Just William (ITV Comedy, Adrian Dannatt, Bonnie Langford)

Family comedy Just William detailed the exploits of the perennial naughty schoolboy William Brown (Adrian Dannatt) and his gang The Outlaws in the late 1920s. William regularly had to contend with the attentions of young Violet Elizabeth Bott (Bonnie Langford) whose catchphrase was “I’ll Scweam and Scweam and Scweam until I Make Myself sick.” Elizabeth lived in the big Manor House with her nouveaux rich mother and father.

Like in the books most of the adult characters were writ large, especially Mrs Bott (a fabulous Diana Dors) and William’s own family – older brother Robert (Simon Chandler) and sister Ethel (Stacy Dorning). Adrian Dannatt as William Brown – king of the seas.

The debut of the series was given a prestigious TV Times cover and there a was a two page feature on William’s creator Richmal Crompton who apparently was never overly happy with the success of her naughty schoolboy. Crompton (her real surname was Lamburn – Crompton was her middle name) was a schoolteacher who only started writing after an attack of polio.

The character of Just William has long been a favourite with TV companies, there were versions in 1962, 1994 and 2010.

Cast: ADRIAN DANNATT as William Brown; HUGH CROSS as Mr Brown; DIANA FAIRFAX as Mrs Brown; STACY DORNING as Ethel Brown; SIMON CHANDLER as Robert Brown; BONNIE LANGFORD as Violet Elizabeth Bott; DIANA DORS as Mrs Bott

Characters: Richmal Crompton / Writer: Keith Dewhurst / Theme Music: Denis King / Executive Producer: Stella Richman / Producer: John Davies

UK / ITV – London Weekend Television / 26×30 minutes 1×60 minutes / 16 February 1977 – 22 January 1978