The Hardy Boys (and Nancy Drew) on MSN Today

[SDLagent]

Video.

[MacGyver]

Cool!

[tomswift2002]

It's surprising that, aside from the mention of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew teaming up in the 70's show and then in the 80's (with the Super Sleuths!, Campfire Stories, and the SuperMysteries'88) there was no mention of the Casefiles, Clues Brothers or the Undercover Brothers series.

But otherwise a good video.

[SDLagent]

I think they were more talking about the early books because that's what the kids had read.

[hardygirl847]

Yeah but I wish there was more emphasis on the other series since they are worthy of reading. If it were not for the Casefiles, I don't know how obsessed I would be with HBs. lol

[SDLagent]

I didn't even know about the Casefiles when I started read The Hardy Boys, but the originals lead to them and the other spin-offs.

[hardygirl847]

Really? That's what got me hooked! I guess it had to do with what was available at the library 13 yrs ago. You would think I would have started with the originals but nope...

Oh well...now I will be able to expand my Hardy horizons and dig into different series.

[tomswift2002]

Really? That's what got me hooked! I guess it had to do with what was available at the library 13 yrs ago. You would think I would have started with the originals but nope...

I remember when I lived in Chalk River back in the early-to-mid-nineties, the library there didn't have any of the Grosset & Dunlap books.  I remember their collection started with #59 Night Of The Werewolf and then they had the Wanderer titles (including Sky Sabotage) and a few Minstrel, but then the vast majority of their collection was Casefiles.

[hardygirl847]

Interesting. Now the Original blue spines (well revised) are the majority of what is in the book stores.

[SDLagent]

That's because they're the one's that are still in print.

[tomswift2002]

That's because they're the one's that are still in print.

Which is surprising considering that the longest time that an Original Text was in print befor ethe Revision period was about 34-36 years, while 2009 was the 50th anniversary of the Revised Texts of The Tower Treasure and The House On The Cliff, with the newest Revision, #38 The Mystery At Devil's Paw, going on 37 years in 2010.

[MacGyver]

Also, the first 58 Hardy Boys books are really the "original" series of books and everything else can be considered a spin-off series. Technically, the series began in 1927 with "The Tower Treasure", finished in 2005 with "Motocross Madness". 190 books over the course of 78 years. But I think "The Tower Treasure" through "The Sting of the Scorpion" are still generally going to be what many think of when they think of The Hardy Boys. I wonder how much kids today read the original canon vs. UnderCover Brothers? (I'm not even putting the Casefiles in the loop, since they're technically aimed at teenagers anyway and are also out of print.) I know from my experience that kids still enjoy the original 58 books and I'm sure the UnderCover Brothers has some good readership otherwise they wouldn't be selling. Though it seems Simon & Schuster does a pretty good job of cross-advertising for The Hardy Boys across the video games, graphic novels and books.

[hardygirl847]

Sure but this video didn't get into that as much...but I see your point.

[SDLagent]

Also, the first 58 Hardy Boys books are really the "original" series of books and everything else can be considered a spin-off series. Technically, the series began in 1927 with "The Tower Treasure", finished in 2005 with "Motocross Madness". 190 books over the course of 78 years. But I think "The Tower Treasure" through "The Sting of the Scorpion" are still generally going to be what many think of when they think of The Hardy Boys. I wonder how much kids today read the original canon vs. UnderCover Brothers? (I'm not even putting the Casefiles in the loop, since they're technically aimed at teenagers anyway and are also out of print.) I know from my experience that kids still enjoy the original 58 books and I'm sure the UnderCover Brothers has some good readership otherwise they wouldn't be selling. Though it seems Simon & Schuster does a pretty good job of cross-advertising for The Hardy Boys across the video games, graphic novels and books.

I wouldn't say everything other then the first 58 are spin-offs. Volumes 59-190 are just a continuation.

Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys Super Sleuths!, The Hardy Boys Ghost Stories, and The Hardy Boys Casefiles are a spin-off of The Hardy Boys (1927-2005). Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys SuperMystery and Hardy Boys and Tom Swift Ultra Thriller are spin-offs of The Hardy Boys Casefiles. The Hardy Boys Undercover Brothers replaced The Hardy Boys (1927-2005). The Hardy Boys Graphic Novel, The Hardy Boys Undercover Brothers Super Mystery, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys Super Mystery, and (maybe) The Hardy Boys The New Case Files are spin-offs of The Hardy Boys Undercover Brothers.

Would you agree?

[MacGyver]

Yes, definitely. I should have specified better- I do definitely count #59-190 (i.e. The Digests) as a continuation of the original series of The Hardy Boys book.
Nice summary of the various series.