Calling all Britons! Get ready for a delightful Yuletide treat. The BBC has announced that it will be screening the iconic fantasy series The Box of Delights as part of its Christmas schedule. The Box of Delights is based on the 1935 children's book by English writer and poet John Masefield. It is returning 40 years after its original showing on BBC One between November 21st and December 24th, 1984. . Using a then-innovative combination of action and animation, The Box of Delights was very expensive to make. At the time, it had the biggest budget for a children's series. the BBC had ever produced.
The Box of Delights is a classic tale of good versus evil involving schoolboy Kay Harker, in which the youngster has to protect a magical box from an evil wizard. Devin Stanfield plays Kay Harker, while Patrick Troughton portrays Cole Hawlings, the keeper of the box. In the winter of 1934, Kay has a chance encounter with Hawlings, a bearded Punch-and-Judy puppeteer, while riding a train home from boarding school to celebrate Christmas. The old man entrusts Kay with a magic box and gives him a cryptic warning. He tells the boy, "The wolves are running." and Kay's odyssey begins. In the course of his journey, Kay meets several characters drawn English folklore, history and pagan mythology, including King Arthur, Father Christmas, unicorns, Herne the Hunter, Roman soldiers and medieval monks.
Below is a photo of Devin Stanfield and Patrick Troughton in The Box of Delights.
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The Box of Delights is a fan favourite and has earned several awards, including three BAFTAs. In addition to the seasonal repeat, all six episodes of the mini-series are being released on Blu-Ray, accompanied by a documentary film entitled Time and Tide - Making the Box of Delights.
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* Devin Stanfield was born on February 20, 1971 in Eastbourne, Esast Sussex, England, UK. He was 13 years old when he starred in The Box of Delights (1984) and Chocky (1984). Stanfield had a short-lived career as a child star. Now 53 years old, he still works in the entertainment industry, although behind the camera as a production manager and technical director. Devin is the grandson of British actor/writer Leslie Sands (1921-2001). He looks back with pride at the BBC classic.
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| Devin Stanfield |
* English actor Patrick Troughton, who played Cole Hawlings in The Box of Delights, passed away on March 28, 1987. He was 67 at the time of his passing. Troughton is also known for his role as the second Doctor Who in the long-running British science fiction TV series of the same name. He played the doctor from 1966 to 1969, reprising the role from 1972-1973, and in 1983 and 1985.
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| Patrick Troughton |
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