kmoh-1 Wonderful HTV series for children that still sends a shiver up the spine, Children of the Stones is a masterclass in how to create atmosphere on a low budget, although the plot, largely borrowed from Invasion of the Body Snatchers, doesn't make a great deal of sense. The brilliant soundtrack of wordless choral music contributes immensely, while the Avebury setting with its weathered stones is used to excellent effect. Some reviewers have suggested it is like a kids' version of The Wicker Man - not really, this is played very straight and has none of The Wicker Man's comedy or eccentricity. Night of the Demon might be a closer comparison.Iain Cuthbertson puts in a trademark eye-rolling performance, while the parents Gareth Thomas and Veronica Strong are a bit too like the nice teachers at school. The child actors do well, and are less irritating than most. Freddie Jones hams it up like a good 'un, and Ruth Dunning is the housekeeper from hell.The ending is truly awful, sci-fi gobbledegook that merely provides a form of words to allow them all to stop. It is all about atmosphere, leaving logic and coherence behind at the boundary of Milbury.

Paul Evans Scientist Adam and his bright son Matthew move to the small, sleepy, happy village of Milbury. An attractive little place, slap bang on the site of an Ancient Stone circle, with a secret. The villagers are nice, too nice, creepy in a way, with a greeting of Happy day. Those that aren't members of the Happy day group are treated as outcasts, they're not as involved, nor as clever. One by one the people begin changing, becoming members of the Happy day group, even Margaret, the local Museum creator that Adam has become very fond of. Soon only Adam and Matthew are left, it falls on them to discover what's been going on, and stop the plans of Rafiel Hendrick.A really enjoyable series for people of all ages, I find it such a shame that series such as this aren't made for today's youngsters, back in the 70's there seemed to be a wealth of programmes made for teens, some pretty memorable, iconic programmes.I'm sure those that watched this during its transmission remember it fondly, and for good reason, it's a very watchable and enjoyable series. Enough good stuff going on for first time viewers too.Very 70's in terms of production values, music and clothing, so expect plenty of dodgy ties and haircuts.8/10 definitely one to watch.

Master Cultist A spooky supernatural children's tale from the 70's that transcends the age range it was aimed at, and is fascinating viewing for all.Adam Brake is an astrophysicist interested in a stone circle in a sleepy village in rural England called Milbury. He and his son pay a visit to the village in question, and soon begin to notice strange occurrences, not least the villagers odd behaviour and obsession with happiness. As the tale unfolds, we discover that the head resident has plans that are more malevolent than their worst nightmares, and the stone circle is somehow a direct link to a black hole that will unleash an ancient and terrifying force.Though the budget is limited, good use is made of the wonderful location, and the script is excellent.Some of the acting leaves a little to be desired, not least from Gareth Thomas of Blake's 7 fame.Still, that aside this is well worth tracking down for all lovers of cult TV

Prof-Hieronymos-Grost A scientist, Adam Brake(Gareth Thomas) has a 3 month opportunity to study and write a thesis on electromagnetivity in neolithic stones in the remote English village of Milbury. He brings along his young son Matthew, whom he enrols in the local school for the duration of their stay, Matthew is a budding scientist himself with lofty ideas for his future. Adam is keen to start as soon as possible and is delighted when Margaret, the curator of the local museum offers to show him something rather startling concerning the stones. Margaret asks him simply to touch the stones, this Adam does without any fear, but that soon changes as he hears ancient voices and sees strange visions just before a strong surge throws him feet into the air. Something else is at work here, but Adam doesn't know what. Margaret also warns him that he will soon feel very alone here as the residents are an odd bunch, with odd sayings and customs, in fact the village seems divided into regular people and what are known as "The Happy Ones" Matthew notices this in school right away, as the Happy children also show that lighter demeanor and are vastly more intelligent than the other kids.Matthew befriends Dai (Freddie Jones) a local tramp, whose social status belies his intelligence, for he has been spying on the residents and immediately knows Matthew is different, he warns that he will not be able to escape the boundaries of the village because of the power of the stones. The oddness seems to be being controlled by the town leader Rafael Hendrick (Iain Cutherbertson) a Lord Summerisle character and a former astro physicist of some renown, who on the outside seems friendly but he hides whats really going on very well. As the numbers of regular people begin to dwindle Adam and Matthew who has suddenly developed telepathic powers, begin a dangerous fight with unknown forces.Children of the Stones sure is an oddity, it was a 7 part series initially aimed at a school going audience, but there are some confounding themes at large here, some perhaps too dark, even the title sequence with its deeply unsettling choral vocalizations, while seeming perfect for the subject matter, does seem out of place for their target audience. It draws on many areas of Horror and Sci/FI, there's echoes of The Wicker Man, with the Hendrick character and the pagan pageantry, Village of the Damned, its odd and gifted kids, Invasion of the Snatchers, The Stepford Wives and perhaps most closely of all, The Quatermass Conclusion.For a children's TV program it does well to retain a sinister air and never dumbs down the plot. The cast is for the most part excellent, Thomas providing the assured hero figure with the gravitas and intelligence the role requires. Cutherbertson is his usual sinister self, he seems to revel in the Faustian roles and duly fulfills the task with gusto. Jones is also delightful as the eccentric tramp who knows everything. Overall its an enjoyable watch, it lacks some of the believability factor when it comes to the science and technology though, what a shame it wasn't written by Nigel Kneale, it would surely then have been considered a classic