Mallory Towers!

[PlomBear]

On BBC iplayer from Monday!

The Canadian accent grated with me too. I did quite enjoy the two episodes I've seen (got to see the rest) but I just can't get the original books out of my head. I don't know why I'm enjoying it as some of the acting is a bit rubbish. Darrell's OK and Gwendoline is very good. Some of the minor parts are as if they are being read off a script. I know they're only children but some children can be really good actors such as Haley Mills when she was a child and Karen Dotrice who was in Mary Poppins and in some modern American films. Why can't they act like that any more? So why am I liking the program? I have no idea LOL. Maybe it's nostalgia.

The scenery is very good though and the swimming pool is almost how I imagined.

I'm glad I'm not the only one watching this. I've been having a dreadful time recovering from Covid19 and am thoroughly enjoying Malory Towers despite being nearly 38. I also have the books on Audible.

Is the actress who plays Darrell related to Louise Lombard from House of Elliott I wonder? They're so alike in looks and mannerisms.

I've only seen 2 episodes so far but Sally seems all wrong . Too friendly and happy. In the book she was a closed in, dour little misery until she and Darrell became friends.

I've just got up to the revealing of the ghost episode. I've mixed reviews. For some strange reason I'm really enjoying it. I prefer the episodes which tie up with the books, although I quite liked the ghost and secret passage.

I'm mixed about the matron. She's not the lovable matron that was in the book and there was no Margaret in the books. This matron seems to be a mixture of the original matron with Mamselle Dupont but without the sense of humour. The Emily seems to be taken from a later series of the MT when the matron was ill and a substitute matron was brought in but the characters are mixed up. They weren't very nice in the book whereas in the BBC series they are.

I didn't like the debutante episode. It didn't relate to any part of the book and I found it a bit gushy. I think Gwen is the best character and the actress is excellent. I think Alicia and Sally are mis-cast and I think Darrell needs to come over as stronger. In the books she did not have dyslexia and was a much stronger character with excellent morals. There was never any lying in any of EB's books yet they seem to in the BBC series, even though they admit to it in the end.

I think a lot of the acting could be improved, and maybe, if more series are made the actresses will improve too. After all, they are still quite young at the moment.

Overall, I am enjoying it and hope they make another five series which would take them to their leaving MT.

The Emily/ghost storyline was lifted from Claudine at St Clare's.

Not that there was a ghost in that. There were no ghosts in either of the school series'!

@AngelMoon, I don't think you intended to address your post to me. It wasn't me who raised the issue of 12 year old actresses playing 18 year olds, I was answering someone else.

@JudyCoolibar
Sorry about that. I've only just joined this forum and I'm not used to the way the answering works. All other forums I've joined have a reply directly under the thread and as I've a brain like a sieve most of the time, I probably got the name wrong.
Thanks for letting me know.

@QueenOfTheAndals You're right. I remember now it was. It wasn't that long ago I read them so I should have remembered that. I loved EB books when I was a child and never grew out of them LOL. I'm now a Nana and still love them.

In the books she did not have dyslexia and was a much stronger character with excellent morals.

The dyslexia thing is ridiculous. It wasn’t even recognised in schools until late 60s early 70s and even then lots of people didn’t believe it existed.

Just tuned in to this today! I'm really enjoying it for what it is - an imperfect touch of escapism in lockdown. DC9 is really enjoying it!

Think Gwen’s mum and governess said how beautiful she was and her hair

But really she wasn’t

And her dad said she was a fluffy bimbo or worse to that effect - yet he married one

But would love to see one a year and watch them grow up like harry p

What annoyed me most about the dyslexia issue was the miracle cure after a bit of help from a totally untrained 6th former. If only it were that easy.

It wasn’t even recognised in schools until late 60s early 70s and even then lots of people didn’t believe it existed

Quite. I don't think the term 'learning disability' was coined until the 60s, and I'm sure it didn't immediately enter education practice.

On the other hand, I can see why they put it in there. An 8 year old watching that gets a brief introduction to what it is, that it is surmountable, and that it's quite normal. Definitely the message that I want young children to see.

Yes, the story line doesn't stand up to adult scrutiny, but neither does Toy Story and I quite like that one too.

The problem is that dyslexia really is not surmountable as easily as was suggested here. For some people with dyslexia, they will never realistically surmount it - my severely dyslexic cousin still struggles massively with reading and writing, and has to get someone else to check all his financial transactions because he is constantly transposing figures etc. I would be a bit concerned that that 8 year old dyslexic child will start feeling a failure if she hasn't caught up with her peers within a few weeks of some well-meaning teenager giving her a bit of help.

I hadn't heard the term 'word blindness' for years!

Has the Kindle ending changed from the original? I've just re-read them all.

I don't remember Darryl, Sally & Alicia planning to go to St. Andrews University.

I don't remember Mary Lou planning to do nursing at St. Ormond Street Hospital.

There seemed to be a whole extra part discussing who was going to which Uni, like that would really happen in 1949.

I DO remember Bill and Clarissa planning to open a riding school though.

No that was in the original book too.

I R.E.M. Mary Lou going to great o as thought she would have a lovely bedside manner