What Was The Source Of The 1950s Series “Billy Bunter”?

Fully titled "Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School" the series was adapted for TV in 1952 by its original creator, Frank Richards. Richards and his "sister" Hilda, creator of Billy's sister Bessie Bunter, were actually one very prolific author, Charles Hamilton. He first introduced the "fat Owl" in the Magnet comics, and then went one to write scores of books describing his adventures. (Bessie was never as popular.)

The series starred an adult actor, Gerald Campion, as schoolboy Billy, with the formidable form-master Mr Quelch played by three different actors – Knyaston Reeves, Raf de la Torre and Jack Melford. A young Michael Crawford also featured as one of Bunter's schoolmates.

Very popular both with children, and with adults who fondly remembered the original stories, the series ran for nine years. It is sadly never repeated today, probably because the jibes at the overweight Bunter's expense would have been seen as unacceptable. ("They're going to drag the ponds" a classmate whispers when Bunter goes missing. "Wouldn't it make more sense to drag the tuckshops?" replies another.)

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