In this children’s serial, a group of young journalists investigates local mysteries for their self-published newspaper.
A group of enterprising youngsters in the seaside town of Cliffsea decide to launch their own newspaper, “Adventure Weekly.” The editor is twelve-year-old Peter Perkins (Brent Oldfield), whose father owns the local press. He is joined by sports editor Tubby Taylor (Ian Ellis), news reporter ‘Swot’ English (Frank Barry), photographer Andy Rogers (Len Jones), and Frederica (Elizabeth Dear), known to her friends as Fred. With the help of a sympathetic typesetter, Mr Filling (Bartlett Mullins), the team uses its journalistic curiosity to uncover local crime and intrigue, often finding themselves one step ahead of the bemused and frequently unimpressed beat officer, PC Cullis (Michael Wisher).
Created by Shaun Sutton, a future Head of Drama at the BBC, this children’s adventure serial was built on the classic model of resourceful children operating in an adult world. Co-written by Sutton with Victor Pemberton, the series had a solid creative foundation which ensured the storylines were well-structured and plausible within their genre. Filmed on location in Seaford and Newhaven, the production had an authentic coastal atmosphere that distinguished it from studio-bound contemporaries. The programme presented a world where youthful ingenuity and teamwork were consistently able to outwit the schemes of criminals and bypass the plodding methods of official authority.
Broadcast: BBC One, 13 Episodes, Mondays, 30 December 1968 – 24 March 1969
Created by: Shaun Sutton
Written by: Shaun Sutton, Victor Pemberton
Producer: John McRae
Main Cast: Brent Oldfield (Peter Perkins), Ian Ellis (Tubby Taylor), Len Jones (Andy Rogers), Frank Barry (‘Swot’ English), Elizabeth Dear (Frederica), Bartlett Mullins (Mr Filling), Michael Wisher (PC Cullis), Morris Perry (Mr Perkins)
