Chocky
Chocky (1968) was the last John Wyndham novel published during his lifetime, and is the name of the title character from that novel.
It was adapted as a Thames Television series in 1984, which thereafter had two sequels: "Chocky's Children" (1985) and "Chocky's Challenge" (1986), both penned by Anthony Read.
Chocky was also adapted for BBC Radio 4 in 1998, as a full-cast audio production dramatised by John Constable and directed by Melanie Harris.
The novel (and character)
The novel is about a young boy named Matthew Gore, who begins acting strangely and talking as if to himself when he comes into contact with a telepathic alien, initially making his parents concerned that he has acquired an imaginary friend. Chocky is the name this alien.
Chocky's people have no concept of sex or gender comparable to our own, therefore at first Matthew alternately refers to Chocky using masculine and feminine pronouns, until his father asks him to settle on one, and, after discussing Chocky's characteristics, Matthew agrees "that in future it would be convenient to class Chocky as feminine". Chocky is something of an explorer, a scout, a missionary and a teacher, who travels in thought from a distant planet, to encounter and foster other intelligent life. She is highly intelligent, and has a tendency to scorn arbitrary or primitive human concepts and inventions, but also finds it difficult to convey to Matthew knowledge for which he lacks a vocabulary.
Because her scientific guidance threatens corporate energy interests, Chocky's relationship with Matthew puts him in danger. But when she saves his and his little sister's lives from drowning, Matthew seeks to have Chocky's heroism recognised as separate from his own accomplishments.
The book is told from the point of view of Matthew's father. Matthew's mother and sister have little agency within the story, and for this reason the book does not fulfill the Rule.
The TV series
Cast
- Andrew Ellams as Matthew Gore
- Annabel Worrell as Albertine Meyer
- Glynis Brooks as the voice of Chocky
Chocky
The first television series is a fairly faithful adaptation of the book. For the purposes of the medium, Chocky is granted visible form in the shape of an energy field, and a voice separate from Matthew's.
Chocky's Children
In the second series, Matthew, who has been pursuing a precocious career as an artist, goes on a holiday during which meets another child who seems to be under Chocky's guidance. This girl, Albertine Meyer, is unaware of it, because Chocky has been acting indirectly for the child's own protection, but close proximity with Matthew reveals a telepathic connection between the two children, and Albertine learns of Chocky's presence.
Chocky's Challenge
Albertine, now pursuing scientific research at Cambridge, gathers a handful of other gifted children who have been guided by Chocky, to work on a project to collect and use cosmic energy, which once again attracts unwelcome attention from military and industrial interests. Matthew returns in a smaller role in this series, so much more focus is put on Albertine's relationship to Chocky.
"Chocky's Children" and "Chocky's Challenge", unlike the original novel, both meet the Rule, the latter especially so, thanks to the introduction of new female characters and Albertine's push to the foreground, but the paternal influence remains especially strong. Matthew's aunt provides a nurturing presence in "Children", but it is Albertine's father, introduced in the second series, who goes on to appear in the third series and to provide support to her scientific endeavours. Albertine has no mother, and Matthew's mother and sister quickly disappear from the story. In "Challenge", a female astronomer at Cambridge competes against Albertine for funding, and turns out to be the mother of one of the boys recruited to the project led by Albertine.
"Challenge" also features two characters of colour. One of the children in Albertine and Chocky's project is an African-American boy, and another is a girl of Asian origin. (Neither of their families are involved.)
External links
IMDb listings for: