Tom Brown's Schooldays

Tom Brown's Schooldays is a 1971 television serial adaptation of the 1857 Thomas Hughes novel Tom Brown's Schooldays. Consisting of five one hour long episodes, the series was directed by Gareth Davies and used a screenplay by Anthony Steven. Plot Tom Brown's school is closed down due to a local epidemic, and he returns to his home in Uffington. Here he has an unpleasant interaction with a visitor, Sir Richard Flashman, who mistreats one of Tom's friends and attempts to abuse the housemaid. Tom stands up to him on both occasions and by way of revenge, Sir Richard persuades Tom's father to send Tom to Rugby School with the intention that his own son, Gerald Flashman, should bully him there. At Rugby, Tom meets the new reforming headmaster Dr. Arnold who is determined to reverse Rugby's recent decline. Tom is also befriended by another junior boy East, who is also a favourite victim of Flashman. The two take refuge in East's study, while Flashman and the other bullies attempt to smoke them out. They are caught by the School House Captain Brooke, who gives Flashman a caning. Brooke warns the boys about the evils of bullying, but this has little impact upon Flashman and his gang, who roast Tom over a fire and toss him in a blanket, causing him injury. None of the boys - not even Tom himself - will reveal the identity of the culprits, and Flashman goes unpunished. When Sir Richard visits the school and finds Tom's spirit still unbroken, he beats Flashman for his failure, causing Flashman to become even more devious. With the help of a local gamekeeper Cully, Flashman frames Tom for poaching, for which Tom receives a flogging by the headmaster. However, Cully's daughter Rosie knows the truth and after much soul-searching turns her father in. Tom is exonerated, and Flashman sentenced to be flogged and expelled. Flashman arranges for his father to rescue him before the chastisement begins, but after Dr. Arnold tells Sir Richard how Flashman had blamed him for his bad behaviour, he leaves his son to his fate. The story ends with Tom welcoming a new boy, in much the same way East had earlier welcomed him. History Tom Brown's Schooldays originally screened on the BBC1 Sunday afternoon slot, which often showed serialisations of classics aimed at a family audience. It made some free adaptations to Hughes's novel, creating the role of Flashman's father, and added new sub-plots about Flashman and Arnold.