Just finished watching the first season of ‘The Animals Of Farthing Wood’ on my first watch as an adult. The charm of what I remember as a kid is still there but I never really understood what it was all about. Basically these animals that live in Farthing Wood have to find a new home and sanctuary as Farthing Wood was under threat from human interference. The lakes were drying up, the trees were being cut down and the oxygen in the wood was becoming unsafe for them to breathe in. So they decide as an entire community of animals that live there to journey to a nature reserve called White Deer Park that one of the the group had visited before.
Now what’s really interesting beyond that decision is the rules they have while on route as the group was made up of carnivores and herbivores. Because of this they form an Oath to each other called ‘The Oath Of Mutual Protection’ which meant that the bigger animals could not kill and consume the smaller ones while they were migrating to their new destination. I thought it was humbling and wholesome to watch foxes and birds of prey protect fieldmice, rabbits, voles and squirrels and even a mole because at any other time and in any other situation, they’d be their meals. It was fascinating to watch how this Oath played out not just in terms of restraint from eating them but to defend and protect them from other carnivorous animals as well just so that they could also reach White Deer Park where they were promised safety and security by a Toad of all creatures.
So the arc of the entirety of Season 1 was all about this journey and what experiences (trials and tribulations) they would have in getting to their destination. But of course there would be casualties in collateral damage because sometimes protection isn’t enough to avoid death and there is a lot of death and injury in this show surprisingly given it’s a children’s show. As well as some vulgar language and of course violence. It’s very similar to Richard Adams’ film adaptation of ‘Watership Down’ - which is about a herd of rabbits and hares making the journey to find a new home and sanctuary as well based on a precognitive vision by one of them. I’m pretty sure the author of ‘The Animals Of Farthing Wood’ series of books was inspired by it but thought that it should be all different types of animals doing it instead for it to have a greater impact and therefore created his own and Season 1 really set the precedent for their stories.
The only thing is they’ve reached White Deer Park now so what on earth are the other two seasons going to be about? I guess I’ll find out when I start watching them.
Overall, my experience watching this show as an adult was quite satisfying. I thought I would think less of it given it’s a children’s show. But you know what? 90’s children’s shows were actually pretty damn intelligent.
I’m glad that I decided to rewatch this one as an adult.
