Profoundly in love with Pandora...

Introduction

Her name is Pandora, but she likes to be called Box. Heaven knows why.

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ was the first book in the Adrian Mole series written by Sue Townsend. Thirty years ago this year, it took the world by storm, the fictional diary of an intellectual teenager struggling with life in the early 1980s. Along with the sequel The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole, it tackles many issues of the day, along with issues that we still face today, with great prescience.

Some of the events place it firmly in the early 1980s though - the Falklands War, the wedding of Charles and Diana, the birth of Prince William, Margaret Thatcher, the NHS, 3 million unemployed, etc. etc.



After successful radio adaptations, each book was made into a TV series, one of the rare good things produced by ITV. It starred Gian Sammarco as Adrian, who has never really done anything else, Lindsey Stagg who has literally done nothing since playing Pandora Braithwaite, Stephen Moore (a man of much TV and film work), the legendary Julie Walters (fantastic as ever) and Beryl Reid, Bill Fraser in one of his final roles, with an early apperance by Meera Syal (as Feroza Syal) and also Louise "Leela" Jamieson (for you Doctor Who fans).

Growing Pains followed in 1987, with Lulu replacing Julie Walters, but the rest of the cast remain unchanged. Massive boots for Lulu to fill! More on that later.

I really don’t think I need to go into detail on the story here, just listen to the theme tunes of both series for a perfect summary!

Video + Audio

Take me to Skegness. That is the most romantic sentence I’ve ever heard.

As expected for a 1980s TV series really. There are a few wobbly moments where the colour disappears, but not too much to complain about.



The opening and closing theme was "Profoundly In Love With Pandora" by Ian Dury & Chaz Jankel. It was released as a single in October 1985 and reached number 45 on the UK Singles Chart. It remains one of my favourite TV themes ever. And it is a bit of an ear worm. You’ll be humming it for days.

Extra Features

Sadly nothing.

Conclusion

I’ve just realised I’ve never seen a dead body, or a real female nipple. That’s what comes of living in a cul de sac.

Brilliant. So good to watch these again after so many years. Have read the books countless times, listened to the Radio 4 adaptations, but not seen the TV series since it was first broadcast.

This is a great document of the early 1980s, and the politics and goings on of the time. It’s a time capsule, and there are so many memories, including things you’ll have forgotten even if you grew up in this ear.



So many great lines and references too, such as the “Neil Armstrong Comprehensive School”, as well as some of the minor characters echoing the traits of major figures at the time.

The series was mostly filmed in Leicester (where the books were based) and it’s fun to spot bits of it on film from 25 years ago (Sainsbury's Supermarket on Humberstone Gate and the Clock Tower to name but a couple).

Julie Walters was perfect as Pauline Mole, Lulu had a hard time replacing her, but gave it a good go. Gian Sammarco and Lindsey Stagg were perfect as Adrian and Pandora.

Dated, but in a good way. Very highly recommended.