Tom Brown's Schooldays is a 1971 TV series adaptation of the Thomas Hughes novel of the same name, available on DVD.
Winner of two Primetime Emmy Awards, this classic BBC adaptation of Thomas Hughes' much-loved 1857 novel is a treat of old-school tales and classroom woes. The five part series follows the eponymous Tom Brown (Anthony Murphy in an award-winning debut performance) in a farrago of lively lessons, challenges and social predicaments throughout his days at boarding school. A boy of quiet conviction and honesty, Tom is ill-prepared for the unwritten rules set out by the boys who seemingly influence and dominate his school life. On his first day Tom meets new headmaster Dr. Arnold (Ian Cuthbertson, Gorillas in the Mist), a sage man determined to stamp out bullying, excessive drinking and general bad behaviour which he believes is ruining the school's reputation. And after an altercation with Sir Richard Flashman, whose son (Richard Morant, The Scarlet Pimpernel) is a formidable fifth year bully at the school, Tom is going to need all the help he can possibly get.