Johnny and the Dead – Nostalgia Central

1 9 9 5 (UK)
4 x 30 minute episodes

This four-part series from London Weekend Television (LWT) was based on the children’s novels by acclaimed fantasy author Terry Pratchett.

12-year-old Johnny Maxwell (newcomer Andrew Falvey) lives in blighted, recession-bound Blackbury. His parents have separated, he and his mum (Tina Martin) have moved in with his elderly grandfather (Arthur Whybrow), and life for him is a bit of a struggle.

He also has the unique ability to see and communicate with the spirits of the deceased!

The spirits (who strongly object to being called “ghosts”) in his local cemetery are unhappy. The local town council is selling the rundown Victorian cemetery to a commercial developer for 5p so they can build a modern office block there.

Since the spirits are bound to stay there for all eternity, they would prefer it to remain a cosy cemetery forever.

And so they turn to Johnny for help.

With his eccentric band of school friends – including Yo-Less (Jotham Annan) and Wobbler (Charlie Watts) – Johnny launches a campaign to battle corporate bureaucracy and save the cemetery.

Brian Blessed dominates proceedings as a radical Marxist ghost named William Stickers. Jane Lapotaire plays a spirited suffragette ghost named Sylvia Liberty, and George Baker is Alderman Thomas Bowler (deceased).

The four episodes were later edited together and released as a feature-length film on VHS and DVD by Warner Home Video.

William Stickers
Brian Blessed
Johnny Maxwell
Andrew Falvey
Yo-Less
Jotham Annan
Wobbler
Charlie Watts
Alderman Thomas Bowler
George Baker
Sylvia Liberty
Jane Lapotaire
Addison Fletcher
Geoffrey Whitehead
James Bowler
Ray Lonnen
Solomon Einstein
Harry Landis
Mrs Maxwell
Tina Martin
Antonio Vicenti
John Grillo
Johnny’s Grandad
Arthur Whybrow
BigMac
Paul Child

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