User Reviews

So glad the "Flambards" 1978 TV series from UK (previously aired on PBS) is available on DVD in 3-disc pack, containing all 13 episodes, 50 minutes each. Not to worry, it's quite easy to be hooked and wanted to, yes, spend time with William and Christina, endearingly portrayed by Alan Parnaby and Christine McKenna. I must say the wonderful music by David Fanshawe, applied to the various moods of the episodes is tuneful - the catchy whistling music, melodic tempo and poignant tones thoroughly enhanced the viewing delight of this series.

My favorite episodes are #7 (The Edge of the Cloud) and #8 (Flying High). You're definitely spending time - flying, too (cross the Channel) with the loving pair of William and Christina, along with the refreshing song being sung: 'I will sing you a song of Christina, Christina at Flambards'. The adaptation from K. M. Peyton's novels is very well done thanks to the efforts of the directors (Lawrence Gordon Clark, Peter Duffell, Michael Ferguson, Leonard Lewis) and writers (Alex Glasgow, William Humble, Alan Plater). The dialogs - the marvelous use of words precisely - are so satisfying to hear Parnaby and McKenna saying them. Sporadically accented are new world vocabulary: subservient, incorrigible, suffragette, emancipated. The two leads are so excellently paired that we're literally in their world sharing the flying adventures, quietly listening to their wooing exchanges. Watching the fantastic foursome interaction of Will and Christina, Dorothy and Sandy, is simply joyous.

It's not just descriptions of Essex, England, where Peyton lived, the horses she loved, the lives people led at Flambards, her references to aeronautical, aerodynamic terms and flying situations sure make one feel informed. If you like flying or the notion there of, Episodes 7 and 8 are definitely fun to watch. Fanshawe's music hauntingly matches the emotional levels of the drama - simply love the lilting piano piece during the "loop the loop".

The series is successful not without an effective cast: Steven Grives as Mark - the other Russell cousin to Christina (who's also in love with Christina but didn't know how to express it), he played Mark so well that he's repelling yet likable at times. Carol Leader as Dorothy, high-spirited and winning smiles, a true girlfriend to Christina and can sure handle Mark. Sebastian Abineri as Dick (Wright, who taught Christina how to ride horses and one of the three men who's in love with Christina at Flambards), Peter Settelen as Sandy at Elm Park, Edward Judd as the grumpy Uncle Russell, Anton Diffring as Mr. Dermot the alternate 'father' to Will, David Huscroft as Joe the mechanic to 'Emma', Frank Mills as Fowler and Rosalie Williams as Mary - the 'staples' at Flambards, Olive Pendleton as Aunt Grace, Gillian Davey as Violet Wright, and young Paul Ahmet as Tizzy.

Truly recommend "Flambards" - enjoy the drama, chemistry of characters, excitement of flying machine ventures, poetry of Peyton's words - a warm-hearted, engaging TV series assured.

I must have watched Flambards three times through! I also read the book! It's a terrific horsey airplaney soap opera with a wonderfully strong and surprising heroine. Gives the viewer a flavor of 1910's England.

This series is absolutely incredible. For several summers after it came out in '78, PBS would run the entire 13 part series. My sister and I watched it religiously. Then, inexplicably, it seemed to drop off the face of the earth. We were so excited when, years later, A&E ran it, albeit with commercial interruptions and cutting. Even more excited when another local PBS channel aired the complete version of the series. We both have them on tape now and have watched them again, and again... and again. I have read the books by KM Peyton, and although they are very good, this is one instance where the film version surpassed the books. The performances were fantastic. Christine McKenna as the freespirited orphan Christina, Steven Grives is excellent as the naughty, arrogant (but lovable) Mark, and Alan Parnaby as the shy, intelligent William. We watch the characters grow from sheltered teenagers to adults with difficult choices to make. Based on three books, one can almost see the "break" within the series, the first part being Christina's arrival at Flambards, her introduction to horseback riding, her adjustment to living with the crumbly, wheelchair bound Uncle Russell, and the two brothers. Secondly, she falls in love with William and runs off to London with him so that he may pursue his dream of designing airplanes. There they live a relatively carefree existence until World War I approaches and William decides to join the Royal Flying Corps. These characters are so endearing, so lovable; the entire series is beautifully filmed, music and costuming are great, and the "flying machines" are spectacular. What is most astonishing to me is that very few people I've talked to have ever heard of this series, and it is so seldom shown anymore that I doubt if many people will be introduced to it any time soon. Yet, I have actually gotten people ADDICTED to it by watching my videos; in college I would come home from class to find my roommates completely engrossed and watching it for the second, or third time. I do wish that this series would get the recognition it deserves. I believe now that it is available as a video boxed set, which is at least a start, but I believe that PBS should revive this, and other great series from the 70's.

I saw this series when it first came out in the UK and it left a big impression on me then. Thank goodness for the advent of DVD which seems to have breathed life back into so many gems such as this, which might otherwise have been forgotten. The characters are fascinating, it is difficult to make a final judgement on some of them. The historical period wrapped around the First World War is a fascinating one, so much change and in some ways 'the end of innocence' (discuss!). The sets are great, the acting wonderful (what happened to their careers??), you feel like you're there. It's feel-good at times, bitter-sweet at others. If you treat yourself to the DVD you'll feel that you've made a real discovery. And the music, hauntingly beautiful....

"Flambards" gets virtually everything right; characters that we truly care about, great acting, wonderful music, and a story with twists and turns, skillfully told. But what is does better than anything is truly conjure up the spirit of Edwardian England.

The period around 1910 was one of the great watersheds in history; airplanes, cars, and gramophones heralded a new age, only to have World War One stop everything in its tracks. "Flambards" captures all of this perfectly; the resentment of the old guard, the thrill of the new possibilities (especially for women), and the despair of the war years. Of all of the things about this series, the mood and atmosphere are the best.

As an aside, speaking as an airplane buff, the airplanes are incredible. They are painstakingly accurate reproductions of real types, and it's wonderful to get a chance to actually see in the air types that you've only read about in books.

This is a virtually perfect mini-series, quite possibly the best of its kind ever made. It's that good.

I love this series. I first saw it as a child-- my mother had taped most of the episodes off of PBS. It inspired me to learn German, and to study the WWI period and its aftermath. The acting, writing and set decoration are first-rate and it will please history buffs, horse buffs AND airplane buffs. It stands up wonderfully well. It's now available on VHS so for those new to the series be warned that vols. 2 & 3 are a bit slow, but be patient and stick it out. It is so worth it for the payoff in vols. 4-6.

The series gets better every time I see it and I am always finding more to love about it.

I first saw this visiting my grandmother. One episode and then I was hooked! This is a wonderful mixture of horses, old English countryside life, people one cares for and a down to earth atmosphere. In the middle of the series the setting changes to an early 20th century airfield where the exciting history of flying is in its beginning. Everything takes a turn with the start of world war I... The people feel real and the story is strong and one that could very well have happened.

I well remember the day I saw in the paper that there was a rerun of these series, only one hour away... I tumbled down the stairs down to the convenience store, stacking up on empty videotapes and telling my boyfriend that the video now was booked for the next 13 mondays...

Just a wonderful feeling!

Foggy, early morning English countryside, fox hunting, turn-of-the-century barnstorming..this mini-series is a big surprise. Beautiful, languorous, and romantic. I haven't enjoyed anything so much in a long time. Does anybody know whatever happened to Alan Parnaby? He is so outstanding in this mini-series I'm floored that so little has been seen of him since. If anyone can solve the mystery...please post your news here...

I'm glad to see there are others out there who appreciate this series. I re-watch it in its entirety a couple times a year. It's so good on so many levels. The music by David Fanshawe is just amazing. I agree with the other posters as to how surprising it is that we haven't heard more from Alan Parnaby. I wish I know who to thank for creating this piece of work. It really is almost perfect, in my opinion.

I got this video series since I was researching life in the Victorian era. I like Christina and the cast of actors and actresses like Peter Copley. I don't recognize most of them unless I see their names here. It's the story of an orphaned girl moving to the Flambards where they have horses. Christina McKenna is wonderful as Christine. The cast of characters includes the Lord of the Manor and servants who remind you of life on the manor and estate. The Lord of the Manor is a reviled, unhappy creature. It's Christina who tries hard to help bridge the gaps between rich and poor, upper and lower classes. The art direction is quite sufficient and the cast is quite good at acting and the writing is adequate at best.

I'd recommend this to anyone, even if you think it's not your kind of entertainment, you will be captivated by the fine script, compelling story and excellent acting.

Christine McKenna is particularly good in the lead role and She makes for compulsive viewing.

Anyone interested in aviation should make note of the superb flying machines and sequences.

Obviously Horses and Country Life play the biggest part of the whole mini series.

In short an excellent mini-series and fun for all ages.

Enjoy

Steve

i first watched Flambards in 2001 when my mum bought it on video. i thought it was great but as i was only 11, didn't quite understand all of it, i watched it again this week and got instantly addicted to it! it had me laughing, crying and marvelling and how much times have changed! also i immediately thought Mark Russell absolutely gorgeous!!! i also took a liking to Dick Wright. I think in all, they are all fantastic actors and know how to work a character! Second time round i understood it and i was moved greatly by it. Anyone, all ages should watch Flambards!!! i also cant stop whistling the theme tune.... very catchy!!! Flambards is brilliant!

A girl friend while I was in graduate school coaxed me into watching an episode saying "it was my type of show," and I finally agreed to watch, just to be polite. At first I thought I had to just endure a "chick flick" night but found myself absolutely captivated by the series. It has an easy relaxing slow pace and for this guy, the fascinating delight regarding the very early days of aviation. I fly an antique airplane and thus another reason I love this series since it captures that wonderful sense of excitement and adventure for those first aviators, and of course the delightful young lady who loved them. It carries with it as well a sense of poignancy for a world about to be lost in the trenches and the skies over Belgium and France. If you wish to enjoy a simple relaxing series, that recreates the essence of rural life in England pre-World War I, this series is for you.

I first saw this series when it aired on PBS in 1979 or so. My dad and I decided to watch it and my whole family was immediately hooked. I was only 10, and the series had a profound effect on me. My grandmother brought the books back for me from England the following year. In the summer of 1981, I spent a month in England with family. For a surprise, my grandmother took me to the Flambards theme park, which, although a bit of a cliché, had exhibits about WWI, aeroplanes, mock villages and houses. The series is beautifully filmed, with excellent acting and attention to detail. I saw it again in university, and just received the DVD set for Christmas from my brother. I booted my husband out of the living room and had a three-night marathon down memory lane. Seeing it as an adult again gave me a new appreciation for it. Christina's journey is enchanting, and the surrounding cast are excellent. Both my father and grandmother have since passed away, and watching this series again was like meeting old friends, and brought back so many happy family memories. I cannot recommend this series enough. (I have not read the fourth book, and am almost afraid to do so!)

I first saw these programmes in 79 when I was 11 years old, I absolutely loved it. I've recently bought the series on DVD, and couldn't wait to get some time to myself to watch each episode. I cant get it out of my head! The story, the music, it's all just wonderful. It's not long since I finished the whole series, and I've already started watching them all again. The locations and costumes were spot on for that period. Looking out now for Alan Parnabys more recent work, he was so good as William Russell I've fallen in love with him all over again! Would love to know more about the actors, where they're from, where they are now, their ages etc. There have been many TV series and films that I've seen over the years, but nothing has got to me quite like Flambards!!

This is a wonderful series, beautifully photographed and sensitively acted. I regularly re-watch and never tire of it. There are moments in the story which never fail to move me to tears. It is a continuing source of perplexity to me that the young leads, Christina McKenna, Steven Grives, Sebastian Abineri, Peter Settelen and -- above all -- the strikingly talented Alan Parnaby, never became big stars.

I first saw this series in 1978 when I was five years old on a Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately it has been one of those things that has never been shown on television again for reasons unknown. Even though I had only seen it once I still remembered quite a lot of the story so much so to go on to read Flambards Divided the final book by K. M. Peyton that was written after this series. About two years ago I found the whole series on video and bought all six of them being thirteen episodes in all (three on the last tape) and could not believe how it ever became a children's drama due to the occasional adult quality it had but apart from that I still enjoyed it and still do!!

I first saw a few episodes of this miniseries around 1980 and loved it! I've been trying to find it for the past 10 years or so but no one had ever heard of it. It didn't help that I remembered the title incorrectly. I'm so glad to finally find it and other people who appreciate how wonderful it was. I grew up in a quasi-urban American suburb so escaping to the beautiful country scenes in a different time were a welcome escape. It also taught me at a young age that even people in beautiful homes have problems. My absolute favorite characters were William & Christina.

I'm off to find a VHS or DVD copy! I never got to see the end so I can't wait to see how everything turned out.

I first saw Flambards when it was originally shown on PBS, many years ago. I found the first episode unpleasant. It was about a nice girl thrust amongst unpleasant people who had power over her, and I found it uncomfortable to watch.

But for some reason, I felt compelled to watch the second episode. Perhaps it was the charm of the girl playing Christina. Perhaps it was the lush countryside. But it probably had most to do with the score by David Fanshawe, which I consider the best score ever written for television.

After that first episode, Christina's rebellious nature let her rise above her difficulties, and more likable characters were introduced, and I became very enamored of the series.

There is, though, one glaring flaw. While the three main characters are in their mid to late teens, the actors playing them are in their late twenties, and seem that old. This is a problem because they all do stupid, impetuous, naive things that make perfect sense from a 17 year old but that seem odd from someone on the verge of 30. As much as I like the cast, I think the series would have been better with younger actors. But in spite of that, it is still one of my favorite mini-series.

my mom suggested that i might like this show, it had horses and was set in england. i was about 14 or so. and i loved it. but we moved to a place where our PBS reception was terrible (no cable). but every time it came on, i would try to watch it thru the bad reception. it was a happy day for me when i found it for sale.

i find the ending so poignant...mark's thoughts about finally growing up and dick's conversation with christina about inheriting the earth. so much that was lost during WWI, and the hope for the future.

a wonderful coming of age and growing up into adulthood story.

Well drawn characters, Good production values. Enjoyed it except for the hideous 70s Soundtrack which nearly drove me insane and took away from being able to focus on the story. The opening music has some repetitive lyric that sounds like 'mum' being repeated over and over and then the music during the film often descends into horror movie' sound. Typical 70's and tempted me to put it onto English subtitles so I didn't have to listen to it.