Kizzy: The Bonfire (BBC-1 25 Feb 1976, with Anne Ridler)

In The Bonfire, the final episode of the series, it’s the school holidays. Mrs Cuthbert offers to let Kizzy spend part of the holidays at the seaside with herself and Prue but Olivia thinks Kizzy would not like that. Admiral Twiss meanwhile instead invites both Kizzy and Olivia to spend a couple of weeks staying at Admiralhurst.

The admiral has also made Kizzy a rather gorgeous cubby house in the style of a gypsy caravan. On bonfire night Prue Cuthbert and her friends try to make amends by inviting Kizzy to the village but she invites to sit around her small campfire and admire her new cubby. Kizzy, in another of her less than impressive moments, decides to make the fire bigger by pouring petrol over it. It very quickly gets out of hand and catches the cottage. Olivia, who has been taken unwell, is asleep upstairs. Surprisingly it is Prue Cuthbert who steps up and leads the rescue attempt. It does mean that Kizzy and Olivia have nowhere to live.

In a fun subplot (and their have been little indications of this throughout the series) Admiral Twiss admits his true feelings for Olivia and proposes marriage. She agrees to marry the much older Admiral, giving Kizzy a stable home in the process. The series ends on a nicely positive note after all the troubles Kizzy has been through. A birthday party in which the rest of the children from her class present her with a new horse and Kizzy telling it that one day they will go off and have great adventures… One day.

Kizzy’s attempt to show off her fire skills sees the Olivia’s cottage catching alight.

classic quote
“I think I love you Olivia. Yes I do love you.” – Kizzy.

production details
UK / BBC One / 1×30 minute episode / Broadcast Monday 25 February 1976 at 5.15pm

Writer: John Tully / Production Design: Myles Lang / Director: Dorothea Brooking

Series: Kizzy Episode 6 (of 6)

cast
Vanessa Furst as Kizzy
John Welsh as Admiral Twiss
Patrick McAlinney as Peters
Toby Bridge as Clem Oliver
Melissa Docker as Prue Cuthbert
Lisa Welsford as Elizabeth Oliver
Isobel Gordon as Mary Jo
Angela Browne as Mrs Cuthbert
Anne Ridler as Olivia Brooke
Meg Ritchie as Mildred Blount
Paddy Ward as Nat