The BBC has commissioned The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ from Big Talk Studios (Ludwig, The Outlaws) for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Based on Sue Townsend’s best-selling book of the same name, the 10-part series is adapted for the screen by David Nicholls (One Day, Us), who will also serve as lead writer.
The adaptation will also be written by Caitlin Moran and Caroline Moran (Raised By Wolves), Dillon Mapletoft and Oliver Taylor (Everyone Else Burns) and Jack Rooke (Big Boys). A nationwide casting search is currently underway to find Adrian, led by multi-award winning casting director Robert Sterne (The Crown, Game Of Thrones) and full casting will be announced in due course.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ marks the return of an iconic British character to our screens. It’s New Year’s Day 1981 and Adrian starts his uniquely funny diary about family life and being a teenager before the advent of mobile phones and social media. With only a multi-coloured ballpoint pen as his guide, Adrian worries about his spots, his parents’ divorce, the torment of first love and the fact he’s never seen a female nipple.
As Adrian's mother Pauline wrestles with her feminist awakening, his father George struggles with being made redundant in an unforgiving economy. Adrian’s wider world is made up of a host of memorable characters like his 'treacle-haired beloved' Pandora, his take-no-prisoners Grandma and his unlikely friend, the foul-mouthed pensioner Bert Baxter. This vivid portrait of suburban life in Britain shows how much we have changed while staying the same. The result is a timeless family drama that is as warm and funny as it is sad and poignant.
David Nicholls says: “I happen to be just a little older than Adrian and have adored this book since reading it on publication. It’s a classic piece of comic writing and an incredible piece of ventriloquism on Sue Townsend’s part - how did she know? Adapting Adrian for the screen is an absolute pleasure.”
Kenton Allen, Executive Producer and CEO Big Talk Studios, says: “As a proud state educated Midlands boy myself, I recognised so much of my own upbringing in Sue Townsend’s classic novels and David Nicholls’ beautifully observed adaptation of them – the humour, the heartbreak, the quiet heroism of ordinary lives. David has once again captured something deeply authentic and universally human, and we’re thrilled to be bringing this iconic book and David's brilliant writing to the screen for generations of Adrian fans new and old.”
Luke Alkin, Executive Producer, Big Talk Studios, says: “Working with David and this wonderful team of writers to adapt this beloved book is a dream come true. Adrian Mole is an iconic British character and it feels like the world needs him now more than ever. The BBC is the perfect home for this new adaptation and we are absolutely delighted to be partnering with them.”
David Nicholls Image by Paul Stuart
