i think it's a very good idea.....i just hope that the timing is in the evening.......b'coz most children go to school in the morning so it would be difficult for them to see........

oindrila, shyambazar, india/kolkata

WHY does Disney have to RUIN the Famous Five like this?? I've no problem with the fact that George married an Indian or I would like my chilhood memories of Famous Five intact. Proof? I'm an Indian child myself! An Indian teengaer, actually...I'm 13. But I still think Famous Five should NOT be rehashed like this! Disney is free to make an adventure series about 4 children and a dog WITHOUT dragging the Famous Five into it! Please, please leave the memories of innocent, English and adventurous Famous Five ALONE!
And anyway, in this age, when tech tools are taking over, surely children like the original Famous Five, who only have their bravery and intellect to rely upon would be more appropriate for inspiring children? I mean, if these kids have access to all sorts of gadgets like laptops, cellphones, iPods and what-nots, where's the credit? All they have to do is find info on computer and call the police! Where's the 'adventure spirit'? I would be glad it if this project was abandoned!

Reeti, Calcutta, India

Why oh why do people have to ruin everything..Enid Blyton wrote the Famous Five as it was in England at that time. I really don't care if that means people think it was racist or anything else..there weren't really any other ethnic groups in England at that time and I dont see why we should change the books now because there is??

S Marsden, N.M Surrey, England

The Famous Five are... and forever will be, immortal!
Written and preserved in black and white, as such classics, Wuthering Heights and Oliver Twist - many times covered, copied and ruined!
Let the new generation have their version, the original and best will still be there, for those who have enough imagination and intelligence to seek it out, as the FF surely would of!
Times change and ANYTHING that brings literacy to the masses must surely, be welcomed.

Jenny Dickinson, Crewe,

I'll leave it thanks, Chris.
Why oh why do Disney have to ruin all the great British children's classics? First Pooh and friends and now The Famous Five, it'll be Biggles next. Show some originality for once, please.

Roger, Gosport,

I don't know about disgraceful, but it's rather depressing that one of the kids had to be made into a Britney Spears wannabe. Was that really necessary? To whom is that sort of character meant to appeal?

Terrils, California, USA

Why would Enid turn in her grave? Because she would hate the idea of a mixed race child? Can't we allow Enid Blyton to be more open minded and contemporary, if only in death? Surely this is a good thing and a good example for kids. It's a multi racial world. Get used to it.

Joe Sedula, London, UK

It's a spin-off, people, not a remake. Love it or leave it.

Chris, Worthing, England

I think it is a complete disgrace the way Disney have modernised the famous five. I love the famous five and it upsets me to think that they are being transformed to some computer geeks with their eyes glued to the screen of a laptop.
Disney are going of the point that George went to India or wherever and got married. It is a disgrace.

William Phelps, London,

To Karen, what's disgraceful is that although some people's PC buttons are being satisfyingly pressed by this exercise the truth is that when a franchise gets underway it's not really interested in the consumer as an individual. Disney could have created their own adventure characters and left these old ones alone. It's disgraceful that they've appropriated them instead and replaced a writer's respect for the reader with corporate manipulation of a demographic.

philip, cambridge,

"Survival skills"? They have wireless laptops!

Bloody Americans ruining it again.

Mike Laughton, Runcorn, United Kingdom

I find it highly amusing that George may have married an Indian -- Enid would be turning in her grave.

Remember her nasty little book, The Little Black Doll? That paragon of children's authors wrote a hateful story about a doll who was always alone in the nursery and that no one liked because he was black. Then one day he was left out in the rain, and when he went back to the nursery everyone loved him because his black had been washed away - and he was now pink.

Has to be one of the vilest and most disgustingly racist stories ever written for children.

Jan, Phoenix, AZ

Just what age is this pitched at? It makes all the difference. Part of the beauty of the old books is that you can still (I imagine) enjoy them as you get older. I enjoyed them when I was 13 and enjoy them at 16. My mother still enjoys them also (thanks for the introduction).

That probably covers any target audience, and the worry is that the magic of the old books will be lost or diluted in this new series.

Sam, Leyland,

Karen - it's disgraceful in the same way that Winnie the Pooh suddenly wore red (and looked extremely thick) and Piglet was pink when Disney took over.

Mark, Taunton, Somerset

You know, typically I'm horribly reactionary when it comes to re-imagining existing children's literature but in the case of Blyton I'm probably willing to make an exception.

The Famous Five had an innocence but more importantly, a bit of British derring-do involved in their adventures. They were pro-active, supportive of each other (generally) and curious about the world around them.

They didn't have any special powers, they were just kids with a spirit of discovery and adventure.

I think it's important that we demonstrate such qualities are not now the sole domain of superheroes and wünderkids. Bringing the 5 up to date might be a smart move in that direction.

If it remains true to the spirit of the books, I can envisage the new series being something in the vein of "The Dangerous Book for Boys" - which can only be helpful to the cause of emancipating today's children from their Helicopter Parents.

John Swaine, St Julians, Malta

I have to admit I'm disappointed by this. I'm sure it's a good thing that a new generation of children are being introduced to The Famous Five, but that it has to be done with a cartoon and high-tech gadgets is disappointing. What's wrong with publicising the original series?

I don't want to know what Disney thinks happened to the Five when they grew up; I prefer them to remain adventurous, brave children who love cycling and exploring the outdoors, not to mention drinking lashings of ginger beer!

Will Disney ever stop ruining childhood classics? They'll move onto The Secret Seven next, I'm sure, and how about a remake of Malory Towers, complete with American high school?

*shudders*

Suzi, London,

Horrible - get it off !!

I hear Enid turning in her grave as I write !!!!

Ian Payne, WALSALL,

The only disgrace in this is the shameless plundering of an established success, the spin off being a profit for the publishers expoiting the nostalgia of book buying parents. I won't be buying into this, initial reaction being chin hitting the floor, visceral stuff as a huge fan of the original books. But would still like to know what fate befell Julian and if number five is still of the four legged variety...

Susan, glasgow, UK

What exactly is the 'disgrace' that Carlo is referring to?

The fact that there is a modern spin-off of old books?

Or maybe he thinks it is 'digraceful' that George may have married an Indian (what difference that makes, I don't know, since Anne married an American and also had a 'mixed' child). It makes as much difference as it would if they'd both married Suffolk farmers.

Carlo, what exactly do you find 'disgraceful'?

Karen, London, UK

This is disgraceful. It is a massacre of the original classic books whcih have brought untold joy to millions of children, and heaven-knows how much peace and quiet to millions of adults! It is no more than a further example of political correctness gone mental.

Carlo Taczalski, Cambridge,