''The Kids from 47A'' is a British children's television series produced by

Associated Television ATV Network Limited, originally Associated TeleVision (ATV), was a British broadcaster, part of the ITV (TV network), ITV (Independent Television) network. It provided a service to London at weekends from 1955 to 1968, to the Midlands on week ...

. Three series were made; the first (comprising 15 episodes) was shown in 1973, the second (13 episodes) and third (13 episodes) in 1974. The third series ends with Jess ( Christine McKenna) getting married. A one-off episode (promoted as a comedy and entitled "Home Sweet Home") was broadcast on 31 August 1975.

Plot

The series is about four children whose widowed mother is taken into hospital, leaving them to cope on their own. The eldest—office worker Jess Gathercole—becomes the family matriarch, making every effort to keep her schoolchild sister and brothers at home with her. At the start of the second series, the Gathercole mother has died and Jess is only able to keep the family together after battling with social services, who continue to keep a watchful eye.

Cast

Jess was played by Christine McKenna, her bookish sister Binny by Gaynor Hodgson and her brothers—football-mad Willy and primary schoolboy George—by Nigel Greaves and Russell Lewis, respectively. Other parts were played by

Lloyd Lamble Lloyd Nelson Lamble (8 February 1914 – 17 March 2008) was an Australian actor who worked in theatre, television, radio and film. He lived and worked for most of his life in the United Kingdom. Biography Personal life Lloyd Lamble was born in ...

(as Jess' employer) and

Joan Newell Joan Newell (1915–2012) was a British actress primarily known for her television roles, but who also appeared in films and on stage. She co-starred with John Slater in the 1953 series '' Johnny, You're Wanted''.Baskin p.11 Amongst her most pro ...

. Christine McKenna would later star in the TV adaptation of '' Flambards'' and is now a television producer in the US, while Russell Lewis went on to become a successful screenwriter. Nigel Greaves has had roles in '' Tenko'' and

Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh ( ; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Born in Belfast and raised primarily in Reading, Berkshire, Branagh trained at RADA in London and served as its president from 2015 to 2024. List of award ...

's cinema adaptation of Shakespeare's ''

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1216–1281 ...

''.

Production

Writers for the series included

Lynda La Plante Lynda Joy La Plante, CBE (née Titchmarsh; born 15 March 1943) is an English author, screenwriter and former actress often known for writing the '' Prime Suspect'' television crime series. In 2024 she was honoured with the Crime Writers' Asso ...

, Gail Renard and Phil Redmond. The directors were Alan Coleman, Richard Bramall and Jonathan Wright-Miller. Script editor Philip Hinchcliffe went on to become the producer of ''

Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...

'' for the BBC from 1974 to 1977.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kids from 47A, The 1973 British television series debuts 1974 British television series endings 1970s British children's television series British English-language television shows ITV children's television shows Television shows produced by Associated Television (ATV)