Who Was The Demon Headmaster?

The Demon Headmaster, played by Terence Hardiman, was the villain of a 1990s children's series based on a novel by Gillian Cross. This evil pedagogue specialises in brainwashing and hypnotising his pupils, reducing them to zombies chanting implanted ideas like "The headmaster is a marvellous man." Only one pupil, Dinah, (Frances Amey) sees through him and struggles to overthrow him, while her contemporaries meekly accept their fate and all adults seem to agree that he is "a marvellous man.". Later the headmaster plots to take over humanity, altering humans genetically so that there will no longer be any need for childhood (which is "a waste of time.")

This bleak series was a success with many children, who appreciated its portrayal of a cruel, untrustworthy adult world and the loneliness of the person who goes against the herd. The novel was adapted for TV by Helen Cresswell, who is also a well-known children's author.