Director: Andrew Adamson Cast: Georgie Henley & Skandar Keynes

Here’s a task for you; locate any Brit you can around the age of twenty five and enquire as to whether they remember the BBC Chronicles of Narnia series that ran at the end of the 1980s. Eyes will brighten, grins will appear and on occasion you might just be able to spot a tear forming.

The reason for this of course is that this particular series was a milestone of our youth, a paragon of programming that has rarely been repeated. In my rather rose-tinted memory, the cast of characters was formidable: the foppish, wide-eyed Pevensie children, the benevolent faun Mr Tumnus and the alarming, cool as ice, White Witch.

These memories have flooded back to my mind sparked by the release of the forthcoming film, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. It is the second time around for the fantasy franchise headed by the director Andrew Adamson who is doubtless trying to rekindle the successes of Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings in the past few years.

Potentially it is another two hours’ worth of witty dialogue, unexpected victories and archetypal heroes and villains. The Chronicles of Narnia is set to become one of those wonderful cinematic feasts that leave you exiting the cinema wondering whereabouts you can purchase a wooden shield from.

Is it going to be better than the BBC series that is burned so deeply into my memory? Probably, because looking back in the cool rational air of 2008, you have to admit that the acting was a little wooden and the effects did leave a little to be desired. I never noticed it at the time though…

The first instalment in the Chronicles of Narnia franchise, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, was released in 2005 and has been available for viewing on Sky Movies. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is released nationally today.

However for those of you who wish to reminisce about the good old days, you can watch the inset video.

Tags: Digital TV, Films, Programmes, Sky //