Figure 1.--Kay Hawker in "Box of Delights" wears a traditional English school uniform. The production is set in England during the 1930s.
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Figure 1.--Kay Hawker in "Box of Delights" wears a traditional English school uniform. The production is set in England during the 1930s. |
HBC is sometimes uncertain as to whether we should put some British broadcasts in the TV or movie section. (We do put made TV movies in the movie section for organiaztional simplicity.) We are putting Box of Delights in the TV section because it was a six-part serial. The program has become a minor Christmas classic in the U.K. It concerns an English schoolboy perhaps set in the 1930s returning home on a train for the Christnas holidays. He wears a traditional school uniform complere with the school cap. An old Punch and Judy man slips him the "box of delights" and he has an exciting adventure. In the end it was a dream as he wakes up when the train comes into his station.
The Box of Delights is a book by John Masefield. HBC is sometimes uncertain as to whether we should put some British broadcasts in the TV or movie section. (We do put made TV movies in the movie section for organiaztional simplicity.) We are putting Box of Delights in the TV section because it was a six-part serial. The program has become a minor Christmas classic in the U.K. It concerns an English schoolboy perhaps set in the 1950s returning home on a train for the Christnas holidays. He wears a traditional school uniform complere with the school cap. An old Punch and Judy man slips him the "box of delights" and he has an exciting adventure. In the end it was a dream as he wakes up when the train comes into his station.
The program is set in England, perhaps during the 1930s. The plot is a bit far fetched, but the atmosphere of England in the 1930s is quite effective, enhanced Roger Limb's wonderful atmospheric music score to help create the Christmas spirit
Figure 2.--Kay in this still encounters the travelling Punch and Judy man, played by the late Patrick Troughton who was also the second Doctor Who. |
The main character is Kay Harker who is played by Devin Stanfiels. The travelling Punch and Judy man, played by the late Patrick Troughton who was also the second Doctor Who.
Box of Delights concerns an English schoolboy, Kay Harker, returning home on a train for the Christnas holidays. The adventure begins when two clergymen on the train pick Kay's pocket. Cole Hawlings, an old Punch and Judy man, at the station then slip Kay his wonderful "Box of Dlights". Kay does not realize it at the time, but the two clergymen are in the employ of the evil Abner Brown who covets the Box of Delights for himself. Kay finds their behaviour odd, he does not suspect their real intentions. Under the guise of the respectable Reverend Doctor Boddledale, Abner arranges the kidnapping of several high ranking clergymen from the area in an attempt to put a stop to the upcoming 1,000th Christmas service at Tatchester Cathedral. The Punch and Judy man is also kidnapped, but Abner is unable to find the Box of Delights, and the old man refuses to tell him what he has done with it.
Kay learns why Abner is searching for the Box. Hawlings is several hundred years old, having taken an elixir of eternal life from Arnold of Todi, who created the Box of Delights. It is this magical elixir that Abner covets. He soons captures Kay as well locking him up with the others in his dungeons.
The concluding episode takes place on Christmas Eve. The nostalgic atmospheric music score helps to create the Christmas spirit, despite the turn of events. The absemce of clergymen, however, seems to cast doubt on whether the 1000th Christmas service can proceed. With Kay and most of the cast locked in dungeons Abner finally realises that he has failed in his attempt to lay his hands on the Box of Delights and the elixir of life. He decides to get his revenge and opens the floodgates to drown all the prisoners. He then sends demons to create terrible weather in the area surrounding Tatchester. Kay and his friends, however, use te magical Box to save the day. In the end, however, the adventure proves to be a dream as Kay wakes up when the train comes into his station.
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