that all the indoor filming at Seekings was actually done in the house itself. That the filming in the train carriage was done on an actual train and the scenery from the window was real scenery from a moving train, and that the snow towards the end of the scenery was real snow.