If you are a child that grew up in Britain then you would be familiar with Malory Towers. Or, you have at least heard of it. The one with the boarding school? No? well, there are many books like it. However, Malory Towers is one of the most popular. And with good reason.
When I heard that this series was being remade I was eager to see how it would turn out. I was the type of kid who craved going to a faraway school filled with friends who I could have endless fun, and midnight feasts with. Nothing sounded better than having a sleepover with classmates every day! And that is exactly the feeling that CBBC so effortlessly brings to the table. CBBC, you say? They are hardly known for top quality television that should perk the interest of adults. But that is a false statement. And Malory Towers is the perfect example why. Following in the success of products like Sarah Jane Adventures, The Worst Witch...Malory Towers is another notch on CBBC's belt and it should certainly make you race to your nearest device and open BBC Iplayer,
Malory Towers centres around the arrival of Darrell Rivers at Benenden School in the Cornish countryside. And from the get-go there is a flurry of characters at the school that perk your interest as a viewer. From teachers to students there is a wide range of extremely lovable characters to the darn right detestable that make your toes curl. This remains faithful to the greatness and the innocent and vivid descriptions of children's literature that is often tricky to depict on the screen. This version doesn't make you feel like that. In fact, it grabs your face, and makes you never want to leave. Just as Darrell never wants to leave the school. Nothing ever feels strained or forced. It's just all round lovely.
The plot of each episode usually focuses around drama within Darrel and her associates. There is talent that springs from every actress as they weave a web of fun, and relatability. Themes from the painful and awkward ways of making friends-to being scared of ghosts, spiders to more serious topics like estrangement from parents, class divides - Malory Towers has it all. Occasionally television for children can be dumbed down - or bought to extremes in attempts to rehash or modernise classic stories but Malory Towers was directed to perfection. (Just like 'Anne with an E' on Netflix. Add that to your list!)
The filming locations and the glaringly headstrong actresses make every twenty minute episode a delight and it just makes you feel at home. As a viewer, we learn to begrudge yet adore characters like Gwen and it is all done so in a bloody great, feminising experience wrapped up in a bow. I start every episode humming along to the theme tune and feeling like I am skipping into school with them. The escapism is strong in this show and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for something that appeals to their inner child. Even if you don't think you are, please do yourself a favour and check it out anyway.
Watch Malory Towers on BBC Iplayer. It's available for a year.
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