The Owl Service: I'm So Glad I Watched It

A few days ago, while I was browsing YouTube, a suggested video caught my eye. It was an episode of The Owl Service. I was unfamiliar with the title, but something about it intrigued me. Perhaps it was the unusual name, but YouTube presented it to me as part of a list suggestions that predominantly consisted of spooky stuff, making it hard for me not to want to find out more.

The Owl Service is a childrens TV series that was aired once a week, on Sundays, more than 50 years ago. The first episode was originally transmitted on 21 December 1969, and the eighth—and final episode was aired 8 February 1970. The series is based on a book by the British novelist Alan Garner.

A fantasy story, with dark elements, The Owl Service was inspired by a story in the Mabinogion: a book of Welsh myths, first published in 1840. It, in turn, was based on a 14th century manuscript known as ‘Red book of Hergest’.

I watched all eight episodes of The Owl Service over three nights. Each episode is only around 25 minutes long, so the entire series is not much longer than many films, but I like to devote some of my spare time to reading, so chose to watch only two or three episodes a day.

Had I seen it as a kid, I would have loved this series. Even as an adult, I find it enjoyable, and some of the characters actions in the final episode managed to surprise me.

In case you are unfamiliar with the series, I’ll provide a quick overview:

The Owl Service is set in a welsh valley. The central characters are three teenagers—Alison (Gillian Hills), Roger (Francis Wallis), and Gwyn (Michael Holden)—who are staying at a large house, which Alison inherited from her father.

Alison’s mother, Margaret, has recently remarried, and her second husband, Clive (Edwin Richfield), has brought them, to the house, along with his son Roger, hoping a 3-week holiday will help them all feel more like a family.

Acting on the advice of the gardener, Huw Halfbacon (Raymond Llewellyn), Clive has recruited a woman called Nancy to work in the kitchen and cook for the family. Nancy (Dorothy Edwards) used to work at the house many years ago, and, when she returns, she brings her son, Gwyn, with her.

The series begins with Alison hearing scratching noises in the attic above her room. When she asks Gwyn to investigate, he finds some unusual plates, but fails to discover the source of the noise.

Alison is immediately taken by the pattern on the plates, later showing one of them to Roger, who believes the pattern consists of flowers. It does, but Alison has noticed the flower formation fits together to become owls. She becomes obsessed with the plates; much to the displeasure of Nancy, who originally hid them in the attic. Meanwhile, Roger—who is a keen amateur photographer—has an obsession of his own: a large standing stone with a hole in it, situated next to the river.

So, while Alison is spending time sketching the pattern from the plates and then cutting it out to make owls, her step-brother is taking photographs of the mysterious stone, which Gyn tells him is the stone of Gronw. He doesn’t know much about the story related to it, but Huw later furnishes him with the details.

The stone of Gronw is linked to a local legend about a love triangle between Blodeuwedd, Lleu Llaw Gyffes, and Gronw Pebyr.

A wizard created Blodeuwedd from flowers, to be the wife of Lleu. However, after she became trapped in human form, Blodeuwedd fell in love with Gronw. Wanting Lleu out of the way, the two lovers conspired to kill him, but things didn’t go to plan. Gronw intended to kill Lleu with his spear, which he threw down from a high hill while Lieu was walking next to the river. Lleu escaped by changing into a eagle.

When the wizard found him, he changed Lleu back to his original form. Then Lleu and Gronw changed places. Lleu threw the spear, which passed through the standing stone and killed Gronw. Blodeuwedd didn’t escape punishment, the wizard turned her into an owl.

Shortly after the discovery of the plates, it becomes apparent the three teens are somehow taking on the roles of Blodeuwedd, Lleu, and Gronw. As Alison and Gwyn become closer, Roger begins to show signs of jealousy and feels left out, resulting in a tension between them that wasn’t originally present. Due to parental pressure, Alison is forced to try and end her friendship with Gwyn, resulting in more heartache and secret meetings at the old stables.

One of the most unusual things about The Owl Service is Margaret (Alison’s mother) is never shown on camera. Although Margaret is an important character, that helps move the story along, the producers never cast anyone for the role. Her presence is only indicated by Clive talking to her, suggesting she is nearby, and Alison telling Gyn about the things she has said.

In addition to providing me with a few hours of entertainment, The Owl Service has also sparked my curiosity over the Mabinogion, so I plan to read it shortly.

If you remember watching The Owl Service when you were younger and want to revisit it due to nostalgia, or are unfamiliar with the series and this post has made you curious, you should be able to find it on YouTube. I’ve embedded the videos below.