Surreal kids show ~ late 70's / early 80's?

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,430
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Is there ay chance at all that anyone recognizes this children’s TV show from the late 70’s / early 80’s?

It was on BBC1, I believe, at the 17:10 – 17:30 slot, and it featured four children who sneaked into a castle / stately home which they stumbled upon by chance (through a gap in the hedge, I think) whilst on holiday in the countryside.

Once in the grounds/house all sorts of spooky stuff would happen to them ~ the incident I recall most clearly involved them putting on a show for an audience of dummies they had made (like bonfire guys) ~ and then at the end of the performance the dummies all started to come to life and applaud them (which scared the holy bejesus out of ten year old me!). I also have a vague memory of some hedges cut into the shapes of animals which also came to life.

Any of this ring any bells with anyone? Or was my kiddy brain addled by too much space-dust ???

(apologies for the vague details ~ its just the odd bits of info that I can recall)

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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2
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    OMG.......... Hurrah!......I've found you!

    AT last! someone that remembers it!! Oh thank god! I thought I was going insane. I have been pestering friends and family for years trying to work out what this programme was and NOBODY remembers it!NOBODY!Not even my sister !

    The two things you mention are the EXACT same things I recall. The dummies, coming to life........scared me half to death. Had nightmares for weeks after that episode. And the hedges (???) I remember them as stone dinosaurs or something. The kids used to climb into them from underneath their bellies and then they used to come to life and roam the gardens.

    BBC4 recently showed The Phoenix and the Carpet and I thought perhaps that was the programme but I don't think so now.
    I can remember 2 boys being in it and a girl ( or maybe 2??)

    jeeze, I wish I knew what it was called. but at least I know it's not all in my imagination. After being a serial lurker here, I've finally found a good reason to sign up. If you ever find out the answer, please let me know
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 40
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    The Enchanted Castle perhaps? http://www.sausagenet.com/program.asp?mode=view&progid=41&progname=Enchanted+Castle,+The

    The description on this page seems to meet the criteria :)

    Before I found it, I was thinking of another programme with scenes in a stately home/castle garden in which it was sometimes semi-dark and there was something to do with mirrors/crystals and time; possibly a scary woman in white. I remember being scared by it when I was little, which would have been mid 80s to early 90s. I guess it's not this one though.

    Edit: Spoke too soon! The series I was reminded of was Moondial http://www.thechestnut.com/moondial/moon-dial.htm
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 2
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    I can finally die a happy lady..................

    Brilliant!

    The Enchanted Castle. That's IT!

    Checked the link and..........

    "Fondly remembered by so many thirty-somethings " Mmmmm, that's me :o

    "If you have vague memories of marble statues and dinosaurs coming to life at night-time; an audience of terrifying-looking creatures (called Ugly Wugglies) made of mops and brooms coming to life at the end of a play; four children called Gerald, Cathy, Jimmy and Mabel; "

    So my memory hasn't been totally pickled then! Phew!

    Thanks so much for the link pxmm such a relief after all these years to know what it was.

    Did they really only make 6 episodes????????WOW
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,430
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    Gypsylady wrote: »
    OMG.......... Hurrah!......I've found you!

    AT last! someone that remembers it!! Oh thank god! I thought I was going insane. I have been pestering friends and family for years trying to work out what this programme was and NOBODY remembers it!NOBODY!Not even my sister !

    The two things you mention are the EXACT same things I recall. The dummies, coming to life........scared me half to death. Had nightmares for weeks after that episode. And the hedges (???) I remember them as stone dinosaurs or something. The kids used to climb into them from underneath their bellies and then they used to come to life and roam the gardens.

    BBC4 recently showed The Phoenix and the Carpet and I thought perhaps that was the programme but I don't think so now.
    I can remember 2 boys being in it and a girl ( or maybe 2??)

    jeeze, I wish I knew what it was called. but at least I know it's not all in my imagination. After being a serial lurker here, I've finally found a good reason to sign up. If you ever find out the answer, please let me know


    I'm so so so glad that someone other than me remembers it too!!!!!!!! I seriously wondered if it was a very elaborate dream I'd had ~ I've asked everyone else my age about it and no-one remembers, I've asked my mum because she always used to say "it's time for your programme" when it was about to start, and no-one could remember anything anything about it.

    And now we know that it is The Enchanted Castle ~ next step is to petition the BBC to release it on DVD!!!!

    :):):):):):):):):)

    I am SO happy to be put out of my misery after all these years!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 4,430
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    pxmm wrote: »
    The Enchanted Castle perhaps? http://www.sausagenet.com/program.asp?mode=view&progid=41&progname=Enchanted+Castle,+The

    The description on this page seems to meet the criteria :)

    Before I found it, I was thinking of another programme with scenes in a stately home/castle garden in which it was sometimes semi-dark and there was something to do with mirrors/crystals and time; possibly a scary woman in white. I remember being scared by it when I was little, which would have been mid 80s to early 90s. I guess it's not this one though.

    Edit: Spoke too soon! The series I was reminded of was Moondial http://www.thechestnut.com/moondial/moon-dial.htm

    From sausagenet
    an audience of terrifying-looking creatures (called Ugly Wugglies) made of mops and brooms coming to life at the end of a play.... then this is the series to which you and many others can't put a name.

    YES!!!! You have saved my sanity, pxmm ~ i've searched so many times for this, how on earth did you find it??!!

    I also thought originally that it might be Moondial, and Stonestruck, and Tom' Midnight Garden and all sorts of other kids books / tv shows. Although I also thought there was more than six episodes ~ funny how a child's mind misremembers!

    Going to buy the book now ~ I am so happy!!!!!!! :D
  • meechyemoomeechyemoo Posts: 659
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    only 5 years later, but I posted about this too last week. Thats the scene I remember too
  • Phoenix LazarusPhoenix Lazarus Posts: 17,305
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    Is there ay chance at all that anyone recognizes this children’s TV show from the late 70’s / early 80’s?

    It was on BBC1, I believe, at the 17:10 – 17:30 slot, and it featured four children who sneaked into a castle / stately home which they stumbled upon by chance (through a gap in the hedge, I think) whilst on holiday in the countryside.

    Once in the grounds/house all sorts of spooky stuff would happen to them ~ the incident I recall most clearly involved them putting on a show for an audience of dummies they had made (like bonfire guys) ~ and then at the end of the performance the dummies all started to come to life and applaud them (which scared the holy bejesus out of ten year old me!). I also have a vague memory of some hedges cut into the shapes of animals which also came to life.

    Any of this ring any bells with anyone? Or was my kiddy brain addled by too much space-dust ???

    (apologies for the vague details ~ its just the odd bits of info that I can recall)

    Definitely Enchanted Castle. I too, recall the incident when the audience of dummies, and also found that creepy. The hedges, or something, in the garden coming to life sounds familiar. I thought I thought it was statues?

    This was showing November/December 1979 as I recall watching an episode before going off to perform in our school Christmas concert.

    On a related topic, does anyone recall The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris, which showed earlier that year, and featured two eighteenth or nineteenth century boys kidnapping a baby for some reason?
  • Lesley12Lesley12 Posts: 82
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    The dummies coming to life is the scene that I remember most strongly.

    But I also remember a bit where the children needed a ring and somehow it had ended up on one of the statues (whilst they were alive) and when they went to get the ring back from her she had turned back into a statue and they couldn't get it off her finger.

    I would love to see it repeated.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1
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    Would love to see this program again! For years I thought I dreamt it as I've the same memories of the audience coming to life.
    Really don't think they could make program's like this anymore without a barrage of complaints.
  • Miss ListerMiss Lister Posts: 289
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    Wow this has bought back some memories. I loved The Enchanted Castle. I had just started secondary school was always talking about it and a girl in my new class said 'oh my brother is in that'. He played Gerald. I was so excited and used to bombard her with questions every day. She pretty soon got fed up with me lol. Their dad was a well known actor some of you may remember. He played the terrifying Mr Bronson in Grange Hill.
  • CaminoCamino Posts: 13,029
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    I wish this could be released on DVD I have remember it so well
  • Trappedin80'sTrappedin80's Posts: 6,270
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    Is this the same show where one of the kids got stuck in a dinosaur monument in the grounds of some stately home or similar?

    That was a weird show.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1
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    All 6 episodes are currently (7th October 2014) on Youtube. The Wugglies star in episode 3.
  • nattoyakinattoyaki Posts: 7,080
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    All 6 episodes are currently (7th October 2014) on Youtube. The Wugglies star in episode 3.

    I know this is an oldie but it's a 'goldie' imo, so I hope folk don't mind such an old bump :)

    I've been looking for this for so long, and knew it was Nesbit, but slowly going through all her work didn't quite get me there yet, so it's a delight to find this thread near the top of the lists after a quick google (no doubt why the view count is so high), and the episodes on Youtube to boot!!! :)

    I remember the ring, the dinosaurs, possibly some chap who lived as a hermit in a shack up the hill (?), but those dummies coming to life really were scary weren't they?!! :o
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