8.6 /10 1 Votes
First episode date 6 February 1980 Genre Drama | 8.7/10 IMDb Final episode date 12 March 1980 Language English | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cast June Brown, Ralph Arliss, Dale Bayford, Shirley Cain, Brian Coburn Similar The Voyage of Charles, Rumpole of the Bailey, The Adventure Game, Mystery!, The Flockton Flyer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
God's Wonderful Railway is a British children's drama television series made by the BBC. It was first shown in eight 30-minute episodes, from 6 February 1980. The cast includes Gorden Kaye, June Brown, Gerard Kelly, Richard Pearson and Terry Molloy.
Contents
Plot
The series focuses on three generations of the Grant family working on an unnamed Great Western branch line. The first section depicts the construction of the line in the reign of Queen Victoria, the second the line in operation during Edwardian times, and the third during the Second World War.
Since the series was made for children, each part of the story focuses on events from the perspective of the younger members of the family. These same characters reappear as adults as the story progresses, but only in incidental roles.
Production
The series was written by Avril Rowlands with episodes directed by Fiona Cumming and John Prowse.
The location filming was done on and around the Severn Valley Railway. A reference is made to the area in the music for the opening and closing credits: a version of the first movement of Elgar's The Severn Suite arranged for brass band by David Lyon.
Books
Avril Rowlands adapted the scripts into a series of juvenile fiction books.