Gran (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gran |
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Title card for the series
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| Created by | Michael and Joanne Cole |
| Directed by | Ivor Wood |
| Starring | Patricia Hayes |
| Music by | Bryan Daly |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 5 minutes per episode (approx) |
| Production company(s) | Woodland Animations |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC |
| Picture format | 4:3 |
| Original release | 17 February – 12 May 1983 |
Gran was a fun British TV show made using stop motion animation. It was narrated by Patricia Hayes and directed by Ivor Wood. The show was all about Gran and her grandson, Jim, who were always getting into exciting adventures!
Even though many kids liked the show in the 1980s, it hasn't been shown much on TV in the UK since the late 1990s. No new episodes were ever made. You could find all 13 episodes on DVD in the UK for a while, but they aren't sold anymore.
Contents
Meet Gran and Jim
You might think Gran is like any other grandma, but she's super special! She and her grandson, Jim, go on all sorts of wild and wonderful adventures.
In each five-minute episode, Gran does something amazing and unexpected. Imagine her growing beans up a dinosaur's skeleton, flying through the air on a hang glider, or even racing motorbikes! No matter what crazy thing she's doing, Gran always wears her pink slippers.
How Gran Was Made
Creating the Show
The Gran TV series was made by a company called Woodland Animations. The show was created and written by Michael and Joanne Cole.
Ivor Wood produced all thirteen short episodes in 1982. Each episode was about five minutes long.
When Gran Was Broadcast
The show first aired on the BBC in the United Kingdom. It was shown between February 17, 1983, and May 12, 1983.
In 1984, the BBC also showed Gran as part of its See-Saw children's TV block. The series was repeated regularly until 1989.
Gran Around the World
Gran was also shown in other countries! In the United States, you could watch it as part of the Nickelodeon series Eureeka's Castle.
In Latin America, it was shown on Boomerang. Canadian viewers could watch it on Teletoon.
Gran Books
Besides the TV show, there were also children's books based on Gran. Michael Cole wrote the stories, and Joanne Cole drew the pictures. These books came out in 1983.
Episode Guide
There are 13 fun episodes of Gran. Here's a quick look at each one:
| No. | Title | Original air date | |
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| 1 | "Gran Gliding" | 17 February 1983 | |
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Jim wants to fly his kite. Gran sees a hang glider and decides to try it out!
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| 2 | "Gran Knits" | 24 February 1983 | |
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Gran starts knitting and can't stop! Soon, her whole house is covered in a giant scarf.
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| 3 | "Gran's Pets" | 3 March 1983 | |
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After visiting the zoo, Gran decides she wants lots of pets, especially monkeys!
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| 4 | "Gran the Goalie" | 10 March 1983 | |
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Jim teaches Gran how to be a goalkeeper. She ends up playing for the local team!
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| 5 | "Gran's Old Bones" | 17 March 1983 | |
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Gran and Jim find strange "bean poles" in the garden. They think they've found dinosaur bones!
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| 6 | "Gran's Gadgets" | 24 March 1983 | |
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Gran invents some funny gadgets to make chores around the house easier.
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| 7 | "Gran's Good News" | 31 March 1983 | |
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Gran doesn't like sad news. She starts her own TV show where she only shares good news!
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| 8 | "Gran's Bike" | 7 April 1983 | |
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Gran tries Jim's pushbike, but soon she's racing cross-country on a motorbike!
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| 9 | "Gran the Camper" | 14 April 1983 | |
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Jim goes camping with his school. When he gets to the top of the hill, guess who's already there?
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| 10 | "Snow Gran" | 21 April 1983 | |
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Gran finds tobogganing boring. She tries skiing in the garden and crashes into a snowman!
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| 11 | "Gran's Rare Bird" | 28 April 1983 | |
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Gran and Jim go bird watching. Gran really wants to spot a rare bird, so Jim helps her out.
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| 12 | "Grandmother Clock" | 5 May 1983 | |
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Gran fixes a clock, and suddenly everything starts working perfectly, like clockwork!
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| 13 | "Gran's Goat" | 12 May 1983 | |
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Gran gets some goats to eat the grass, but they cause a lot of trouble for her too!
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Watching Gran at Home
VHS Releases
For a while, you could watch Gran on VHS tapes. Castle Communications released a video with 12 episodes. Later, they released another version with all 13 episodes.
In Australia, Roadshow Entertainment also released a VHS tape of Gran in 2000.
