Five Children and It
(1991)
TV Mini-Series
AKA: The Sand Fairy
Country: UK
Synopsis
A group of children - Cyril (Simon Godwin), Anthea, Robert (Charles Richards), Jane, and their baby brother known as 'the Lamb' (because the first word he ever uttered was 'baa') - move from London to the countryside of Kent, where, whilst playing in a sand pit, they uncover a Psammead - a rather grumpy sand fairy with the ability to grant wishes. The Psammead persuades the children to have one wish each day to be shared among them, with the caveat that the wishes only last until sunset. Unfortunately for them, all the wishes the children wish for end up going comically wrong!
Notes
- Based on the 1902 children's novel of the same name by English author E. Nesbit
- The word "Psammead" was coined by Nesbit from the Greek 'psammos' ("sand") after the pattern of 'dryad' (tree-nymph) and 'oread' (mountain-nymph), whose names are in each case derived from the Greek word for their characteristic environments.
- In the United States, this miniseries was released as "The Sand Fairy".
- This six episode miniseries was followed by a sequel, The Return of the Psammead (1993).
Cast
- Simon Godwin
(Cyril) - Charles Richards
(Robert) - Nicole Mowat
(Anthea) - Tamzen Audas
(Jane) - Francis Wright
(The Psammead - voice only) - Laura Brattan
(Martha) - Penny Morrell
(Lady Chittenden) - David Garlick
(Groom) - Mary Conlon
(Mother) - Tim Matthews
(Cyril When Beautiful) - Anthony Wilcox
(Robert When Beautiful) - Lewis Wilson
(The Lamb) - Alexander Wilson
(The Lamb)
BoyActors Reviews
3 member reviews/ratings for this TV Show
Average and Weighted Ratings are only available once a TV Show has received at least 5 ratings
Most recent review listed first
7 / 10 7 / 10 The BBC adapts one of the greatest of children's books. The Wouldbegoods may be the best thing E. Nesbit ever wrote but it is completely unsuited to screen adaptation; Five Children... by contrast is quite well suited. Cyril, not Robert, is made the hero of the besieged-castle episode, perhaps because Simon Godwin had the better acting chops or was keener -- he's now artistic director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC. Also, the 'Gypsy' and 'Red Indian' episodes are discreetly dropped, a wing coda is added and the uncle does not appear. Otherwise faithful to the book, though Helen Cresswell's adaptation adds a few jarringly modern locutions.
My Movie Rating: 8 / 10 Page Last Modified: 26th November 2020
Page Added: 13th March 2018
Page Views: 3993
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