Jackanory was a BBC children's TV series that was originally broadcast between 1965 and 1996 that was designed to stimulate an interest in reading.
The show's format, which varied little over the decades, involved an actor reading from children's novels or folk tales, usually while seated in an armchair. From time to time the scene being read would be illustrated by a specially commissioned still drawing, often by Quentin Blake. Usually a single book would occupy five daily fifteen-minute episodes, from Monday to Friday.
The show was first transmitted on 13 December 1965, the first story being the fairy-tale Cap-o'-Rushes read by Lee Montague. Jackanory continued to be broadcast until 1996, clocking up around 3,500 episodes in its 30-year run. The final story, The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne, was read by Alan Bennett and broadcast on 24 March 1996.
But now the show has returned under a new name - Crackanory.
Crackanory: Bedtime stories for the big kids in all of us
This time the stories are darker and are aimed towards adults rather than children and it's broadcast now on the TV channel Dave.
The first series, broadcast last year, was such a success that Dave commissioned a second series, which started last night.
Each episode of Crackanory contains two 15 minute bedtime tales for adults, each punctuated with a mixture of narrated live action and animation. Penned by some of comedy's most imaginative writers, the stories are performed by comic actors and comedians who are allowed to let their dark, comedic minds run wild to put their own enchanting spin on storytelling.
Surely the best bedtime stories for the big kids in all of us… so make yourself comfortable and prepare to laugh and be entranced by a dose of Crackanory.
In the first episode of the second series, which was shown last night, a cleaner is accidentally launched into space and a weatherman discovers he can control the climate! The first story is read by comedian Vic Reeves, and the second story is read by the late, great comedy actor RiK Mayall, who passed away in June.
Watch it here: Watch Crackanory TV Online | Free Full Episodes | Dave Channel
The show's format, which varied little over the decades, involved an actor reading from children's novels or folk tales, usually while seated in an armchair. From time to time the scene being read would be illustrated by a specially commissioned still drawing, often by Quentin Blake. Usually a single book would occupy five daily fifteen-minute episodes, from Monday to Friday.
The show was first transmitted on 13 December 1965, the first story being the fairy-tale Cap-o'-Rushes read by Lee Montague. Jackanory continued to be broadcast until 1996, clocking up around 3,500 episodes in its 30-year run. The final story, The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne, was read by Alan Bennett and broadcast on 24 March 1996.
But now the show has returned under a new name - Crackanory.
Crackanory: Bedtime stories for the big kids in all of us
This time the stories are darker and are aimed towards adults rather than children and it's broadcast now on the TV channel Dave.
The first series, broadcast last year, was such a success that Dave commissioned a second series, which started last night.
Each episode of Crackanory contains two 15 minute bedtime tales for adults, each punctuated with a mixture of narrated live action and animation. Penned by some of comedy's most imaginative writers, the stories are performed by comic actors and comedians who are allowed to let their dark, comedic minds run wild to put their own enchanting spin on storytelling.
Surely the best bedtime stories for the big kids in all of us… so make yourself comfortable and prepare to laugh and be entranced by a dose of Crackanory.
In the first episode of the second series, which was shown last night, a cleaner is accidentally launched into space and a weatherman discovers he can control the climate! The first story is read by comedian Vic Reeves, and the second story is read by the late, great comedy actor RiK Mayall, who passed away in June.
Watch it here: Watch Crackanory TV Online | Free Full Episodes | Dave Channel
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