I Was a Rat is a UK children's drama series broadcast on BBC One

BBC One

BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...

 in autumn 2001 based on the popular children's book I Was a Rat! or The Scarlet Slippers

I was a Rat! or The Scarlet Slippers

I was a Rat! or The Scarlet Slippers is a children's novel written by British author Philip Pullman. It was published in 1999.-Plot:One evening, at the home of the cobbler old Bob and his washerwoman wife Joan, there is a knock at the door. Bob opens the door and sees a little boy in a torn and...

by Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ...

. It was aired in the Sunday tea-time slot which traditionally accommodates a children's drama series in the run-up to Christmas

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

. The series was produced by Andy Rowley

Andy Rowley

Andy Rowley is a British television producer known for his children's dramas, including Jeopardy, which won a BAFTA Award for best children's drama in 2002, and Microsoap, Prix Jeunesse winner and BAFTA best children's drama award winner in 1999....

 and starred Calum Worthy in the leading role, alongside Tom Conti

Tom Conti

Thomas "Tom" Conti is a Scottish actor, theatre director and novelist.-Early life:Born Thomas Conti in Paisley, Renfrewshire, he was brought up Roman Catholic, but he considers himself anti-religious...

 and Brenda Fricker

Brenda Fricker

Brenda Fricker is an Irish actress of theatre, film and television. She had appeared in more than 30 films and television roles...

. It was adapted by Richard Carpenter, who won a BAFTA award for the work.

Synopsis

Based on the book

I was a Rat! or The Scarlet Slippers

I was a Rat! or The Scarlet Slippers is a children's novel written by British author Philip Pullman. It was published in 1999.-Plot:One evening, at the home of the cobbler old Bob and his washerwoman wife Joan, there is a knock at the door. Bob opens the door and sees a little boy in a torn and...

 by Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ...

 it is set in the early 1920s, telling the tale of a young boy with a mysterious past who claims to be a rat. He is taken in off the streets by elderly couple Bob (Conti

Tom Conti

Thomas "Tom" Conti is a Scottish actor, theatre director and novelist.-Early life:Born Thomas Conti in Paisley, Renfrewshire, he was brought up Roman Catholic, but he considers himself anti-religious...

) and Joan (Fricker

Brenda Fricker

Brenda Fricker is an Irish actress of theatre, film and television. She had appeared in more than 30 films and television roles...

) who name him Roger and it soon becomes obvious that he is no ordinary child.

Cast

Character	Actor
Roger/Ratty	Calum Worthy
Joan Jones	Brenda Fricker Brenda Fricker Brenda Fricker is an Irish actress of theatre, film and television. She had appeared in more than 30 films and television roles...
Bob Jones	Tom Conti Tom Conti Thomas "Tom" Conti is a Scottish actor, theatre director and novelist.-Early life:Born Thomas Conti in Paisley, Renfrewshire, he was brought up Roman Catholic, but he considers himself anti-religious...
Mudduck	Ned Beatty Ned Beatty Ned Thomas Beatty is an American actor who has appeared in more than 100 films and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain and a Golden Globe Award; won a Drama Desk Award....
Wheedle	Stephen Ouimette Stephen Ouimette Stephen Ouimette is a Canadian actor and director, born and raised in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, and a graduate of the University of Windsor...
Lady Aurelia Ashington/ Mary Jane Potts	Katie Blake
Prince Richard	James Millard
Julian	Karl Pruner Karl Pruner Karl Pruner is a Canadian actor whose most notable work is in portraying Canadian Prime Minister John Turner in the 2002 mini-series Trudeau. He did not play Turner in the sequel Trudeau II: Maverick in the Making but did portray Frank Scott. Amongst his other work, he did voice acting as Beta Ray...
Charlie	Richard Graham Richard Graham (actor) Richard Graham is an actor. He is mostly known for his roles opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic and Gangs Of New York , as well as playing Trevor in the football hooligan film I.D. .He has appeared in many television series, including all 12 episodes of Maisie Raine as D.S...
Sergeant Piggles	Denis Lill Denis Lill Denis Lill is a New Zealand-born British actor.Some of his many film and television roles include Fall of Eagles , Edward the Seventh , Survivors , The Scarlet Pimpernel , as William Knox d-Arcy, the Australian oil pioneer in Persia, in Reilly: Ace of Spies , Rumpole of the Bailey , Mapp &...
Oliver Tapescrew	Don McKellar Don McKellar -Personal life:McKellar was born in Toronto, Ontario to a lawyer father and teacher mother. He attended Glenview Senior Public School, Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute and later studied English at the University of Toronto's Victoria College...