Nicolas Winding Refn (byNWR) and Matthew Read (Moonage Pictures) bring Enid Blyton鈥檚 classics to life with an ambitious reimagining of the iconic stories.
The Famous Five follows five daring young explorers as they encounter treacherous, action-packed adventures, remarkable mysteries, unparalleled danger and astounding secrets.
The series showcases four rising star actors who will lead as the young protagonists at the helm of the series: siblings Julian (Elliott Rose 鈥� The Northman), Dick (Kit Rakusen 鈥� Foundation) and Anne (Flora Jacoby Richardson) and their cousin George (Diaana Babnicova 鈥� Don't Breathe 2), plus Timmy the Dog.
Joining the five are Jack Gleeson (Game of Thrones) as the evil Wentworth, Ann Akinjirin (Moon Knight) as Fanny, James Lance (Ted Lasso) as Quentin, Diana Quick (Father Brown) as Mrs. Wentworth, and William Abadie (Emily in Paris) as Boswell.
The Famous Five (3x 90鈥�) is a 麻豆约拍 commission in co-production with German ZDF and in association with The Mediapro Studio for Spain, Portugal and Latin America. 麻豆约拍 Studios are distributing the series internationally.
The Famous Five was commissioned by Sarah Muller, Senior Head of 麻豆约拍 Children鈥檚 Commissioning 7+ and the Commissioning Editor for the 麻豆约拍 is Amy Buscombe. For ZDF, Frank Seyberth, Head of International Coproduction, is responsible for the series together with Katharina Kremling as Commissioning Editor. The first episode is directed by Tim Kirkby (Fleabag, The Pentaverate) and produced by Moonage Pictures and byNWR Originals. Asim Abbasi (Churails, Cake, Count Abdulla) and Bill Eagles (Beautiful Creatures, Gotham, Pennyworth) will direct the following episodes. 麻豆约拍 Studios, who have a minority stake in Moonage, will oversee international distribution.
Episode one is on C麻豆约拍 and 麻豆约拍 iPlayer from 5.25pm on Saturday 9 December and will also air on 麻豆约拍 One between Christmas and New Year.
Two more episodes of The Famous Five will follow in 2024.
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Introduction from Matthew Read
Executive Producer for Moonage Pictures who wrote the screenplay for episode one and created the TV series with Nicolas Winding Refn.
When we first formed Moonage Pictures we sat down and decided that we really wanted to make TV that was both inspirational and that we could watch with our children.
I brought Nicolas Winding Refn on board because, having worked with him before, I knew he always wanted to be the sixth member of The Famous Five.
Our approach to The Famous Five books was not to simply adapt the novels but to look at the entire series of the books and take inspiration from the source material. Rather than taking the individual stories and making straight adaptations of the books, we looked at the books as a jumping off point. We wanted to weave our own stories which were inspired by the whole cannon of The Famous Five books.
Whilst the series is set in the late 1930s, we wanted to create a drama series that is set in the timeless space of childhood. We wanted to draw on viewers鈥� memories of the long summers in their childhood rather than trying to specifically tie it down to one moment in time.
Meet the Cast
Interview with Diaana Babnicova (George)
Tell us a little about your character, George, what is she like?
George is an independent girl who grew up without brothers and sisters. Later she finds Timmy the dog and they become like a family. She鈥檚 independent, she lives by her own rules and likes to have fun. She doesn鈥檛 always obey the rules and she鈥檚 quite a cheeky person.
What does George bring to The Famous Five adventures?
Dick has all the information and facts, Anne is really enthusiastic, Julian is the protector and then George is the glue that brings them all together giving them that extra nudge to go on adventures. She鈥檇 always be the one to say 鈥榦k, let鈥檚 do it!鈥�
How does George鈥檚 relationship develop with her cousins over the summer?
George is not used to having people around, as an only child she hasn鈥檛 had that her whole life. Her cousins come during the summer and it鈥檚 a bit intense. Although it starts off quite rocky between them, by the end they鈥檝e been through so much together that they鈥檝e become really close and have such a good connection.
How do you get on with the other cast members?
Everyone is so lovely on the show, especially the kids, ever since we met on that first day we鈥檝e been close, it鈥檚 just been a pleasure working with them. And Timmy the dog, we had so much fun with him!
You鈥檝e filmed in lots of different places, tell us about them?
We started filming in Cornwall, on the beach, where we did some sailing. Then we filmed on a train which was so much fun, we couldn鈥檛 stop laughing as the train kept moving us about. We also filmed at a circus which was amazing. I鈥檇 never been to a circus so I was like 鈥榳ow!鈥�. We had fire breathers and clowns, it really was so cool.
Which of the Famous Five would you say you were most like in real life?
I鈥檓 definitely most like George because I鈥檓 very independent. I also love adventure and I love animals. Working with Timmy the dog was literally a dream come true.
Interview with Elliott Rose (Julian)
How did you feel when you got the role?
It was pretty cool, it was amazing because it was for the 麻豆约拍 and The Famous Five is something everyone has heard of. I'd done loads of auditions for it, it was huge, plus some of the series is filmed in Wales. I love my rugby and they also do in Wales!
Tell us a little bit about your character Julian?
Julian is the oldest and he's the muscle of the group, he's more physical. Plus as the oldest he's like a father figure when the parents aren't around. He's very caring, specifically toward Anne and Dick because they're his younger siblings. He has his arguments with George but overall he seems like a pretty nice guy. If he was a real person I'd probably be mates with him.
Do you get on with your cast fellow cast members?
Flora and I met each other in the auditions but aside from that none of us knew each other and from the first rehearsal day we just clicked, it was great. We all gelled really well and all work really well together.
Tell us about the different locations you've filmed in?
We've been to so many different locations, we've been to Cornwall for the sea, in caves, in the woods, in castles and a mansion. Each one has been really nice.
The studio is also great, the people who build the sets are amazing. The train in episode two is brilliant, there's also a mushroom tunnel, there's a cave system, the den, the cottage. There are so many things, I have no idea how they fit it all in there!
In real life, which of the Famous Five are you most like?
In real life I'm most like Julian funnily enough, I don't think I'm like anyone else. I wish I could say I'm like Dick but I don't have the brains. I think Julian suits me. We definitely share the same athleticism trait, I'm very into sports especially rugby, I've been playing since I was five. I also like to think I'm caring like Julian.
Interview with Kit Rakusen (Dick)
How did you feel when you found out you got the part?
There are some jobs that from the very start and you really, really want because they're similar to you. From the very start I really wanted this job. My mum had told me there was no news from the job and when I got the call from my agent, my mum secretly got her phone out and started filming me. I was speechless!
Tell us about Dick?
He's really clever, he can tell you anything about history, Latin and times tables but he's also funny in his own way. He's definitely the brains of the group, he's like the walking internet. They didn't have it back then but he can list off any moment in history, Latin words, any train time table, bus time table, he can list off anything. I've definitely learnt a thing or two playing him.
Tell us about the other Famous Five characters?
George is defiantly a head-first person, she'll go into any situation without thinking if it means she can save Timmy or she can get treasure. Julian is very protective, he's like the father figure of the group, he's definitely the most sensible one. He鈥檚 the opposite of George! Anne is the chatterbox, she doesn't stop talking about the most random things but she does pay attention to the small details. Timmy is the best, he's almost like a magical dog, he knows wherever George is. He can tell someone鈥檚 intentions straight away, he's like an indicator of trouble for us.
What's it been like filming the series?
All the filming has been amazing: jumping into water, climbing cliffs, riding a bike along the cliffs. It's been so fun. The circus was amazing, people were fire breathing, juggling with fire, there were two people roller-skating, doing amazing tricks and spinning round.
In real life, which of the five cast members are you most like?
I'd say I鈥檓 like Dick with a tiny bit of Julian because I'm always the person to think 'should we really be doing this?'
Interview with Flora Jacoby Richardson (Anne)
How did you feel when you got the role?
After the last audition, I kept on having more auditions. I knew I'd be told on a particular day so at school, I left my phone on and I was checking it every five minutes. I felt my phone buzz and when I peaked at the phone, my mum had texted in capitals 鈥榊OU GOT THE PART鈥�.
I squealed in the middle of the English class and l was shaking! My teacher asked what was going on and I told her I鈥檇 got the part! She asked if that meant I鈥檇 checked my phone. All my friends were excited. I'm not sure if my teacher was too happy as I disrupted the English class!
Tell us a bit about Anne, what's she like?
She's quite sassy, she likes to get her brothers to do things for her. She treats them like her servants, she presumes people are there to serve her. She gets Dick to do things for her, like look after her torch, and she gets Julian to carry her bags.
What does Anne bring to the Famous Five when they're solving mysteries and going on adventures?
Anne brings humour, without meaning too. When there are serious mysteries the Five are trying to solve, she might say 鈥淚'm trying to watch TV!鈥� She's smart and she does spot things without actually knowing how important they are.
You filmed in so many different places, can you tell us a bit about them?
The locations have been great, we've been to Cornwall where we filmed the outside scenes on Kirrin Island. It was amazing, so beautiful, the cliffs and water were so pretty. The circus was super fun, there was loads of people doing really cool things, it was like we were actually at a circus! The studio was also amazing, all the sets they built there were really good. You'd think we were in a real house.
What does Anne think about the rest of the Famous Five?
George is like a role model for her, Anne looks up to her like an older sister she never had. George stands up for herself.
Anne sees her brothers as servants and people that will do stuff for her but she also cares about them in times of danger. She loves Timmy, he's like her little buddy, they're best friends.
How do you get on with your cast mates?
We're like brothers and sisters, we all have a really close relationship. Me and Kit should have been twins because we're so similar we get into arguments about things. We all get on really well, I love all of them. Diaana and I have come up with a dance together, we do it between takes and in our downtime.
In real life, which of the Famous Five are you most like?
In real life I think I am probably more like Anne, I'm not as girly as her but I think I have the sass and the attitude! But I don't take people for granted as much.
Interview with Jack Gleeson (Wentworth)
Tell us a bit about your character Mr Wentworth?
Mr Wentworth is an eccentric man, he's quite sinister and he's hell bent on getting what he wants, which is power. He's willing to do whatever it takes so he's a pretty scary individual. I love playing Mr Wentworth, he's like a dream part for me, he's eccentric, he's colourful and strange. He's mercurial and mysterious, you're never sure how he's going to react in certain situation and I love that tension.
What is Wentworth鈥檚 dynamic in the story?
Well, it's interesting, one of the first things that the Director of episode one, Tim Kirkby, told me about the character was that they had imagined him as the sixth member of The Famous Five. So I think in a strange way he is a little bit childlike and he wants to be part of the gang because he loves adventure as much as much as The Famous Five do. I think he secretly wants to be part of the gang and just get involved but because he's an adult and because he has the power, he has this more sinister edge. That's the sort of chalk and cheese element that I enjoy playing. If he grew up in a different time he'd be one of the gang but sadly he's on the other side.
Was there anything that jumped out when you read the script?
Something very important to Wentworth is travelling to different realms in his mind, he鈥檚 very spiritual and mystical, sort of like an Aleister Crowley type figure. I was interested in exploring how to represent that and what that means to him. I'm interested in that whole period of history, the beginning of the 20th century and the rise of mysticism and spiritualism.
It's been amazing working with the children and the dog. The kids are just amazing, they're so on it, so captivating and brilliant on screen and off screen. They're so much fun, they bring such a brilliant energy to the set, it brightens everyone's day when they're around. Timmy the dog (AKA Kip), he's just the sweetest dog ever, he's like a therapy dog for everybody. He comes on set and everyone rushes over and starts petting him and it just soothes the atmosphere, it's brilliant.
Can you give us a bit of an insight into the scale of the show, it's an ambitious production?
The scale of the show is incredible, even now, we鈥檙e sitting in one of the sets that will be Quentin, George and Fanny鈥檚 Kirrin Island abode. This is one of countless number of sets that have been built and then also the locations we鈥檙e filming in are just jaw dropping. My first day was in Gloucester Cathedral down in the crypts. Just as a tourist and someone who's interested in those kinds of places, to be able to have privileged access was incredible and I think it will look amazing on screen. We were filming in Eastnor Castle which is absolutely jaw droppingly stunning, all of these things they really help one as an actor to get lost in the story.
Can you talk about the design, costume and what makes him Wentworth on screen?
For Wentworth they were looking for a tall duke, David Bowie kind of look. I think something lavish, opulent and louche with a little bit of rock and roll swagger thrown in there. So he's a lot of things rolled into one and I've loved exploring the character through all the costumes because they just bring him to life.
Have you had a favourite scene or moment during filming?
In terms of a favourite scene, I think filming down in the caves for one of the final moments with glowing mushrooms on the wall was really magical. You get lost in the surroundings and how magical the setting is. That's down to the great people in the location department, props department and the set dressing department, it makes my job as an actor so much easier when you can fully immerse yourself in the moment.
What can viewers expect?
The show does have a really broad appeal, from a kid鈥檚 perspective it's almost like you're seeing all your games and all your fantasies come alive, going on these messy adventures, having food fights and just running around experiencing that bond of friendship and adventure. I could certainly feel my inner child getting really excited. I think that's why it's exciting for adults as well, because I'm sure there are a lot of adults who will watch the show, who grew up reading the books. I think when you read those stories as a child or at any age they just stick with you.
I think the show definitely has a really broad appeal, not just in the UK, the themes and storytelling are so universal. Everybody can relate to the feeling of wanting to have independence as a child and wanting to go on adventures with your friends. The fact it's set in the beautiful countryside of the UK, they were filming in Cornwall and these stunning locations, it's very easy to imagine yourself as one of the kids and see the world through their eyes.
Could you give us five reasons to watch The Famous Five?
Well, I think four reasons to watch would be the four kids! Diaana, Kit, Flora and Elliott, they鈥檙e so incredible. It鈥檚 magical to watch and to experience the feeling of their adventure.
The fifth reason would be to watch me! But you have to put Timmy the dog in there too!
Interview with Ann Akinjirin (Aunt Fanny)
Can you tell us a little bit about Aunt Fanny?
Aunt Fanny is George's mum and Quentin's wife. She is a writer, she's quite a well-established novelist and she writes under a pseudonym. She's quite a strong-willed, really confident, anchored woman and I really enjoyed playing her.
What excited you about the role?
A number of things excited me. I really loved the vision, the team and the scripts. Early on, I was sent a really great description of Fanny, and how they saw her, what they were thinking of doing with the character, which really excited me. I think, especially in the books, Fanny just isn鈥檛 Fanny really, she's Quentin's wife. I'm so excited for people to see it, because I really love the way it's been shot, it is so delicious on screen. It was those things that made me think, yes, I'm absolutely going to do this.
Tell us about Fanny and Quentin's relationship and working with James Lance as Quentin?
Fanny and Quentin are so different, that's fun because he's quite an 鈥榦ut there鈥�, peculiar character. Quentin is very focused, he gets locked into what he wants to do and doesn鈥檛 see what's going on in his periphery. Off screen, James and I get on really well, we're a bit of a mischievous double act!
How has it been working with the kids?
They bring such a joyous, light, positive energy into the space. We are a little family, so it's really fun working with the kids.
How does Fanny feel about the arrival of her nieces and nephews?
George is closest to her mum and so Fanny seems to be the main influence on the cousins. They don't have their mum for the whole of the summer so they've got a mum in Fanny. She鈥檚 the one they don't want to disappoint and the one they're going to have the most fun with.
If you were one of the five, who do you think you would be?
I think I would be a cross between George and Anne. I'm a Gemini and I think those two characters are my two sides!
What's been your kind of favourite scene to shoot so far?
I really love the family scenes, there are a lot of scenes around the table and I really love it when we're all together, the kids, me and Quentin. I think the kids have been cast so well, they're very much like their characters, so it's always quite a lot of fun in between takes and how they interact with each other.
What do you hope audiences will take away from the show, when they watch it?
I think back to my favourite films, I'm an 80s baby, my favourite films even now are The Goonies, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, those type of films that as an adult still make me feel warm and excited, gripped and engrossed. That's what I want the audience to take away from this. No matter where you are in life, we are still children inside. Being able to engage our inner child, our inner imagination, our inner adventurer and explorer, those things never die. I think it's always special when you find a show that ignites that in you or allows you to explore that. We can't forget to have fun and this is a really fun show to watch.
Interview with James Lance (Quentin)
Tell us about Uncle Quentin?
Uncle Quentin is George's dad and Fanny's husband, they live in a lovely little cottage called Kirrin Cottage. He鈥檚 a professor and he鈥檚 an isolated figure in a way, but quite a sweet dad as well. He is a little bit socially awkward, he鈥檚 used to spending a lot of time on his own and he's quite anxious about George and all her adventures, which he tries to turn a blind eye to, but he knows her character quite well.
Tell us about Quentin and Fanny's relationship?
Quentin and Fanny are university sweethearts, theirs is a really sweet, unconditional love. They鈥檙e quite 鈥榶ing and yang鈥�, they're very different, but I think they love each other's differences. Fanny is on the front foot, Quentin is on the back foot. She's quite assertive, he's not so much so, but they work really well together, they kind of allow for each other's peccadilloes and differences in a lovely, harmonious way.
In the middle of all of this, they have their beautiful daughter, George, who has got a bit of both of their characters and keeps Quentin in quite a childlike state. She is always on an adventure, she's very curious, as he is in his own way as well, and I think that they meet each other on a sort of innocent frequency, which is really quite sweet.
How's it been working with Ann Akinjirin who plays Fanny?
I love Ann, it's been great. It's so much fun when you play a relationship with someone because you have your own relationship with them, then you have your on screen relationship. It's a lot of fun to put a little bit of ours into theirs and theirs into ours. I think that just naturally happens, plus we have a really good laugh.
How does Quentin get on with his niece and nephews?
For Quentin, the idea of his niece and nephews coming to stay with them at the cottage is initially a little bit alarming because he likes quiet and he doesn't really want a house full of children. But as soon as he sees them, certainly when he sees Anne, she reminds him of his sister. He's living in his childhood home with an almost replica of his own childhood with two boys and a little sister. It kind of shakes up his normal and he's all the better for it as a result, as we always are when kids are around.
They always say 鈥榙on't work with children and animals鈥�. I disagree completely. I think 鈥榓lways work with children and animals鈥� is much better. For me personally, working with these incredible young people, I'm loving every single second of it, I think everybody is. Ann and I are often in hysterics listening to their brilliant comments.
How do you think audiences feel watching the show?
I hope that when audiences see this, they are taken off on a sort of a flight of whimsy in a way. In that way that when you remember your childhood, it becomes timeless, there is a sort of floating timeline and everything is almost like one long, hot, sunny day. I think that's what is part of the charm of these stories, I'm pretty sure that they've got that absolutely bang on with this, so I'm excited about that.
One of the things I love about these tales is the lack of interference from technology, even though Quentin鈥檚 knocking about on a computer, but that's often failing. There鈥檚 not much interference from TV or mobiles. There's something really magical actually about the kind of space that's created. There's more room for conversation, curiosity, adventure and play.
How has touring around the UK been?
When I read the books when I was younger, it was the rural landscape that was really so attractive. I grew up in Somerset for half of my childhood so I had long days, climbing trees and running around and that's all in this show. The landscapes are amazing, the location for Kirrin Cottage is absolutely stunning. You look out the back window and there are beautiful fields with what looks like little clouds, which are actually sheep all dotted around. It's absolutely beautiful.
You read the books when you were younger, how have the producers made these adaptations fresh to bring it to a modern audience?
There's sort of a sassiness to the dialogue within The Famous Five. It's just as relevant today and it has just as much of an impact as it would have done then.
We see that the adult characters aren't just there as borderlines to hem in these little spirits, there's a lot more to Quentin and Fanny. Now I'm an adult and I can see things from the adult's point of view as well as the children's.
First published 30/11/2023