Grandpa In My Pocket is a comedy drama series commissioned by Michael Carrington for CBeebies

CBeebies

CBeebies is the brand used by the BBC for programming aimed at children 6 years and under. It is used as a themed strand in the UK on terrestrial television, as a separate free-to-air domestic British channel and used for international varients supported by advertising, subscription or both...

, the BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

's dedicated pre-school and nursery channel targeting children under the age of 6 years. The programme stars James Bolam

James Bolam

James Christopher Bolam, MBE is a British actor, best known for his roles as Jack Ford in When the Boat Comes In, Trevor Chaplin in The Beiderbecke Trilogy, Terry Collier in The Likely Lads and its sequel Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Roy Figgis in Only When I Laugh, Dr Arthur Gilder in...

, Jay Ruckley

Jay Ruckley

Jay Ruckley is a Welsh child actor who stars as Jason in the CBeebies comedy series Grandpa In My Pocket. He also played a member of the 'mole gang' in The Sparticle Mystery....

, Josie Cable, Zara Ramm and Sam Ellis. The story centres on Grandpa (James Bolam), who owns a magical Shrinking Cap, which only his grandson Jason (Jay Ruckley

Jay Ruckley

Jay Ruckley is a Welsh child actor who stars as Jason in the CBeebies comedy series Grandpa In My Pocket. He also played a member of the 'mole gang' in The Sparticle Mystery....

) knows about. This cap enables him to shrink to about 4 inches or 5 inches tall and experience many magical adventures which are told via voice-over narration by Jason, including finding a hamster under the floorboards and bringing a home-made robot to life.

When miniaturized, he has enough magic power to make Jason's toy car and toy biplane

Biplane

A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...

 and toy railway locomotive work as the real vehicles including making engine noise, and drive them. Jason has a simple toy glider made of two pieces of wood in the shape of a seagull which he calls Gordon; Grandpa, when miniaturized, can ride on this and make it fly like a real seagull.

When miniaturized, Grandpa can jump much farther in proportion than in full size, and can also "run for all he's worth", as Jason puts it.

Grandpa is never identified on-screen with a proper name, so we never learn whether he is Mr. Mason or Mrs. Mason's father – both refer to him simply as "Grandpa" in much the same way as the parents of comic strip characters – such as The Beano

The Beano

The Beano is a British children's comic, published by D.C. Thomson & Co and is arguably their most successful.The comic first appeared on 30 July 1938, and was published weekly. During the Second World War,The Beano and The Dandy were published on alternating weeks because of paper and ink...

s Dennis the Menace

Dennis the Menace (UK)

Dennis the Menace, later called Dennis the Menace and Gnasher and now Dennis and Gnasher, is a long-running comic strip in the British children's comic The Beano, published by D. C...

, for example – call each other "Mum" and "Dad". Even Grandpa's own sister, Great Aunt Loretta, only ever calls him "Grandpa".

According to the BBC press office, "Grandpa In My Pocket explores the hugely important relationship between grandchildren and grandparents by turning it on its head".

In March 2009 it was announced that CBeebies had commissioned Adastra Creative to make a second series of Grandpa in My Pocket, ordering 26 new episodes of the show following the success of the first series. Following the success of Series 2, a 3rd Series had been commissioned to be filmed in Wales in Summer 2010. It will be broadcast first on CBeebies in 2011.

The show is set in a fictional location called "Sunnysands". The exterior scenes are filmed on location in the towns of Southwold

Southwold

Southwold is a town on the North Sea coast, in the Waveney district of the English county of Suffolk. It is located on the North Sea coast at the mouth of the River Blyth within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town is around south of Lowestoft and north-east...

 and Aldeburgh

Aldeburgh

Aldeburgh is a coastal town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. Located on the River Alde, the town is notable for its Blue Flag shingle beach and fisherman huts where freshly caught fish are sold daily, and the Aldeburgh Yacht Club...

, in Suffolk

Suffolk

Suffolk is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in East Anglia, England. It has borders with Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south. The North Sea lies to the east...

.. The Masons' house is in Crabbe Street, Aldeburgh. The pier and the lighthouse are in Southwold. The bike and other shop is in Walberswick

Walberswick

Walberswick is a village on the Suffolk coast in England, across the River Blyth from Southwold. Coastal erosion and the shifting of the mouth of the River Blyth meant that the neighbouring town of Dunwich was lost as a port in the last years of the 13th century...

.

A similar idea was used in The Dandy

The Dandy

The Dandy is a long running children's comic published in the United Kingdom by D. C. Thomson & Co. Ltd. The first issue was printed in 1937 and it is the world's third longest running comic, after Detective Comics and Il Giornalino...

 comic in the 1980s comic adventure strip Peter's Pocket Grandpa

Peter's Pocket Grandpa

Peter's Pocket Grandpa was a fictional character in a comic strip in the UK comic The Dandy. It first appeared in issue 1771, dated 1 November 1975, and was drawn by Ron Spencer for the majority of its run, with a few later strips being drawn by John Geering.The strip told the rather whimsical and...

, which was based on a prose text story from a 1940s Dandy Monster Comic annual called Jimmie's Pocket Grandpa. This was also the basis of Viz

Viz (comic)

Viz is a popular British comic magazine which has been running since 1979.The comic's style parodies British comics of the post-war period, notably The Beano and The Dandy, but with incongruous language, crude toilet humour, black comedy, surreal humour and either sexual or violent storylines...

's Mickey's Miniature Grandpa

Mickey's Miniature Grandpa

Mickey's Miniature Grandpa is a strip in the British adult comic Viz. Its appearance in the magazine has been sporadic; first appearing in 1989 and appearing very occasionally ever since...

, a spoof of the Dandy strip in which the grandfather character suffers from dementia and only believes himself to be able to shrink.

Characters

• Grandpa (James Bolam
  James Bolam
  James Christopher Bolam, MBE is a British actor, best known for his roles as Jack Ford in When the Boat Comes In, Trevor Chaplin in The Beiderbecke Trilogy, Terry Collier in The Likely Lads and its sequel Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Roy Figgis in Only When I Laugh, Dr Arthur Gilder in...
  
  )
• Jason Mason (Jay Ruckley
  Jay Ruckley
  Jay Ruckley is a Welsh child actor who stars as Jason in the CBeebies comedy series Grandpa In My Pocket. He also played a member of the 'mole gang' in The Sparticle Mystery....
  
  )
• Mum (Zara Ramm)
• Dad (Sam Ellis)
• Jemima Mason (Josie Cable)
• Mr. Whoops (Steve Elias)
• Beowulf (Tinkerbell) (dog)
• Great Aunt Loretta (Susan Jameson
  Susan Jameson
  Susan Jameson is an English actress who is best known for her television work.Jameson was born in Barnt Green, Worcestershire, England, UK. She is married to actor James Bolam with whom she has a daughter, Lucy...
  
  )
• Troy (Shaheen Jafargholi
  Shaheen Jafargholi
  Shaheen Jafargholi is a Welsh teen actor and singer from Swansea, Wales. He is of Iranian and Welsh descent. He appeared on ITV's Britain's Got Talent show and sang "Who's Lovin' You" at Michael Jackson's globally televised public memorial service in July 2009...
  
  )
• Miss Smiley (Lorna Laidlaw)
• Mr. Liker Biker (Phil Gallagher
  Phil Gallagher
  Phil Gallagher is a British presenter, actor, writer and voiceover artist from Gillingham, Kent, who is best known for his title role in the CBeebies programme Mister Maker.Gallagher started his career as a presenter and sports reporter on BBC Radio Kent...
  
  )
• Troy's Dad (David Davies)
• Lady Prigsbottom (Liza Goddard
  Liza Goddard
  Liza Goddard is an English television and stage actress best known for her work in the 1970s and 1980s.-Early life:Goddard was born in Smethwick, West Midlands, England...
  
  )
• Princess Purpelovna (Rula Lenska
  Rula Lenska
  Rula Lenska is an English actress. Best known for her work in the United Kingdom, she is remembered in the United States for a television advert that presented her as a celebrity, even though she was not widely known in the US at the time the advert was produced.She has appeared extensively on...
  
  )
• Igor (David Kendall)
• Mr. Krumpgrumble (Brian Herring)
• Miss Snip (Heather Williams)
• Baby Boris (Izaak Jameson-Lys)
• Mr. Hackitt (Simon Lys)
• Josh (Arthur Byrne)
• Bubbles (Elizabeth Franks)
• Mr Marvelloso (Sam Ellis)
• Cousin Alvin (Harry Jackson)
• Miss Pointy-Pencil (Meera Syal
  Meera Syal
  Meera Syal MBE is a British comedienne, writer, playwright, singer, journalist, producer and actress. She rose to prominence as one of the team that created Goodness Gracious Me and became one of the UK's best-known Indian personalities portraying Sanjeev's grandmother, Ummi, in The Kumars at No...
  
  )
• Speedie Edie (Alex Tregear)
• Horatio Heave Ho (David Rintoul)
• Lord Shipshape (Alex Jennings
  Alex Jennings
  Alex Jennings is an English actor whose roles have included Charles, Prince of Wales in The Queen .-Early years:...
  
  )
• Mrs. Maridadi (Vivien Heilbron
  Vivien Heilbron
  Vivien Heilbron is a Scottish actress.-Career:Heilbron, who was born in Glasgow, achieved fame in her homeland when she appeared in the 1971 BBC Scotland television adaption of Lewis Grassic Gibbon's Sunset Song, in the lead role of Chris Guthrie. "The television programme was quite instrumental...
  
  )
• Rodger Splodger (Sanjeev Bhaskar
  Sanjeev Bhaskar
  Sanjeev Bhaskar, OBE is a British Indian comedian, actor and broadcaster, best known for his work in the BBC Two comedy series Goodness Gracious Me and as host of The Kumars at No. 42...
  
  )
• Mr. Mentor (Alan McMahon)
• Granddad Gilbert (Geoffrey Palmer
  Geoffrey Palmer (actor)
  Geoffrey Dyson Palmer, OBE is an English actor, best known for his roles in sitcoms such as Butterflies and As Time Goes By.-Career:...
  
  )
• Dora (Maia Tamrakar)
• Shanay (Paaras Bhardwaj)
• Floyd (Luke Perry)
• Max (Benjamin Greaves-Neal)
• Mrs. McWhiskit
• Brenda Balderdash
• Bernard Balderdash
• Madame Vibrato ([Anne Reid])
• Lenora ([Sian Thomas])
• Squeak (Tommy)(Hamster)
• Mr. Scoffbucket (Oscar)(goat)

The Mason Family

• Mr Mason "Dad" works in a bicycle shop. He is quite forgetful and is a typical annoying dad.
• Mrs Mason "Mum" is a housewife and Grandpa's daughter
• Jason Mason is the main character (apart from Grandpa) on the show. He alone knows about Grandpa's shrinking cap and has to deal with the trouble it leads, alone.
• Jemima Mason is Jason's older sister. She loves pink and all her birthday presents are pink.
• Bubbles is Jason and Jemima's babysitter. She is rather excitable and silly but is fun. She has brown curly hair and is always smiling about something or other.
• Grandpa is what most people see as an ordinary Grandpa, but is actually in possession of a magic shrinking cap.
• Great Aunt Loretta is Grandpa's sister. She is bossy and annoying and quite often comes to stay.
• Beowulf is Grandpa's dog.

Series 1

1. "Beowulf the Brilliant"
2. "How to Handle a Hamster"
3. "Mr. Liker Biker's Big Mountain Mission"
4. "The Robot to Beat All Robots"
5. "Princess Purpelovna's Plan"
6. "Mr. Krumpgrumble's Visit"
7. "The Most Splendiferous Sandcastle in Sunnysands"
8. "A Fabulous Family Photo"
9. "Miss Smiley's Summer Show"
10. "The Wonderful World of Mr Whoops"
11. "Chaos in the Cafe"
12. "The Day the Baby Came to Stay"
13. "A Garden Full of Beasts"
14. "A Toy for a Boy Called Troy"
15. "Trouble for Bubbles"
16. "Shake Up and Shape Up"
17. "Mr. Marvelloso's Magic Show"
18. "A Tuneful Toot on a Trumpet"
19. "Getting Aunt Loretta Better"
20. "Sweet Dreams for Cousin Alvin"
21. "Something to Treasure Forever"
22. "A Saturday Full of Surprises"
23. "Magic in the Air"
24. "Nothing Stops Grandpa"
25. "Grandpa's Busy Bee Day"
26. "Captain Dumbletwit's Spaceship Cake"

Series 2

1. "Captain Dumbletwit's Toughest Mission Yet"
2. "Mr. Mentor's Custard Puff Plopper"
3. "No Two Rings the Same"
4. "A Carrot Called Christopher and Other Odd Vegetables"
5. "Taking Floyd for a Ride"
6. "Trying to Play with Shy Shanay"
7. "A Day for a Play in Miss Smiley's Cafe"
8. "Jemima's New Best Friend"
9. "Bubbles and Squeak"
10. "No More Dolls for Dora"
11. "A Very Needy Speedy Edie"
12. "Making the Most of Max"
13. "Miss Smiley's Strawberry Surprise"
14. "In It To Win"
15. "Horatio Heave Ho!"
16. "Great Aunt Loretta's Not So Great Plan"
17. "Mr. Whoops' Toy of the Week"
18. "A Perfect Little Litter Picker"
19. "Big Elf, Little Elf"
20. "A Song for Miss Smiley"
21. "Mr. Scoffbucket the Goat"
22. "Miss Smiley's Dancing Tea"
23. "A Sunnysands Tick Tock Shock"
24. "Wulfy's Day With Mr Whoops"
25. "Captain Shipshape and a Fish Called Bryan"
26. "Grandpa's Greatest Escape Ever"

Series 3

1. "The Magic Of Christmas"
2. "No Ordinary Pig"
3. "The Lighthouse View, As Good As New"
4. "Boom A Boom Whoop Zing Zoo
5. "Leonora The Explorer
6. "A Captain Dumbletwit Box Of Tricks"
7. "No Help For Alvin"
8. "Mr. Mentor's Marvelicious Inventing Club"
9. "More Than A Biscuit For Mrs. McWhiskit"
10. "A Day What You Like To Do"
11. "No Mention Of An Invention"
12. "The Sunnysands School For Pirates"
13. "Mr. Greator The Creator"
14. "Mr. Whoops' Wonderful Wedding"

Award Nominations

• BAFTA Children's Awards 2009
• Nominated for Best Pre-School Live Action
• BAFTA - Wales  2010
• Winner - Best Children's Programme

• Highest Rating CBeebies show in all demographics for the first run of the second series on CBeebies (Feb/March 2010).

DVD release History

• UK
  • Warner Home Video
    Warner Home Video
    Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
    
     (2010-2011)
  • Abbey Home Media (2011-present)

• France
  • Warner Home Video
    Warner Home Video
    Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
    
     (2011-present)

• USA
  • Warner Home Video
    Warner Home Video
    Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
    
     (2011-present)

• Italy
  • Warner Home Video
    Warner Home Video
    Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
    
    (2011-present)