Fans of the books, which first appeared in 1942, or even the 1970s TV adaptation, may be surprised to learn that timid Anne is now a successful California art dealer and that George, whose boyish antics inspired rumours of Sapphic tendencies, has a Hindu daughter named Jyoti.
The new five are Jyoti; Anne's daughter Allie, who loves shopping; Dick's son Dylan, who is often to be seen with a laptop; Max, who is the son of the group's Alpha male, Julian; and Timmy the Dog.
In their first adventure, 'Famous Five: On the Case', the group must close down a DVD bootlegging operation being run by a phoney environmentalist. They discover that the DVDs carry subliminal messages telling kids to eat Fudge Fries sweets.
According to reports, the children will no longer declare things to be "wizard" or "smashing", but will instead deliver dialogue such as: "Cell phones are the greatest -- you can order pizza with them."
The new series has been produced by Disney and Chorion. There are 26 episodes, and it will launch on May 5.
Steve Aranguren, vice-president of the Global Original Planning division, said: "The 'Famous Five' themes of adventure, mystery and friendship are as relevant and appealing to kids today as they were 70 years ago.
"We're delighted to be bringing a national treasure to Disney Channel and we hope that the show will engage a new generation of fans with a classic property."
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