Grandpa in My Pocket


Grandpa in My Pocket is a comedy series commissioned by Michael Carrington for CBeebies, the BBC's dedicated pre-school and nursery channel targeting children aged 2–7 years. The programme stars James Bolam as a grandfather who owns a magical "shrinking cap", which only his 8-year-old grandson Jason Mason knows about. This cap enables him to shrink to about 4 inches tall, become a CGI-animated character, run very fast, and bring toys and objects to life. This allows him to experience many amazing adventures which are narrated by Jason, including finding a prisoner under the floorboards, bringing a home-made robot to life, and driving Jason's toy car and biplane. The programme also stars Josie Cable, Zara Ramm and Sam Ellis, as Jason's sister, mother and father, respectively. According to the BBC press office, "Grandpa In My Pocket explores the hugely important relationship between grandchildren and grandparents by turning it on its head"
Following the success of the first series, a second was commissioned in March 2009, with a third filmed in 2010, after the third season, the series was assumed to have ended, however over 2 years later, a fourth season went into production, in the year 2013, before airing 4 years after filming commenced on the third season.
A fourth series was produced in 2013 with broadcast beginning in 2014.
The fourth season introduces some changes to the plot. Jason, who is now a teenager, has moved with his family into a windmill which they have opened as a hotel. Jason and Jemima's younger cousins Josh and Elsie have come to stay for the summer, and the two become the series narrators as Grandpa decides to let them in on the secret of the shrinking cap.

Production

The first three series of the show was set in the fictional location called "Sunnysands". The exterior scenes were filmed on location in the towns of Southwold and Aldeburgh, in Suffolk. The Masons' house was in Crabbe Street, Aldeburgh. The pier and the lighthouse were in Southwold. The bike and other shops were in Walberswick.
The Masons' windmill for the fourth series is Cley Windmill, located in Cley next the Sea in Norfolk.
A similar idea was used in The Dandy comic in the 1970s comic adventure strip Peter's Pocket Grandpa, which was based on an earlier prose text story called Jimmie's Pocket Grandpa which had appeared in The Dandy in the 1940s. This was parodied in the adult satirical comic, Viz, with its strip entitled "Mickey's Miniature Grandpa", who only thought he could shrink, but lacked the actual ability.

Cast

Main cast

The Family

Series 1 – 2009
  1. "Beowulf the Brilliant"
  2. "How to Handle a Hamster"
  3. "Mr Liker Biker's Big Mountain Mission"
  4. "The Robot to Beat all Robots"
  5. "Princess Purpelovna's Plan"
  6. "Mr Krumpgrumble's Visit"
  7. "The Most Splendiferous Sandcastle in Sunnysands"
  8. "A Fabulous Family Photo"
  9. "Miss Smiley's Summer Show"
  10. "The Wonderful World of Mr Whoops"
  11. "Chaos in the Café"
  12. "The Day the Baby Came to Stay"
  13. "A Garden Full of Beasts"
  14. "A Toy for a Boy called Troy"
  15. "Trouble for Bubbles"
  16. "Shake Up and Shape Up"
  17. "Mr Marvelloso's Magic Show"
  18. "A Tuneful Toot on a Trumpet"
  19. "Getting Aunt Loretta Better"
  20. "Sweet Dreams for Cousin Alvin"
  21. "Something to Treasure Forever"
  22. "A Saturday Full of Surprises"
  23. "Magic in the Air"
  24. "Nothing Stops Grandpa"
  25. "Grandpa's Busy Bee Day"
  26. "Captain Dumbletwit's Spaceship Cake"
Series 2 – 2010
  1. "Captain Dumbletwit's Toughest Mission Yet!"
  2. "Mr Mentor's Custard Puff Plopper"
  3. "No Two Rings the Same"
  4. "A Carrot Called Christopher and Other Odd Vegetables"
  5. "Taking Floyd for a Ride"
  6. "Trying to Play with Shy Shanay"
  7. "A Day for a Play at Miss Smiley's Café"
  8. "Jemima's New Best Friend"
  9. "Bubbles and Squeak"
  10. "No More Dolls for Dora"
  11. "A Very Needy Speedy Edie"
  12. "Making the Most of Max"
  13. "Miss Smiley's Strawberry Surprise"
  14. "In It to Win It!"
  15. "Horatio Heave Ho!"
  16. "Great Aunt Loretta's Not-So-Great Plan"
  17. "Mr Whoops' Toy of the Week"
  18. "The Perfect Little Litter Picker"
  19. "Big Elf, Little Elf"
  20. "A Song for Miss Smiley"
  21. "Mr Scoffbucket the Goat"
  22. "Miss Smiley's Dancing Tea"
  23. "A Sunnysands Tick Tock Shock"
  24. "Wulfy's Day with Mr Whoops"
  25. "Captain Shipshape and a Fish Called Bryan"
  26. "Grandpa's Greatest Escape Ever"
Series 3 – 2010-2011
  1. "The Magic of Christmas"
  2. "No Ordinary Pig"
  3. "Lighthouse View, as Good as New"
  4. "Boom a Boom Whipp Zing Zoo!"
  5. "Lenora the Explorer"
  6. "A Captain Dumbletwit Box of Tricks"
  7. "No Help for Alvin"
  8. "Mr Mentor's Marvelicious Inventing Club"
  9. "More Than a Biscuit for Mrs McWhiskit"
  10. "A Day to Do What You Like to Do"
  11. "No Mention of an Invention"
  12. "The Sunnysands School for Pirates"
  13. "Mr Greator the Creator"
  14. "Mr Whoops' Wonderful Wedding"
Series 4 – 2014
  1. "A Grandpa Made of Magic"
  2. "Roly Poly Ravioli"
  3. "Miss Smiley's Springtime Make and Do Day"
  4. "An Aussie Afternoon with Bob"
  5. "Squeak! Squeak! Mr Squeak!"
  6. "A Day in Woolly Wonderland"
  7. "The Great Big Sunnysands Cake Bake"
  8. "Mr Munchmould's Cheesy Business"
  9. "There Came a Big Spider"
  10. "The Wonderbubble Weather Watcher"
  11. "Dancing with Delight"
  12. "Mistress Smiley's Medieval Fairground Fun"
  13. "Waffling at the Windmill"
  14. "A Day of Spectacular Surprises"
  15. "The Day the Callminders Called on Mr Whoops"
  16. "A Good Old-Fashioned Party"
  17. "A Cleaning Job for Our Friend Bob"
  18. "Wulfy the Wonderdog"
  19. "Billy Bentice the Apprentice"
  20. "Changes for the Better"
  21. "Mr Greator is Up to No Good"
  22. "Best Behaviour for Barnaby"
  23. "A Souvenir of Sunnysands"
  24. "Things That Go Bump on a Boat"
  25. "A Customer in a Fluster"
  26. "A Mix-up at the Mill"
Series 5 – 2014
  1. "Mr Mentor's Spangly Jangly Dangle Dish"
  2. "Poorly Pansy Petunia"
  3. "Mr Yomper Stomper's Donkey Day"
  4. "Wanda Whoops' World of Whooo!"
  5. "The Balderdashes on Bob's Boat"
  6. "One Man's Junk Is Another Man's Treasure"
  7. "Don't Blame Wulfy"
  8. "Mr Mentor's Whizzywoodlesome Whirly Windwhooper"
  9. "The Mystery of the Missing Millions"
  10. "Cheery Charlie Cheekster's Big Return"
  11. "Mrs Pufferbang's Balloony Beach Bonanza"
  12. "Bertie Beep and His Talking Sheep"
  13. "A Sunnysands Shelter for Bella La Belter"
  14. "A Robodoggy for Miss Snip"
  15. "The Brillioso Beach Treat"
  16. "Great Aunt Loretta on Duty"
  17. "Mighty Mike and a Bear on a Hike"
  18. "Great Aunt Loretta's Dream Date"
  19. "Whizzy William"
  20. "Shiny Gold Stars"
  21. "Captain Dumbletwit's Dress-Up Party"
  22. "In a Muddle with Miss Muddleton"
  23. "A Day for a Piratey Adventure"
  24. "The Magic of the Mill on the Marsh"
  25. "A Passion for Fashion"
  26. "A Dinosaur Called Damian"

    Awards and nominations