Raven (1977 TV series)

Lore & Background

Raven is a British children's television drama series made for ITV by ATV in 1977. The series starred Phil Daniels in the title role. The story follows an orphan and former borstal inmate sent on a rehabilitation programme, assisting an archaeology professor in his excavation of a system of caves. The man-made cave system is underneath an ancient stone circle and contains 5th-century rock carvings which may be connected to the legend of King Arthur and Arthurian lore. The professor believes that 'Arthur' may not have been a single individual but an inherited office, emphasising the notion of Arthur and his knights slumbering below the West Country landscape awaiting the call to return to action in a time of peril, more as an idea than a physical reality. The programme consistently featured the sign of Pluto (referencing Plutonium as a by-product of nuclear reactions), a symbol for Raven's quest. The core of the story is the central sage/apprentice hero relationship between Professor Young and Raven, representing the legend of Merlin and King Arthur, both characters having avian projections: Young as a merlin (a bird which often accompanies Raven throughout the story), and Raven (protected by his namesake bird raven at birth when abandoned by his parents).

Reader's Guide

Raven is notable as a British children's television drama series from 1977 that combines archaeological mystery, Arthurian legend, and contemporary environmental concerns about nuclear waste. The series was praised by television historians Alistair McGown and Mark Docherty for its script, noting that although the story is fantasy, 'it is the realist elements of the drama that continue to surprise'. They compared Raven with other fantasy TV programs of the era, including Sky, The Changes and King of the Castle. The series was long believed to be incomplete in the archives until Network DVD unearthed the original 2" VT tapes and released the series on DVD in 2010. A novelisation by Burnham and Ray was published in 1977 and republished in 2014. An episode is available to view at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford, UK.

Did You Know?

• The series starred Phil Daniels in the title role.
• The story involves a plan to build a nuclear waste disposal plant on a site with 5th-century rock carvings.
• The programme consistently featured the sign of Pluto, referencing Plutonium as a by-product of nuclear reactions.
• The whole series of six parts was long believed to be incomplete until Network DVD unearthed the original 2" VT tapes and released it on DVD in 2010.