Children of the Dog Star

It is truly, absolutely fascinating to read the other comments for this series, for they say the same, and I can do neither. I have had a weak but clear memory of this show since I saw when I was 9, but no one else has recognized it when I've told about it and I didn't remember the name of the series. Frustation! Until yesterday when I put out a question at a community and a guy answered and told me it was this series. It feels wonderful to know that my weak memory of this wasn't just in my head! I was also completely absorbed by this show. But the only thing I can remember is that mysterious lamp on roof and it scared the hell out of me. :) Anyway, I think my fascination for sci-fi and astronomy started with this show too. It's great to read that other have experienced the same. Aah, that youth... :)

I saw this show back in 87 at the tender age of 11 and was hooked from the beginning to the end. Okay so the effects are laughable by todays standard but this liitle low budget show had the one thing that almost all since have lacked, a good story and if you have that all else is forgivable.

The score was amazing and the plot gripped like a vice. Its a shame that there have been no repeats of this show for at least ten years, I would love to sit and watch it again. I won't give too much of the story away for the people who never got to see the last episode(s) but needless to say it was very, very cool!

Children of The Dog Star was broadcast in the mid 1980s when I would have been around 10. It was one of a number of dark, quite superior children's shows that were being made at time - Chooky, Dark Season, Moondail, Aliens In The Family, The Lion, The Witch...etc.

I think it appealed to me because aside from being a sci-fi nut as a kid, during those long summer breaks, with a lot more fields to explore, and with a different perspective on the world (when it was not raining!), I could identify with the main character and her sense of curiousity and restlessness.

But of course this vacation will be different for this young adventurer and her friends. Something is buried in these swamps near her uncle's farm - sacred Maori lands earmarked for destruction by the greedy and unscrupulous; much like today's open spaces- something that is ancient and not made of wood or stone...and not of this Earth.

CODS is dark, mysterious and multi layered and is a must if you can remember those school holidays that are gone forever, when the world seemed new...and at some indeterminate point was somehow never quite the same again.

Wow! I've finally found a mention of this program on the internet! I thought I was the only person who knew about it!

Anyway, I first saw this program when I was about four years old so that would make it about 1983 or so. I remember being transfixed with it but then many other children's programs did the same to me at that age.

Quite a few years later, I caught it again and got the last few episodes on tape. That was 1990 and it was still just as good then.

So without giving too much of the plot away, this is a series that managed to mix astronomy, alien contact and real world issues together while making it easy for children to follow. Add some extremely creepy music and events and you're in for a fun escaping ride.

I'm a student filmmaker at the moment and this program has done more to influence my style of film making than any other. The scene where Gretchen's character with the Daisy Rod walks into the old civil defence bunker is proof of this. The blinding light may be a bit of a cliche but hey, it works and works well.

If you can find the tapes, buy it. The 70's fashions aren't brightly coloured monstrosities so this show has aged extremely well and the science is still current.

I was like four or five when I saw this on TV. Used to try and watch it but sometimes was too scary. Think it was because the music the played when the showed Daisy The Weather Vane and the shape of it was like something that was going to hurt me. Just got it on DVD and still love it Gretchen is like me always wanting to play with mechanical and technical things and sometime felt left out because people I knew didn't understand or didn't like what I liked to do. It was cool how spaceys(video games) were 20c to. I think Children Of the Dog Star is better then what kids are watching to day. Thanks to TVNZ for letting me relive this classic.