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Series 3 Malory Towers

32 replies

liverpoolnana · 22/07/2022 14:00

Anybody else watching this? I was wondering how people think menstruation was covered. I have to say I didn't like Gwendolyn using the term 'the curse' to describe it. I know the series is set in the 50s when the term was more used than now, but it just seemed a little brutal and worrying for today's audience.

OP posts:
onlymyselftoanswerto1 · 22/07/2022 15:45

Oh where can I watch this?

CandyLeBonBon · 22/07/2022 15:52

That's how it was often referred to op in the 60s and 70s op, it's not new! It featured a lot in many of Jilly coopers books too. It's a phrase of its time.

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liverpoolnana · 22/07/2022 16:48

It's on BBCiplayer.

Yes, I know the phrase isn't new. As I said, I acknowledge that the series is set in the 50s. It's just a bit surprising for the script writers to use it as it's so non-pc in today's health education. It's not written by Enid Blyton iirc.

OP posts:
SpaceJamtart · 22/07/2022 17:00

My grandma used to call it the curse. As its a kids show and its an outdated term that isn't likely to be reused, it probably just opens up some space to talk about how attitudes have changed and the experiences those girls from the 50s ect.
I found it really interesting to learn about those belt things that they used to have to wear and different attitudes around the world to periods.
What about them using the curse as a term worries you?

Retrievemysanity · 22/07/2022 17:04

I watched this with DD the other day and I cringed a bit too when they talked about the curse! And when they were all sat round at the end talking about periods, it seemed really fake and a bit like ‘now we’re going to educate the viewers about periods’. But I liked the way they involved the boy in a positive way, I thought that was really good.

2reefsin30knots · 22/07/2022 17:05

I was a bit non-plussed by it because it was so far off anything Enid Blyton would have written. However, if they must put it in, I thought it was handled OK.

My main problem with this series is the casting of Thunder. Surely Thunder was black??

pastapestoparmesan · 22/07/2022 17:31

A third series of Malory Towers? Right, that’s my summer holiday entertainment sorted!

QuattroFromagio · 22/07/2022 17:40

I'm surprised they left a term like that in, given how much they have changed other stereotypes of the time. It's one of the most diverse and inclusive casts for any show, let alone on that is meant to represent a posh boarding school of the 1950s!!

I haven't seen this series yet but I hope they make it feel more like a whole school and not just a private tutor for about 8 girls.

I know, it's mostly made up stories based loosely on the character names and a few things that happen in one or the other of Blyton's school stories, muddled together and made modern with a false 'pretend it is the 50s' vibe, and I should take it as such and just enjoy it. And I kind of did with Series 1, even with twee endings to stories. Series 2 annoyed me much more, so I'm not sure about watching this one.

Glad to know it's started, though, which I hadn't realised - so thanks for that!

oranmore · 22/07/2022 17:59

Wait what? I watched the first series on I player during lockdown. Had no idea there were two more series!!'
Thank you. That's my summer sorted

onlymyselftoanswerto1 · 22/07/2022 18:01

Thanks @liverpoolnana I must take a look 😊

PuttingDownRoots · 22/07/2022 18:05

The small cast (Covid measures still I presume) is rather jarring. Hopefully series 4 they can extend that a bit.

2reefsin30knots · 22/07/2022 18:07

I thought Darell's little sister would have turned up by now, but they'd need to admit there was another class for that!

QuattroFromagio · 22/07/2022 18:08

I'm not sure it's totally because of Covid, as I think the first series was shown in the very early days of lockdown (released all at once at a treat for children in lockdown instead of having to wait to watch it each week). So it must have been filmed some time before that. But later series probably were affected by Covid and maybe the just decided to stick to that mode - might be a lot cheaper. But I don't get the sense of it being a whole school that they're proud to attend, when there are so few girls and teachers.

SneezesHaveStarted · 22/07/2022 18:17

I found that episode a bit odd, like it was trying too hard, but I notice Gwendoline did say “they should call the the Blessing instead of the curse” at the end, perhaps that was their effort to mitigate it?

Thunder should indeed be black. And Mrs Johnson does an excellent job of making me want to strangle her.

I have thoroughly enjoyed it though! And I like that Gwendoline seems to be becoming nicer and more part of things as time is going on, whilst still being posh and snooty. Saw a bit of pre-romance possible for Daryl and Ron, won’t be surprised if that pops up next season (which is in production apparently for 2023 release!)

SneezesHaveStarted · 22/07/2022 18:23

And since Daryll’s sister took the exam this year I guess she will start next season, so I imagine they will have to have at least a few other members of her year there too?!

SaintHelena · 22/07/2022 18:29

When pads had no plastic backing and knickers were baggy it was a curse

PuttingDownRoots · 22/07/2022 18:42

Mavis was a Sixth former.

NotTerfNorCis · 23/07/2022 07:58

I think it was fair enough. Gwendolyn is the girl who usually says the wrong thing, and someone else was there to say 'it isn't a curse'. It's good that they're keeping the spirit of the original alive (upper class and old-fashioned even for the fifties) while mixing in themes Blyton would never have touched.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 23/07/2022 08:09

Series 3? I didn't know there was even a series 2!

DobbyTheHouseElk · 23/07/2022 08:18

It was called the curse. A friend of mine still called it that in her boarding school in the 90’s. In my (less posh) boarding school in the 90’s we called it a period.

jay55 · 28/08/2022 09:45

Have been catching up this weekend.

The period stuff did feel a bit like an American after school special.

Found the rest of the series three exhausting. The bullying mean teacher storyline was so unrelenting. Though showing the resilience of the girls was great.

It all brought flashbacks of a primary teacher who hated me and blamed me for everything anyone else did wrong.

EdnaGold · 11/09/2022 09:27

I really liked they did this episode. I thought it was really well handled, except as everyone said Gwen using the word "the curse".

I did do a big snort of laughter when Mrs Grayling said of periods "Well....not at my age anymore", and exchanged a look with Matron. Definitely one for the parents there!! Though I then had to explain the menopause.

Malory Towers is one of the few series I can tolerate watching with my 7 Yr old! Sometimes think the children are better actors than the adults.

Bobbleballbags · 11/09/2022 09:35

My two least favourite episodes of this show so far have been the period one (preachy and try hard and I thought Mary-Lou's acne looked like the onset of a bubonic plague but that may be my dodgy eyesight) and that one about the dress and the debutante (series 1 I think). Overall it's a good programme with good acting as long as I don't think too much about how unlike the books it is.

PuttingDownRoots · 08/05/2023 17:05

It starts at 6pm tonight!

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