King Street Junior
| Genre | Radio comedy |
|---|---|
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| Home station | BBC Radio 4 |
| Starring | Peter Davison (series 1—2) Karl Howman (series 3—10) James Grout |
| Created by | Jim Eldridge |
| Written by | Jim Eldridge (66 episodes) Paul Copley (3 episodes) Richard Stoneman (3 eps) Martin Davies (2 episodes) Andy Rashleigh {1 episode} Ivan Shakespeare (1 ep) |
| Produced by | John Fawcett Wilson |
| Original release | 25 March 1985 – 2 November 1998 |
| No. of series | 10 |
| No. of episodes | 76 |
| Website | King Street Junior at BBC Radio 4 Extra |
King Street Junior is a radio comedy which was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between March 1985 and November 1998.[1] The show ran for ten series and the cast included Peter Davison,[2] James Grout and Karl Howman. The series is written by Jim Eldridge.
Research for the show was done at Newtown Road School in Carlisle.[3]
A continuation series aired in 2002 and was named King Street Junior Revisited.
Episodes closed with a children's choir singing "See the Farmer Sow the Seed," a hymn written by Baptist minister Frederick Arthur Jackson (1867–1942).
Cast[edit]
- Peter Davison as Mr. Eric Brown (Series one and two)
- James Grout as Mr. Harry Beeston
- Karl Howman as Mr. Philip Sims (From series three onwards)
- Tom Watson as Mr. Fred Holliday
- Margaret John as Mrs. Dorothy Stone
- Vivienne Martin as Mrs. Lillian Rudd
- Paul Copley as Mr. Geoff Long
- Marlene Sidaway as Miss. Glenda Lewis
- Deirdre Costello as Mrs. Yvonne Patterson
Episodes[edit]
Series 1[edit]
Broadcast in 1985
All episodes written by Jim Eldridge
- The New School Year Starts Here
- Redeployment
- Crime And Punishment
- The Principle Of The Thing
- Scale Points
- Language Units
- Christmas At King Street
Series 2[edit]
Broadcast in 1987
- Priorities
- Dispute
- Barn Dance
- Problem Parents
- The Sound Of Music
- Assemblies
- Parents' Evening
- The Outing
- Sports Day
- Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
Series 3[edit]
Broadcast in 1988. Peter Davison's character is no longer in the show, having taken a position at another school; from here on is Karl Howman as Philip Sims.
- Back To School
- Fireworks
- The Spirit Of Christmas
- The History Game
- Pressures
- Facts Of Life
- Under Canvas
- The School Fete
Series 4[edit]
- It's Only Rock'n'Roll
- Closure
- Opting Out
- Fundraising
- Health
- The Succession
- It's Not Cricket
- That Old Time Religion
Series 5[edit]
Broadcast in 1990
- D-Day Minus One
- Is This A Career I See Before Me?
- Good Times, Bad Times
- Choices
- Bon Voyage
- Work
- The Reunion
Series 6[edit]
- In Real Terms
- Travellers
- Safety First
- A Good Read
- Emergency
- A Day At The Centre
- Thursday's Child
- The Games Children Play
Series 7[edit]
Broadcast in 1992
- Back In The Jug Again
- Witch Hunt
- Is There A Father Christmas?
- Fatal Attraction
- Horses For Courses
- Beside The Seaside
- Taking The Rap
- Endings & Beginnings
Series 8[edit]
Back after a few years in 1995
- Mr Chips - by Paul Copley
- Settling In
- Beginnings & Endings
- Left Out, Roped In
- Confusion - by Richard Stoneman
- Internal Enquiries
Series 9[edit]
- Responsibilities by Richard Stoneman
- Danger Zone by Jim Eldridge
- A Bridge To Afar by Paul Copley
- Relative Value by Andy Rashleigh
- With Love by Jim Eldridge
- Crossed Lines Richard Stoneman
- Financial Times by Paul Copley
- Gridlocked by Jim Eldridge
Series 10[edit]
Broadcast in 1998
- Proposals
- The Rivals
- Accusations
- Target Practice
- Incidental Music
- Final Thoughts
Broadcast History[edit]
For most of its run, it was broadcast in Radio 4's lunchtime comedy slot at 12.27, with later series moving to a morning broadcast.[4] Repeats have also been aired on BBC Radio 7 and BBC Radio 4 Extra.
Critical reception[edit]
The series was described as follows:
"An unassuming Radio 4 institution, this character sitcom-cum-light drama serial followed the working lives of a group of teachers at a small junior school in a multiracial area, and came from the pen of Jim Eldridge, himself a former teacher."
Multimedia[edit]
The ten series of the show are published by Penguin and available to purchase at Audible.[6]
Book[edit]
Jim Eldridge, who created the show and wrote 87 episodes, also wrote a 2006 book, King Street Junior – The Inside Story, describing the history of the show including the behind-the-scenes conflicts.[3]
References[edit]
- ^ Roy Fisher; Ann Harris; Christine Jarvis (2008). Education in Popular Culture: Telling Tales on Teachers And Learners. Routledge. p. 7. ISBN 9780415332415.
- ^ Slide, Anthony (1996). Some Joe You Don't Know: An American Biographical Guide to 100 British Television Personalities. Greenwood. p. 57. ISBN 9780313295508.
- ^ a b "Jim lifts the lid on top radio drama". Cumberland News. 26 May 2006. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013.
- ^ Elmes, Simon (2009). And Now on Radio 4: A Celebration of the World's Best Radio Station. Random House. p. 132. ISBN 9781407005287.
- ^ "King Street Junior: radiohaha". radiohaha. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
- ^ "King Street Junior". Penguin. Retrieved 10 December 2019.