50th Anniversary

2021 marks the 50th anniversary of Grasshopper Island!

It was this grand milestone that led us to put together our brand new little blog - Grasshopper Island News.  It seems appropriate to mark the occasion and remember fondly the adventures of Smarty, Toughy and Mouse. We hope our blog will bring back happy memories for 'elderly boys' and girls wherever you may be. And moreover, we hope our blog can introduce curious new potential fans to this wonderful tale.

The blog has been created by Uli and Chris after we realised that we shared a great fondness for the show, and indeed for times long since passed. And we think Grasshopper Island is deserving of a digital home on the internet. We hope that you will join us in celebrating the occasion and follow our blog, where over time we will share some wonderful - never seen publicly before - facts, tidbits, photos and footage from the production all those years ago!

We are honoured and fortunate indeed to have the support of the shows producer and author Joy Whitby who has been very kind and provided us with her suggestions and insights. Joy recalls:

We were filming on location in Corsica.  The sun was blazing down and I remember watching the crew prepare for the next shot.  There had been moments of stress and panic.  Sometimes I only finished a script the night before shooting and all the time I wondered if the boys would be able to sustain the challenge.  They had never acted before (and would never act again) but that morning I had a sudden burst of optimism.  I felt we were producing something unusual and I said to our production assistant, who was wilting after a long morning in the heat: “One day you’ll be pleased to have been part of this production.”
 
I never thought that fifty years later, fans in Germany would set up a website to commemorate Grasshopper Island.   Many thanks, Uli and Chris.  And every good wish for success with your enterprise.

Joy Whitby 22.5.20

It is our distinct privilege to share clips and quotations, memories and recollections, writings from fans of the book and TV series and some delightful surprises. So without further delay - let's begin !

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