Terry on the Fence (part 6 of 7)

A Children's Film Foundation Production. Based on the book by Bernard Ashley.

A classic and brilliant C.F.F. production from the early eighties. One of my absolute favorites. It was last broadcast (to my knowledge) on the BBC in 1990.

Starring:
Jack McNicholl as Terry Harmer
Neville Watson as Les Hicks
Jeffrey Ward as Mick
Matthew Barker as Denis
Brian Coyle as "Plastic-Head"
Margery Mason as Terry's Gran
Susan Jameson as Terry's Mum
Martin Fisk as Mr Harmer Terry's Dad
Tracey Ann-Morris as Tracey Terry's Sister
Helen Keating as Mrs Hicks Les's mother
Marianne Stone as Mrs. Parsons

Directed by Frank Godwin

Most of the cast and crew still work in film and television today. Further information about the cast and crew can be found here at the Internet Movie Database (IMDB): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0354096/fullcredits#cast

If anyone has any further information about the cast and where they are today (particularly Jack McNicholl) or were involved in the production I'd love to know. Please post a comment or send an email.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• The
• Childrens
• Film
• Foundation
• CFF
• Terry
• on
• the
• Fence
• Jack
• McNicholl
• Neville
• Watson
• Jeffrey
• Ward
• Matthew
• Barker
• Brian
• Coyle
• Margery
• Mason
• Susan
• Jameson
• Martin
• Fisk
• Tracey
• Ann-Morris
• Helen
• Keating
• Marianne
• Stone
• Harmer
• Les
• Hicks

[turricaned]

I'm frankly saddened that anyone could refer to the days of corporal punishment as a "golden" anything, given that it later turned out that the ability to do so allowed a minority of teachers to behave like utter sadists and left deep psychological scars on the pupils unlucky enough to incur their displeasure.

[turricaned]

@BobCassidy No idea to be honest, as I said, I was too young - but the point is that it was *made* to be shown in cinemas, and the BBC simply picked up the broadcast rights later. I don't believe they screened it until about 1989/1990 (when I did see it) when they screened a series of CFF movies from the '70s and '80s as the Children's BBC "Friday Film Special". I'm pretty sure that they screened "Danny The Champion Of The World later that year, which has a very prominent caning scene.

[BobCassidy]

@turricaned Okay........... Was this shown in the cinema?

[turricaned]

@BobCassidy I suggest you look up what the CFF was.  These films were made for Saturday afternoon children's cinema - before my time, mind (this was one of the last made, I was in infants school at the time). The BBC have shown plenty of movies over the years over which they had no direct editorial input, and Bernard Ashley was not a supporter of corporal punishment - in fact he was one of the trailblazers when it came to including social issues in childrens' books.

[BobCassidy]

@turricaned Oh would you stop. It was shown on the BBC and Im sure they had some input.

[turricaned]

@Wolverhampton1 The novel on which the film was based was written by a former headteacher - Bernard Ashley. The Children's Film (and Television) Foundation had nothing whatsoever to do with the BBC, so what are you trying to say?

[majorleaguebaby]

kids were much more creative back then. they could never make this movie now, it would be too unbelievable.

nowadays the boys would have caught terry, robbed him, beat the crap out of him, shot him and left him for dead, the end.

[chevchelios72]

4:14 Terrys dad believes in the afterlife

[chevchelios72]

8:05 Terry (is indeed) on the fence

[Wolverhampton1]

These were the days when headmasters and adults' authority was generally unquestioned and all powerful as far as kids were concerned, and considering it was the last "golden" days of the cane being in full swing, Terry was doing very well not to be caned!

Maybe it was BBC political correctness that prevented portraying this!