I will agree that in the earlier episodes, some of the editing could be tighter, and some of the sweet young actresses are still finding their groove, but in the big picture, this TV series is what so many of us have been longing for. I went to an all-girls private school, and it really was very much like this in our younger years. The innocence is here, the straightforward story-telling is here, all the elements that have kept Enid Blyton as one of the best-selling childrens' authors of all time are here in this series. If you have kids, sit them in front of this and watch it resonate. Watch their concern at the 'trials' the girls face, and watch their faces light up at their triumphs. I love that there was once a time when kids were taught that gossip is NOT good, and kindness was enthusiastically encouraged. This sweet show and these sweet stories have so much to teach our current cynical and (understandably!) wounded society. I also love the really diverse casting, and that no-one is ever singled out for their heritage or their appearance, they just all live side-by-side and race is never an issue. Isn't this the society we are all striving for? And isn't the loveliest thing in the world to be shown clear example of the society we are striving for and for it to be presented as normal? I just can't praise this show highly enough. Yes, no Oscars and no convoluted plots. Just a genuine adherence to the source material. I've lost count of how many TV series based on novels have been utterly ruined by writers trying to embellish and alter the source material, removing all the reasons the book-series was popular in the first place. I cannot praise the makers of Malory Towers highly enough for their intelligence in not going down that particular self-aggrandizing road, which invariably leads to a big, dumb 'fail'. Well done to everybody involved. My advice watching this show? Don't expect anything complex, just sit back and bask in the glow of these sweet children and these innocent, rollicking stories.
