The Flame Trees of Thika: Story, Cast and Series Facts

Story and premise

When a young Edwardian family leaves the shores of England to build a home in the wilderness of East Africa, what they encounter is beyond their imagination, but forever remembered through the eyes of their 11-year-old daughter. Based on the beloved memoir by Elspeth Huxley, The Flame Trees of Thika brings to life the colour and adventure of turn-of-the-century Kenya. In 1913, Robin (David Robb) and Tilly Grant (Hayley Mills) arrive in Kenya with the dream of transforming a barren plot of land into a thriving coffee plantation. But torrential rains, relentless insects and murderous animals, as well as relations with natives and other settlers, challenge their ambitions. Will England call them back? Or will the wide-eyed wonder of young Elspeth (Holly Aird) help unlock the mysteries of a foreign land and open the doors into the pleasures and rewards of a new home?

Series details

• Title: The Flame Trees of Thika
• Format: Scripted
• Language: English
• Genres: Drama, Action, Adventure
• Premiere date: 1981-09-01
• Final broadcast date listed: 1981-10-13
• Status in TVmaze: Ended
• Network listed by TVmaze: BBC One
• Network country: United Kingdom
• Typical episode runtime: 50 minutes
• TVMaze ID: 24972
• IMDb ID: tt0080215
• TVDB ID: 96521

Cast and credited roles

• Hayley Mills — Tilly

Seasons in the TVmaze catalogue

• Season 1: premiered 1981-09-01; final listed air date 1981-10-13; episode order: 7.

Source and licence

Adapted from The Flame Trees of Thika on TVmaze. The synopsis is reproduced as plain text; catalogue facts, cast and season records are selected and reformatted. This adapted text is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, following the TVmaze API licence. Network and web-channel credits identify the service listed in this source; they do not establish current streaming availability.