The 2023 The Famous Five is a three-part BBC and ZDF television adaptation of Enid Blyton’s adventure stories, filmed across south-west England. Its British character comes from that production setting, the books’ mid-century world and the BBC’s stated heritage ambition—not from any objective test of “quintessential Britishness.”
Who are the Famous Five?
The Famous Five are cousins Julian, Dick, Anne and George, together with George’s dog Timmy. Their adventures began in Enid Blyton’s Five on a Treasure Island, first published in 1942. Blyton went on to write twenty more novels in the series, with the final one published in 1963, as well as eight short stories. Hachette’s series page identifies the characters and outlines the books’ publication history.
![Famous Five Complete 21 Books Collection [Feb 05, 2013] Blyton, Enid](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/511wMmBI4lL._SL160_.jpg)
What is the 2023 television adaptation?
Announced by the BBC, Moonage Pictures and Nicolas Winding Refn, the 2023 adaptation was made for BBC in the UK and co-produced with Germany’s ZDF. The BBC announcement describes three 90-minute installments based on Blyton’s 21 stories, filmed across the South West of the UK. Nicolas Winding Refn and Matthew Read are named as executive producers. The BBC Studios announcement provides the format and production details.
Moonage Pictures describes the production as a three-part tribute to the 21-book series and identifies it as made for BBC1, CBBC and iPlayer. Its listed cast includes Diaana Babnicova, Elliott Rose, Kit Rakusen and Flora Jacoby Richardson, with Kip the Dog; supporting cast members include James Lance, Ann Akinjirin, Diana Quick, William Abadie and Jack Gleeson. Moonage Pictures’ production page lists the cast and credits.
What makes this adaptation British?
“Quintessentially British” is best understood as an interpretation of the series, not a measurable fact. The clearest grounding is the production itself: it was filmed across south-west England and made for British broadcasters. BBC Children’s and Education director Patricia Hidalgo called the reimagining “a celebration of British heritage” in the production announcement. That is the BBC’s framing of its ambition, rather than an independent critical verdict on the finished series.
The source books also carry a historical setting. Hachette describes them as stories written and set in the past, and says that period context is part of their charm. This helps explain the adaptation’s connection to an older British adventure tradition. It does not mean the series is a documentary portrait of Britain, or that every social detail in Blyton’s original stories is endorsed by the modern production.
Refn described his aim as bringing the stories to “a progressive new audience,” while preserving their sense of childhood adventure and enchantment. The production therefore sits between inheritance and reinterpretation: it draws on Blyton’s familiar group and period source material, while presenting a new screen version. The available production details establish that relationship, but do not by themselves settle how successfully the show captures Britishness.
How does the series relate to the books?
The BBC describes the adaptation as based on Blyton’s 21 stories, while Moonage calls it a tribute to the 21-book series. Those descriptions establish the source material, but do not specify that every screen installment follows one book exactly or that all the novels are adapted individually.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesReaders will find more than one current edition of the original series. Hachette says it publishes the books in an edition with Eileen Soper’s original cover and interior artwork and another with newer Laura Ellen Anderson covers; the texts are identical between those editions, apart from minor editorial corrections over time. The publisher says a minor modernization made in 2010 is no longer in print and that the classic text was restored in 2017. Hachette also lists graphic novel adaptations, including English publications of the first two in 2022.
A newer book inspired by the series is distinct from Blyton’s original novels. Hachette’s 2025 catalogue lists Chris Smith’s The Famous Five: Five and the Forgotten Treasure, a 208-page paperback for readers aged 8 and up, published 30 January 2025. Its story sends a new group of children to Kirrin Island. The catalogue also says Hachette Children’s Group sells over two million Famous Five books globally each year; that is the publisher’s own figure, not an independently audited sales total or a measure of the television show’s audience.
Rank #4
- Binding : Paperback
- Pages : 592
- Publisher : Hodder Children'S Books
Where can you watch The Famous Five?
Availability depends on territory and can change. Disney+ lists the 2023 series as a drama, adventure and kids’ title, with a TV-PG rating and episode listings, but that catalogue page does not establish availability in every country or at every future date. Check the service’s local catalogue before relying on it.
BBC Studios Benelux separately lists The Famous Five: Big Trouble on Billycock Hill for BBC NL+, with a plot involving a Spitfire crash near Kirrin Cottage and the children’s attempt to uncover the truth. This is a distinct listing; it should not be combined with the BBC/ZDF production’s announced three-part format. BBC Studios Benelux’s page describes that title and its listing.
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