I thought this was excellent, and a really good example of how to adapt a much-loved but dated original. Almost everything that happened in the book is preserved, and the Blytonian spirit of optimism is definitely there. But the writers have made some changes that actually improve on the original: focusing on the complicated relationship between impulsive tomboy Darrell and icy drama queen Gwen, working in hints of danger and darkness, and making the moral hinge on forgiveness and second chances.
Given that Enid Blyton was a slightly "problematic" author even at the time, it's a real achievement to make that source material work in 2020.
It is a slow burner - it takes a few episodes to get the hang of who's who and what's going on beneath the surface. But I recommend it for anyone willing to invest their time in the world that's been created, and hope they will get to make a second series.
