I Was a Rat, also known as Cinderella and Me, is a children's drama television series broadcast on BBC One from 9 to 23 December 2001, based on the popular 1999 children's novel I Was a Rat! or The Scarlet Slippers by Philip Pullman, in turn based on the folk tale Cinderella, or The Little Glass Slipper by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm, to which it serves as a stand-alone sequel.[1] It was aired in the Sunday tea-time slot which traditionally accommodates a children's drama series in the run-up to Christmas. The series was produced by Andy Rowley and starred Calum Worthy in the leading role, alongside Tom Conti and Brenda Fricker. It was adapted by Richard Carpenter, who won a BAFTA award for the work.[2]
| I Was a Rat | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Cinderella and Me |
| Genre | Children's Drama Fantasy |
| Based on | |
| Written by | Richard Carpenter Philip Pullman |
| Directed by | Laurie Lynd |
| Starring | Calum Worthy Brenda Fricker Tom Conti Ned Beatty Stephen Ouimette |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom Canada |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 3 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Andy Rowley |
| Running time | 55 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC One |
| Release | 9 December – 23 December 2001 |
Synopsis
editThe series is set in the early 1920s, telling the tale of a young boy with a mysterious past who claims to be a rat.[3] He is taken in off the streets by elderly couple Bob (Conti) and Joan (Fricker) who name him Roger and it soon becomes obvious that he is no ordinary child.
Cast and characters
edit- Calum Worthy as Roger/Ratty
- Brenda Fricker as Joan Jones
- Tom Conti as Bob Jones
- Ned Beatty as Mudduck
- Stephen Ouimette as Wheedle
- Katie Blake as Lady Aurelia Ashington/Mary Jane Potts
- James Millard as Prince Richard
- Karl Pruner as Julian
- Richard Graham as Charlie
- Denis Lill as Sergeant Piggles
- Don McKellar as Oliver Tapscrew[4]
References
edit- ^ Anne, Heidi (28 March 2011). "SurLaLune Fairy Tales Blog: I Was a Rat". Surlalunefairytales.blogspot.com. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
- ^ "Explore the Awards". Bafta.org. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
- ^ "I was a Rat by Philip Pullman: book review". Readingmatters.co.uk. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
- ^ "I was a Rat – review". Headliners. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
External links
edit- I Was a Rat at IMDb