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Malory Towers - iplayer

171 replies

SeaPink · 23/05/2023 10:53

Anyone watching this? I've watched all of them and am enjoying it. I loved Enid Blyton books as a child, especially the boarding school books. Although the series is different from the books, I still enjoy it. Lovely location.
I guess if they were true to the books, the "nice" characters would have to be snooty bullies. 😀
I like the storyline involving Mademoiselle Rougier and Irene and the secret room storyline. Also the Gwen/Ron storyline.

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rugbychick1 · 06/06/2023 17:39

So pleased to have a new series to watch. Watching with DD 11. We also read the books and disappointed when we finished reading them. The St Clare's series would be great.

Karatema · 06/06/2023 18:08

I never knew these series existed. Thank you, this is a new great 😀

SleepyRooster · 06/06/2023 18:40

My seven year old gets up at dawn every day to binge on MT. It has gripped her

LaBelleSauvage123 · 08/06/2023 14:25

Too much Darrell, Felicity and Gwen, not enough of the other characters.

jay55 · 08/06/2023 15:50

I could do without the Irene's dad and Mademoiselle storyline. It's just so weird.

It's like all Darrel's friends have disappeared. Wonder if they had exams in real life or something.

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SeaPink · 08/06/2023 16:15

I found it quite funny when they were teasing Irene about Mamzelle being her step mum.

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Youngatheart00 · 08/06/2023 16:22

Wait - there’s a new series out? I loved this during lockdown, proper comfort and nostalgia watch. Will definitely be checking out the new series if that’s the case

TheLemon · 08/06/2023 16:32

jay55 · 08/06/2023 15:50

I could do without the Irene's dad and Mademoiselle storyline. It's just so weird.

It's like all Darrel's friends have disappeared. Wonder if they had exams in real life or something.

Apparently, they film it in Cornwall and Canada! Perhaps its cost-cutting, so they don't have to fly so many children across the Atlantic?!

LaBelleSauvage123 · 08/06/2023 18:10

You may well be right about the exams as I think many of them are 16

Billybagpuss · 11/06/2023 13:11

That finished very abruptly, it felt like when the bbc did an adaptation of ‘tripods’ and didn’t bother with the last book.

AndIKnewYouMeantIt · 11/06/2023 13:23

What finished abruptly? I think there are 13 episodes. There are 2 more to come.

Billybagpuss · 11/06/2023 14:17

Ah ok to they not upload all at once so I have to wait for the next one?

AndIKnewYouMeantIt · 11/06/2023 16:27

Yes, I don't know what frequency. There might be one tomorrow?

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SeaPink · 12/06/2023 18:56

I think Darrel's year in the programme are 16 as that's when the School Cert was. Same age as dd. Dd is her last week of GCSEs and I must say the School Cert seemed to be over a lot quicker than the GCSEs! 😀
So I assume there might be two more series so she can finish 6th form.

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Original poster
SeaPink · 12/06/2023 18:57

Looking forward to the wedding episode

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AndIKnewYouMeantIt · 12/06/2023 19:09

They'll have to make up another plotline for the Fifth Form because the whole book was about the bloody pantomime and there are 20 episodes!

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SeaPink · 12/06/2023 20:58

I wonder how they'll finish off the Ron and Gwen storyline.

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Terloz · 12/06/2023 21:04

@Billybagpuss glad I’m not the only one disappointed still about the Tripods! I was particularly looking forward to the third book as I wondered (pre cgi days) how they would make the slime creatures on tv! I googled this as an adult and found that part 3 wasn’t filmed as it was too expensive and the audience figures were dropping iirc.

I love the feel of Malory towers. The cast is diverse but each captures the spirit of the characters in the book perfectly. Some of the ‘extension’ stories are a bit of a stretch eg Mary-Lou’s first period! My son and I have had some good discussions too particularly around the girls’ treatment of Gwen.

EBearhug · 12/06/2023 21:24

We didn't have a TV and I was allowed round a friend's house for tea for the weeks Tripods was on.

I struggle with the Gwen/Ron storyline. I struggled a bit with the Gwen/Teddy storyline - my father was at boarding school in the '50s, and if he saw his own sister in the street, he wasn't allowed to acknowledge her, so missives from unrelated females asking to meet... Although it was more credible that Gwen would be keen on an aristocrat rather than a messenger boy.

But one thing I liked about mid-20th century school stories was they didn't bother with boys - that was changing with Anne Digby's Trebizon in the '70s and '80s, but with Blyton, no hint of it - and the Chalet School and Abbey School etc only bothered with it once they'd left school, but Blyton didn't follow them past school. I did like the last Malory Towers book because they were all planning to go off to uni or conservatoires or set up their own businesses, so still no funding about boys, but going out to run the world by themselves.

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SeaPink · 13/06/2023 23:22

I think the Gwen character might have been thinking about boys at 16. I can't remember what she was planning to do, but possibly marry young rather than focus on a career?

I think Irene's dad was punching above his weight a bit with Mamzelle! 😊

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Whatyoutalkingabouteh · 13/06/2023 23:47

I love watching this with dd- glad I’m not the only one!

LaBelleSauvage123 · 19/06/2023 19:06

Just watched the last episode. Why do most of the first formers speak with such exaggerated elocution? I know all the pupils are upper middle class and in the 40s would have had RP accents but Darrell and her class make it sound natural. June is the worst culprit - her saying things like ‘I jusT can’T do iT’ makes my toes curl 😆

TheLemon · 19/06/2023 22:17

LaBelleSauvage123 · 19/06/2023 19:06

Just watched the last episode. Why do most of the first formers speak with such exaggerated elocution? I know all the pupils are upper middle class and in the 40s would have had RP accents but Darrell and her class make it sound natural. June is the worst culprit - her saying things like ‘I jusT can’T do iT’ makes my toes curl 😆

I noticed this too! June and one of the twins were particularly bad for it.

Also the Cornish errand boys with Yorkshire accents. "Common" = northern.

Samcro · 20/06/2023 14:39

does anyone know when series 4 will be out on dvd?

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SeaPink · 20/06/2023 16:59

LaBelleSauvage123 · 19/06/2023 19:06

Just watched the last episode. Why do most of the first formers speak with such exaggerated elocution? I know all the pupils are upper middle class and in the 40s would have had RP accents but Darrell and her class make it sound natural. June is the worst culprit - her saying things like ‘I jusT can’T do iT’ makes my toes curl 😆

I noticed it with Felicity too. I wondered if they drop Ts in their real accent, so have to make a conscious effort not to as this wouldn't be realistic

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