BBC revives classic children's TV series The Demon Headmaster
Plus, Crackerjack is heading back to our screens after 35 years
Brace yourself: hit 90s kids' show The Demon Headmaster is coming back after 20 years.
The BBC has announced that the drama series – which terrified children everywhere with its story of pupils battling an evil headteacher with hypnotic powers – is being revived for the modern day.
Adapted from the new Demon Headmaster book from Gillian Cross – the author who wrote the novels the original series was based on – the story will feature the evil teacher as a 'Super Head' of an Academy school.
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And it sounds very similar to the original show. According to the BBC, the drama “follows a group of mismatched kids who discover their headmaster is using hypnotism to gain ultimate control of their school. But how can they fight an antagonist who manipulates their every move?”
Told over ten 30-minutes episodes, the show will be available to watch on CBBC and BBC iPlayer.
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First broadcast between 1996 and 1998, The Demon Headmaster starred Terrence Hardiman as the titular villain. Speaking to RadioTimes.com, Hardiman said about the new series: “I have happy memories of working in The Demon Headmaster in the nineties, and I wish every success to the new production. I expect to be totally hypnotised.”
Alongside The Demon Headmaster, the BBC also revealed plans to bring back classic children's series Crackerjack after 35 years.
Like the original version, the entertainment show will feature comedy, magic and plenty of interaction with the studio audience.
Presenting duo Sam Nixon and Mark Rhodes will host the rebooted show on Fridays, and all ten 45 minute episodes will be available to watch on CBBC and iPlayer.
Old feature Double or Drop will return, in which kids get plucked from the audience to answer questions and go head to head to win prizes – and the much-wanted Crackerjack pencil. And yes, participants will still get a cabbage if they answer incorrectly.
“We can’t wait to introduce a new set of Crackerjack 'crush-a-grape' catchphrases to a new generation of fans!” said Helen Bullough, Head of Children’s In House Productions.
Crackerjack first aired from 1955 until 1984, hosted by Eamonn Andrews, Leslie Crowther, Michael Aspel, Ed Stewart and Stu Francis.
BBC Children’s In-House Productions also announced new teen mystery drama, Get Even, and confirmed The Worst Witch and The Dog Ate My Homework would return with more episodes.
Plus, expect Love Monster, an animated series for young children, based on the Love Monster series of books by British author and illustrator Rachel Bright.
Explaining the show, the BBC said: “Showcasing the importance of kindness, empathy, connection and instinct, the colourful and funny adventures follow hairy, googly-eyed hero, Love Monster, as he searches for the right thing to do in a world in which he is one of a kind.”
