BBC confirms nationwide casting search for new Adrian Mole series – with beloved author revealed to be penning adaptation

Following reports that the BBC was working on a new adaptation of Sue Townsend’s best-selling book The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾, the project has now been confirmed, with a 10-part season made up of half-hour episodes officially on the way.

No casting has yet been announced for the series, but it has been revealed that a nationwide search is now under way to find a young actor to take on the lead role of Adrian. The casting process is being led by the multi-award winning casting director behind The Crown, Robert Sterne.

Meanwhile, a team of incredible writing talent is behind the project, with One Day author David Nicholls acting as the lead writer, while others set to write episodes across the series include Caitlin Moran and Caroline Moran (Raised by Wolves), Dillon Mapletoft and Oliver Taylor (Everyone Else Burns), and Jack Rooke (Big Boys).

Nicholls said in a statement: "I happen to be just a little older than Adrian and have adored this book since reading it on publication. It’s a classic piece of comic writing and an incredible piece of ventriloquism on Sue Townsend’s part – how did she know? Adapting Adrian for the screen is an absolute pleasure."

The official synopsis for the series, which comes from Ludwig production company Big Talk Studios, says: "It’s New Year’s Day 1981 and Adrian starts his uniquely funny diary about family life and being a teenager before the advent of mobile phones and social media."

"With only a multi-coloured ballpoint pen as his guide, Adrian worries about his spots, his parents’ divorce, the torment of first love and the fact he’s never seen a female nipple.

"As Adrian's mother Pauline wrestles with her feminist awakening, his father George struggles with being made redundant in an unforgiving economy. Adrian’s wider world is made up of a host of memorable characters like his 'treacle-haired beloved' Pandora, his take-no-prisoners Grandma and his unlikely friend, the foul-mouthed pensioner Bert Baxter.

"This vivid portrait of suburban life in Britain shows how much we have changed while staying the same. The result is a timeless family drama that is as warm and funny as it is sad and poignant."

Meanwhile, Lindsay Salt, director of BBC Drama, added: "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole is one of those rare, seminal stories that has captivated generation after generation. David Nicholls has brilliantly distilled the wit, warmth and quiet poignancy of Sue Townsend’s iconic novel, reminding us why Adrian’s voice remains as sharply relevant today as it was in the 1980s.

"Times may have changed, but the anxieties, ambitions and wonderfully awkward truths at the heart of Adrian’s world are utterly timeless. Kenton and the team at Big Talk have brought together an exceptional group of writers who, alongside David, have crafted a series that honours the spirit of the original, while opening the door for a whole new audience to fall in love with Adrian Mole."

The series is being directed by Alex Winckler (Somewhere Boy), while the producer is Charlotte Robinson (A Thousand Blows).

Townsend's book was previously adapted for TV in 1985, for an ITV series starring Gian Sammarco, Stephen Moore, Julie Walters and Beryl Reid.

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