Just William (2010 TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Just William |
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|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Written by | Richmal Crompton (story) Simon Nye |
| Directed by | Paul Seed |
| Starring | Daniel Roche Rebecca Front Daniel Ryan Lily James Caroline Quentin Warren Clarke Lottie Bell |
| Narrated by | Martin Jarvis |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 4 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | John Chapman |
| Running time | 30 mins |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC One, CBBC |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | Just William |
Just William is a fun TV show that first aired on BBC One in December 2010. It's based on the super popular Just William books by Richmal Crompton. This version was written by Simon Nye. It was the first time the books were made into a TV series since another children's show in the 1990s.
The main character, William Brown, is played by Daniel Roche. His TV parents are played by Rebecca Front and Daniel Ryan. You might also see Caroline Quentin and Warren Clarke as the parents of Violet Elizabeth Bott. She's a neighbour of William's family and is played by Isabella Blake-Thomas. The show was directed by Paul Seed and produced by John Chapman.
Martin Jarvis tells the story as the narrator. He also voices the Just William radio and audio CD versions. Sadly, it looks like there won't be any new episodes of this series.
Contents
About the Books and William
The Just William books were written by a British author named Richmal Crompton. She published these adventure stories between 1919 and 1969. The books are all about a schoolboy named William Brown and his group of friends. They call themselves "The Outlaws."
Richmal Crompton used to be a schoolteacher. She wrote her first novel in 1922. Her books became incredibly popular, selling over 12 million copies in the United Kingdom!
Previous William Adaptations
The Just William stories have been made into movies and TV shows many times. The very first movie, also called Just William, came out in 1940. Two more films followed in 1948.
Around the same time, the BBC also broadcast a radio series. The books were adapted for television several times too. There was a show called William in the 1960s. Then came Just William in the 1970s. Another series with the same title aired in the 1990s.
Making the Show
The people who made this TV series decided to set it in the 1950s. This was just after World War II ended. Many of the books were actually written in the decades before that. The show was filmed in an area of England called the Home Counties.
The script for the show was written by Simon Nye. Daniel Roche was chosen to play the main character, William Brown. William is the leader of "The Outlaws," along with his friends Ginger, Douglas, and Henry.
Ten-year-old Daniel Roche was already well-known for playing Ben in the BBC comedy series Outnumbered. Isabella Blake-Thomas got the part of Violet Elizabeth Bott. She is William's neighbour. Isabella had also appeared in the TV movie Enid. Because the show was set in the 1950s, Daniel Roche had to cut his famous curly hair short.
Meet the Cast and Characters
Here are some of the actors and the characters they played in the series:
- Daniel Roche as William Brown
- Daniel Ryan as Mr Brown (William's dad)
- Rebecca Front as Mrs Brown (William's mum)
- Lily James as Ethel Brown (William's sister)
- Harry Melling as Robert Brown (William's brother)
- Bertie Carvel as Uncle Neville
- Isabella Blake-Thomas as Violet Elizabeth Bott
- Warren Clarke as Mr Bott (Violet Elizabeth's dad)
- Caroline Quentin as Mrs Bott (Violet Elizabeth's mum)
- Jordan Grehs as Ginger (one of William's "Outlaw" friends)
- Edward Piercy as Douglas (one of William's "Outlaw" friends)
- Lottie Bell as Dorinda
- Robert A. Foster as Henry (one of William's "Outlaw" friends)
- Adam Gillen as Hector
- Denis Lawson as the Headmaster
- John Sessions as Mr Welbecker
- Roy Hudd as Bob
- Martin Jarvis as the Narrator
When and Where it Aired
The Just William series has four episodes, each about 30 minutes long. It was shown as part of the BBC's Christmas programs. You could watch it from December 28 to 31, 2010, on CBBC on BBC One. The series was also broadcast on CBBC from January 8 to 16, 2011.
DVD Release
The first four episodes were released on DVD on March 7, 2011. The DVD was called Just William, Series One. This title made some people think there might be a second series. However, it seems unlikely that more episodes will be made.
- Just William (2010 TV series) at BBC Programmes
