Frances Hodgson Burnett was best known for penning three children/family literary classics that have been beloved for decades and adapted numerous times. They are 'Little Lord Fauntleroy', 'A Little Princess' and 'The Secret Garden'.
Of the numerous versions of 'The Secret Garden', it is this adaptation from the BBC that is the most faithful, being often word for word and very close in detail with few changes (any that were made were very minor), which those who prefer films/television adapted from source material to be as faithful as possible will appreciate. With that being said, it is not my personal favourite version, judging all the adaptations from a standalone perspective my favourite is the 1993 film, which had more polish, a little more soul and very memorable music and performances.
'The Secret Garden' (1975) is not without its faults. There is an artificial, un-evocative and drably low-budget look to the sets, which do look like rather studio bound and not much is done to make it less obvious. This is especially true for the garden, which should have been far more wondrous later on.
David Patterson didn't do anything for me either as Colin, inexperience shows and his dialogue delivery is often rushed and stilted, plus character growth was not particularly convincing with him being too much of a brat throughout.
However, Sarah Holis Andrews makes for a spirited, suitably sullen and later quite charming Mary, with her unlike Colin here there is a real sense of character growth and evolution. Andrew Harrison is perhaps definitive as Dickon, with the most Yorkshire-sounding accent.
Hope Johnstone's Mrs Medlock is appropriately beastly while with a little humanity later, while the Lord Craven of John Woodnutt is as mysterious and melancholic as necessary. Tom Harrison and Jacqueline Hoyle fare well as Ben and Martha.
Lacking sets aside, 'The Secret Garden' (1975) is photographed pleasingly, and is lovingly costumed. Transfer is pretty good. The music is both sombre and uplifting, like the story itself, while the dialogue is like the book come to life. The story spaces itself out over the lengthy length with ease and rarely drags, displaying every ounce of the book's charm, mystery and sense of hope.
Overall, lovely adaptation and well worth watching. 8/10 Bethany Cox
