Grandpa in My Pocket

Grandpa in My Pocket
Created by Mellie Buse and Jan Page
Developed by Mellie Buse and Jan Page
Written by Mellie Buse and Jan Page
Directed by Richard Bradley, Martin Franks and Iain McLean
Starring James Bolam
Jay Ruckley
Josie Cable
Zara Ramm
Sam Ellis
Harvey Thorn
Sezen Djouma
Theme music composer Kate Edgar
Composer(s) Matt Dilley
Country of origin United Kingdom
England
Original language(s) English
No. of series 5
No. of episodes 55 (series 1)
53 (series 2)
26 (series 4)
26 (series 5) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Sarah Colclough (BBC)
Angus Fletcher (Adastra)
Michael Towner (CBeebies)
Producer(s) BBC
Location(s) Location footage Suffolk and Norfolk. Studio - Enfys, Cardiff, South Wales.
Running time 12 minutes
Production company(s) Adastra Creative Ltd.
Distributor DHX Media
Release
Original network CBeebies
Picture format HD 16:9
Audio format Full Broadcast
Original release 2009
External links
Official website www.grandpainmypocket.com

Grandpa in My Pocket is a comedy drama series commissioned by Michael Carrington for CBeebies, the BBC's dedicated pre-school and nursery channel targeting children aged 1–6 years. The programme stars James Bolam as Grandpa, who owns a magical Shrinking Cap, which initially only his 10-year old grandson Jason (played by Jay Ruckley) knows about. The cap enables him to shrink to about 4 or 5 inches tall, run very fast, and bring objects to life. This allows him to experience many magical adventures which are told via voice-over narration by Jason, including finding a hamster under the floorboards, bringing a home-made robot to life, and driving Jason's toy car and biplane. The programme also stars Josie Cable, Zara Ramm and Sam Ellis. According to the BBC press office, "Grandpa In My Pocket explores the hugely important relationship between grandchildren and grandparents by turning it on its head".[1]

Following the success of the first series, a second was commissioned in March 2009, with a third filmed in 2010. A fourth series was produced in 2013 with broadcast beginning in 2014. For the fourth series, Jason, who is now a teenager, has moved with his family into a windmill which they have opened as a hotel. Jason and Jemima's younger cousins Josh and Elsie (played by Harvey Thorn and Sezen Djouma) have come to stay for the summer, and the two become the series narrators as Grandpa decides to let them in on the secret of the Shrinking Cap.[2]

Production

The first three series of the show was set in the fictional location called "Sunnysands". The exterior scenes were filmed on location in the towns of Southwold and Aldeburgh, in Suffolk. The Masons' house was in Crabbe Street, Aldeburgh. The pier and the lighthouse were in Southwold. The bike and other shops were in Walberswick.

The Masons' windmill for the fourth series is Cley Windmill, located in Cley next the Sea in Norfolk.

A similar idea was used in The Dandy comic in the 1970s comic adventure strip Peter's Pocket Grandpa, which was based on an earlier prose text story called Jimmie's Pocket Grandpa which had appeared in The Dandy in the 1940s. This was parodied in the adult satirical comic, Viz, with its strip entitled "Mickey's Miniature Grandpa", who only thought he could shrink, but lacked the actual ability.

Cast

Main cast

Additional cast

Characters

The Family

Series 1-3

Series 4 and 5

Episodes

Series 2

  1. "Captain Dumbletwit's Toughest Mission Yet!" [23 February 2010]
  2. "Mr Mentor's Custard Puff Plopper" [24 February 2010]
  3. "No Two Rings the Same" [28 February 2010]
  4. "A Carrot Called Christopher and Other Odd Vegetables" [February 2010]
  5. "Taking Floyd for a Ride" [1 March 2010]
  6. "Trying to Play with Shy Shanay" [2 March 2010]
  7. "A Day for a Play at Miss Smiley's Café" [3 March 2010]
  8. "Jemima's New Best Friend" [4 March 2010]
  9. "Bubbles and Squeak" [5 March 2010]
  10. "No More Dolls for Dora" [6 March 2010]
  11. "A Very Needy Speedy Edie" [7 March 2010]
  12. "Making the Most of Max" [8 March 2010]
  13. "Miss Smiley's Strawberry Surprise" [15 March 2010]
  14. "In It to Win It!" [20 March 2010]
  15. "Horatio Heave Ho!" [26 March 2010]
  16. "Great Aunt Loretta's Not-So-Great Plan" [1 October 2010]
  17. "Mr Whoops' Toy of the Week" [2 October 2010]
  18. "The Perfect Little Litter Picker" [3 October 2010]
  19. "Big Elf, Little Elf" [4 October 2010]
  20. "A Song for Miss Smiley" [5 October 2010]
  21. "Mr Scoffbucket the Goat" [6 October 2010]
  22. "Miss Smiley's Dancing Tea" [7 October 2010]
  23. "A Sunnysands Tick Tock Shock" [8 October 2010]
  24. "Wulfy's Day with Mr Whoops" [9 October 2010]
  25. "Captain Shipshape and a Fish Called Bryan" [19 October 2010]
  26. "Grandpa's Greatest Escape Ever" [20 October 2010]

Series 5

  1. "Mr Mentor's Spangly Jangly Dangle Dish" [2 January 2012]
  2. "Poorly Pansy Petunia" [3 January 2012]
  3. "Mr Yomper Stomper's Donkey Day" [4 January 2012]
  4. "Wanda Whoops' World of Whooo!" [5 January 2012]
  5. "The Balderdashes on Bob's Boat" [6 January 2012]
  6. "One Man's Junk Is Another Man's Treasure" [7 January 2012]
  7. "Don't Blame Wulfy" [11 January 2012]
  8. "Mr Mentor's Whizzywoodlesome Whirly Windwhooper" [12 January 2012]
  9. "The Mystery of the Missing Millions" [19 January 2012]
  10. "Cheery Charlie Cheekster's Big Return" [20 January 2012]
  11. "Mrs Pufferbang's Balloony Beach Bonanza" [21 January 2012]
  12. "Bertie Beep and His Talking Sheep" [29 January 2012]
  13. "A Sunnysands Shelter for Bella La Belter" [30 January 2012]
  14. "A Robodoggy for Miss Snip" [2 April 2012]
  15. "The Brillioso Beach Treat" [3 April 2012]
  16. "Great Aunt Loretta on Duty" [4 April 2012]
  17. "Mighty Mike and a Bear on a Hike" [5 April 2012]
  18. "Great Aunt Loretta's Dream Date" [6 April 2012]
  19. "Whizzy William" [7 April 2012]
  20. "Shiny Gold Stars" [8 April 2012]
  21. "Captain Dumbletwit's Dress-Up Party" [9 April 2012]
  22. "In a Muddle with Miss Muddleton" [23 April 2012]
  23. "A Day for a Piratey Adventure" [1 November 2012]
  24. "The Magic of the Mill on the Marsh" [15 November 2012]
  25. "A Passion for Fashion" [12 December 2012]
  26. "A Dinosaur Called Damian" [4 January 2013].

Awards and nominations

  • Nominated for Best Pre-School Live Action[3]
  • Winner - Best Children's Programme

DVD releases

References

  1. ↑ "Family, friends and musical fun on CBeebies". BBC. 8 August 2007. Retrieved 16 February 2009.
  2. ↑ "James Bolam returns in new series of Grandpa In My Pocket on CBeebies". BBC. 1 January 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  3. ↑ "British Academy Children's Awards". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
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