Look and Read: The Legend of the Lost Keys
The Legend of the Lost Keys is a unit of the BBC schools TV series Look and Read from the 1990s and 2000s, covering Language and Reading for primary school pupils.
This page about the Look and Read story The Legend of the Lost Keys is not yet finished.
But you can still read my old web pages about the story at the Internet Archive Wayback Machine on this link:
Look and Read.myby.co.uk - The Legend of the Lost Keys
A passive re-invention of the Look and Read formula, that maintains the classic structure of episodes but does something that hadn't yet been managed in the programme's thirty year history: it seemlessly blends the teaching bits in with the story bit. The storyline is about twins on holiday with their uncle George, who discover that this uncle is descended from another world and is guardian of the gateway between this other world - Heritron - and the Earth, in the form of a mysterious old box. When some scientists come and take away the box, George realises that the evil rulers of the other world are trying to open up the gateway, which would allow them to come through and enslave Earth's children. He and the twins have to get the box back, find the three ancient keys which work it, and seal off the other world permanently. They are aided by two surviving rebels from Heritron living in secret in an abandoned shop, who use an old prophecy called the Legend of the Lost Keys to give guidance and advice. This prophecy comes in the form of various riddles and poems, one of which must conveniently be solved in the middle of each episode - they form the teaching bits.
The Story
Twins Mark and Lisa go to spend their annual holiday with their Uncle George, when they are disturbed by tycoon Sir Derek Janus and two scientists, Waters and Burns, who've got a court order to break into an ancient building on George's land and rob off with an old box that they find there. George then reveals himself to be descended from another world, Heritron, whose inhabitants are called Takers, and who used to send Catchers to kidnap Earth children to use as slaves on Heritron. This also means he has powers of telekinesis. Ages ago a rebellious Taker had closed the box thing, which is the gateway between Heritron and Earth, and George as his descendant is now the Guardian of the gateway.
There's this ancient Heritron prophecy which says that in order to permanently save Earth from the Catchers the box must be opened using three special keys and then closed again by the 'Children of Heritron', who turn out to be Mark and Lisa. There are still several Watchers from Heritron on Earth who are trying to open the gateway. Janus is the chief of them, Burns is also one and in a plot twist George's housekeeper Erica transpires to be one too.
The twins go and find the three keys, beginning to use their own powers of telekinesis. Janus soon nicks the box off of Professor Waters, who had been studying it and is just a normal Earth bloke, along with the three keys, but Waters gets the police to help him get everything back. George opens the box but can't close it again. Consulting two other Heritron rebels on Earth, Anna and Ariana, he discovers that someone has to go through the tunnel and lock the door on that end. George goes through but is captured.
The children, after nearly being abducted by Erica but rescued by Waters, go through after him, rescue him with their mind powers and then lock the door. The connection between Heritron and Earth is severed forever, the box disintegrates and everyone returns to their normal lives.
Episodes
Quick episode list
| # | Title | Broadcast |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Box | 12 Jan 1998 |
| 2. | The First Key | 19 Jan 1998 |
| 3. | The Watchers | 26 Jan 1998 |
| 4. | Kidnap | 2 Feb 1998 |
| 5. | The Crystal Connection | 9 Feb 1998 |
| 6. | The Trap | 23 Feb 1998 |
| 7. | The Box is Opened | 2 Mar 1998 |
| 8. | Into the Box | 9 Mar 1998 |
| 9. | Betrayed | 16 Mar 1998 |
| 10. | The Final Hour | 23 Mar 1998 |
Episode listings from the old BBC Online Schedules, edited to remove a big plot spoiler!
| Num | Title | Broadcast | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | The Box | 12 Jan 1998 | |
| Mark and Lisa must help their uncle prevent an ancient and mysterious box from being opened. For the box is a doorway to a dark and menacing world. | |||
| 2. | The First Key | 19 Jan 1998 | |
| George and the twins begin the search for the keys to the box of destiny. Lisa is woken in the night by intruders. | |||
| 3. | The Watchers | 26 Jan 1998 | |
| Lisa and Mark search for a second key, and are followed by the Watchers who have been ordered to kidnap them. | |||
| 4. | Kidnap | 2 Feb 1998 | |
| Having thwarted an attempt by the Watchers to kidnap them, the children team up with Uncle George and locate the final key at the Roman baths. | |||
| 5. | The Crystal Connection | 9 Feb 1998 | |
| George and the children have all three keys and they persuade Professor Waters to take them to the Box. | |||
| 6. | The Trap | 23 Feb 1998 | |
| When George breaks into the Janus Foundation to get to the Box, the children realise it is a trap. | |||
| 7. | The Box is Opened | 2 Mar 1998 | |
| The doorway to Heritron is opened. George and the children escape from the Janus Foundation, but are betrayed. | |||
| 8. | Into the Box | 9 Mar 1998 | |
| Professor Waters gets the Box back from the Watchers, and George goes through to lock the doorway into Heritron. But the Catchers are waiting for him. | |||
| 9. | Betrayed | 16 Mar 1998 | |
| George is held captive on Heritron. Anna tells the children they must rescue him. | |||
| 10. | The Final Hour | 23 Mar 1998 | |
| Lisa and Mark find George trapped in a crystal cell. They manage to set him free, but can they escape from Heritron? | |||
Credits
| Starring | Andrew Sachs as George Gardener Jonathan Kitchens as Mark Astor |
| Singers | Donald Greig Miriam Stockley Tony Wharmby Michael Dore Robert Fardell |
| Written by | Jim Eldridge |
| Music composed by | Debbie Wiseman |
| Production designer | Alan Spalding |
| Executive producer | Anne Brogan |
| Producer | Cas Lester |
| Director | Colin Cant |
| Education officer | Chris Hughes |
| Production manager | Terry Wright |
| Programme co-ordinator | Nicki Coles |
| Location co-ordinator | Elaine Herraghty |
| Programme cost co-ordinator | Paulette Gardiner |
| Digital effects | Ian Simpson Paul Kavanagh |
| Animation by | Ealing Animation |
| Graphic artists | Barbara Horne Monica Herman |
| Calligraphers | Hammond & Hagon |
| Art director | Sarah Milton |
| Properties buyer | Nick Barnett |
| Property master | Martin Carley |
| Standby props | Simon Bailey Ray Morgan |
| Make-up designer | Kay Smith |
| Make-up design assistant | Ashley Johnson |
| Costume designer | Eric Doughney |
| Costume design assistant | Sue Burrows |
| Digital sound editor | Kian Wong |
| Dubbing mixer | Chris Graver |
| Sound recordist | Brian Robinson |
| Sound assistant | David Webster |
| Gaffer | Jim Russell |
| Best boy | Tom Shirley |
| Grip | Richard Toomey |
| Rigger | Andy Robertson |
| Vision engineer | Peter Lester |
| Cameraman | Dave Hunter |
| On-line editor | Duncan Bragg |
| Off-line editor | Peter Harris |
| Lighting director | John King |
Broadcasts
Here is a list of all of the broadcasts of this story on the BBC. See the Schedules section for precise dates and times.
- Spring 2002, CBBC
- Autumn 2002, CBBC
- Spring 2003, CBBC
- Autumn 2003, CBBC
- Autumn 2004, CBBC
- Spring 2006, CBBC
- Autumn 2006, CBBC
- Spring 2007, CBBC
Links
- BBC Programmes page for The Legend of the Lost Keys
- The Legend of the Lost Keys on Wikipedia
- The Legend of the Lost Keys on the Internet Movie Database
- British Film Institute Collections for The Legend of the Lost Keys
More
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