My partner is a huge fan of the Malory Towers books - being of girl school stock. Assuredly this is full of all the high drama, deep betrayals and personality clashes you might expect from such a setting. The ensemble children are game despite the stiff Blyton dialogue and much like the Potter kids of yore the baddy (in this case Danya Griver's malicious Gwendoline) steals most of the scenes.
It's shot in a mix of Canada and Devon and does feel strangely transatlantic as well as rather cheap - the adult cast being entirely composed of Canadian and British bit-actors adds to this feeling. Surely this manner of thing is ripe for random strange character actor cameos. Even up-and-coming comedy actors would have been good - Laura Checkley as matron anyone? The general mildness of all the adult cast does add even further to its soporific air so perhaps it was intentional.
Despite the sheen of cheapness, it's premature release to chime with children being confined to their houses due to the virus, rather than over the summer holidays will likely lend it a strange nostalgic air for many - and it's enthusiastic reception online is heartening. It was a pleasant, pastel-coloured, old fashioned diversion from the harder drama of reality so fair play to it for that.
