Microsoap facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Microsoap
Genre	Live Action Children's Comedy
Starring	Rebecca Hunter Paul Terry Suzanne Burden Jeff Rawle Ivan Kaye Ryan Cartwright Lucy Evans Albey Brookes
Theme music composer	Tony Flynn
Opening theme	"Microsoap Theme"
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	4
No. of episodes	26
Production
Running time	24 minutes
Production company(s)	BBC The Disney Channel
Release
Original network	CBBC on BBC1 The Disney Channel
Picture format	SDTV 576i
Audio format	Dolby Surround
Original release	1998 – 2000

Microsoap is a fun children's sitcom (a funny TV show about everyday life). It was created by Mark Haddon and made by both the BBC and the Disney Channel. The show had 26 episodes over four seasons, airing from 1998 to 2001. It starred Suzanne Burden, Ivan Kaye, Paul Terry, Jeff Rawle, and Rebecca Hunter. Microsoap was shown in the UK, the US, and many other countries.

The story is all about the lives of a brother and sister, Joe and Emily Parker. The show starts when their parents, Colin and Jane, decide to separate. Even though they are no longer together, they stay friends to make things easier for Joe and Emily. Both parents start dating other people, which creates lots of funny and sometimes tricky situations for the family.

What is Microsoap About?

Microsoap follows the adventures of Joe and Emily Parker, a brother and sister, after their parents, Colin and Jane, decide to separate. Even though their parents are no longer married, they remain good friends. This helps keep things as normal as possible for the kids.

Jane, the mom, starts dating a builder named Roger Smart. Roger is a single dad with three kids: David, Felicity, and Robbie. Roger and his children move into the house right next door to Jane's. Roger, being a builder, knocks down a wall between the two houses. This creates one big, busy home for everyone! Meanwhile, Colin, the dad, starts seeing Jennifer, who was his and Jane's marriage therapist. These new relationships and the blended family life create the main stories for each episode.

Meet the Characters

The Main Characters

Emily Parker

Emily is played by Rebecca Hunter. She is the older of the two Parker kids, about fifteen years old. Emily loves football and tries to deal with all the crazy things happening in her big, combined family. She often has crushes on boys, but they usually don't work out. When things get too wild, she often talks to her best friend, Lisa, on the phone. Emily and her brother Joe often talk directly to the audience. They explain what's going on and share their thoughts about their unusual family.

Joe Parker

Joe is played by Paul Terry. He is Emily's younger brother, around twelve years old. Joe is a bit cheeky and loves history and science. He has a big imagination and even keeps a pet boa constrictor in his room! Joe often works on science projects, sometimes with his best friend, Toby. He and Emily usually get along well. They often feel like they are the only normal people in their house. Joe can be impulsive and sometimes says things without thinking, which can make things awkward. He also tends to exaggerate or make up stories, but Emily usually makes him tell the truth to the audience.

Jane Parker

Jane is played by Suzanne Burden. She is the mom of the Parker family. After she and Colin separated, she started a new relationship with Roger. Jane is a nurse and works long hours in the emergency room at the hospital. She often works night shifts. Even though she works a lot, she is still able to guide her family and be firm when she needs to be.

Colin Parker

Colin is played by Jeff Rawle. He is a computer programmer and the dad to Emily and Joe. After he and Jane separated, Colin moved into a new apartment nearby. Emily and Joe visit him for half of the week. Colin is very predictable and likes routines, unlike Jane. After a while, he tries to be more active and fun with Joe and Emily. He starts listening to modern music and doing exciting things like going on roller coasters, attending football matches and rock concerts, hiking, and rock-climbing. He wants to spend more time with his kids. Colin later starts dating Jennifer, the family therapist, and they get married. Colin's job takes him all over the world, and he earns a lot of money.

Roger Smart

Roger is played by Ivan Kaye. He became the main parent for his three children when his wife left. Roger started dating Jane after he was in the hospital where she worked. He bought the house next door to Jane's. Since he is a builder, he knocked down a wall in the living room to create one big house for their combined family.

David Smart

David is played by Ryan Cartwright. He is the oldest of the Smart children, about sixteen years old. David is a typical teenager who can be a bit lazy and sometimes rude, especially to the younger kids. He loves music, even though he's not very good at it, and he tries to impress girls. When he first met Emily, he had a crush on her. But they decided it wouldn't work because they were becoming one family. Later, David starts a relationship with Lisa, Emily's best friend.

Felicity Smart

Felicity is played by Lucy Evans. She is the middle child of the Smart family. Felicity is known for talking non-stop, even in her sleep! She often talks about her future pony, "Fluff." She changes hobbies a lot but enjoys many typical "girly" activities like horse-riding, cooking, and setting up her own library.

Robbie Smart

Robbie is played by Albey Brookes. He is the youngest of all the children, about nine years old. Robbie has a very active imagination. He often plays around the house and talks to his "invisible friend" Pogo. Pogo is a giant, seven-foot blue mouse that follows Robbie everywhere. No one else can see Pogo except Robbie (and the viewers!).

Other Important Characters

Jennifer

Jennifer is played by Lou Gish. She was the Parker family's therapist when Colin and Jane were having problems. After Colin and Jane separated, Jennifer started dating Colin, and they later got married. Jennifer is a very kind and understanding woman. She is also very neat and tidy, which sometimes drives Emily a bit crazy. Jennifer finds the busy, chaotic life of the two families quite surprising.

Jim

Jim was Emily's first crush. He was played by Scott Hickman. Jim had an on-and-off relationship with his girlfriend, which frustrated Emily because she never got to tell him how she felt. Jim later moved to Motherwell for a better job.

Toby

Toby is played by Stephen Geller. He is Joe's best friend and shares Joe's interest in science.

Lisa

Lisa is played by Shauna Shim. She is Emily's best friend. We often heard her on the phone with Emily before she appeared on the show. Lisa works as a babysitter and eventually starts dating David.

Pogo

Pogo is played by Sarah Mogg. Pogo is a seven-foot blue mouse that only Robbie (and the viewer) can see. Pogo follows Robbie everywhere. The family thinks Pogo is imaginary, but Robbie insists Pogo is just "invisible." Interestingly, one of Emily's dates was actually able to see Pogo! Robbie also meets a girl at Colin's wedding who has her own invisible friend, a female mouse.

Package

Package is the family dog. They found him as a puppy on their doorstep.

Awards

• BAFTA Awards 1999 – Best Children's Drama
• Royal Television Society 1999 – Best Children's Drama
• Prix Jeunesse International 2000 – Best Fiction for 11- to 15-year-olds

Microsoap Books

After the first season of Microsoap was successful, two books were published in 1999. These books are based on the original scripts by Mark Haddon. They were written by Stephen Cole and had pictures by Philip Thompson and Atholl McDonald. BBC Books published them with full support from both the BBC and The Disney Channel.

• Microsoap: My Dad Is An Armed Robber (ISBN: 0-563-55618-8) tells the story of the first two episodes of season one.
• Microsoap: Lodgers From Hell (ISBN: 0-563-55619-6) covers the third and fourth episodes of season one.

The books are written from the point of view of Emily and Joe, taking turns telling the story. You can tell who is narrating because the text changes style.

Images for kids

• Microsoap Emily.jpg

  Emily Parker, played by Rebecca Hunter.

• Microsoap Joe.jpg

  Joe Parker, played by Paul Terry.

See also

In Spanish: Microsoap para niños