A shame this was deleted so quickly, and also that it was not properly restored in the same way that they do with Doctor Who and other archive material.
Although when you watch this you mentally picture the equivalent in the 1970 movie, the story here has more time to happen. It's a bonus that the kids are closer to the right ages that they ought to be - Sally Thomsett was way too old in the 1970 movie. The acting seems to get better as the series progresses, and all in all it's worth viewing for another "take" on the book, less dramatic and more thoughtful than the "proper" movie that was to follow.
Although when you watch this you mentally picture the equivalent in the 1970 movie, the story here has more time to happen. It's a bonus that the kids are closer to the right ages that they ought to be - Sally Thomsett was way too old in the 1970 movie. The acting seems to get better as the series progresses, and all in all it's worth viewing for another "take" on the book, less dramatic and more thoughtful than the "proper" movie that was to follow.