Set in the late 19th-century English countryside, The Adventures of Black Beauty begins when the widowed Dr James Gordon (William Lucas) relocates from London to establish a rural practice. He is gifted a mistreated stallion, which his daughter Vicky (Judi Bowker) nurses back to health and names Black Beauty. Vicky and her brother Kevin (Roderick Shaw) find themselves in frequent scrapes, with the remarkably intelligent Beauty often coming to their rescue. In the second series, Vicky departs and is replaced by her sister Jenny (Stacy Dorning), who has returned from school.
Taking only the most basic premise from Anna Sewell’s classic novel, this production was a significant ratings success for its Sunday teatime slot. Filmed in the Hertfordshire countryside, its fast-paced, episodic adventures provided a popular alternative to the BBC’s more traditional literary serials. The half-hour format occasionally resulted in hurried or convenient plot resolutions, but the programme consistently drew a large family audience. Its enduring legacy is cemented by Denis King’s memorable theme music, “Galloping Home.” A sequel series, The New Adventures of Black Beauty, was produced in 1990.
Broadcast: ITV, 54 Episodes, Sundays, from 7 October 1972 – 1974
Based on the novel by: Anna Sewell
Theme Music: Denis King
Main Cast: William Lucas (Dr James Gordon), Judi Bowker (Victoria Gordon), Stacy Dorning (Jenny Gordon), Roderick Shaw (Kevin Gordon), Charlotte Mitchell (Amy Winthrop), Michael Culver (Squire Armstrong)
