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AIBU?

Timmy will be played by a border collie. Wrong. Just so wrong.

156 replies

PretzelKnot · 01/08/2023 09:44

According to Wikipedia, Timmy will be played by a border collie in the new BBC Famous Five adaptation.

This is outrageous. I know some of the 80s editions of the books had Timmy on their cover as a border collie but he’s not. He’s a huge, fearsome, loyal protective mongrel who can hold back a bunch of bad guys in a tunnel allowing the kids to escape. Border collies are lovely and highly intelligent but no border collie could hold back a tunnel full of armed bad guys.

Here is the original description of Timmy-

“They sat up and looked to see what Timothy was like. They saw no
fisher-boy—but instead a big brown mongrel dog with an absurdly long
tail and a big wide mouth that really seemed to grin! He was bounding
all round George, mad with delight. She came running down to them.

‘This is Timothy,’ she said. ‘Don’t you think he is simply perfect?’

As a dog, Timothy was far from perfect. He was the wrong shape, his head
was too big, his ears were too pricked, his tail was too long and it was
quite impossible to say what kind of a dog he was supposed to be. But he
was such a mad, friendly, clumsy, laughable creature that every one of
the children adored him at once.”

Border collies already get a lot of glory in movies and TV shows. Now they are stealing a mongrel’s chance to shine.

OP posts:

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MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 01/08/2023 09:47

I thought he was a Red Setter? The illustrations in the books I had were in sure.

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MoltenLasagne · 01/08/2023 09:47

I honestly thought Timmy was a border collie - probably from the covers and having had one as a kid. I love that you're so passionate in defence of mongrels though OP.

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KimberleyClark · 01/08/2023 09:48

Wtf did Blyton mean by him being the “wrong” shape? Was he giraffe shaped or something?

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SueVineer · 01/08/2023 09:48

I would have put him as a border collie. Clearly I paid more attention to the illustration than the writing…

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Zippyzoppy · 01/08/2023 09:50

Border collies already get a lot of glory in movies and TV shows. Now they are stealing a mongrel’s chance to shine.

This made me laugh. Maybe you should begin a campaign for greater diversity in dogs on television?

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10HailMarys · 01/08/2023 09:50

He’ll be played by a border collie because they’re ultra trainable and active, which makes them a good option for film and TV.

I thought the kids in the Famous Five were a bunch of awful snotty arseholes when I was a child. I would have preferred the books to be solely about Timmy.

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Summerrainstorminagain · 01/08/2023 09:50

He was a border collie in all other TV adaptations

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TooTiredAndGrumpy · 01/08/2023 09:50

Totally missing the point...but...there's going to be a new adaptation of the Famous Five?!!

My son has just started reading the books and loves them and I showed him the old tv series as I can't stop singing the tune to it and he loved the 15mins we watched of it.

I hope they don't mess about with things too much in a new series!

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Zippyzoppy · 01/08/2023 09:51

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 01/08/2023 09:47

I thought he was a Red Setter? The illustrations in the books I had were in sure.

That was the Secret Seven’s dog.

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Luckypoppy · 01/08/2023 09:51

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 01/08/2023 09:47

I thought he was a Red Setter? The illustrations in the books I had were in sure.

That was Secret Seven.

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Azaeleasinbloom · 01/08/2023 09:52

I get that collies are trainable , but many mongrels are too. Grew up with one, there was probably collie in there, but he was very smart. Would have made a great Timothy if he could have lived to be 50 😢

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Flapjacker48 · 01/08/2023 09:52

Are they going to have upper middle class kids play the five?

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KimberleyClark · 01/08/2023 09:52

Secret Seven’s dog, Scamper, was a golden Cocker Spaniel I’m sure.

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NeverDropYourMooncup · 01/08/2023 09:52

It would be impossible to get 2-3 different, highly trained mongrels that all looked the same for filming what they're probably hoping will turn into a multiple season series.

I reckon there was definitely a fair chunk of Staffie in Timmy anyhow, from the big head, sticky up ears, huge grin and how he could terrify dodgy strangers - and that would never do for the ultimate MC Sunday teatime show.

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coodawoodashooda · 01/08/2023 09:53

TooTiredAndGrumpy · 01/08/2023 09:50

Totally missing the point...but...there's going to be a new adaptation of the Famous Five?!!

My son has just started reading the books and loves them and I showed him the old tv series as I can't stop singing the tune to it and he loved the 15mins we watched of it.

I hope they don't mess about with things too much in a new series!

This. I'm delighted!

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GCAcademic · 01/08/2023 09:53

Border collies already get a lot of glory in movies and TV shows. Now they are stealing a mongrel’s chance to shine.

It's border collie supremacy and must be stopped! We need breed-blind casting in the performing arts.

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KimberleyClark · 01/08/2023 09:53

Azaeleasinbloom · 01/08/2023 09:52

I get that collies are trainable , but many mongrels are too. Grew up with one, there was probably collie in there, but he was very smart. Would have made a great Timothy if he could have lived to be 50 😢

Timmy would have been about 23 by the last FF book but never aged at all.

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Skinnermarink · 01/08/2023 09:53

Because they can probably just phone up a border collie already on the books and they’ll be good to go 😆 they’re not going to mess about training a funny shaped mongrel.

I suppose if they were doing a proper modern adaptation they’d use a cockapoo or the dreaded Waffle.

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borntobequiet · 01/08/2023 09:54

Flapjacker48 · 01/08/2023 09:52

Are they going to have upper middle class kids play the five?

They were never anything other than UMC.

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WheelySquirrel · 01/08/2023 09:54

He was a border collie in the earlier tv adaptation too and even as a child I was outraged so I agree OP! I’m pretty sure that started my lifelong refusal to watch films if I had read and loved the book - I couldn’t bear the artistic licence being used 😂

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Saucery · 01/08/2023 09:54

He sounds more like a Bull Lurcher. That would Never Do.

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GCAcademic · 01/08/2023 09:54

Skinnermarink · 01/08/2023 09:53

Because they can probably just phone up a border collie already on the books and they’ll be good to go 😆 they’re not going to mess about training a funny shaped mongrel.

I suppose if they were doing a proper modern adaptation they’d use a cockapoo or the dreaded Waffle.

I agree, border collies are so intelligent that they can indeed answer the phone.

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crumpet · 01/08/2023 09:55

He was a border collie in the 70s/80s tv adaptation want he?

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crumpet · 01/08/2023 09:56

*wasn’t

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BlackberrySky · 01/08/2023 09:57

Really difficult to get several mongrels that look like same, as I think they usually use several dogs per film.

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