Shadow of the Stone- Cult TV Series Review

Whilst trawling through the internet, trying to find a series like Children of the Stones- a compelling sci-fi, mystery, PG/ suitable for kids after school-type folk horror show- I found out about Shadow of the Stones. My curiosity piqued by the term ‘stones’ I thought I’d give it a try.

The 6-part series follows the story of an unhappy teenager called Liz who befriends a sailor from America called Steve who sails upon a yacht called the Marie Lamont. The name of the boat is important as Liz feels that she is a kindred spirit with the person it is named after who lived over 300 years ago.

Liz wishes upon the ancient Granny Kempock stone and finds herself connecting with a 17th century girl, called Marie Lamont, who was tried as a witch. But what connects Steve's ancestor Marie Lamont with Liz

As her divorced mother's relationship with her teacher gets more serious, Liz is understandably upset and takes it out on the family. Will the spirit of Marie Lamont take over and wreak havok?

I recognised a lot of the cast including Shirley Henderson, who is now most famous for playing Moaning Myrtle in Harry Potter and being a friend of Bridget Jones, and Alan Cummings, who plays a jealous young man interested in Liz, who has starred in many shows and films including the original X Men film trilogy, Spice World and loads more. Both are solid in this early career role but Henderson in particular plays a headstrong and arrogant teenager with aplomb.

The series is interesting enough as the folk tale element is intriguing and the story of a connection to the land and ancestry is always ripe for storytelling. The scenery of Renfrewshire is gorgeous to look at and, being a series that was made in 1987, shows a different time in terms of fashion and technology.

The budget is obviously minuscule but the simple story of a young girl feeling isolated and alone in her community is a powerful one. The earnest acting makes this an intriguing watch and Henderson really goes for it, changing from a young precocious girl to angry vengeful timeslip witch seeking revenge on those who wronged her. The folk tale element of Marie Lamont and the Granny Kempock stone is compelling and draws you in as it looks at mental health and whether we do enough to support those at a younger age.

Okay, it no Children of the Stones but then, what is? This is a solid short series and we'll worth a couple of hours of your time.

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Children of the Stones- BBC Podcast Drama Review

The ‘Children of the Stones’ audio podcast is a modern retelling of the classic spooky 1977 children's series and book. I watched the original series in 2015 after hearing lots of people talking about how wonderful and scary the series was and how formative it was in their childhood so I thought if give it a go. I wasn't disappointed and became an instant fan. The general premise is simple- an archaeometrist (person who looks at carbon dating, mathematics and other data to study historical objects and sites) and his teenage son move to Milbury, a village framed by an ancient stone circle. Over the course of a few weeks the new visitors discover that the town is hiding a dark secret and things are not as they seem as people seem unnaturally happy and cheerful (Yup Toto, we were not in Barking anymore)

The original show dealt with heady concepts like time loops, predetermination and time travel but what really got me was the eerie atmosphere and the sense of unease. I was surprised it was a show aimed at kids as it is genuinely unnerving and gets under your skin. So it was with some excitement (and some trepidation) that I listened to the new audio production; would the drama podcast be as good as the series?

Well, the high calibre of voice acting and moody sound design meant that the creeping dread of the original series has been retained. The sonorous, cacophonous sound design gives the whole podcast an unsettling atmosphere which is perfect for the subject matter of old world magic and eldritch otherwordly beings- it drew me right into the world of Milbury again. The story itself remains pretty much the same but the main protagonist, Matthew, is now a girl called Mia. There are also a few mod-cons added to place it in a more current setting; mentions of WiFi, podcasts and mobile phones don't alter the wider story but does give Mia a reason to be carrying out research for her podcast about unusual and paranormal activities.

This is a very British show and when phrases like piss off, bugger me and arse are all dropped it makes me chuckle and proud to be British (in spite of Brexit).

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the 2 or so hours I had with the audio drama and would recommend it. It's no 'The Sandman' but then it's production budget is significantly smaller and it doesn't have an all-star cast, but with a solid story and earnest cast, 'Children of the Stones' is well worth a listen. Oh, Happy Day!

Children of the Stones- Podcast Drama Review

Under the Mountain - Cult TV Review

I first came across Under the Mountain when I was carrying out research on another cult TV series, Children of the Dogstar, which I found out about when researching about Children of the Stones. From what I can gather Children of the Stones was exported to America and shown on Nickelodeon in the early 80's alongside Under the Mountain and The Witches and the Grinnygog under the banner 'The Third Eye'. This collection of series is fondly remembered as an oddity, especially at a time when America was quite strict on what could be shown on children's television and ensuring shows promoted traditional Christian values. These series must have caused quite a stir at the time as they were never shown again after their initial showing. I'd never seen Under the Mountain but was intrigued enough to seek the series out and here is my Cult TV retro review.


The series is about red-headed twins Rachel and Theo Matheson, who visit their uncle and aunt for the Summer in Auckland, New Zealand. The twins notice a strange neighboring house and sneak into the house to find out more about its owner Mr Wilberforce. The twins realise that they are in the part of a prophecy to defeat an ancient evil which lurks beneath the house and under the mountain. With the help of an old friend they will have to fulfill their destiny and stop the evil from taking over the world. This series is based upon the novel "Under the Mountain" by Maurice Gee and is told in 8 parts over 22 minute episodes, each ending with a cliffhanger and a providing a deeper sense of mystery until the final explosive confrontation.

This story is heavily influenced by the works of H.P.Lovecraft, with the theme that creatures beyond our comprehension are here on earth and are ready to take over. The young twins, played by Kirsty Wilson and Lance Warren are very believable and earnest, especially Wilson who carries much of the emotional weight, especially the scene where they are discussing xenocide. There is a real feeling of dread and scares in this series and I'm sure that if I was the target audience at the time of it's original release I would have felt suitable scared.

Under the Mountain features a lot of external shots and taking into account that it was shot in New Zealand the scenery is wonderful, I'll resist the temptation to say anything as trite as 'the real star of the show is the scenery' or 'New Zealand is a character' but the geology and natural history of the country is integral to the story and adds a lot to the feel of the series. Due to its age the special effects are dated, the costumes are of their time (think mates 70s/ early 80's Dr who and you'll get the idea) and in today's hyper aware world Mr. Jones comes across as a little predatory, but this doesn't detract from the atmosphere or excitement of the story at all.

As someone who had never seen the series before and thus had no feelings of nostalgia I can say that considering its age the series stands the test of time well and is definitely worth a look.

Children of the Dogstar- Cult TV Review

Children of the Dog Star is a children's science fiction television program which was produced in New Zealand in 1984. It consists of six episodes of thirty minutes each and was released on DVD in 2009. I first heard about the series whilst carrying out research for Children of the Stones, intrigued by the blurb I thought I’d give it a whirl and this is my review.

The story involved a keen young astronomer called Gretchen, who goes to stay at her uncle's farm for the holidays. Gretchen befriends Ronny, a Māori boy with a troubled city past, and Bevis the birdwatching son of a hated developer who wants to buy a local swamp and drain it for property development. However, Ronny's uncle is the guardian of a traditional Māori tapu (taboo/curse) upon the swamp and he says that the swamp must not be touched as something sleeps there that must not be awakened. Something unnatural.

Taking much of its inspiration from Robert K.G Temple's 1976 book, 'The Sirius Mystery', which sparked of a period of intense debate over how the Dogon could possibly have known the brightest star in the heavens had a small white dwarf orbiting it without modern astronomical equipment, the children's series outs its own spin on it in an interesting way and asks its viewers whether we could we have been visited by aliens in the past.

The rural New Zealand backdrop is a beautiful backdrop to the whole story and the intelligently-written story is wonderfully performed by the child actors. The special effects of their time and so have not aged well but are still passable. The theme tune and incidental music is fitting and never overused.

The mix of Dogon mythology, Maori culture, and modern sci-fi storytelling, all come together to produce an enjoyable series. Its a shame that the DVD is so vanilla with no extras whatsoever but as a whole the package is worth it and will hopefully entertain a whole new generation of children and adults alike.

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