5.1 The Amazing Mr Blunden (1972) "The Sentient Urn"

Welcome, dear Babbler, to Series Five!

We’ve been away on extended leave (although much less than 100 years - we’re looking at you Blunden), but we start this series with a genuine classic in the shape of The Amazing Mr Blunden. 

We’re babbling about the original 1972 version directed by Lionel Jeffries, where everyone politely agrees to solve a murder mystery with Victorian manners. It’s a charmingly spooky British film where ghosts are helpful, children are clever (T&Cs apply: they may be stupid) and adults are mostly confused.

We begin with Mr. Blunden himself, a mysterious gentleman who looks like he’s perpetually lost in thought, or maybe he’s just misplaced his spectacles. He offers a job to a recently widowed mother and her two children, Lucy and Jamie, who move into a creaky old mansion that screams “haunted” louder than a ghost with a megaphone.

Before you can say ‘child slavery’, Lucy and Jamie meet two ghost children who are surprisingly chill about being dead. These spectral siblings need help preventing their own deaths (yes, of course time travel is involved) at the hands of the evil Diana Dors and PTSD pugilist Wickens!

Cue a ‘magical’ alcoholic potion, a trip back to 1818, and a villainous silver stealing uncle who’s so evil he probably kicks puppies off-screen. There’s fire, betrayal, swan stoning, a very mysterious urn and lot’s of ‘naughty girls and naughty boys’. In the end, justice is served, ghosts are avenged, and Mr. Blunden turns out to be more amazing than anyone expected, mostly because he’s been dead the whole time. 

It’s spooky, sweet, and slightly bonkers, in the best possible way. But please don’t ask too many questions.

Episode One of Time Babble Series Five is waiting for you now on Podbean, Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts and other good podcast services.

If you can’t find it on your usual streaming service, please write in to the usual address.

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