OH OH OH OH OH OH OH!!!!!! I LOVE Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys!!!!!!

I am a hard core fan of the original series. I've only read part of one of the Nancy Drew case files and it was ok but not the best. I've never seen anything on TV about either of them.

We have a bunch of the Nancy Drew books. Probably at least 3/4 of them. But we only have 6 or 7 Hardy Boy books. Our library has all of both series so I've read all of the books at one time or another. Just reading this topic has made me decide on what series I will start reading once I've finished the Left Behind series. I will start at the beginning of the Nancy Drew series and read all the way to the end and then do the same with the Hardy Boys.

Favorite era: Eh, the original, I guess? I read a lot of the hardback yellow and blue books and enjoyed them, but to me nothing compares to the very first books before both of the series were 'rebooted' and modernized in the 1950s, I believe. Growing up, we had a number of the old brown Hardy Boys that I liked (I think we only had a couple of the blue ones), but I quickly discovered that the old blue and tan Nancy Drews my mom had were very special. For one thing, I loved how much the time period was part of the setting, if that makes sense. Like Kat said, they're set in 20s/30s onward and you could tell that. In one ND book, there's a character who they mention was gassed (in WWI) and it never seemed out of place. It's one thing to read a book set in the past that was written recently, and it's another to read a book set in the past that was written during that time. I hope some of that makes sense.
That, and the books are just plain hilarious at times.

New series: I don't think I have read any, unless you consider the blue and yellow books new.

TV Series: I saw one of the Disney HB television series (The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure, I believe) and loved it. If you wanted a straight adaptation, you're bound to be disappointed (it features a younger set of boys, with Joe probably around 11 and Frank 12), but it's positively hilarious and I was quite disappointed not to be able to see the second series they did.
I also recently saw an episode of the 70's HB/ND series---a joint episode, actually, though Nancy didn't do much---and liked it pretty well. My sisters and I found it on Netflix and when my mom wanted to know what we were watching, we told her the 70's Hardy Boys, whereupon she responded, "The one with the creepy but cute Hardys?" But she was right---their hair styles/cuts are a bit frightening at times.

New ND movie: I haven't seen it, though I'd wanted to.

Hardback books: Yep, I have a number. I've started collecting both the old brown HB & blue ND books, and the Applewood reprints. Off the top of my head, I can't remember which all I have, though.

I really love the old brown cover Hardy Boys. We've been collecting them for several years, and we have... probably about three quarters of them.

My favourites of those are The Melted Coins Mystery and The Mystery of the Flying Express. (And I really want to read The Flickering Torch, which sounds pretty swell from the blurb they have in the book after it.)

It seems to me that there was a blue cover version that I enjoyed more than its brown counterpart, but I don't remember which one it is at the moment. Wireless Message maybe?

I think I have never read an original Nancy Drew. Unless I've read the Applewood reprint of the first one. I really like looking through old Nancy Drew covers, though. So much fun to watch her outfits change.

I think I'm confused. I always thought the NDs with yellow covers and the HBs with blue covers were the original. Those (the blue and yellow ones) are the ones I've read.

My sister collected almost all of the hardback yellow Nancy Drew books, we loved them. Hardy Boys seemed too similar, we never got interested in them.

I saw the new Nancy Drew movie when it came out: it was really cute I thought. Only disappointed it didn't have Bess and George I wish they'd come out with another one.....

Julie, these are the brown cover books. They're from the editions printed before the famous blue covers.

It's a quick visual clue that you've got the original story; some of the blue covers have totally different stories. (See: Disappearing Floor, Flying Express, and Clue of the Broken Blade. Six exciting adventures under three titles!) Many of the others were updated to include then-modern police methods.

I think I'm confused. I always thought the NDs with yellow covers and the HBs with blue covers were the original. Those (the blue and yellow ones) are the ones I've read.

The yellow and blue covered ones are marketed as the originals although #1-34 of Nancy Drew and #1-38 are really revised editions of books that were written earlier. They were updated and condensed. Some of them have been changed more than others. I've started going through the ND ones and making notes of the changes. I often refer to the original books (before revisions) as the original originals (I typed all that before I saw Meltintalle's post, since I took the time I'd figure I'd leave it. )

So what is your favorite era of the detectives?

That is a tough one. I love the original originals (the ones I've read) but I also love the ones 1-56 of Nancy Drew and 1-58 of Hardy Boys. I'll probably have to go with the original originals.

For one thing, I loved how much the time period was part of the setting, if that makes sense. Like Kat said, they're set in 20s/30s onward and you could tell that. In one ND book, there's a character who they mention was gassed (in WWI) and it never seemed out of place. It's one thing to read a book set in the past that was written recently, and it's another to read a book set in the past that was written during that time. I hope some of that makes sense.
That, and the books are just plain hilarious at times.

I agree. The writing style is so different and so funny at times. The time period really does seem like a part of the books although I hadn't really noticed it until then. One really gets a sense of times (or at least media feel of the times, since I'm not sure I'd use a fiction book as a source to find out how "normal" people live).

Did you read the new series?

Mostly no. I've read one Hardy Boys casefile book (we had to read it in school), several of the Super Mysteries, a couple choose your own adventure style ones, one where Nancy was in college, and the Super Sleuths ones. I have read a lot of the ones 57+ of ND and 59+ of HB. Those technically count as part of the "classic" series but they aren't as good as the first 56 and 58 respectively. I refuse to read the new Hardy Boys ones because they carry guns. In this day and age, I don't think teenagers carrying guns should be promoted. Having said that, I don't mind in the least when the HBs or ND carry weapons in the original originals. I also try to avoid any where they are solving murders because I think they are too young for that kind of work.

Have you seen any of the tv series?

I own the first and second season of the 1970s show and the Mystery of the Applegate Treasure on DVD. I have seen some of the episodes from the third season. I really really want the third season to come out on DVD so that I can see the rest.

What did you think of the newest Nancy Drew movie?

I didn't watch it because from what I saw in the ads it looked nothing like the books and they seemed to make Nancy look ridiculous.
It is really weird, I won't see the ND movie because it looks so different from the books but I liked Mystery of the Applegate Treasure, although it is quite different from the book and I love the Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew mysteries although there are also considerable changes from the books. Not to mention that changes to Narnia or LotR or most other books tend to really upset me. I do roll my eyes occasionally at some changes -for example that George is a wimp in the TV show. If they wanted a more timid friend for Nancy they just should have used Bess.

Do you have any of the hardback books?

I have 1-56 of the yellow Nancy Drew books, 1-58 of the blue Hardy Boys books, 1-16 of the original, original Hardy Boys books (Applewood reprints), 1-14 and 16-21 of the original, original Nancy Drew books (Applewood reprints). I really want to get number 15 either in the Applewood edition or any edition of the original original version. That will have to wait until I have steady employment though. I also have the Hardy Boys Detective Handbook, The Nancy Drew Cookbook, and The Nancy Drew Sleuth Book: Clues to Good Sleuthing.

I also have a question. When I was researching the TV show, I came across a quote that said that like in the books, the Hardy Boys' mother was deceased. In the classic series, they have a mother. Does anyone know if there is a series where they don't? I don't remember from the one casefile book I read if she was alive in that one or not. Of course the quote could be wrong too.

They were updated and condensed.

Do you know if it's the same as with the Hardy Boys, they went from having 25 chapters to 20?

I remember that my sisters and I have a theory that Laura Hardy is an impostor, but I don't remember what made us think that. It could just be the result of staying up late talking about the Hardy Boys, because I know it goes on and covers some really wild and random territory.

So, no, I have no idea if there's a series where she's dead or not.

They were updated and condensed.

Do you know if it's the same as with the Hardy Boys, they went from having 25 chapters to 20?

Yes, Hardy Boys went from 25 chapter to 20 chapters as well as the Nancy Drew ones.The ages of the characters changed too from the original originals to the revised ones. I forgot to mention that before. Nancy and Frank went from 16 to 18 and Joe went from 15 to 17.

I remember that my sisters and I have a theory that Laura Hardy is an impostor, but I don't remember what made us think that. It could just be the result of staying up late talking about the Hardy Boys, because I know it goes on and covers some really wild and random territory.

That sounds like a very interesting theory.

I must admit my experience with The Hardy boys to be limited to the series on TV during the late 70's. Though I do recall seeing an older movie with Micky Rooney as Andy Hardy. Oh yes, one Nancy Drew movie from the same era as well.
Though I did find the TV shows fun to watch as a teen, the plots were a little thin.
There was a mention of the Bobbsey twins, and Tom Swift. I was wondering if anyone has ever heard of the "Brains Benton Mysteries"?
I remember reading them in my elementary years,(ahem some thirty plus years ago.) Over several years of antique hunting I was able to find the whole set of six. Though not so well known, I would place them right up there with Nancy, and the guys.

That sounds like a very interesting theory.

Well, I like it better than the depressing commentary I found in an essay I read somewhere.

The essay was about what was reveled by the the lack of mothers/passive mothers in the Nancy Drew/ Hardy Boys/other Straemeyer syndicate books (because as we just noted, even though Laura Hardy is alive she doesn't get to do much; Aunt Gertrude takes the stage) and the philosophy behind it etc. I took offense at the author's "Now that I'm grown up and it's x years after the series was written I know so much better" attitude.

In a way, it is interesting to think about why we accept Aunt Gertrude when we would have a hard time accepting or liking her personality in the mother, but on the whole I like to think that the Hardy family has strong personalities and Mrs. Hardy is more passive and that's just the way she is!

Puddleglum, I don't think I've ever seen Brains Benton mentioned.

Hurrah! A SF for Nancy Drew/The Hardy Boys!

So what is your favorite era of the detectives?

Definitely the original era- the 1920s/30s. As some have already eloquently said, I love the feel of the original 200+ pages books, how they just feel like they are from that era, it's great. It's also interesting to note how the feel of the rest of the classics series progresses as it gets closer to the end- it goes from '50s, to '60s, to '70s, as the years progressed in which the books where written.

Did you read the new series?

Yes, I do. I don't like them as much as the originals, but they are still pretty good reading.

Have you seen any of the tv series? What did you think of the newest Nancy Drew movie?

I've only seen one episode of a Nancy Drew show, and I *think* it was the show most popular, not sure though. I saw the new movie when it came out and I actually enjoyed it for the most part.

Do you have any of the hardback books?

Oh yes! I have the entire series 1-56 in yellow hardback, and five of the 1950s originals before they were revised, but without the dust jackets.

I loved the Nancy Drew movie that came out just recently. I was pleasantly surprised at how clean it was and how they kept it to age appropriate stunts. Nothing totally out of the ordinary for a 16 year old. Well... most 16 year olds don't know how to defuse a bomb, but it was plausible.

Laura Hardy made more of an appearance in The Hardy Boy Casefiles. She seemed to be a good counterpoint to Fenton. I didn't like the Nancy Drew Files as much though.

I loved the Super Mysteries. I used to have most of them. My favorite parts were reading the sections where they ran into each other. lol. It was also nice that there were a couple of reoccuring storylines like the cat burglar.

I've got like 5 1930s Nancy Drew books. At one time we had a, what I think was, first edition Bobbsey Twins book. My mom had a bunch of the yellow covers and those are the ones I grew up reading. I read some of the original run of paperbacks that was a continuation of the yellow cover series.

I haven't touched the recent series. I opened it up and started flipping through it and was more than a bit annoyed that the reading level seemed so much lower than the yellow covers. I was a bit disappointed.

Oh, I love the Nancy Drew Hardy Boy Mysteries. I own both seasons. I didn't like the 2nd Nancy Drew actress though.