@narnian78 Very nice! I was going to say "Where's Lucy, though? — but if you click on the photo, you can see the original on Facebook, and she's kneeling in front of Aslan.

And I'd forgotten (having not watched the series for quite some years) that they used dark-skinned actors for the satyrs — only a minor role, to be sure, but I do roll my eyes a bit when people seem to be claiming that "diversity and inclusion" in films and TV is something new that was virtually unknown until a few years ago!! (Mind you, when it comes to colour, only the 1979 animated version of LWW has portrayed Mr Tumnus according to the book, with "rather reddish" skin — the live-action screen versions both have him played by a white guy. But then, the animation also gives him green hair and has him hopping about like a frog, so I'm not sure exactly what they were aiming to do there...)

35 years.  Can't believe it's been that long.  I have a lot of fond memories of watching them on VHS as a young lad (and re-watches on youtube a couple years ago).  Silver Chair is still my favourite. 

(And the 8 foot tall beavers still make me laugh every time)

I have always loved the soundtrack music of the BBC Narnia by Geoffrey Burgon. The passage of time has not changed that, and I love listening to it today just as much as during the 1980’s.  The Walden soundtrack music I like much better now than than when the movies first came out. It seemed a bit too modern at first and perhaps it is still a bit too much like today’s music, but it is very listenable.  Isn’t Narnia supposed to be old fashioned like the medieval times?  However, I liked the soundtracks enough to buy both the BBC Narnia’s and the Walden films’ music. It is all very tasteful music.  🙂

@narnian78 Geoffrey Burgon's music for the BBC Narnia series is superb — it's one of my favourite TV show themes of all time. All these years later, I still think of it as "the" theme tune for Narnia!  

Oh gosh — a bit late for this! 😮 HAPPY 35TH ANNIVERSARY, BBC Chronicles Of Narnia! 😀 

As I have posted before, the BBC series really does have a special place in my heart and owning the bumper video is of TLWW is a strong part of my childhood nostalgia.

As low-budget as the series is, I still prefer them to the Walden films. 😛

Posted by: @sir-cabbage

As low-budget as the series is, I still prefer them to the Walden films. 😛

And that's fine! While the Walden LWW film has been very popular and I was actually satisfied with it (for the most part), I do have a soft spot for the BBC TV series.

I honestly can't decide which version I prefer, though I think the Focus on the Family Radio Theatre comes pretty close.

Posted by: @sir-cabbage

As low-budget as the series is, I still prefer them to the Walden films. 😛

Me too (if I hadn't already mentioned ). Seriously, though — hokey and clunky though the results were, the BBC largely made screen versions of what C.S. Lewis wrote. Walden made screen versions of what they apparently thought C.S. Lewis should have written. That, to me, is the biggest difference between a good and bad adaptation, respectively.

Well, given that the Walden was released shortly after the success of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, fantasy was kind of on the rampage at the time! As time went on, it seemed to have fallen out of favor. 

As for the BBC TV Series, well, not done perfectly, but I still enjoy it for what it is. It's almost interesting to see what each different company does with Narnia (especially for Narnia fans).

I have a feeling the BBC renditions will be the best adaptations of Narnia we will ever get. Or at least that we will get for a very long time. Maybe one day far in the future, when what is possible has changed, and the general mood has changed, maybe then something will be able to be done. All were charming, but I would really only say their LWW is truly a good work. But it is very good. It is humble, yes, and homey, but to me that captures the feel of Narnia much more than the slick Walden films. 

Whoever plays Professor Kirke is perfect. Every once in a while I will go back and watch the scene where Peter and Susan go to him, asking what is to be done about Lucy, who seems, maybe, to be going mad. But is it really true, Professor, that nothing is more probable than that there should be other worlds? "That is more than I know."

I recently found this interesting video from 1988 about the making of the BBC Narnia. Barbara Kellerman and Sophie Wilcox were guests on the program, which was made just before the second series Prince Caspian and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  The video quality is rather poor, but it is still watchable.

@narnian78 thank you. That's one I haven't seen before, although Sophie and Barbara were in an interview which is included in the box set.

@coracle 

You’re welcome.  I had also not seen the video before.  I was surprised that it still existed. It would be great if more videos were available about the making of the BBC Narnia.  🙂

This is an interesting article about how the Aslan puppet was made:

https://talesofadressmaker.com/2017/04/01/the-making-of-aslan/?fbclid=IwAR2r5-2j_OOzurbTpg1XaCXKBbLds6dyIKnQgF1BcwnncAj55HxOr9YpYf0

Awesome! The "smoke story" is hilarious.

A while ago I found this clip from the Blue Peter show on how they operated Aslan in the series:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DopuGcjmSyU&pp=ygUQQmx1ZSBwZXRlciBhc2xhbg%3D%3D

@the-mad-poet-himself 

I always liked the Aslan puppet in spite of the mechanical movement of his mouth. Ronald Pickup was very good for the gentle voice of the Lion, which was an important part of his personality.  I had seen this video before, although it was many years after the television broadcast since the program did not air in my area of the U. S. at that time.  Thanks for sharing the video!  🙂