Nicolas Winding Refn (byNWR) and Matthew Read (Moonage Pictures) bring Enid Blyton’s classics to life with a new and fresh reimagining of the iconic stories.

The Famous Five follows five daring young explorers as they encounter treacherous, action-packed adventures, remarkable mysteries, unparalleled danger and astounding secrets.

The second episode, Peril On The Night Train is a cross-country thriller involving Quentin’s invention of a state-of-the-art proto-computer dubbed ‘the Algebra Engine’. With war on the horizon, the contraption is critical for the country’s counter intelligence efforts and it’s a race against time to prevent the machine falling into enemy hands.

Early August, 1939. While Uncle Quentin is preoccupied with the invention of his proto-computer and Aunt Fanny works on a new mystery novel, George, Julian, Dick, Anne and Timmy are kept out of trouble by the exasperatingly dreary home tutor Mr Roland, played by Ed Speleers (Downton Abbey) who teaches them about the Corn Laws for days on end. But their mystery-solving prowess is reactivated when a ghost hunt in the cottage turns into a cross-country thriller.

Worried that Quentin’s breakthrough might be snatched away by the nation’s enemies, the Famous Five resolve to deliver the Algebra Engine to the Secret Intelligence Service’s top-secret facility in Scotland – and they find themselves boarding the Highland Sleeper…

But they’re not alone. Other interested parties are along for the ride, including international woman of mystery Sabrina Grover played by Nora Arnezeder (Army of the Dead), single-minded typewriter saleswoman Frau Winter (Julia-Maria Arnolds) and brash American businessman Maxwell Endicott, Jr (Michael Lindall). Before long, the Algebra Engine becomes the object of a dangerous game of pass-the-parcel as the Famous Five strive to foil the plans of their mysterious enemy…

Reprising their roles as Aunt Fanny and Uncle Quentin are Ann Akinjirin (Moon Knight) and James Lance (Ted Lasso). They are joined in episode two by Ed Speleers (Downton Abbey) as Mr Roland and Nora Arnezeder (Army of the Dead) as Sabrina Grover.

George is played by Diaana Babnicova, Julian by Elliott Rose, Dick by Kit Rakusen and Anne by Flora Jacoby Richardson.

The Famous Five (3x 90’) is a BBC commission in co-production with German ZDF and in association with The Mediapro Studio for Spain, Portugal and Latin America. BBC Studios are distributing the series internationally.

The Famous Five was commissioned by Sarah Muller, Senior Head of BBC Children’s Commissioning 7+ and the Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Amy Buscombe. For ZDF, Frank Seyberth, Head of International Coproduction, is responsible for the series together with Katharina Kremling as Commissioning Editor. The first episode is directed by Tim Kirkby (Fleabag, The Pentaverate) and produced by Moonage Pictures and byNWR Originals. Asim Abbasi (Churails, Cake, Count Abdulla) and Bill Eagles (Beautiful Creatures, Gotham, Pennyworth) will direct the following episodes. BBC Studios, who have a minority stake in Moonage, will oversee international distribution.

Episode two will air on CBBC on 29 March and will also air on BBC One on 1 April at 2pm.

The final episodes of The Famous Five series, The Eye Of The Sunrise, will follow later this year and feature Jason Flemyng (Snatch) as circus magician the Great Supremo and Art Malik (True Lies) as Sir Lincoln Aubrey.