The Box of Delights 1.06

Leave us not Little, nor yet Dark

Kay wakes up in time to see Abner Brown enter a secret room in the basement. There he consults with a robotic looking talking head. Abner sends magical flying creatures to disrupt all transport in the surrounding area. Abner finds out from the head that he had the Box of Delights "under his hand" and didn't notice it.

Kay, still tiny, watches everything and just before Abner gets ready to leave the room Kay spots the Box of Delights. He follows Abner after grabbing the Box. Abner goes to the cell where Cole Hawlings is locked up. He threatens the old Punch and Judy man but when Abner can't get anything out of him he turns a valve which releases water that will flood the dungeon.

Kay comes out when Abner leaves. He helps Mr. Hawlings escape the cell. Together they find the remaining prisoners that are still in the Dungeon, Peter and Caroline Louisa. Together they leave the dungeon. Abner sets the upper levels of the Theological Training College on fire with explosives. The police arrive in time to help the bishop, the choirboys, and everyone else escape from the fire.

Abner Brown gets knocked backwards into the water that is flooding the dungeon and sinks down into the water. Everyone else heads to the Tatchester Cathedral for midnight mass.

The show ends with Kay waking up on the train. It seems that the whole story was a dream.

Thoughts

A number of the supporting characters show up briefly in this episode.

It was good to see this show again. It did not, on the whole, quite live up to my memories of it. The special effects are on a par with Doctor Who, not great. It is a children's story. I don't regret watching it but I don't see myself watching it again.

Extras

The DVD I purchased includes about an hour's worth of extras:

Box of Delights Reunion (16 Jul 2004; 27 minutes) - Devin Stanfield (Kay Harker) and Renny Rye (director) talk about their memories of making the show, interactions with Patrick Troughton (Cole Hawlings) and Robert Stephens (Abner Brown), how well the show holds up, and what they have done since Box of Delights.

Blue Peter (19 Nov 1984; 12 minutes) - a conversation with Devin Stanfield (Kay Harker), Simon Barry (Mouse), and Patrick Troughton (Cole Hawlings) about the making of the show

Pebble Mill at One (21 Nov 1984; 10 minutes) - a look at the making of special effects with Robin Lobb and a conversation with Devin Stanfield (Kay Harker) and screenwriter Alan Seymour

Take Two (29 Dec 1984; 8 minutes) - reactions of children who have seen the show and and a brief interview with director Renny Rye