aurora
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Post by aurora on Jan 11, 2014 23:20:56 GMT 1
Anybody still watch this I have the Dvds I really loved Jonah the naughty Shetland does anyone know what happened to Stacy Dorning? I know the actor that played Kevin and Tony Maiden have since passed away
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Post by rallycairn on Jan 12, 2014 6:30:38 GMT 1
If you haven't already, see if you can get The New Adventures of Black Beauty. Two seasons/series, first with a fun setup with a young girl named Vicky (shades of the disappearing Vicky from the very first series) whose stepmother is Jenny from the original (season 2), played by Stacy Dorning. Filmed and set in New Zealand, except for some opening scenes in England (in the story; possibly also filmed in New Zealand, although the landscape does look more British, much less sun-washed, and the ancestral home and so forth).
Second series of the New Adventures changes characters entirely, to Isabella called Bella, who bonds with Beauty and tries to solve the mystery of some stolen gold and the key to her own identity (the old amnesia plot device).
I loved all of the series but also love reading reactions to the series and how viewers try to assign an explanation to cast changes and premise changes from season to season. For example, fans will say Vicky from the very first series went off to school while Jenny came home from school. Very tidy -- except in the season opener with Jenny's debut, it mentions her coming home from school, but doesn't actually mention Vicky, I'm pretty sure. Also, Vicky's never mentioned again, nor ever in the New Adventures.
Similarly, in the New Adventures, when we get the cast change for Season 2, comments on imdb and the like will talk about Jenny and her stepdaughter, Vicky 2, being reunited with Vicky's father/Jenny's husband, when in fact in a huge lapse, the ongoing story arc of his disappearance is never resolved. There is a brief narration by the actress who played Vicky in the opening scenes of the new season, and she is back in England remembering her time in New Zealand, but it actually never mentions her father at all!
But I love all four seasons/series, the originals which I first saw on Nickelodeon in the early 1980's, then the New Adventures which I happened on first with a few episodes in limited videotape releases, then when they came out on DVD I nabbed all of the series.
Despite Beauty acting more like a dog in a lot of ways, I find these quite watchable overall.
Favorite episodes from the first series, with Victoria 1: When Vicky is helping her friend Colin, whose family is about to lose their manor-type estate, find the family's hidden treasure so they can keep their home. Fun, adventurous treasure hunt.
With young Jenny: The big race one, where the gypsy travelers come to town and set up a challenge race. Fun race scenes, plus the whole setup with Jenny wanting to enter to win the prize to get her father a new watch, and Amy backing Jenny up and telling the doctor not to be so "pompous." Nice, believable character development.
And the one in which Kevin takes a shine to a young girl named Cicely being held virtual hostage by her guardian. Albert dressed in Cicely's frock trying to pass as a girl to the newly-hired martinet of a governess is a real hoot.
Re: the New Adventures: the second series was perhaps tighter plotted and more exciting in a way, comprised of a story arc that takes up the entire season, but still I like the first series best. Just because of the basic setup/premise of Jenny, Dr. Gordon, and young Vicky homesteading in "the colony." Dr. Gordon (still played by William Lucas) is still kickin' and quite attractive for an elderly guy. Jenny, again still played by Stacy Dorning, is a lady veterinarian. Young Vicky is the district's postie, and riding Beauty on the mail routes give her a believable way to encounter goings-on in the area. Plus that totally captures my imagination -- I can't imagine a better job than delivering mail on horseback (in a daily route kind of way, not hellbent-for-leather pony express stuff). And then there's the continuity with the original series, having Jenny and Dr. Gordon there.
I've probably written this stuff before on the forum -- I'm certainly a fan of the series! There have probably been other threads about the series, or it's come up in some of the other film/TV threads.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2014 7:43:35 GMT 1
I love the first series! Have the DVDs and just re-watching them now. I did post about the location in another thread but have moved it here as it was off topic a bit. Over Christmas I went to look at the The Adventure of Black Beauty location. It's Stockers Farm in Rickmansworth,Herts. Well worth a visit as the farm hasn't hardly changed at all. A pretty place too. You can see the farm from the canal and also there is a public footpath running right past it. The farm is Private Property though. I think it might be a livery yard now as there were a lot of horses there which was nice to see. I have more photos if anyone is interested. I haven't seen the New Adventures of Black Beauty. I'll check that out. The only thing I hate about the first series is all that neighing!
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Post by Claire on Jan 12, 2014 14:35:49 GMT 1
I like the series too, though I haven't seen any of the New Adventures. I think its aged a bit better than some of the other 1970s TV shows. Also its fun spotting the early acting roles of some now well known actors. Agree about the neighing but that, along with constant rearing, is present in almost all horsy films or dramas.
I'd like to see the location Rosie but its a bit far from me so if you have any more photos I'd be interested in seeing them.
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aurora
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Post by aurora on Jan 12, 2014 17:50:14 GMT 1
I would love to see where it was filmed but alas I'm down in the deep south! I preferred the later series with Jenny, Ned and Albert havent seen any of the New Zealand ones.happy to hear William Lucas is still around!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2014 18:43:59 GMT 1
The house is virtually the same, it is a listed building so that might have something to so with it! The barns House viewed from across the canal.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 12, 2014 18:56:02 GMT 1
Excuse the dark photos, light was terrible The canal bridge seen in the distance was used in quite a few episodes And also these fields, you can still image Beauty galloping across the hill More of the barns
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Post by Claire on Jan 12, 2014 21:40:44 GMT 1
Thanks for the photos Rosie. It looks a lovely place. I think I'll link to these posts from the locations thread also.
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Post by rallycairn on Jan 15, 2014 19:36:14 GMT 1
Thanks for this thread! You prompted me to start re-watching the series from the first episode of Season 1 of the original.
Perhaps because of the almost ethereal beauty of Judi Bowker, I tend to think of Victoria as sort of delicate or a bit of a milquetoast, with Jenny as the feisty one -- but actually Judi gave Victoria a lot of spunk right from the first episode, with Vicky and Kevin eavesdropping as Dr. Gordon tells Beauty's owner's son they aren't trying to keep someone else's horse, and Vicky breathes, "Oh, but we do, we do want to keep him!" and so on. And she butts right in on any perceived wrongdoing, especially mistreatment of an animal.
Enjoying my re-watch immensely.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2014 21:24:50 GMT 1
I'm enjoying it too rallycairn I agree Vicky isn't a shy retiring flower at all. Girl power with both of them!
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Post by Claire on Jan 16, 2014 3:39:33 GMT 1
Ooh I quite fancy watching these again too now.
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Post by rallycairn on Jan 16, 2014 5:46:10 GMT 1
AND I just watched the episode, "The Barge," and of course it helped me picture the Forrests and their barge in The Ponies of Cuckoo Mill Farm.
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Post by darenc1 on Jan 18, 2014 15:34:28 GMT 1
I've got the series on DVD - not watched it in a while, mind, but it was good fun if nothing else.
Let's not forget THAT theme tune....!
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Post by Claire on Jan 18, 2014 22:22:48 GMT 1
Oooh so love the theme tune! Gets me all choked up when I hear it brings back so many memories of my lost youth lol But still White Horses gotta be the best theme tune ever!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2014 7:30:39 GMT 1
Yeah me too
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Post by fizz on Jan 19, 2014 18:02:02 GMT 1
How do you post pictures on here? I will have to put one up of me holding the real Black Beauty. He was called Jolly Tramp & won small hunter of the year at either the Royal International or the Horse of the Year show in the 1960s. I offered to hold him at a local gala, where lots of kids had their pictures taken with him. He was quiet & extremely bored, not clean & not that well looked after I didn't think, seem also to remember a scar of some kind. It was a long time ago though.
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Post by Claire on Jan 19, 2014 20:10:08 GMT 1
Fizz the easiest way to put pics on is to just add them as attachments. Click on reply (not the quick reply one) Then click on 'add attachment' select your picture file from your computer and click on 'insert' - you can choose where to put it or it will automatically enter it at the end of the message.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 20, 2014 14:04:47 GMT 1
Would love to see the pic Fizz.
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Post by fizz on Jan 20, 2014 22:11:07 GMT 1
Will have a hunt for it at the weekend. I wonder if anyone posting on here had their picture taken with Black Beauty? He must have been round lots of shows, fetes & galas in the 1970s Summers.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 21, 2014 8:16:37 GMT 1
As I child I lived not too far away from the filming site but never realised! Just think of all those missed opportunities of seeing Black Beauty filmed or at galas etc. Grrrrr!
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Post by Ashley on Feb 11, 2015 22:01:11 GMT 1
I loved the series especially Jonah I know several people who worked with Tony Maiden he was quite a handful such a sad ending to a bright young man.
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Post by paul on Mar 13, 2017 11:31:28 GMT 1
sorry to dash your memories fizz but there were over 15 different horses used during the filming of Black beauty so the one you played with was one of many......One all the same though eh?
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Post by Claire on Apr 16, 2017 23:12:44 GMT 1
Oh I missed this post somehow. Thanks for the info Paul, if you are still floating around in ponymad cyberspace
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Post by Lee D on Mar 12, 2021 16:50:04 GMT 1
As a young lad I was very lucky and would spend school holidays staying at stockers farm as my aunt lived in the house and ran the farm. From the late 80-mid 90s and have lots of fond memories and every time I see the farm it brings them back.
If anyone would like to know anything about the farm or house please let me know and I will be more than happy to share thanks
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Post by Claire on Mar 13, 2021 22:55:25 GMT 1
Hi Lee, that's very interesting, lucky you! Yes I certainly would like to know more if you have time to post any information or anecdotes. Do you know what is the current status of the farm now? I'd heard it was a livery stables.
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Post by Goonerman on Apr 16, 2021 17:37:25 GMT 1
I did a bit of snooping to see if there was any official statement on what Vicky Gordon got up to once Judi Bowker left the show, and the answer lies in Black Beauty Annual 1975. It confirms that Vicky indeed returned to school for the time being. It also gave tantalising hints of what might have been in discussing some of the contents of Vicky's correspondence with the family and that when together, Vicky and Jenny tease Kevin constantly. At some point I must put my recent fan fiction story up online. Interestingly two newspaper reports indicate that in 1972 the production team always intended Dr. Gordon to have more than one daughter. Interviews with Ted Willis and Stacy Dorning (and a funny comment from Paul Knight) hints at there being difficulties in casting the Gordon sisters both times round.
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