View Full Version : The Animals Of Farthing Wood
Raining On Me
12-09-2004, 06:33 PM
This was 90s, wasn't it?
Well was it just me or was it the most harrowing thing a child can watch ever? I loved it, but it was so sad. I loved how it went on for ages like a cartoon soap with animals, all the characters grew up and changed from series to series, some died, other went away etc. And showed them all coping with the different seasons and stuff.
It was fucking tragic though and EVIL. I have all the books still, it really was an amazing series and really damn good despite all the misery. The first one is still the best, and a couple of the characters dying on the way to White Deer Park(?) was so upsetting and horrible.
Anyway, it was fab. I seem to recall the snake being my favourite and bizarrely the kestrel, though I'm not sure..
Slave
12-09-2004, 07:46 PM
It got really sad the longer it went on, I remember when Badger died, that was upsetting, and Fox and Vixen's cubs, I remember the show followed one of those for a while when he left White Deer Park...he ended up dying as well.
Oh, Mole crying about Badger, the hedgehogs getting run over on the motorway, Kestrel accidentally killing one of their number, the evil wolves killing one of Fox's children.
God it was fucking GRIMNESS wrapped up in animation. And FABULOUS with it.
Raining On Me
12-09-2004, 08:09 PM
It got really sad the longer it went on, I remember when Badger died, that was upsetting, and Fox and Vixen's cubs, I remember the show followed one of those for a while when he left White Deer Park...he ended up dying as well.
Fox Cub Bold. I didn't like that as much as the rest as it steered away from everyone else, but it was still good.
Oh the motorway thing was fucking TRAGIC. Horrible horrible horrible, I was so upset :moopy:.
Arguably the best cartoon ever in a way, simply because it was so harsh about nature rather than being all cuddly and fake, and progressed all the time, rather than everyone staying the same age and in the same sitatuion etc.
I was addicted. I used to think that bit where Bold leaves the family and goes "Goobye Mother, Take care of her Charmer" was the most dramatic thing EVER.
And yes, the Hedgehogs on the motorway was one of the most traumatic moments of my childhood.
The Kestrel just diosappeared. they never expleined her absence at all. It annoyed me because she was a major character.
How far did the TV series run for? just The getting to Farthing Wood, The fued with the other foxes, and Bold's absence? In one of the books an escaped Panther inhabits the park for a while and starts killing Deer. That would've been a GREAT cartoon. By then they'd killed off a good 90% of the original 'cast' though.
The newts who stopped off at a lake and then there was a fire and they died
Raining On Me
12-09-2004, 10:11 PM
I think Kestrels absence might've been explained in one of the books, can't remember what though. I seem to remember a particularly traumatic scene where these fieldmice or something were killed by a large bird and then you saw them hanging on the tree covered in blood. I don't THINK that was Kestrel as I recall her trying to stop it somehow...
I think Kestrels absence might've been explained in one of the books, can't remember what though. I seem to remember a particularly traumatic scene where these fieldmice or something were killed by a large bird and then you saw them hanging on the tree covered in blood. I don't THINK that was Kestrel as I recall her trying to stop it somehow...
Oh that was THE most traumatic episode.... The Fieldmice mothers were pregnant, so all the rodents decided to stay behind in a little field to raise their children. But a predatory bird, I can't remember what kind but they do exist, a shrike or something, killed all the babies and impaled them on a thorn bush.
CHRIST that was a harrowing show for an 8 year old to be watching....
Bunty's Magic Vegetable
12-09-2004, 10:27 PM
didn't the pheasants both get shot too? the female first and the male went off to find her and perished too...
i used to LOVE the books when i was 10!
Zodiac
12-09-2004, 10:32 PM
Ooh yeah, I do recall that episode with the impaled fieldmice...that was rather grim it must be said...
It was a truly ace series though. Did any of the original cast survive though? They were all eventually killed off weren't they?
didn't the pheasants both get shot too? the female first and the male went off to find her and perished too...
i used to LOVE the books when i was 10!
Yeah, the Female was on guard duty for the other animals while they took shelter in a barn. A farmer saw her and shot her. You see her looking up in horror, then hear a gunshot. Then the animals flee the farm, but Adder is left behind so Pheasent volunteers to go back and find him. Then he spots his wife's body roasted and cooling in the farmhouse window, starts screaming and gets shot. Again, fucking GRIM for a kids show.
What got me though was how callous Fox was about the pheasents. When Mrs Pheasent gets shot he just sort of goes "Oh no" with annoyance, and then when they hear the shot that kills Mr Pheasent he just says "Looks like Pheasent's done for then."
You can tell this pretty much dominated my formative years..... :shy:
Did any of the original cast survive though? They were all eventually killed off weren't they?
I believe Fox and Vixen, though she isn't strictly original. Owl & Adder too I THINK. Toad was killed off in the books but kept alive in the Cartoon because he was too popular a character.
The way they subtly dealt with Parkinsons disease in the run-up to killing off Badger was sort of nice, if, again, GRIM.
Bunty's Magic Vegetable
12-09-2004, 10:38 PM
Adder calmed down when she fell in love...
Slave
12-09-2004, 10:38 PM
The thing is, it sounds really grim now, but I don't recall it being horrific viewing at the time, it was just like watching a documentary, although obviously it was a cartoon but everything was kept very un-childish and sensible with a tad of humour every now and then.
Toyah
12-09-2004, 10:40 PM
The Hedgehogs dying on the motorway made me WEEP!
Time for a DVD release me thinks!
Bunty's Magic Vegetable
12-09-2004, 10:41 PM
The thing is, it sounds really grim now, but I don't recall it being horrific viewing at the time, it was just like watching a documentary, although obviously it was a cartoon but everything was kept very un-childish and sensible with a tad of humour every now and then.
It never patronised kids, which is great... the most popular kids shows and books are always like this... they usually involve death and grimness in some way...
Slave
12-09-2004, 10:43 PM
I remember collecting the magazine actually, it ran for many many issues.
The Hedgehogs dying on the motorway made me WEEP!
How old were you when this ran?
Still, YES, DVD release is a must! How I wish i'd collected the magazine that gave away an episode on VHS every issue. :moopy:
Toyah
12-09-2004, 10:46 PM
How old were you when this ran?
Around 16/17
I watched it on a Sunday morning.
Slave
12-09-2004, 11:02 PM
How old were you when this ran?
Still, YES, DVD release is a must! How I wish i'd collected the magazine that gave away an episode on VHS every issue. :moopy:
Oh I didn't get that one, I got the cheapy one that gave away a sticker book and the magazines came with free re-usable stickers every week.
Zodiac
12-09-2004, 11:09 PM
Oh, and I did like Scarface...he must have singlehandedly killed a good few of the cast...right good villain he was.
Oh, and I did like Scarface...he must have singlehandedly killed a good few of the cast...right good villain he was.
Dreamer & Hare's Wife off the top of my head....
Blake
12-09-2004, 11:11 PM
www.farthing-wood.com
www.farthing-wood.com
Marvellous! Though I do feel the girl who created it may be slightly deranged....
Toyah
12-09-2004, 11:25 PM
Ooh, you can download episodes!
Stoat
The female stoat doesn't appear much, she prefers to keep hidden among the snow and spy on the other animals. She is chased by Ladyblue who wants to catch her and take her back as prey
to her mate, Scarface. The stoat however pleads for her life and explains to Lady blue she can let her know secrets of the Farthing Wood animals to pass onto Scarface. After this you don't see the stoat again, so perhaps Ladyblue killed her anyway.
:D
Andricicle
13-09-2004, 09:47 AM
It ran on Belgiamese telly as well but I never actually watched it, cause I always assumed it would be too twee. Looks like I was wrong then! :shock:
Slave
13-09-2004, 01:06 PM
Ohh and now it's back on the BBC at weekends?! Wonderful!
Ohh and now it's back on the BBC at weekends?! Wonderful!
*Shaprp intake of breath*
WHEN????
rmbod
13-09-2004, 04:15 PM
Those poor hedgehogs :shock: :moopy:
Toyah
13-09-2004, 04:22 PM
*Shaprp intake of breath*
WHEN????
7 o clock on a Saturday and Sunday morning? FUCK OFF!
BOLLOCKS
I suppose I could watch it before work....
I used to LOVE the theme tune too. :D
Slave
13-09-2004, 09:51 PM
I may tape it just for old time's sake.
I am almost tempted by this video containing all 3 series' but I just know if I do then a DVD will be released next week or something.
http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00004CRV4.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Pickle
14-09-2004, 12:36 AM
Annoyed the fuck out of me, they should have all been run over on the motorway, besides they never got a break. Everywhere they went they were hit with troubles the poor animals.
I love how pointless the Squirrels were. They never got into any trouble, or had anything of note happen to them, and they completely disappeared as soon as they Reached White Deer park, apart from one scene in the first episode where the Red Squirrels throw nuts at them.
Slave
14-09-2004, 01:17 AM
Annoyed the fuck out of me, they should have all been run over on the motorway, besides they never got a break. Everywhere they went they were hit with troubles the poor animals.
More of them did die at White Deer Park than on the journey there...
7am!? Oh great now I can watch this a 7am and Pokemon at 8:30am :p
I never saw the TV series, but I read ALL the books... loved them
Trayway13
26-10-2006, 01:55 PM
Arrr the animals of farthing wood! Thanks to Youtube I have revisited the videos again :D I was such a huge fan, collected pretty much everything from videos to the comics. Does anyone know where i can see the TV episodes not the video ones becuase if i remember rightly, they had uncut parts in the TV series?
Diddy
27-10-2006, 02:15 PM
The newts who stopped off at a lake and then there was a fire and they died
:( :(
didn't the pheasants both get shot too? the female first and the male went off to find her and perished too...
:( :( :( :(
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