Jackanory

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Information

BBC children’s television series that was designed to stimulate an interest in reading, aired between 1965 and 1996
What Dahl Did: wrote several children’s books that were adapted for the program
Program Information:
- “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”
  - Originally aired from February 5-9, 1968
  - Cast and crew:
    - Read by Bernard Cribbins
    - Pictures by Faith Jaques and Mina Martinez
    - Adapted for television and directed by Paul Ciani
    - Produced by Anna Home
  - Episodes:
    - Part 1: “Golden Tickets”
    - Part 2: “Fudgemallow Delight”
    - Part 3: “The Chocolate Room”
    - Part 4: “A Shock for Veruca and Violet”
    - Part 5: “A Surprise for Charlie”
- “James and the Giant Peach”
  - Originally aired from September 30-October 4, 1968
  - Cast and crew:
    - Read by Bernard Cribbins
    - Pictures by Michel Simeon
    - Adapted for television and directed by Angela Beeching
    - Produced by Anna Home
  - Episodes:
    - Part 1: “The Mysterious Peach”
    - Part 2: “Strange Creatures”
    - Part 3: “Danger — Sharks!”
    - Part 4: “Adventures in the Air”
    - Part 5: “Down to Earth”
- “Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator”
  - Originally aired from May 19-23, 1975
  - Cast and crew:
    - Read by Elaine Stritch
    - Pictures by Jan Brychta
    - Adapted for television and directed by Jeremy Swan
    - Produced by Angela Beeching
    - Executive producer: Anna Home
  - Episodes:
    - Part 1: “Mr Wonka goes too far”
    - Part 2: “Men from Mars”
    - Part 3: “The Vermicious Knids”
    - Part 4: “Back to the Chocolate Factory”
    - Part 5: “How to Get Someone Out of Bed”
- “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”
  - Originally aired from October 15-19, 1979
  - Cast and crew:
    - Read by Elaine Stritch
    - Pictures by Jan Brychta
    - Adapted for television and directed by Nel Romano
    - Produced by Angela Beeching
    - Executive producer: Anna Home
- “The BFG”
  - Originally aired from November 14-18, 1983
  - Cast and crew:
    - Read by Bill Oddle
    - With the voices of Emma Guidotti, Bernard Bresslaw, Miriam Margolyes, Clifford Norgate, and Edward Kelsey
    - Pictures by Jan Brychta
    - Designed by Nick Somerville
    - Adapted for television and directed by David Bell
    - Executive producer: Angela Beeching
  - Episodes:
    - Part 1: “The Snatch”
    - Part 2: “Snozzcumbers and the Bloodbottler”
    - Part 3: “Dream-catching”
    - Part 4: “The Queen”
    - Part 5: “Capture”
- “George’s Marvellous Medicine”
  - Originally aired from January 6-10, 1986
  - Cast and crew:
    - Read by Rik Mayall
    - Pictures by Frances Cony
    - Designed by Bruce Macadie
    - Adapted for television and directed by David Bell
    - Produced by Angela Beeching
  - Episodes:
    - Part 1: “The Marvellous Plan”
    - Part 2: “The Cook-up”
    - Part 3: “Grandma Gets the Medicine”
    - Part 4: “The Pig, the Bullocks, the Sheep, the Pony and the Nanny-goat”
    - Part 5: “Marvellous Medicine Nos Two, Three and Four”
  - Trivia:
    - After the initial airing, the BBC was inundated with mail claiming both Rik’s presentation and the story were dangerous and offensive. It remains a highlight for many viewers.
- “James and the Giant Peach”
  - Originally aired from February 10-13, 1986
  - Cast and crew:
    - Read by Kenneth Williams
  - Episodes:
    - Part 1
    - Part 2: “James meets the Creatures in the Peach”
    - Part 3: “James Makes the Peach Fly”
    - Part 4: “The Peach and the Cloud-men”
- “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”
  - Originally aired from March 17-21, 1986
  - Cast and crew:
    - Read by Michael Palin
    - Pictures by Jan Brychta
    - Designed by Chris Seagers
    - Adapted for television and directed by Marilyn Fox
    - Produced by Angela Beeching
  - Episodes:
    - Part 1: “Mr Wonka ‘s Mystery Workers”
    - Part 2: “The Golden Tickets”
    - Part 3: “Inside the Gates”
    - Part 4: “Goodbye Veruca and Violet”
    - Part 5: “The Great Glass Lift”
- “Danny the Champion of the World”
  - Originally aired from January 26-30, 1987
  - Cast and crew:
    - Read by Joss Ackland
    - Pictures by Gavin Rowe
    - Designed by Donal Woods
    - Adapted for television and directed by David Bell
    - Produced by Angela Beeching
  - Episodes:
    - Part 1: “My Father’s Deep, Dark Secret”
    - Part 2: “The Secret Methods”
    - Part 3: “The Sleeping Beauty”
    - Part 4: “Into the Wood”
    - Part 5: “Goodbye Mr Hazell”
- “Matilda”
  - Originally aired from February 20-24, 1989
  - Cast and crew:
    - Read by Victoria Wood
    - Designed by Jackie Jackson
    - Adapted for television and directed by Nigel Douglas
    - Produced by Angela Beeching
  - Episodes:
    - Part 1: “The Reader of Books”
    - Part 2: “Miss Honey”
    - Part 3: “The First Miracle”
    - Part 4: “The Mystery”
    - Part 5: “The Final Miracle”
- “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”
  - Originally aired from January 7-11, 1991
  - Cast and crew:
    - Read by Sylvester McCoy
    - Adapted for television and directed by Nigel Douglas
    - Produced by Angela Beeching
  - Episodes:
    - Part 1: “Here Comes Charlie”
    - Part 2: “The Miracle”
    - Part 3: “Down the Chocolate River”
    - Part 4: “The Great Glass Lift”
    - Part 5: “Charlie’s Chocolate Factory”
- “Esio Trot”
  - Originally aired on March 18-19, 1991
  - Cast and crew:
    - Read by Jean Boht
- “The Twits”
  - Originally aired on March 7-8, 1995
  - Cast and crew:
    - Read by Kathy Burke
- “Fantastic Mr. Fox”
  - Originally aired on February 11 & 18, 1996
  - Cast and crew:
    - Read by Martin Jarvis

Description

Jackanory was a long-running BBC children’s television series that was designed to stimulate an interest in reading. The show was first transmitted on 13 December 1965, and the first story was the fairy-tale “Cap-o’-Rushes” read by Lee Montague. Jackanory continued to be broadcast until 1996, with around 3,500 episodes in its 30-year run.