User Reviews

I remember this very much like Sheri (review above). I saw it around 1970 and it was strangely terrifying for a young kid in a way few other things were, although there was not much actual violence or traditional horror. I remember strange pilgrim-father like costumes a bit like The Crucible, and some everyday objects having a real malevolence. Jack Wild was in it so I wonder if it was made by the same people who made HR Puff n' Stuff. What enhanced the horror was that things seemed to move slowly then would suddenly be close - in fact anything seemed to be able to come alive which kept you on edge. There was definitely a (dark) trippy atmosphere to it possibly akin to bits of Alice In Wonderland.

I was probably 5 or 6 years old when I saw this. Despite seeing some of the 'scariest' Doctor Who shows ever by that age, this show frightened the life out of me. I had strange dreams about that glowing, growing pin-cushion thing for ages (for years I had it in my head it was a pumpkin). I think it was the (from memory) throbbing eerie music when the cushion grew that freaked me out.

Would love to see it again to see if it brings back memories, but I remember someone on the net years back saying only 2 episodes still existed of the 6 that were made so any release is unlikely.

I remember seeing some episodes of this when I must have been 18. A bit old for children's stories, but this was strangely compelling. I remember Hattie Jacques was in it, and there was a rather dark and menacing atmosphere to the story. There was a character who painted furniture on the wall and thought they were real. There was a spooky rolling pumpkin. And a Black Leaf it was somehow vital to find. All this stayed in my mind but I never came across the story elsewhere and couldn't even remember the name of the TV series. By accident a few years ago I came across a paperback of the book it was based on, and recognised the story from the synopsis. The name of Hattie Jacques' TV character isn't in the book (perhaps they changed it), but the story seems about the same. It starts like Enid Blyton but becomes much darker - perhaps the author was influenced by the horror of the 1st world war at that time.

I saw this aged 8 when it originally aired. It's memory has remained with me, elusive dark and chillingly thrilling ever since.I am delighted to discover it is archived here for posterity.I am also mystified that I'd forgotten so many familiar faces in the cast, especially the wonderful Jack Wilde and brilliant Hattie Jaques. The story starts with twins celebrating their birthday. That night a birthday gift holds the key that leads them into a fantastical other world where they have to "knock three times" for entry. There is a pumpkin and a goblin and some other merry but strange characters and a journey with sinister tensions for the children. For such a short series its impact has been profound.I spent years trying to share my memories of this programme with others but, sadly, have yet to meet anyone else who remembers it. A couple of years ago I came across a children's book titled "The Magic Pumpkin" and was overjoyed to discover that it is indeed the original 1922 story that this adaptation was based on!

No-one that I grew up with seems to remember this show. I had began to wonder if it was all in my mind. Tonight I sat down determined to google it. After scrolling through YouTube and web pages in 'search bar'; "Scary, weird, children's shows, 1960s and 1970s I finally found it. Couldn't remember a lot of information, not even the title. I was probably 7 years old and I never realized it was just a series of 6 episodes. I 'm pretty sure I've been traumatized by it! I give it 10 because the show stuck in my mind, forever and now I know it wasn't a figment of my imagination.