The Animals of Farthing Wood
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The Animals of Farthing Wood is a series of children's books written by Colin Dann, which was turned into an animated series by the European Broadcasting Union between 1992 and 1995.
The books tell the story of a group of woodland animals whose home has been paved over by developers. They learn of a nature reserve, "White Deer Park", where they will be safe, and undertake to make the journey together. They form an oath, promising to protect one another and overcome their natural instincts until they reach their destination.
In total, eight Farthing Wood books were written between 1979 and 1994:
- The Animals of Farthing Wood (1979)
- In the Grip of Winter (1981)
- Fox's Feud (1982)
- Fox Cub Bold (1983)
- The Siege of White Deer Park' (1985)
- In the Path of Storm (1989)
- Battle for the Park (1992)
- Farthing Wood - The Adventure Begins (1994)
All of them were dramatised in the animated series, apart from The Siege of White Deer Park, which was deemed too frightening for the target audience, and Farthing Wood - The Adventure Begins, a prequel to the earlier books.
Three seasons of the animated series were produced. Unlike other children's series, Farthing Wood did not feature much comedic content but rather relied on its strong storyline and plot, and multiple main characters are killed or die in the journey.