Magic Grandad
Encyclopedia
Magic Grandad was an educational programme which originally aired on BBC Two
Schools section Watch during 1995. The show saw Magic Grandad played by Geoffrey Bayldon
take his young grandchildren, played by Kristy Bruce
and James Moreno, back in time to such historical moments as the Great fire of London
.
The show was said to make learning about history "fun for youngsters" and was aimed at children aged 4-7 years. During its peak many schools in England used the show to teach young children about history.
Cheryl Hall
also starred in the show as the children's mother.
Despite its popularity and influence on teaching youngsters the show ran for only one series, though it was repeated on TV for a number of years after it ended.
In 2003 a new version featuring a new cast was remade for BBC Two
.
In the years following the programme a number of educational items were released in the UK including a CD-ROM
entitled Magic Grandad's Seaside Holidays designed for Key Stage 1 pupils to learns about history in the same way the TV show taught them. Written by Susan Bolton, the disc is designed for Infant school teachers to teach pupils during history lessons.
In 2003 a new interactive version of the show was released on CD-ROM. Sticking with the original concept of the TV show before it, it allowed users to travel back in time whilst featuring the interactive elements described as extras. The main difference being that, in a far cry from the TV series, the cast now appeared in digital form
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
Schools section Watch during 1995. The show saw Magic Grandad played by Geoffrey Bayldon
Geoffrey Bayldon
Geoffrey Bayldon is a British actor. After playing roles in many dramas including Shakespeare, he became known for portraying the title role of the children's series Catweazle , after turning down the opportunity to play both the First and Second Doctors in the long-running BBC science fiction...
take his young grandchildren, played by Kristy Bruce
Kristy Bruce
Kristy Bruce is a British actress.Kristy was born in London. She attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School. Her acting career began in 1991, when aged 7 she appeared in The Ruth Rendell Mysteries....
and James Moreno, back in time to such historical moments as the Great fire of London
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
.
The show was said to make learning about history "fun for youngsters" and was aimed at children aged 4-7 years. During its peak many schools in England used the show to teach young children about history.
Cheryl Hall
Cheryl Hall
Cheryl Hall is a British actress.She is best known for playing the role of Shirley, the girlfriend of Wolfie Smith in the British sitcom Citizen Smith....
also starred in the show as the children's mother.
Despite its popularity and influence on teaching youngsters the show ran for only one series, though it was repeated on TV for a number of years after it ended.
In 2003 a new version featuring a new cast was remade for BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
.
In the years following the programme a number of educational items were released in the UK including a CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
entitled Magic Grandad's Seaside Holidays designed for Key Stage 1 pupils to learns about history in the same way the TV show taught them. Written by Susan Bolton, the disc is designed for Infant school teachers to teach pupils during history lessons.
In 2003 a new interactive version of the show was released on CD-ROM. Sticking with the original concept of the TV show before it, it allowed users to travel back in time whilst featuring the interactive elements described as extras. The main difference being that, in a far cry from the TV series, the cast now appeared in digital form
External links
- Magic Grandad's Seaside Holidays
- Magic Grandad: Great Fire of London
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lL0_yR9amUAn episode of Magic Grandad at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
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