Follyfoot: Fly Away Home (ITV 27 Aug 1972, with Basil Henson)

In Fly Away Home it looks like Dora’s dreamlike idyll at Follyfoot may be over. With the Colonel seriously ill Dora’s parent have returned home from overseas and want to take her back to London.

Dora makes it plain she wants to stay at Follyfoot. Dora tries to explain to her father about Follyfoot.

There is an excellent scene where Steve is talking to Dora’s father and he makes it plain how much she needs Follyfoot. Her father quickly sees it too. With The Colonel too ill to keep control of Follyfoot though some decisions need to be made. With her father’s backing The Colonel decides to the only sensible course of action is to legally give control of Follyfoot Farm to Dora.

A classic end to the second season, full of lows and then highs. From Dora thinking she has no chance of staying at Follyfoot to Dora becoming Mistress of Follyfoot closely followed by Dora discovering that Steve intends to leave. Dora manages to talk him around though. The episode ends with Steve showing Dora a new branch that has sprouted on the supposedly dead lightning tree in the yard.

classic quote
“You’re the heart of that place, without you it’s like the sun’s gone in.”

production details
UK / ITV – Yorkshire / 1×25 minute episode / Broadcast Sunday 27 August 1972 at 5.35pm

Writer: Francis Stevens / Director: Desmond Davis

Series: Follyfoot Season 1 Episode 13

cast
Gillian Blake as Dora
Steve Hodson as Steve
Arthur English as Slugger
Christian Rodska as Ron Stryker
Demond Llewellyn as The Colonel
Anthony Woodruff as Bricklebank
Gretchen Franklin as Mrs Porter
Peter Schofield as Van driver
Basil Henson as Arthur
Jean Lockhart as Shopkeeper
Dorothy Reynolds as Prudence