| Box of Delights | |
| A CBBC Show | |
 | |
| Genre | Children's fantasy |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of Series | 01 |
| No. of Episodes | 06 |
| Run Time | 30 minutes |
| Network | BBC 1 (CBBC) |
| Duration | 21 November – 24 December 1984 |
The Box of Delights is a BBC Television adaptation of John Masefield's 1935 children's fantasy novel The Box of Delights starring Devin Stanfield, Patrick Troughton and Robert Stephens. It was broadcast on BBC1 between 21 November and 24 December 1984. The series was a live action-animation hybrid adaptated from Masefield's novel by Alan Seymour, directed by Renny Rye and produced by Paul Stone.
Plot[]
Kay Harker is returning from boarding school when he finds himself mixed up in a battle to possess a magical box. It allows the owner to shrink in size, to fly swiftly, to go into the past and to experience the magical wonders contained within the box.
The current owner of the box is an old Punch and Judy man called Cole Hawlings whom Kay meets at the railway station. They develop an instant rapport which leads Cole to confide that he is being chased by a man called Abner Brown and his gang. For safety, Cole entrusts the box to Kay. The schoolboy then goes on to have many adventures as he protects the box from those who wish to use it for bad deeds.
The series is also noted for its talented casting. Most notably Patrick Troughton, who played the Second Doctor in Doctor Who. Adding to this the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, best known for the music to Doctor Who episodes in the 1980s, produced the soundtrack for this series.
The Box of Delights was very well received on broadcast and won three BAFTA awards. It has since been regularly repeated and released on VHS and DVD. The series can also be watched on YouTube.