Just William (1970s TV series)

Just William was an ITV television series based on the Just William series of books by Richmal Crompton. It ran for two series.

Cast

Episodes

Series One

1. William and the Begging Letter
2. William the Great Actor
3. The Outlaws and the Tramp
4. The Sweetest Little Girl in White
5. William and the Badminton Racket
6. A Little Interlude
7. William and the Prize Pig
8. William and the Wonderful Present
9. William the Matchmaker
10. Waste Paper Wanted
11. Only Just in Time
12. William and the Sleeping Major
13. William clears the Slums

Series Two

1. William's Lucky Day
2. The Great Detective
3. Violet Elizabeth Wins
4. William Holds the Stage
5. William the Philanthropist
6. It All Began with a Typewriter
7. A Rescue Party
8. William Finds a Job
9. Parrots for Ethel
10. William at the Garden Party
11. Two Good Turns
12. Finding a School for William
13. William and the Tramp

Special

1. William's Worst Christmas

Just William Annuals

Two annuals based on the series were published by World Distributors (Manchester) Ltd. for 1978 and 1979. These consisted mainly of features, games and activities, with picture strip stories also included. To date, the annuals have yet to be made available in PDF format on a DVD release.

Just William Annual 1978

Price: £1.35

Picture Stories:

• William’s Worrying Day
• The Prince of Sheba

Features:

• Meet the Browns (the characters in the series, and the actors who play them)
• ”Fun for All”, says John Davies (the creation of the television series)
• Richmal Crompton and William Brown (the creation of the William Brown character)
• Masked Menace (making a mask using a paper plate)
• A Make Believe World (picture puzzle)
• Cops and Robbers (board game)
• Come Into My Parlour (studio sets used in the series)
• Taboo! (making a mobile)
• Conversation Piece (jokes)
• The Outlaws Go Indian (ideas on dressing up as a Red Indian)
• The Magic Balloon (how to push a pin into a balloon without bursting it)
• William Says (everyday observations according to William)
• Fun and Games (outdoor games)
• Dressing Up With the Outlaws (ideas on dressing up as a pirate)
• William and the Waterbomb (origami piece on how to make a waterbomb)
• ’Answer Me This’ says William (jokes)
• It’s Magic! (magic tricks)
• William’s Daft Definitions (jokes)
• Brave Heart and Hawk Face Meet the Monster (short photo story featuring William, Ginger and Ethel)
• Famous Williams of Fact
• Cartoon Fun
• Hide-Out For the Hostage (how to make a teepee or tent)
• Laugh With Violet Elizabeth (funny rhymes by Violet Elizabeth)
• Schooltime Fun (school jokes)
• Invisible Map (making a map using homemade invisible ink, i.e. lemon juice or milk)
• Car Chuckles (car jokes)
• What’s In A Name? (the meaning of the names of the characters)
• Confiscated Property! (picture puzzle)
• William’s Creepy Creatures (creepy creature jokes)
• All About Pirates (quiz about pirates)
• Two’s Trouble (short text story featuring William and Violet Elizabeth)
• Joking With Jumble (dog jokes)
• William Gets His Own Back (jokes)
• Puzzle it Out (brain-teasers)

Just William Annual 1979

Price: £1.50

Picture Stories:

• William at the Circus
• William’s Trying Day
• William and the Wandering Spirit*

* The title William and the Wandering Spirit is featured on the contents page, while the story itself is called Wandering Spirit. The former variation has been used here, as it is the first to appear in the book.

Features:

• William – Secret Spy! (disguise tips)
• William Who...? (picture puzzle)
• Who Can It Be? (riddle-me-ree)
• Jumble’s Tips for a Healthy Dog
• Odd One Out (picture puzzle)
• Letters and Pictures Make Outlaws (picture puzzle)
• Spooky Thcreams (ghost jokes)
• Catapult Capers (photo strip story)
• Just Me and My Friends (photos from the series accompanied by rhyming couplets)
• A Bundle of Mischief (picture puzzle)
• Rhyme Time (picture puzzle)
• William’s Car Caper (games to play on a car journey)
• William’s Secret Message (a secret message to decode)
• If... (William imagines himself and the Outlaws as a bank-robbing gang, a circus troupe, a Red Indian tribe, a pirate crew, a police squad and a Wild West gang)
• Injun Pow Wow Pictures (picture puzzle)
• William’s Tall Stories (amazing but true stories – except one which William made up himself!)
• Weird – But True! (amazing but true stories)
• Seadog’s Scrapbook (facts about the sea and ships)
• Fancy Bargain (photo strip story)
• Secret Messages (tips on sending secret messages in a shoe, a pen, a tea bag and a glove)
• Jumble and Co. (quiz about dogs in fact and fiction)
• Teatime Trickery (photo strip story)
• The Dawdlers’ Dilemma (board game)

DVD releases

All episodes of both series of Just William – including the 1977 special William's Worst Christmas – have been released on DVD by Network. Series One and Series Two are available individually as 2-disc sets, and also packaged together as Just William: The Compleet [sic] Series (to quote the packaging).

Just William: The Complete First Series

Label: Network

Catalogue Nº: 7953008

Release Date: 18 May 2009

Availability: Out now. Also available as part of Just William: The Compleet Series (7953123), released 24 September 2009

Just William: The Complete Second Series

Label: Network

Catalogue Nº: 7953122

Release Date: 24 September 2009

Availability: Out now. Also available as part of Just William: The Compleet Series (7953123), released 24 September 2009

References

• Evans, Jeff (2001). The Penguin TV Companion. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-051467-8. 

External links

• Just William at the Internet Movie Database