The New Adventures of Black Beauty


The New Adventures of Black Beauty was a television drama series produced in the early 1990s. The show was produced first in New Zealand, then in Australia. The two different productions had different characters and plotlines, un-related except through the horse, Black Beauty.
The first season of the show was produced 1990-1991 by Isambard Productions Ltd in association with The Fremantle Corporation, and Beta Taurus produced the series primarily in New Zealand as a continuation of the 1972-1974 television drama series, The Adventures of Black Beauty. Set 20 years after the events of the earlier series, it featured two of the original characters, Dr James Gordon and Jenny Gordon Denning. The series was originally aired on ITV in the United Kingdom, and Isambard Productions Ltd produced 26 episodes in total. This production was subsequently aired in the US, where it was split into two seasons, aired in a different order, and with two episodes possibly omitted in some markets.
In 1992, The Fremantle Corporation moved production to Australia with what was for all practical purposes an entirely new series with new characters and a plotline unrelated to the previous episodes. The only connection to earlier works is the use of material from the final episode of the 1990-1991 production, reworked and with a voice-over explaining that Beauty had been released into the Australian wild. This was shown at the beginning of the first episode of the new production.
Though video of the first production has been marketed on its own, the two productions are now being marketed on DVD and in syndication as a single television series, with the 1990-91 production billed as "Season 1" and the 1992 production billed as "Season 2".
In July 2009, Retro Television Network picked up all 104 episodes of The Adventures of Black Beauty and The New Adventures of Black Beauty, and affiliates began airing them in sequence, listing all 104 episodes as simply Black Beauty.
In the United Kingdom and some other countries, both seasons of the New Adventures were shown on Horse & Country TV between 2014 and 2016.

Plot

Season 1
Unlike the original series, The Adventures of Black Beauty, which was set and made in England, The New Adventures of Black Beauty was set and made in New Zealand, apart from the first two episodes, which were set and made in England. The series focused upon the character of Victoria 'Vicky' Denning. This series is ostensibly set in the year 1907, twenty years after the original series, which was set in the 1880s, although this was never stated explicitly in the original series. However, this may be questionable because the Boer War, which ended in May 1902, is referred to as being fought in the present tense, which would narrow the potential setting considerably because Edward VII has already acceded.
It begins with newlyweds Nigel and Jenny Denning preparing to go to his farm in New Zealand. Jenny is a veterinarian who has been working with her father. Nigel was previously married to the daughter of Lord Fordham, Sarah, who died and is buried at the colonial farm. Their daughter Victoria has been staying with her grandfather when she has not been attending boarding school, during the two years her father has finished his medical studies in London.
Lord Fordham is opposed to Vicky returning to New Zealand with her father and tries an assortment of bribes and threats to keep her in England. In the end, he accepts that it is Vicky's wish to return to her birthplace with her father and new step-mother. Meanwhile, Vicky has been introduced to Jenny's horse, Black Beauty, and rides him regularly.
Nigel leaves ahead of Jenny and Vicky, so that he can prepare the farm for their arrival. News comes that his ship is late arriving to Singapore, and that wreckage was found. But some of the lifeboats were deployed, so there is still hope. Jenny and Vicky thus continue with their plans to return to the farm, arriving to find the former overseer has absconded with the livestock during Nigel and Vicky's two years in England, and the farm is almost a ruin.
But Jenny and Vicky are not deterred; and the stableboy and general hand, Manfred Groenwald, a young German immigrant, is still there and still willing to work. So, they set about making the farm ship-shape and Bristol fashion.
A letter arrives from England, from Jenny's father, to say that Black Beauty had died about a week after they left. The next night, a partly wild black horse appears from nowhere at the farm, with the same markings as Black Beauty - so that is what Vicky names him. And there the adventures truly begin, with Jenny's father coming to join them in New Zealand in the fourth episode.
As with the original 1970s series, the new series had the theme tune, "Galloping Home", written by Denis King and performed by the London String Chorale.
Season 2
The second The New Adventures of Black Beauty is set in Australia and has no real connection with the characters and plot of the previous New Zealand production or with the original The Adventures of Black Beauty series.
Orphan Issabelle "Bella" Barret tries and fails to escape from the terrible conditions of an orphanage, after which she sets a mistreated black horse free. She makes a second, successful escape and stows away on the merchant vessel Astoria. During a storm, Astoria runs into a reef and breaks up. Bella is washed ashore to be rescued by a black horse. She and the horse are found by Doctor Austin. Her trauma has left Bella with amnesia, and she will only regain her memory slowly over time. All the while Bella and the horse are living on Doctor Austin's farm. Meanwhile, unsavory characters are about the land searching for gold that was supposedly lost aboard Astoria, and they soon realize Bella may be the key to their success.
As before, "Galloping Home" was the theme song for the series. In the United Kingdom, this season aired on the BBC between 1994 and 1998.

Main cast

Season 1
Dr Jenny Denning – Stacy Dorning
Manfred Groenwald – Gedeon Burkhard
Dr. James Gordon – William Lucas
Victoria 'Vicky' Denning – Amber McWilliams
Frank Coats – David Bradshaw
Hilda Burton – Ilona Rodgers
Samuel Burton – Bill Kerr
Isambard – Claire Chitham
Constable Carmody – Andrew Robertt
Lewis Duncan – Timothy Raby
Lord Fordham – Frederick Treves
Nigel – Christian Burgess
Season 2
Isabela "Bella" Barrett - Rebecca Gooden
Doctor Austin - Peter Bensley
Connie - Caroline Winnall
Kathy - Tyler-Jane Mitchel
Sergeant Pickles - Henry Salter
Weeks - Nicholas Bell
Walter - Peter Weiss
Ted - Peter Evangelista
Frank - Michael Burkett
Anna Swallow - Celia De Burgh
Potch - Edwin Hodgeman
Rudy Swallow - Patrick Frost
Mrs. Mac - Celine O'Leary
Aunt Caroline - Jennifer Kent

Episodes

Season 1 (UK, 1990–91)

  1. The Old World
  2. A Horse Like Beauty
  3. Breaking In
  4. Ride a Black Horse
  5. Deceptive Appearances
  6. Fear of Water
  7. Treasure Hunt
  8. The Birdman
  9. Different Races
  10. A Question of Justice
  11. Horsepower
  12. Horse Sense
  13. Surprise
  14. A Present for Beauty
  15. The Sea Horses
  16. Hope
  17. At Risk
  18. Greed Fever
  19. The Poisoners
  20. Bush Symphony
  21. The Convicts
  22. A Friend in Need
  23. Out of Sight, Out of Mind
  24. Deception
  25. Call of the Wild
  26. Call of the Wild

    Season 1 (US, 1990–91)

Season One

  1. The Old World
  2. A Horse Like Beauty
  3. Breaking In
  4. Ride a Black Horse
  5. Deceptive Appearances
  6. Fear of Water
  7. Treasure Hunt
  8. The Birdman
  9. Different Races
  10. A Question of Justice
  11. Out of Sight, Out of Mind
  12. Deception

    Season Two

  13. A Friend in Need
  14. Surprise
  15. A Present for Beauty
  16. The Sea Horses
  17. Hope
  18. At Risk
  19. Greed Fever
  20. The Poisoners
  21. Bush Symphony
  22. The Convicts
  23. Call of the Wild
  24. Call of the Wild

    Specials

  25. Horsepower
  26. Horse Sense

    Season 2 (1992)

  27. The Fugitive
  28. Recovery
  29. Gymkhana
  30. The Run Away
  31. Horse Thief
  32. Accident
  33. Daylight Robbery
  34. The Search
  35. Hunted
  36. The Imposter
  37. The Detectives
  38. Trespasser
  39. Haunted House
  40. The Race
  41. Gold Fever
  42. The Arrival
  43. Bella Remembers
  44. The Fair
  45. Eureka
  46. Bella's Dilemma
  47. Sweet Reward
  48. The Petition
  49. Held to Ramsom
  50. The Exchange
  51. Captured
  52. The Wedding

    Video releases

Questar, Gaiam Inc., Morningstar Entertainment, and perhaps others have released a number of one-episode and two-episode VHS volumes and sets, all of which appear to be limited to the New Zealand production.
Questar Entertainment released 24 of 26 episodes from the 1990-1991 production in a Region 1 six-DVD set, and billed as Seasons One and Two of the Treasured Series. The season split and episode order for these DVDs is as for the "US airing", minus the two "Specials", which were omitted from this DVD release. Despite being split into two seasons, only the entire set was available for purchase.
DVD NameEp#Release date
The New Adventures of Black Beauty Seasons One and Two of the Treasured Series2429 June 2004

Umbrella Entertainment released the 1990-1991 production on DVD for Australia in Region 4 and Region 0, billed as "The New Adventures of Black Beauty - 4-Disk Set". As with the previous release, this set seems to present the New Zealand production as the entire series. However, in this case, there is no attempt to split the set into two "seasons", and no episodes were omitted.
DVD NameEp#Release date
The New Adventures of Black Beauty2610 March 2010

Image Entertainment released both productions on DVD in Region 1 as two seasons of the same show. The Season 1 DVD set contains all 26 episodes of the 1990-1991 production, including the two omitted by Questar. The Season 2 DVD set contains all 26 episodes of the 1992 production.
DVD NameEp#Release date
The New Adventures of Black Beauty: Season 12612 January 2010
The New Adventures of Black Beauty: Season 2266 April 2010

In 2012 Madacy Entertainment and Image Entertainment released The Best of Black Beauty, a 10 disk Region 1 box set containing 42 episodes of The Adventures of Black Beauty and 44 episodes of The New Adventures of Black Beauty, with episodes from both the New Zealand and Australian productions.
Season/SeriesEp#Release Date
The Best of Black Beauty44, plus 42 more from the previous series18 Sep 2012

The New Adventures of Black Beauty episodes included in The Best of Black Beauty are:
Season 1 all episodes included
Disc 1: The Old World, A Horse Like Beauty, Breaking In, Ride a Black Horse, Deceptive Appearances, Fear of Water, Treasure Hunt, The Birdman
Disc 2: Different Races, A Question of Justice, Horsepower, Horse Sense, Surprise, A Present for Beauty, The Sea Horses, Hope
Disc 3: At Risk, Greed Fever, The Poisoners, Bush Symphony, The Convicts, A Friend in Need, Out of Sight Out of Mind, Deception, Call of the Wild, Call of the Wild
Season 2 8 episodes omitted
Disc 4: The Fugitive, Recovery, Gymkhana, The Run Away, Horse Thief, Accident, Daylight Robbery, The Search
Disc 5: Bella Remembers, The Fair, Eureka, Bella's Dilemma, Sweet Reward, The Petition, Held to Ramsom, The Exchange, Captured, The Wedding
For the rest of the episodes in this set, see The Adventures of Black Beauty.