King Street Junior

2022-06-14T19:26:06Z

98.171.225.178: added reference to closing song

{{Short description|Fictional English Junior school teachers drama series}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox radio show
| show_name = King Street Junior
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| format = [[Radio comedy]]
| runtime = 30 minutes
| country = [[United Kingdom]]
| language = [[English language|English]]
| home_station = [[BBC Radio 4]]
| starring = [[Peter Davison]] {{small|(series 1—2)}} [[Karl Howman]] {{small|(series 3—10)}} [[James Grout]]
| announcer =
| creator = [[Jim Eldridge]]
| writer = [[Jim Eldridge]] {{small|(66 episodes)}} [[Paul Copley]] {{small|(3 episodes)}} Richard Stoneman {{small|(3 eps)}} [[Martin Davies (writer)|Martin Davies]] {{small|(2 episodes)}} Andy Rashleigh {{small|{1 episode}}} [[Ivan Shakespeare]] {{small|(1 ep)}}
| producer = [[John Fawcett Wilson]]
| narrated =
| rec_location =
| first_aired = {{start date|1985|03|25|df=yes}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1998|11|02|df=yes}}
| num_series = 10
| num_episodes = 76
| audio_format =
| opentheme =
| othertheme =
| endtheme =
| website = [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00bfnmg King Street Junior at BBC Radio 4 Extra]
| podcast =
}}
'''''King Street Junior''''' is a [[radio comedy]] which was broadcast on [[BBC Radio 4]] between March 1985 and November 1998.<ref>{{cite book|title=Education in Popular Culture: Telling Tales on Teachers And Learners|year=2008|publisher=Routledge|page=7|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-QqCgsQlQIEC&dq=%22King+Street+Junior%22+comedy&pg=PA7|author1=Roy Fisher |author2=Ann Harris |author3=Christine Jarvis |isbn=9780415332415}}</ref> The show ran for ten series and the cast included [[Peter Davison]],<ref>{{cite book|last=Slide|first=Anthony|title=Some Joe You Don't Know: An American Biographical Guide to 100 British Television Personalities|year=1996|publisher=Greenwood|page=57|isbn=9780313295508|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_S4f-nobIxEC&dq=%22King+Street+Junior%22+comedy&pg=PA57}}</ref> [[James Grout]] and [[Karl Howman]]. The series is written by [[Jim Eldridge]].

Research for the show was done at Newtown Road School in [[Carlisle, Cumbria|Carlisle]].<ref name=cumberland/>

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 Frederick Arthur Jackson.

==Cast==
* [[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 (actor)|Tom Watson]] as Mr. Fred Holliday
* [[Margaret John]] as Mrs. Dorothy Stone
* [[Vivienne Martin (actress)|Vivienne Martin]] as Mrs. Lillian Rudd
* [[Paul Copley]] as Mr. Geoff Long
* [[Marlene Sidaway]] as Miss. Glenda Lewis
* [[Deirdre Costello (actress)|Deirdre Costello]] as Mrs. Yvonne Patterson

==Episodes==

===Series 1===
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===
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===
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===

* It's Only Rock'n'Roll
* Closure
* Opting Out
* Fundraising
* Health
* The Succession
* It's Not Cricket
* That Old Time Religion

===Series 5===
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===

* In Real Terms
* Travellers
* Safety First
* A Good Read
* Emergency
* A Day At The Centre
* Thursday's Child
* The Games Children Play

===Series 7===
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===
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===
*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===
Broadcast in 1998

*Proposals
*The Rivals
*Accusations
*Target Practice
*Incidental Music
*Final Thoughts

==Broadcast History==
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.<ref>{{cite book|last=Elmes|first=Simon|title=And Now on Radio 4: A Celebration of the World's Best Radio Station|year=2009|publisher=Random House|page=132|isbn=9781407005287|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NlUP9X4wTMYC&dq=%22King+Street+Junior%22&pg=PA132}}</ref> Repeats have also been aired on [[BBC Radio 7]] and [[BBC Radio 4 Extra]].

==Critical Reception==
The series was described as follows:

{{Quote|text="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."}}<ref>{{cite web |title=King Street Junior: radiohaha |url=http://www.angelfire.com/pq/radiohaha/KINGSTJU.html |website=radiohaha |accessdate=10 December 2019}}</ref>

==Multimedia==
The ten series of the show are published by Penguin and available to purchase at Audible.<ref>{{cite web |title=King Street Junior |url=https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1118822/king-street-junior/9781787537873.html |website=Penguin |accessdate=10 December 2019}}</ref>

==Book==
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.<ref name=cumberland>{{cite news|title=Jim lifts the lid on top radio drama|url=http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk/news/people/jim-lifts-the-lid-on-top-radio-drama-1.356430?referrerPath=news/people|newspaper=Cumberland News|date=26 May 2006|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130419235816/http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk/news/people/jim-lifts-the-lid-on-top-radio-drama-1.356430?referrerPath=news/people|archivedate=19 April 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.britishcomedy.org.uk/comedy/kingstreet.html British Comedy & Drama Guide]
* [https://www.comedy.co.uk/radio/king_street_junior/cast_crew/ British Comedy Guide]

[[Category:BBC Radio comedy programmes]]
[[Category:1985 radio programme debuts]]

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King Street Junior