Just William (2010)

Over Christmas the BBC put out a charming 4-part comedy adaptation of Just William in midday daily slots. It was a curious way of showing the series, and I bet many people missed it, but I've got the Radio Times - forewarned is forearmed, or something - and remembered to record them all. I was pleased that I did as it was a great new addition to the mostly uninspiring Christmas schedules. 

Daniel Roche, of Outnumbered fame, played William and he was surrounded by great British comedy actors including Rebecca Front, Caroline Quentin, John Sessions, Daniel Ryan and Warren Clarke who were provided with a top notch script by Simon Nye, of Men Behaving Badly fame. Set in an idyllic 1950's English country village, William and his friends had typically childish adventures, wandering where they wanted, getting into scrapes. It was all jolly good fun and evocative of a time when kids were allowed to play outdoors and have friendships with elderly male gardeners (Roy Hudd). 

Roche proved he can act as well as he can ad lib in Outnumbered, and he was quite cute when William was faced with an annoying little girl, Violet, or with a tomboy girl he could discuss toads with. The scheduling of the show and the stars would imply the series was aimed squarely at children, but the adult cast provided enough humour and the script enough wit to divert me for half an hour a time. Good stuff.