1990: The New Adventures of Black Beauty

January 29, 2021

By AHNZ

The New Adventures of Black Beauty (1990) was a New Zealand children’s TV show of just one season. One of the most amazing things about the show was that it was a continuity of the British production: The Adventures of Black Beauty (1973.) It even brought back the characters and same actors for Dr Gordon and Dr Denning!

It was Dignity Culture TV, made and aired just as  Krypton Factor Dignity Culture (c.1987-1990) had reached its highest point. This was also true in 1973 (another DC period) for the original TV series. Quite logically, 2010 Dignity Culture saw the release of the DVD version. Also at the time, a Black Beauty production was staged in England. We may therefore predict another iteration of Black Beauty in 2030 as the next Dignity Culture phase of our history comes to a close.

“Yes you are correct, it was filmed out Wet Auckland. Mostly at Bethells Beach (Te Henga) and also a bit at a farm out there. We also filmed at places around Waitakere and a lot at a farm at Waitakere.” – Lisa Kissin, Location Manager for the show; AHNZ Correspondence (2016)

The New Adventures of Black Beauty had a real authentic local feel about it, an encapsulation of when New Zealand was New Zealand.

The aesthetic was of hard working Colonial folk in the Victorian era working away at their civilisation. Fitting in to the New Zealand natural environment, which was virtually a supporting character. The doctors brought medicine, Vicky brought the mail. The policeman got into quandarys with visitors to the settlement and locals alike that could only be solved by a determined teenage girl’s common sense and a strong horse. The plots often seemed to involve desperate suffering in spirit or body that the Old World couldn’t quite solve. Along would come Vicky, powered by her horse, Black Beauty, and solve those problems (in the nick of time) with a new generation’s thinking.

Very sadly, Amber McWilliams cannot come back to play Vicky Denning and keep that continuity going. Amber died today (30th January) back in 2018. Big riding boots to fill for the next Vicky.

However, we’ve still got Stacy Dorning to help with a reboot if we wish to keep continuity with the Black Beauty Cinematic Universe. I hope she’ll do it again next time. She’s not old yet.

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Image ref. John Corbet (2018)

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