The Secret Garden (TV series)

The Secret Garden is a 1975 British television adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1911 novel of the same name. Adapted, produced and directed by Dorothea Brooking, it was first broadcast on BBC 1 in seven 30-minute episodes.[1] This is the only BBC adaptation of the novel known to exist in its entirety. The 1952 adaptation is missing all eight episodes and the 1960 adaptation is missing three of its eight episodes.

For the South Korean TV series, see Secret Garden (South Korean TV series). For the Singaporean TV series, see Secret Garden (Singaporean TV series).

The Secret Garden
DVD cover
GenreChildren's drama
Based onThe Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Written byDorothea Brooking
Directed byDorothea Brooking
Starring
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes7
Production
ProducerDorothea Brooking
Running time30 minutes
Production companyBBC
Release
Original networkBBC 1
Original release1 January (1975-01-01) –
12 February 1975 (1975-02-12)

Plot

The series begins with Mary Lennox (played by Sarah Hollis Andrews) being abandoned by residents of a house, due to fears of cholera, and found by some soldiers. She is sent to her uncle's residence, Misselthwaite Manor. She befriends his maids and meets a boy named Dickon. One night she hears crying, and leaves her room to investigate; thereby she meets Colin, her cousin. Colin is bedridden and thinks he is a hunchback, but learns this is not true. He begins to go outside, spending time with Dickon and Mary in the gardens. Mary finds a key and finds a hidden door as well, and learns that behind the wall is a secret garden that her uncle's wife had worked on every day until she died, so he hid the key and the door. Colin learns to walk; Mary's uncle learns of this, and the series ends with her uncle and Colin walking with each other.

Cast
  • Sarah Hollis Andrews as Mary Lennox
  • David Patterson as Colin Craven, Lord Craven's son and Mary's cousin
  • Andrew Harrison as Dickon Sowerby, Martha's younger brother
  • Jacqueline Hoyle as Martha, Mrs. Medlock's servant and Dickon's older sister
  • John Woodnutt as Mr. Archibald Craven
  • Hope Johnstone as Mrs. Medlock
  • William Marsh as John
  • Jennie Goossens as Nurse
  • Tom Harrison as Ben Weatherstaff, the gardener
  • Lorraine Peters as Mrs. Sowerby
  • Richard Warner as Dr. Craven

Episode list
No. Title Original air date
1"There Is No-One Left"1 January 1975 (1975-01-01)
2"The Cry in the Corridor"8 January 1975 (1975-01-08)
3"The Door in the Wall"15 January 1975 (1975-01-15)
4"I Am Colin"22 January 1975 (1975-01-22)
5"A Tantrum"29 January 1975 (1975-01-29)
6"When the Sun Went Down"5 February 1975 (1975-02-05)
7"Magic"12 February 1975 (1975-02-12)

Theme music

The soundtrack features a solo oboe playing "The Watermill" by Ronald Binge.[2]

Reception

The drama was nominated for a British Academy Television Award in 1976 in the drama/entertainment category, and in 1979 it was nominated in the children's entertainment series category at the 1979 Daytime Emmy Awards.[3]

References
  1. McGown, Alistair. "Secret Garden, The (1975)". Screenonline. British Film Institute. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  2. Listed at Ronald Binge's website.
  3. "Awards for The Secret Garden". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
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