Robinson Crusoe

This one is part of me. I can't view this without my rose-tinted spectacles at hand – I was of the UK generation that grew up watching this on BBC1 throughout the '60's. The first episode of the 13 part series was first broadcast on Tuesday 5.0pm 12th October 1965 the whole series being multi-repeated, the last showing I remember watching was in Summer 1975. I also remember it was on in the mornings before coverage of the Olympic Games in 1972 – except the school holidays finished with a couple of parts still to go – and someone at the BBC got paid for such expert planning!

This version of Defoe's story of Robinson Crusoe was French filmed in the Canary Islands in 1964 and is admirably told with flashbacks, narration and occasional dubbing into English. Crusoe's adventures include travelling to sea, getting enslaved by Arabs, becoming a big Brazilian capitalist, getting shipwrecked and on 16th September 1697 stranded on a desert island for over 6 years or 5.5 hours running time. During his stay he (and we) learn how to do many many things: keeping a goat in a baobab tree, killing and cooking a bird, checking the size of canoes before building them, joinery and tailoring etc – but most important by the end of the journey he's a more decent man. The death of faithful Dick almost traumatised a generation and left me heartbroken back then, the beautiful scenes still get to me in grizzled middle age. I suppose it's the introduction of Friday into the story and Crusoe's initial attitude to him which are faithful to the book that would cause the biggest problems to a lot of serious people nowadays (more than the b&w film and Lee Payant's marvellous narration) and probably is the reason why it will never be shown again on any of our wonderfully diverse UK TV channels. It's a shame because it means generations since have missed out and that unless they buy the DVD kids and adults of all races will miss the best filmed version of the story.

I haven't even mentioned the music! The tunes composed for the English version were knockout, utterly memorable and even though repeated endlessly throughout the series they never pall. I recommend anyone interested to bypass the current set of TV taste-setters and go and get these five and a half hours of middlebrow brilliance!

Having bought the now out of print series of Robinson Crusoe on video and being amazed to take this journey back to 60's childhood I can't work out why the series is not being made more public.Rumours of a dvd have been around for at least 2yrs but nothing forthcoming.The 60's generation can not wait forever !

An evocative and entertaining adventure series aired originally on British television in 1965, produced by Paris-based Franco London Films, ORTF of France and Teledis and filmed in monochrome in the Canary Islands and Normandy - the abundant sun, light and tropical conditions of the former are fascinating . Young blond Salzburg-born actor Robert Hoffman gives a very adventurous flair performance as the idealistic Crusoe. The music features an early electronic-keyboard fugue strangely reminiscent of '70s new wave bands Television and Joy Division. The fine Yorkshire towns of York and Hull are mentioned in the dialogue and the feel for 17th/18th-Century European old world charm - the time of those classical figures of the Enlightenment - Bach, Beethoven, Cook and Darwin - when England was closer to France and Europe is evident. This series stands for naturalistic and flairful children's television.

This magnificent 1964 production with the iconic Robert Hoffman in the lead remains for me the best programme ever to feature on children's TV. Everything about it is perfection, in particular the hauntingly beautiful music, which in my opinion remains the best score of any TV programme to this day. I first saw this programme as a 9 year old in 1964 and have since watched it over and again, most recently at age 63, yet it has lost none of it's magic. It has everything this classic tale could ever need and the fact that it is in black and white merely enhances its allure to the viewer. Beautiful.

I have just watched this again for the first time since it appeared on TV which has to be almost 40 years ago. Although a nostalgic trip back in time, this version will always stand the test of time. The black and white monochrome gives a timeless quality which sometimes colour cannot.

The day to day detail of Robinson Crusoe's mind-numbing existence and how he is able to overcome the many obstacles taken for granted is brilliantly worked. By inter-cutting flashbacks until the time when his life on the island begins to take shape, momentum is never lost.

The haunting musical score adds an integral dimension to the overall fascination of the series.

The French production team and main actor Robert Hoffman deserve much praise for the achievement created here. Not only a cult classic, this TV series, like the book, is now one all of its own.