Danger on Dartmoor

Worth watching for an unromanticised view on Dartmoor in 1980 (not much has changed!) and a classic Police Land Rover Series 3 and Cortina but...

The story is fairly week and predictable, and the ending wraps things up in one convenient 2 minute scene. None of the actors stand out in delivering great performances. Fairly typical 1980s direction and camera work.

But view this for what it is - a lightweight children's TV Film shot on what must have been a tiny budget, and it's fine.

I suspended my disbelief and enjoyed this film for what it was - an adventure story for children. It's the sort of thing I would have loved watching as a child with my grandparents, and had we not all been in lockdown I would happily have watched it with my young nieces & nephews.

Agreed, some of the acting wasn't brilliant (with the notable exception of Barry Foster) and nor was the plot. But I love rural Devon, and I love the innocence and simplicity of that time, the era of my own childhood, and so this provided a welcome bit of escapism.

This film seems to borrow a number of elements from the Sherlock Holmes story.Bowling dog,treacherous mires,escaped convict.Unfortunately it is very unexceptional story.The child actors aren't very good.There are brief appearances by Sam Kydd and Michael Ripper and Barry Foster p lays the escaped convict.

Digdilem ably sums it up in their review. I watched DoD because I knew Dartmoor and was pleased to recognise various locations. The three child actors were adequate. (The two lads went on to have short acting careers;this appears to have been the girl's only appearance.)

The dog was very good!

I immediately recognised Patricia Hayes in one of her trademark characterisations and initially wondered if that really was Barry Foster in a lightweight production. It was, and at a time when he was immediately recognisable by many on the big and small screen, not least as Van de Valk. Perhaps he took part as a favour to the producer, not that a few days in Devon would have been much hardship.

I'm glad that I watched it.