Bad Boyes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bad Boyes |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Children's drama comedy |
| Written by | Jim Eldridge Duncan Eldridge |
| Starring | Steven Kember Warren Brian Anna Dawson Susan Jameson Dean Harris Gregory Cox Christopher Owen Nicola Greenhill Helen Cotterill Lila Kaye |
| Composer(s) | Jonathan Cohen |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of series | 2 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Jeremy Swan |
| Running time | 25 mins |
| Production company(s) | BBC |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC1 |
| Original release | 15 September 1987 – 22 December 1988 |
Bad Boyes was a British TV show made for kids. It was a comedy-drama series produced by the BBC. The show aired on BBC1's afternoon Children's BBC slot. It ran for two series in 1987 and 1988.
The series was written by Jim Eldridge. It starred Steven Kember as the main character, Brian Arthur Derek (BAD) Boyes. Brian was a very mischievous schoolboy. He often found himself in funny and tricky situations.
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Meet Brian Boyes and His World
Brian Boyes was known for getting into trouble. He often clashed with his strict teacher, Mr. Wiggis, played by Gregory Cox. Brian's dad, played by Dean Harris, was kind but easily fooled by Brian's innocent act. His mom, played by Susan Jameson, was much sharper. She usually figured out Brian's clever plans quickly. Her shout of "Bri-an!" was a sure sign he'd been caught.
Who Else Was in the Show?
The show featured many other interesting characters. Warren Brian played Edward 'Slug' Slogg, the school bully. Slug often had run-ins with Brian. Nicola Greenhill played Bernetta Vincent, Brian's close friend. She was his confidante.
Christopher Owen played Mr. Blake, the well-meaning headmaster. He was often a bit ineffective. Helen Cotterill played Rose Moncrieff, Brian's mom's quirky friend. Lila Kaye was Brian's grumpy Gran.
Some other familiar faces appeared too. Linda Robson, who later became famous in Birds of a Feather, played Miss King. She was a teacher who Mr. Wiggis was interested in. Sam Kelly and Christine Ozanne played the Boyes' neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Worple. Brian once tried to look after their cats, which led to funny disasters.
How Bad Boyes Began
The idea for Bad Boyes came from a series of children's books. Writer Jim Eldridge and his son, Duncan Eldridge, created a character for their "Diary of X" sections. These were part of their popular How To Handle Grown-Ups books. The sections showed the adventures of a schoolboy and his many schemes.
From Books to TV
When the Eldridges met with the BBC, they decided to turn the book idea into a TV comedy. They gave the character a name and developed the story for television. Originally, the show was going to use a diary format. However, this idea was dropped. This was partly to avoid being too similar to the popular The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ books and TV series. Also, the diary parts just weren't needed for the TV show's style.
Why the Show Ended
Bad Boyes was quite popular with its young audience. It even led to two spin-off paperback books. These books adapted stories from the first and second series. Despite its popularity, plans for a Christmas special and a third series were stopped.
Concerns About the Character
Reports suggest that the show ended due to concerns raised by some parents. These concerns were shared on the TV program Points of View. Parents felt that while Brian Boyes was mischievous, his constant tricks and lies rarely led to him facing consequences. He usually only got a telling off from his mom. Some worried that this might set a bad example for young viewers. They felt that without showing punishment or correction, it might seem like his actions were okay.
Even though new episodes weren't made, the first and second series were repeated in 1989 and 1990.
