''Mud'' is a 1994

CBBC CBBC is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 to 12. Its sister c ...

television drama, starring

Russell Tovey Russell George Tovey (born 14 November 1981) is a British actor. He is best known for playing the role of werewolf George Sands in the BBC's supernatural comedy-drama '' Being Human'', Rudge in both the stage and film versions of '' The History ...

. In the series, Tovey,

Brooke Kinsella Brooke Kinsella (born 17 July 1983) is a British actress. A graduate of the Anna Scher Theatre School, Kinsella has been acting since childhood. She has had various roles on television and in film. Her most notable role is that of Kelly Taylor, ...

and Rhona Nolasca play a group of disadvantaged children taken by their social worker (

Susie Blake Susie Blake (born 19 April 1950) is an English television, radio and stage actress. She is best known for her portrayal of the snobbish TV announcer in '' Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV'' and of Bev Unwin in ''Coronation Street'', a role she p ...

) to an outdoor activity centre to escape their problems. The staff at the centre were vicious Miss Palmer (

Victoria Wicks Victoria Wicks (born Beverly Victoria Anne Wicks; 18 April 1959) is a British actress. She is known for her role as Sally Smedley in Channel 4's comedy series '' Drop the Dead Donkey'' (1990–1998), Mrs. Gideon in '' The Mighty Boosh'' (2004) ...

), ditsy Henry (Gareth Corke) and teenage lovers Shane and Philippa (

Russell Brand Russell Edward Brand (born 4 June 1975) is an English comedian, actor, podcaster and media personality. He established himself as a stand-up comedian and radio host before becoming a film actor. After beginning his career as a comedian and la ...

and

Paloma Baeza Paloma Baeza (born 1 May 1975) is a Mexican-British actress and director. Her 2017 film ''Poles Apart'' won the BAFTA Award for Best Short Animation in 2018. Biography Baeza was born in London and spent her childhood in Mexico. Her Mexican fath ...

Series one

The first series of Mud aired across seven weeks from 17 February to 31 March 1994. Episode one begins as three children from a rough London council estate; Bill Bailey (Tovey), his sister Ruby (Kinsella) and Alice (Nolasca) are whisked off to an outdoor activity centre in the heart of the country by their social worker, the musical Miss Dudderidge (Blake). Their arrival is not welcomed by the bad tempered and nasty ''Thelfont Heights'' manageress, Miss Palmer (Wicks) and the privileged children; Simon (

Matthew Steer Matthew Steer (born 24 April 1978) is an English actor and writer. He made his stage debut in 1989 and is known for his roles as Ricky Ryan in ''Silent Witness'', Matt Lindsay in ''EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap o ...

), James (James Beattie), Julia (Sarah Cronin-Stanley) and Harriet (Rudo Kwaramba) who are staying there. With Ruby sneaking into the centre with her brother, there is not room for her and their adventurous future is in jeopardy. In a bid to rid the urban new additions, Palmer directs them to stay in tents at dangerous ''Five Wells Point'', though endangers the whole group when they fall down an old well, which starts to fill with water. Only Ruby is safe and has to make her own way back to the centre to ask workers Shane (Brand), Philippa (Baeza) and Henry (Gareth Corke) for help, and is guided on her way back by a

feral child A feral child (also called wild child) is a young individual who has lived isolated from human contact from a very young age, with little or no experience of human care, social behavior, or language. Such children lack the basics of primary and ...

, nicknamed Wild Boy (Zoot Lynam), who was raised by animals since he was an infant, following a car crash at ''Five Wells Point'' resulting in the fatality of the rest of his family. As a reward for rescuing the group, Ruby and her peers are allowed to stay at the centre. Episode two starts with Miss Palmer continuing her efforts to remove the three council children and their social worker Miss Dudderidge from the centre. She's adamant to have a £50 booking fee from Ruby by the end of the day and has a plan to foil all of her fundraising efforts with help from Shane and Philippa. The kids clean cars and wash laundry and make their money and present it to Palmer. Furious that her plans have not worked, she takes Harriet's purse and claims that Bill, Ruby and Alice stole the money from it to pay the booking fee. As Miss Palmer forces the unfortunate children into the van to head home, Wild Boy breaks into her office and exposes Harriet's money and purse on her desk, embarrassing her into letting Bill, Ruby and Alice stay.

Series two

References

External links

* 1990s British children's television series 1994 British television series debuts 1995 British television series endings BBC children's television shows British English-language television shows {{BBC-children-tv-prog-stub