Simon Dunn

Scriptwriter and Comedian

Sitcom Advent Calendar Door Eleven

We’ve mentioned Spanner’s Eleven already, so what are we going to find hidden and wrapped up neatly in the calendar today?

Why, it’s Kappatoo, a Children’s ITV sci-fi sitcom written by Ben Steed.

Denise Van Outen appeared in the first series of this, and Sarah Alexander in the second. And yes, that’s the voice of Andrew O’Connor as the computer.

Children’s TV is often overlooked as a source of sitcoms, and that’s a shame. The Kids From 47a ran for 42 episodes (42!) on ITV in the mid 1970s.

Created by Charlotte Mitchell, it was about a family of kids suddenly left without a guardian.

Another kid’s show to round the day off then, but without any lovely video goodness to chew on. Knight School was written by Mark Billingham and Peter Cocks, and had Tony Robinson on board as the script editor. Described as a mix of Grange Hill and Blackadder, it was based in the 13th Century, and starred Roger Lloyd Pack.

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