The BBC has unveiled a first look at its upcoming coming-of-age series, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾, which is based on Sue Townsend’s best-selling book of the same name.
The nine-part series, adapted for the screen by David Nicholls (One Day, Us), stars Oliver Savell (Changing Ends, Belfast) as the iconic titular character, Adrian Mole, alongside Pam Ferris (Call the Midwife, Matilda), Lisa McGrillis (Rivals, Mum) and Alun Armstrong (The Choral, Breeders).
© Helen Williams
Oliver Savell plays Adrian Mole in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
Billed as a warm yet poignant family drama, the ’80s-set series follows teenager Adrian as he begins writing a diary about family life and the highs and lows of adolescence.
In a first look at the series, which is being filmed in and around Hartlepool in County Durham, BAFTA-animated star Oliver Savell is pictured wearing a beige jacket and carrying a newspaper delivery bag while leaning against a tree.
What is The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ about?
The series, which is also written by journalist Caitlin Moran and Caroline Moran (Raised By Wolves), Dillon Mapletoft and Oliver Taylor (Everyone Else Burns) and Jack Rooke (Big Boys), follows the life of teenager Adrian Mole in the 1980s.
On New Year’s Day 1981, 13-year-old Adrian starts his uniquely funny diary about family life and being a teenager before the advent of mobile phones and social media.
© Mike Marsland/WireImage
Lisa McGrillis plays Adrian’s mother Pauline
The synopsis continues: “With only a multi-coloured ballpoint pen as his guide, Adrian worries about his spots, his parents’ divorce, the torment of first love and the fact he’s never seen a female nipple.”
Meanwhile, Adrian’s mother Pauline wrestles with her feminist awakening and his father George struggles with being made redundant in an unforgiving economy.
A host of memorable characters will be brought to life on screen, including Adrian’s ‘treacle-haired beloved’ Pandora, his take-no-prisoners Grandma and his unlikely friend, the foul-mouthed pensioner Bert Baxter.
© Ian West – PA Images, Getty
Pam Ferris plays Grandma in the series
The synopsis concludes: “This vivid portrait of suburban life in Britain shows how much we have changed while staying the same. The result is a timeless family drama that is as warm and funny as it is sad and poignant.”
Who else stars in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾?
Oliver Savell (Changing Ends, Belfast) leads the cast as Adrian Mole.
He’s joined by Lisa McGrillis (Rivals, Mum) as Adrian’s mother Pauline and Colin Hoult (After Life, Slow Horses) as his father George. Meanwhile, Pam Ferris (Matilda, Callthe Midwife) plays Grandma, Galaxie Clear (Extra Geography, Secret Service) portrays Pandora and Alun Armstrong (New Tricks, Breeders) plays Bert.
© Alamy Stock Photo
New Tricks star Alun Armstrong plays Bert in the drama
Other cast members include Jude Forsey as Nigel, Rory Keenan as Mr Lucas, David Wilmot as Mr Scruton and Karl Collins as Mr Cherry.
When will The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ be released?
The series will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One next year.
News
ALONE IN THE DARK, BAREFOOT AND VULNERABLE: MIRACLE ENDING AFTER AUTISTIC BOY VANISHES FOR 15 TERRIFYING HOURS
A family has been reunited after an urgent search was launched to find an 11-year-old autistic boy who went missing from Perth’s western suburbs during wild weather. Norman Krakouer, who is non-verbal, spent the night out in the extreme conditions after he…
SECONDS FROM DISASTER: FAMILY OF FOUR KI-LLED TOGETHER IN DE-ADLY BUS CRASH THAT BROUGHT MAJOR INTERSTATE TO A STANDSTILL
Five people were killed and 44 others were injured when a bus driver from Staten Island smashed into stopped traffic along I-95 in Virginia on Friday morning, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. Jing S. Dong, a Chinese native who…
AFTER L0SING THEIR SON, ANOTHER NIGHTMARE STRIKES: ANGUS BEAUMONT’S GRIEVING PARENTS FACE SH0CK NEW ORDEAL
The parents of murdered Queensland teenager Angus Beaumont have suffered another devastating tragedy after their home was allegedly deliberately set alight. The Clontarf home belonging to Ben and Michelle Beaumont was engulfed in flames on Saturday afternoon, with police alleging a 36-year-old…
I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO D-I-E: WOMAN AT CENTER OF SH0CKING B0DYCAM VIDEO SPEAKS OUT AS DISTU-RBING FO0TAGE GOES VIRAL
New police bodycam has emerged of two officers brutally attacking and pepper spraying a woman’s genitals as she laid naked on a road during a psychotic episode. It comes as the identity of the woman was made public for the first…
HARR0WING NEW B0DYCAM F00TAGE REVEALS SH0CKING MOMENT TWO COPS ALLEGEDLY STOMPED ON WOMAN’S HEAD AND PEPPER-SPRAYED HER GENITALS — VICTIM PICTURED FOR THE FIRST TIME AS DISTU-RBING DETAILS EMERGE
New police bodycam has emerged of two officers brutally attacking and pepper spraying a woman’s genitals as she laid naked on a road during a psychotic episode. It comes as the identity of the woman was made public for the first…
He Vanished Without a Trace on a Simple Walk… 8 Months Later, Searchers Make a Chilling Discovery Deep in Tasmania’s Wilderness
Human remains have been found during the search for a missing bushwalker in Tasmania. The remains were discovered in dense bushland in the EagleHawk Tier area in Underwood in Northern Tasmania by a member of the public and are believed to…
End of content
No more pages to load
