''The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole'' is a

British television Regular television broadcasts in the United Kingdom started in 1936 as a public service which was free of advertising, which followed the first demonstration of a transmitted moving image in 1926. Currently, the United Kingdom has a collection ...

series based on the book of the same name written by

Sue Townsend Susan Lillian Townsend, FRSL (née Johnstone, 2 April 194610 April 2014), was an English writer and humorist whose work encompasses novels, plays and works of journalism. She was best known for creating the character Adrian Mole. After writing ...

. It aired from 5 January to 9 February 1987 and starred

Gian Sammarco Giancarlo "Gian" Sammarco (born 30 January 1970) is an English former child actor and nurse. He is best known for playing the title role in the television dramatisations of '' The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾'' (1985) and its sequel ...

, as the title character

Adrian Mole Adrian Albert Mole is the fictional protagonist in a series of books by English author Sue Townsend. The character first appeared (as "Nigel") as part of a comic diary featured in a short-lived arts magazine (called simply ''magazine'') publi ...

, Stephen Moore as Adrian's father George Mole and

Lulu Lulu may refer to: Companies * LuLu, an early automobile manufacturer * Lulu.com, an online e-books and print self-publishing platform, distributor, and retailer * Lulu Hypermarket, a retail chain in Asia * Lululemon Athletica or simply Lulu, ...

as Adrian's mother Pauline Mole.

Characters

Mole family

*Adrian Mole (

) is the main character and narrator. *George Mole ( Stephen Moore) is Adrian's father and estranged to Pauline. *Pauline Mole (

) is Adrian's mother, who left her husband George in ''The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole'' to live with Mr. Lucas. *May 'Grandma' Mole (

Beryl Reid Beryl Elizabeth Reid, (17 June 1919 – 13 October 1996), was a British actress of stage and screen. She won the 1967 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for ''The Killing of Sister George'', the 1980 Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performan ...

) is George Mole's mother and Adrian's grandmother. *Rosie Mole is Adrian's baby sister.

Other characters

*Bert Baxter (

Bill Fraser William Simpson Fraser (5 June 1908 – 9 September 1987) was a Scottish actor who appeared on stage, screen and television for many years. In 1986 he won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance for his stage role in the play '' ...

) is Adrian's foul-mouthed and strongly opinionated old age pensioner friend. He lives with Queenie in a bungalow, along with Bert's aggressive and unpredictable German Shepherd dog, Sabre. *Queenie Baxter (

Doris Hare Doris Breamer Hare, MBE (1 March 1905 – 30 May 2000) was a British actress, comedian, singer, and dancer best known for portraying Mabel Butler in the British sitcom '' On the Buses'' and its film spin-offs, after replacing the original actr ...

) is Bert Baxter's wife, who later dies of a stroke. *Pandora Braithwaite (

Lindsey Stagg Lindsey Anne Stagg (born 1970) is an English former child actor known for playing Pandora Braithwaite in the television dramatisations of '' The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾'' (1985) and its sequel, '' The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole'' ...

) is Adrian's girlfriend. *Tania Braithwaite ( Louise Jameson) is Pandora's liberal-minded mother. *Ivan Braithwaite (Robin Herford) is Pandora's father. *Nigel Partridge (

Steven Mackintosh Steven Mackintosh (born 30 April 1967) is an English actor and narrator. He is perhaps best known for his role as Andreas Tanis in the action horror films '' Underworld: Evolution'' (2006) and '' Underworld: Rise of the Lycans'' (2009). Mack ...

) is Adrian's best friend. *Barry Kent (

Chris Gascoyne Christopher Gascoyne (born 31 January 1968) is an English actor, who is known for his role as the seventh Peter Barlow in the soap opera ''Coronation Street'' from 2000. Gascoyne has been nominated for several accolades at the British Soap Aw ...

) is a bully at Adrian's school who becomes friends with Adrian. *Mr 'Creep' Lucas ( Paul Greenwood) is the Moles' former neighbour with whom Pauline had an affair. *Doreen 'Stick Insect' Slater (

Su Elliot Su Elliott (born 18 December 1950) is a British actress. She was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, England. Her film roles include Alice in ''The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood'' (1984), a nurse in '' The Girl in a Swing'' (1988), Ma ...

) is a woman with whom Adrian's father George has an affair while his wife is in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire ...

with Mr. Lucas. *Maxwell 'House' Slater (Anthony Watson) is Stick Insect's badly-behaved young son from a previous relationship. Stick Insect also gives birth to a baby boy, Brett (George being the father) during the current series and they all live with George's mother for a time. *Mr Reginald 'Popeye' Scruton (

Freddie Jones Frederick Charles Jones''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916-2005.''; at ancestry.com (12 September 1927 – 9 July 2019) was an English actor who had an extensive career in television, theatre and cinema productions for a ...

) is Adrian and Pandora's abrasive and volatile headmaster, who is a huge admirer of the then-Prime Minister

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the first female British prime ...

. *Ms Fossington-Gore (Mary Maddox) is Adrian, Pandora and Nigel's opinionated but supportive form tutor. *Mrs Claricoates (Marian Diamond) is the school's kind-hearted and long-suffering secretary. *Courtney Elliott ( John Bird) is the Moles' friendly and slightly eccentric postman, who possesses a surprisingly impressive academic background. There were one-off appearances from several other actors, including

Tony Haygarth George Anthony Haygarth (4 February 1945 – 10 March 2017) was an English television, film and theatre actor. Life and career After leaving Marlborough College, Liverpool, Haygarth worked unsuccessfully in 1963 as a lifeguard in Torquay, and a ...

as Bernard Porke, the ill-mannered proprietor of the Rio Grande boarding house in Skegness, where the Moles stayed during a holiday;

David Ryall David John Ryall
Retrieved 28 December 2014 (5 January 1935 – 25 December 201 ...

as Mr Reginald Gudgeon, the well-meaning but inept manager of the local benefits office,

Patrick Barlow Evan George Patrick Barlow (born 18 March 1947) is an English actor, comedian and playwright. His comedic alter ego, ''Desmond Olivier Dingle'', is the founder, artistic director and chief executive of the two-man National Theatre of Brent, whic ...

as Mitchell Malone, the excitable local radio disc jockey and

Lucy Benjamin Lucy Benjamin (born Lucy Jane Baker; 25 June 1970) is an English actress. After appearing in various television series including '' Close to Home'' (1989–1990), ''Press Gang'' (1989–1993) and '' Jupiter Moon'' (1990, 1996), she was cast in ...

as Sharon Bott.

Episodes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Growing Pains of Adrian Mole (TV series) 1987 British television series debuts 1987 British television series endings 1980s British comedy-drama television series ITV comedy Adrian Mole British comedy-drama television shows 1980s British television miniseries Television shows produced by Thames Television English-language television shows Television series about families Television series about teenagers Television series by Fremantle (company) Television series set in 1982 Television series set in 1983