King Street Junior. Copyright: BBC
King Street Junior

King Street Junior

  • Radio comedy drama
  • BBC Radio 4
  • 1985 - 2005
  • 100 episodes (14 series)

Long running comedy drama about the bickering staff of an inner city school. Stars Peter Davison, Karl Howman, James Grout, Tom Watson, Margaret John and more.

Key details

Genre
Comedy Drama
Broadcast
1985 - 2005
Channel
BBC Radio 4
Episodes
100 (14 series)
Creator
Jim Eldridge
Stars
Peter Davison, Karl Howman, James Grout, Tom Watson, Margaret John, Vivienne Martin, Paul Copley, Marlene Sidaway and more
Writers
Jim Eldridge, Paul Copley and Richard Stoneman
Producer
John Fawcett Wilson
Company

King Street Junior and its sequel King Street Junior Revisited are a series of long running comedies written by former teacher Jim Eldridge.

The series is about the bickering staff of King Street Junior School, a small school in a multiracial area. In the original series, the head of the school is permanently harassed headmaster Mr. Beeston (James Grout). In the first two series there was new ingenuous Mr. Brown (Peter Davison), an idealistic teacher who had just left work in the oil industry. He later left to get a better teaching job and was replaced by solicitor-turned-teacher Mr. Sims (Karl Howman).

Other staff include world-weary transport-mad Deputy Head Mr. Holliday (Tom Watson), calm secretary Mrs. Stone (Margaret John), mother-domineered spinster Miss Lewis (Marlene Sidaway), the young left-wing radical Mr. Long (Paul Copley), totally terrifying music teacher Mrs. Rudd (Vivienne Martin), and the attractive no-nonsense Mrs. Patterson (Deirdre Costello).

After 10 series most of the original staff had left with Miss Lewis now Deputy Head and Mr. Long now slightly more disillusioned. A sequel, King Street Junior Revisited was created, with new staff to reflect the changes in education since the series ended. Among the new teachers were Miss Reid (Jacqueline Beatty) who had joined the school in the old series, new head teacher Mrs. Devon (Carolyn Pickles), vegetarian pacifist Miss Featherstone (Teresa Gallagher), free-enterprise proponent Mr. Maxwell (Michael Cochrane), and Asian secretary Mrs. Khan (Janice Acquah). In the final series another head teacher took over King Street - Mrs. Eastwood (Brigit Forsyth), who had the habit of rubbing everyone up the wrong way.

Additional details

Also known as
  • King Street - Out And About (Name given to repeats)
  • Wall Street Junior (Working title)
  • King Street Junior Revisited (Sequel)
Production
Studio
Soundtrack
End music is a school assembly singing the hymn Farmer farmer sow your seed.

Website links

Broadcast details

First broadcast
Monday 25th March 1985 at 12:27pm on BBC Radio 4
Most recent repeats
  • Wednesday 13th December 2023 at 3:30am on Radio 4 Extra - Series 8, Episode 6
  • Tuesday 12th December 2023 at 6:30pm on Radio 4 Extra - Series 8, Episode 6
  • Tuesday 12th December 2023 at 1:30pm on Radio 4 Extra - Series 8, Episode 6

Recording details

  • Paris Theatre and BBC Maida Vale Studios

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