For almost 60 years, Gordon Murray’s timeless Trumpton Trilogy has been entertaining kids— both old and young. This September, Camberwick Green, Trumpton, and Chigley arrive on blu-ray for the first time, and are available to buy, either individually or in one epic Trumptonshire boxset. With a run time of 558 minutes, that’s an awful lot of cozy.
Starting in 1966, with Camberwick Green, then Trumpton in 1967, and finally Chigley in 1969, these iconic children’s shows were aired repeatedly on the BBC until the mid ‘80s and later broadcast on Channel 4 and Nickelodeon Jr. Making them one of the few series that Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials can all look back on nostalgically.
Fabulous Films’ new releases are fully restored from the original negatives, and while the picture quality is never going to be HD, the images are bright and crisp, and you hear the dialogue without resorting to subtitles.
It goes without saying that, even in the 1960s, the Trumpton triangle wasn’t exactly diverse or progressive. You’ll be hard pressed to find a woman or a non-white character amongst the lords of the manor, mayors, cheeky working types, butlers, and boy soldiers. However the themes of friendship, honesty, fairness, and community are just as applicable today, as they were way back when.
Unlike many modern kid’s shows, who feel that children need to be hyped to learn, the Trumpton Trilogy is an oasis of clam. I guarantee that, if you snuggle up on the sofa with your little one, Brain Cant’s soporific tones, will have you both dozing off in no time.
Despite being a little creaky around the edges, the Trumpton Trilogy are classic British stop-motion, and great kids’ viewing.