Story of the Treasure Seekers, The – Nostalgia Central

1 9 8 2 (UK)
6 x 30 minute episodes

With their once-wealthy family teetering on the brink of financial ruin, the six Bastable children turned to treasure-seeking in a desperate effort to save their family home in this BBC children’s series, which first aired on 6 January 1982.

Mr Bastable’s (David Quilter) business had fallen on hard times since his wife died, and the children – Dora, Oswald, Dicky, Noel, Alice and H.O. (Horace Octavius) – were determined to help out by finding some treasure. Unfortunately, their antics – which ranged from digging for treasure to being bandits and rescuing generous old gentlemen in distress – usually ended in nothing but trouble.

Trying to keep order throughout was maid-of-all-work Eliza (Pauline Quirke).

Adapted for television by Julia Jones from the novel by E. Nesbit (first published in Britain in 1899), The Story of the Treasure Seekers had already been produced by the BBC in 1953 and 1961.

Oswald Bastable
Simon Hill
Dora Bastable
Lucinda Edmonds
Dicky Bastable
Christopher Reilly
Noel Bastable
Jeremy Dimmick
Alice Bastable
Jayne Rosamund
H.O. (Horace Octavius) Bastable
Timothy Stark
Eliza
Pauline Quirke
Mr Bastable
David Quilter
Butcher
John Rapley
Mrs Leslie
Eleanor Bron
Albert’s uncle
Jeremy Bulloch
Lord Tottenham
Maurice Denham