Jackanory, 1965
Jackanory was the now cult kids TV series, devised to encourage an interest in reading.
First airing in 1965 the series ran until 1995. In it’s first 30 year run around 3,500 episodes were broadcast.
Many famous faces read stories over the years with the final story in the original run The House at Pooh Corner read by Alan Bennett.
The show has been revived twice: once in November 2006 for two one-off stories, and again as Jackanory Junior on CBeebies between 2007 and 2009.
The format used of a famous face telling a story is still in use today as Bedtime Stories on cbeebies.
Summary
The show’s simple format, varied little over the decades, involved an actor reading from children’s novels or folk tales, usually while seated in an armchair.
From time to time the scene being read would be illustrated by a specially commissioned still drawing, often by Quentin Blake.
Usually the show would go out over five daily fifteen-minute episodes, from Monday to Friday. In this time a full book would be covered.
Jackanory Classics
Perhaps some of the best remembered stories are:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, read by Bernard Cribbins
Agatan Sax, read by Kenneth Williams
Mortimer’s Tie, read by Bernard Cribbins
Winnie The Pooh, read by Willie Rushton
The Old Man Of Lochnager, read by HRH Prince Charles
Clips
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Stories Read By
Over the years many actors and comedians read stories including:
Ted Ray
Willie Rushton
Kenneth Williams
Bernard Cribbins
Rik Mayall
Details
Channel: BBC1
Created By: Joy Whitby
Original Transmission Dates: 13th December 1965 – 24th March 1996
In The Archives
Of the 3640 Jackanory episodes made 2330 are missing.