The Famous Five - Perils on the Night Train promises an 'absolute thrill ride, that doesn’t let go at any point'

Nicolas Winding Refn (byNWR) and Matthew Read (Moonage Pictures) bring Enid Blyton's classics to life with a new and fresh reimagining of the iconic stories.

The Famous Five follows five daring young explorers as they encounter treacherous, action-packed adventures, remarkable mysteries, unparalleled danger and astounding secrets.

The second episode, Peril On The Night Train is a cross-country thriller involving Quentin's invention of a state-of-the-art proto-computer dubbed 'the Algebra Engine'. With war on the horizon, the contraption is critical for the country's counter intelligence efforts and it's a race against time to prevent the machine falling into enemy hands.

Early August, 1939. While Uncle Quentin is preoccupied with the invention of his proto-computer and Aunt Fanny works on a new mystery novel, George, Julian, Dick, Anne and Timmy are kept out of trouble by the exasperatingly dreary home tutor Mr Roland, played by Ed Speleers (Downton Abbey) who teaches them about the Corn Laws for days on end. But their mystery-solving prowess is reactivated when a ghost hunt in the cottage turns into a cross-country thriller.

Worried that Quentin's breakthrough might be snatched away by the nation's enemies, the Famous Five resolve to deliver the Algebra Engine to the Secret Intelligence Service's top-secret facility in Scotland - and they find themselves boarding the Highland Sleeper…

But they're not alone. Other interested parties are along for the ride, including international woman of mystery Sabrina Grover played by Nora Arnezeder (Army of the Dead), single-minded typewriter saleswoman Frau Winter (Julia-Maria Arnolds) and brash American businessman Maxwell Endicott, Jr (Michael Lindall). Before long, the Algebra Engine becomes the object of a dangerous game of pass-the-parcel as the Famous Five strive to foil the plans of their mysterious enemy…

Reprising their roles as Aunt Fanny and Uncle Quentin are Ann Akinjirin (Moon Knight) and James Lance (Ted Lasso). They are joined in episode two by Ed Speleers (Downton Abbey) as Mr Roland and Nora Arnezeder (Army of the Dead) as Sabrina Grover.

George is played by Diaana Babnicova, Julian by Elliott Rose, Dick by Kit Rakusen and Anne by Flora Jacoby Richardson.

The Famous Five (3x 90') is a BBC commission in co-production with German ZDF and in association with The Mediapro Studio for Spain, Portugal and Latin America. BBC Studios are distributing the series internationally.

The Famous Five was commissioned by Sarah Muller, Senior Head of BBC Children's Commissioning 7+ and the Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Amy Buscombe. For ZDF, Frank Seyberth, Head of International Coproduction, is responsible for the series together with Katharina Kremling as Commissioning Editor. The first episode is directed by Tim Kirkby (Fleabag, The Pentaverate) and produced by Moonage Pictures and byNWR Originals. Asim Abbasi (Churails, Cake, Count Abdulla) and Bill Eagles (Beautiful Creatures, Gotham, Pennyworth) will direct the following episodes. BBC Studios, who have a minority stake in Moonage, will oversee international distribution.

Episode two will air on CBBC on 29 March and will also air on BBC One on 1 April at 2pm.

The final episodes of The Famous Five series, The Eye Of The Sunrise, will follow later this year and feature Jason Flemyng (Snatch) as circus magician the Great Supremo and Art Malik (True Lies) as Sir Lincoln Aubrey.

LM4

Watch the trailer

Were you a fan/did you read the Famous Five books as a child?

Yes! Even though my early years were spent in a small town in Pakistan, The Famous Five was a big part of growing up for many of us there. Many a days spent daydreaming about carefree adventures and English picnics! Little did the 8-year old me know that he'll get the opportunity to be part of a re-imagining of those beloved books.

The famous saying goes, never work with children or animals, you had to do both, how was it?

Oh, it was without a doubt, one of the best experiences of my life. Children and animals bring a natural innocence and authenticity to every moment, which as filmmakers, we are always striving for. The kids (and Kip the dog!) were all just so brilliant, fun and dedicated - it was a complete joy to be able to work with them.

What was it like working to the vision of Nicholas Winding Refn?

Initially, intimidating! Nicholas has had a huge influence on my craft - I was so obsessed with Only God Forgives that I saw it three times in the cinema in its first days of release. So of course to have the opportunity to work with someone whose work you admire, and be able to justice to it, is a big undertaking. But Nicholas was so clear as to the new, unique direction he wanted to take this episode, and he, along with Matthew Read, gave me the confidence to use my voice and be as bold as possible with Priya's brilliant script. Our references then became these old Hollywood films from the likes of Alfred Hitchcock and Douglas Sirk, and resulted in these really striking palettes and compositions. I would like to believe that we have managed to create something that is visually rather unique.

What do you hope viewers will take away from watching Ep 2 of Famous Five?

It is an absolute thrill ride, that doesn't let go at any point - there are multiple suspects, multiple dangers, multiple adventures! And who doesn't love a cross-country train?! And The Famous Five really come into their own and become truly united in this episode. It is a wholesome viewing experience for families and a real opportunity for parents to re-ignite their own sense of adventure.

What drew you to direct an episode of Famous Five?

The ability to re-visit a part of my childhood, whilst doing a job that I love! And I had made a promise to my son to direct more stuff that he and his friends can watch and this is it!

Could you tell me who you are and who you play in the Famous Five.

I'm Ed Speleers and I play Agent Keats, who is also their teacher, Alex Roland. Agent Keats is an undercover spy working for Special Intelligence. He's quite straight down the line, no nonsense, quite clinical in his approach. Although, there are moments of potential hilarity for him where he catches himself. I tried to keep him as straight as possible because when he's in disguise as Mr Roland. Mr Roland is disguised as a sort of foppish character in the script, I tried to push that a little bit further. He's trying to not give away what he might be really up to. And actually, some of the children in particular, George, think he might be up to no good but he isn't really up to no good, he's there on very important business.

Tell us what excited you about the Famous Five series?

I think one of the main things that excited me is that it's nice to do an adventure story at any time. For me personally, it's been a nice removal from maybe some of the projects I've been a part of for the last little while. More importantly, I haven't been able to do anything that my children can watch, so I'm very much excited to see something that they can enjoy. Importantly, these are stories that have been part of our culture and our history for such a long time. To see them reimagined and I think moved forward actually in the right manner by a really great creative team, with a really wonderful crew and the heads of departments are really young and I like that. And it's been great working with the young cast, so I just feel it ticked a lot of boxes to try and do something very different for me.

Can you tell us a little bit about what it's been like filming with the cast and crew?

I mean they're a bit of a nightmare, they're kids aren't they? So they're a bit of a nightmare. Only joking, they've been wonderful and I think the fact that they've been doing this six weeks before even I got here and they've got another block to go. They've been so impressive, you know, they turn up, they're always really, really upbeat. They listen to whatever notes are given their way. They're very warm, friendly kids and they're very good as well. It's interesting when you work with younger actors because they're still very much in touch with the natural way of understanding, tapping into their imagination. I think as we get older, we have to work a little bit harder for it or allow ourselves time to get there. Whilst with kids they're much more supple to that which has been quite interesting to watch.

You're a double agent in the series. How have you found that?

It's a dream come true. I've wanted to play a spy as I'm a big fan of espionage and whether it be novels or films or TV, always have been, since my dad probably showed me James Bond way back when. So to be able to do that and to do it in this time period as well has been really exciting. You're charging around trains, you're handling old Colt guns, it's all good fun, yes it's great. Genuinely it's been something I've wanted to do for a long time.

How was it when you filmed the reveal of your character?

Well, I was covered in syrup and feathers, so it was definitely a humble way to reveal who his true identity was. It was almost like a Home Alone moment, he used to set up all these booby traps and Roland or Keats, dressed as Roland, although he was Keats at that time, he's sneaking around trying to find out who this intruder is and what they're up to and the kids completely stitch him up. He trips on a load of marbles and the kids give him a hard time, basically they batter him, so as he's trying to reveal who he really is, he's covered in all this gubbins.

What do you think Keats thinks about the Famous Five, including Timmy?

I think he loves Timmy. I have a border collie so it's quite nice seeing this dog charging around the place, Kip is very impressive. I feel as Roland sometimes he likes to hide or mask his true opinion. But I think he's particularly impressed by George's determination and actually her willingness to defy authority. Because she does most of the time and it's based on good reason as well, so I think he's particularly impressed by her drive, actually their ingenuity as a team. They're willing to think on their feet and they're very courageous. I don't think I'd have been as adventurous as that as a kid. I mean I used to think I was but they do push the limits.

Are there any lines in the script that have really stood out for you? Or even like favourite scenes, favourite moments?

I have enjoyed doing the Keats dialogue although it's very wordy and it is very much information. But actually, there's a real technique to that when he's giving his big special intelligence spiel and there's a war coming and all that sort of stuff. I've enjoyed it because it's felt like a throwback to old black and white movies that you might have liked growing up as a kid. It's the closest I'm going to get to The Great Escape at this point.

Who would you say you're most like in the Famous Five?

I don't know, probably Timmy the dog, just happy to be there charging around. I think George's character is quite interesting because she's real, she is defiant, but she also doesn't really suffer falls gladly as well and she's quite strong willed. I think Julian's quite an interesting character as well, he's maybe not as robust as George but he does crack onto things quite quickly. He's aware of what's going on around him and he listens as well. Quite an important trait. Maybe I don't listen.

What's it been like filming this episode?

So far, a lot of what I've been doing has been predominantly on a stage which has been great, I was blown away by the Kirrin Cottages that they built. The details are so well put together as you walk in all of those rooms. I was really, really impressed with that. There are constraints when filming but I feel that actually everything they're trying to do here is to try and push the boundaries as much as possible and give it that scope and scale. You've only got to look behind and you can just about see it's in a breath-taking location. I think some of the techniques they're using on set as well, they've been doing some really graceful camera shots and just trying to give it that cinematic feel and almost a quality that feels timeless but it also feels like it's placed in some sort of nostalgic moment that ties into early cinema which I quite like.

Did your costume and hair/make-up help you get into character?

It's always hugely important to me and I think more so on this than ever really because I didn't have much time between finding out and the job starting, it's that classic thing once you put the clothes you do feel the character and that's really happened here. With the make-up design and in particular the hair design has been very specific. We wanted Roland to feel quite tight and sort of slick back, slick down and Keats is a little bit looser but it's been a huge, huge, huge assistance in helping me find who these people are or this person is who's in disguise.

In terms of audiences what do you think they'll make of it? What do you hope they'll feel when they're watching it?

Well hopefully first and foremost they'll all turn their phones off, sticking them well aside because that winds me up. I hope the audience just enjoys this wonderful adventure and I think it will be something for everybody and I think to have drama put together or shows put together that can reach a global audience, the whole family is a great thing to do. I'm sure for some people it will throw back to a different time but I think in the scripts we have done that and the team we've assembled is quite a progressive way of making this sort of television. Hopefully it will just take us on a good ride, a good journey and have that sense of escapism that we're all looking for.

Nora Arnezeder (Sabrina Grover and Mrs. Sassoon)

Could you tell me who you are and who you play in The Famous Five.

My name is Nora Arnezeder and I'm playing Sabrina Grover and Mrs Sassoon and Nina Martine.

Could you tell me a little bit about your character?

Sabrina Grover used to work for the British government and now she works for the German government and they're asking her to steal this very important machine that can potentially help with the war.

What excited you about the series and why did you want to play Sabrina?

What was really exciting to me when I first read the script, I have a three-year-old nephew and when I read the script I was like very excited. First, I think it's really well written and I'm very excited about this character, Sabrina, and being able to embody different characters. It's kind of a dream for an actor but also being able to work on a show that your nephew can watch, and he can be proud of his auntie. That's fun. I made him watch the 1960s show and said, "Auntie Nora is going to be playing her in the new version."

Sabrina is sort of the villain of this episode, how has that been to get into that type of character?

It's interesting because she is the villain but I did play the villain in other projects but I never approached any character as the villain. She's navigating life trying to survive like anyone, and I don't think that in the real-world people who do bad things consider themselves as villains. So as she says in the episode to George, "I'm just a mere player in a much bigger game."

But why does she want the algebra machine specifically?

Well, actually she wants to do it for the money. The money for her is a way to buy her freedom and independence. She's a very modern person. She's ahead of her time. She's well-travelled and she's well read. She was raised in a very strict family and now she's a bit rebellious and I think that this money can buy her independence and freedom.

Do you think Sabrina's met her match with The Famous Five? What does she make of them?

Definitely, she sees herself in George. She actually likes her in the beginning and sees that George has the potential to stop her from getting to her objective, which is to get the machine. And then she realises that she kind of likes her and they love to play a cat and mouse game together. I think actually she respects her.

What is it that you think audiences or people watching this or what do you hope that they kind of take from this and enjoy about it?

I think this show will be a very special one. It's a real family reunion. I think it can appeal to young kids, teenagers and people like me.

What's been your favourite sort of scene that you've done so far?

I really like playing the scene when George takes her at the end of the shore. It's the last scene of Sabrina, and you get to see her vulnerability, the vulnerability that we never really saw before, that she had to hide. And then George tells her, "I know who you are. You're not Sabrina Grover. You're Nina Martine." And she tells her everything. And she pauses a moment and she's like, "Okay, she knows who I am." She shares her vulnerability and why she had to do what she had to do. I think it's always interesting to be playing those strong characters that have flaws.

How does it feel to be working on quite an upscale project?

You just have to look at what's around us, the train station. It's incredible. Is it a real one? Is it a set? I don't even know. This is why I love this job because you get to discover incredible locations but also travel in time. We shot at an amazing hotel and you feel like you're in another world, like you've travelled in time.

Simon Paisley Day (Brigadier Hollingsbrook)

Could you introduce yourself and who you play in Famous Five and tell us a little bit about your character?

My name is Simon Paisley-Day and I play Brigadier Hollingsbrook. Brigadier Hollingsbrook is not a man that you want to mess with. He is a military man, he is Scottish, he doesn't have much of a sense of humour. He's got a private Craig who is more sympathetic to these blasted children than I am. So, yeah, I get quite peeved.

What excited you about The Famous Five and why did you want to play this character?

I am thrilled to be playing it because I grew up with Famous Five and Secret Seven, I'm not just saying they're my era because Enid Blyton predated me by several decades. I heard that Scooby-Doo, which is a great thing for me in my teens as a cartoon, was taken from Enid Blyton. I don't know if that is the truth, but apparently so. And I loved Enid Blyton and I loved Scooby-Doo, so there it is. Win-win. That's made in heaven.

What has been your favourite scene to shoot?

There was a scene in my office where Agent Keats comes out of a hidden door with a picture of the other secret agent. There's a lot going on, there's a dog and the kids and Quentin that's a lot around a small table. But the director, Asim did a great bit of directing where it didn't get overshot, sometimes you see a scene like that and you think, God, that is going to take hours to do because it's got so many people in it. But he was very specific about what he wanted and who he would include in which particular shots, so it was nice, plus I got to be really beastly to George.

What does Hollingsbrook make of Th Famous Five?

They're just an irritation, aren't they? Just an irritation. I got to say, Private Craig, please escort these children to the barracks and just take them away. Take them away. I would have thought he doesn't have children himself, or if he did, you know they'd be completely beaten into the ground. Little silent types. I don't think he has enjoyed being around children in his life, so children who not only play, but get involved in matters of political and military business are not to be tolerated. No secret admiration for them? As me, yes, but not as Brigadier. No, just annoyed, I think.

How has it been working with the children as cast and also the crew?

They're absolute shockers, the children. They're shockers. No, they're completely delightful, and the crew has been lovely. The dog is very sweet, nothing but praise for them all. The kids are incredibly professional, but being kids, they know how to have fun and giggle, they've got lots of amazing energy which we can feed off, like parasites. But when push comes to shove, they get it together and they're actually more professional than us. The final shot, they were filming the kids outside the door listening to the rest of the conversation inside the room. The adults couldn't hold it together and all started giggling and then little Flora comes in and goes, "This is our shot and you're mucking it up. For goodness sake, come on, grownups, get it together."

As Simon, if you were to be one of The Famous Five who would you identify with most?

It's either Julian or Timmy. Why Timmy? Just because he gets to sort of wander off and sniff things instead of, you know, "I'm with you, but oh, this is interesting over here."

Do you think you'd be able to just give us a sense of the scale and the tone of the show and what we might expect?

Well, there's a loch, and there's possibly a monster in it, or is it a U-boat, and there's the great hills of Scotland, or Wales. Anyway, some lovely mountains and hills and beautiful sunshine, and then also big curtains of rain and big clouds around, so it's wonderful to be out in the elements. Then you've got military jeeps going past, and you've got canvas tents in the grounds of stately homes, so it's got a grandeur about it, but then you've got this mystery and a wonderful prop inside a suitcase. So yeah, there's gadgets and gizmos and derring-do and intrigue.

Could you talk to us a little bit about your costume, hair and makeup?

It was lucky that the costume fitted me, because I was in North Carolina with my family, and they said, 'Oh, can you come for a costume fitting at Angels?' And I said I can't, because I'm in North Carolina. So they said, 'Well, we'll do a Zoom costume meeting' and I thought, how does that work? Does someone hold up a jacket and go 'do you think that would fit you?' and I'd go, mm, mm, I think that might fit me. Or do I mime putting it on and go, "Oh, it's a bit pinchy under the arms. So a Zoom costume fitting was not going to work, but I did sort of have a nice chat and go, here, these are my measurements. And what they brought was perfect, apart from the britches, which are incredibly tight, and I can't really bend my legs. So a couple of times I've had to sort of get in and out of the jeep like that. But I've decided to play Brigadier Hollingsbrook as a double amputee, lost both of his legs in the First World War, and therefore he can't really bend his knees. That was a character choice, but led by the britches. Improvisation, I'll tell you.

What do you hope audiences will make of the show?

Well, I can only hope that they will be intrigued by it and charmed by it. And for people my age and older, they'll be swept back in time to the days of their book reading of Famous Five and Secret Seven, so that will be enchanting and sort of nostalgic. But it's not just an exercise in nostalgia, it's exciting, great production value, drama for kids, but with stuff for adults too, I think, all hopefully properly acted as a terrific cast. Not by me, but everyone else! Everyone's doing an amazing job. I think there should be something for everyone in this. Even dogs might tune in. Especially dogs.

Reviews from Episode 1

The Spectator

"Faithfully old-fashioned but daringly modern (…) The Famous Five is that very rare and precious thing: a TV show that both children and adults can thoroughly enjoy"

The i

"Enid Blyton would have loved the BBC's new Famous Five (…) I certainly thought it was enchanting and made perfect family watching."

The Guardian

"Fans can rest assured that they're set for something magical this Christmas"

Daily Mail

"The BBC should have a big hit on its hands with this epic and exciting new series."