Jonny Briggs

A sort of comedy drama set 'Oop north' and featuring Sue Devaney (Corrie (Debbie Webster), dinnerladies (12 rounds of white) and a naff singalong advert for Gateway) as 'Our Rita', one of the older sisters of the titular Jonny, a small boy who gets up to various mischief involving the school rabbit, mini gardens and his dog. The series was probably best remembered for it's rousing trumpet-based theme. The first series of 13 episodes debuted in Winter 1985, just months into the existence of the new in-vision Children's BBC, and was repeated just a few months afterwards in Spring 1986. The second series arrived in Winter 1986/7 and again was repeated a few months later in Spring 1987. Both series then had another repeat run in 1988 and 1989 respectively, but that seemed to be it for Jonny. Until 1993 when a renewed interest in archive CBBC programs, fuelled by the anniversaries of Blue Peter and Grange Hill, meant that some old programming was pulled out the archive (which ironically was at that very same time being systematically depleted by the archive department) and reshown on Sunday mornings, thus Jonny Briggs secured another repeat run of all 33 episodes. Strangely the first series also returned to CBBC weekday afternoons for one last outing as recently as 1996, but as the series was by then looking somewhat outdated, both techically and in terms of the fashions worn by the characters, it would seem that this outing wasn't so sucessful, ratings wise, and another run of the second series would not follow the first. Jonny Briggs would never again slide onto our screens.
 

Jonny Briggs – Episode Guide/Transmission History (BBC1 1985-9, BBC2 1993 & BBC1* 1996)

Series 1 (13 episodes) – All BBC 1 – Monday and Tuesdays – Autumn/Winter 1985

1.01 – 1985/11/11 16:45 - Jonny dreams of rabbits and gingerbread men - and getting into Miss Broom's good books.
1.02 – 1985/11/12 16:15 - Dad and Humph come to the rescue, but Jonny's luck doesn't hold out for long.... 
1.03 – 1985/11/18 16:40 - Jonny and Humphrey think they've found a black hole in Port Street which swallows up socks, tins and biscuits. 
1.04 – 1985/11/19 16:15 - The gingerbread men were a success, but has Jonny any hope of getting the school rabbit?
1.05 – 1985/11/25 16:40 - Jonny tries to get his own back on Rita - but, as usual, things don't go as planned.... 
1.06 – 1985/11/26 16:15 - Kites and rabbits don't have much in common - except for Jonny.
1.07 – 1985/12/02 16:45 - Mam makes her decision about the rabbit - but it still leaves Jonny with a problem. 
1.08 – 1985/12/03 16:15 - The moment has come; who will be chosen to look after Benny Buck in the school holidays?
1.09 – 1985/12/09 16:40 - Jonny starts to plan his kite in earnest - with some doubtful help from Humph and Albert.
1.10 – 1985/12/10 16:15 - Razzle is in real disgrace - and Jonny faces yet another decision.
1.11 – 1985/12/16 16:45 - Jonny has finished his kite design - but the twins and Albert have their own plans.
1.12 – 1985/12/17 16:15 - Jonny is not the only worried member of the Briggs family - Mam is wondering why Jonny needs £5 so urgently.
1.13 – 1985/12/23 16:40 - Jonny's kite is nearly ready when Albert's scheme for a water balloon battle starts off with a typical disaster.

Series 1 – First Repeat Run (ALL) – All BBC1 – Tuesdays and Thursdays – Spring 1986
1.01 – 1986/04/08 16:15, 1.02 – 1986/04/10 16:15, 1.03 – 1986/04/15, 1.04 – 1986/04/17, 1.05 – 1986/04/22 16:20, 1.06 – 1986/04/24 16:15, 1.07 – 1986/04/29 16:15, 1.08 – 1986/05/01 16:15, 1.09 – 1986/05/06 16.15, 1.10 – 1986/05/08 16:15, 1.11 – 1986/05/13 16:20, 1.12 – 1986/05/15 16:20, 1.13 – 1986/05/20.

Series 2 (20 Episodes) – All BBC1 – Mondays and Tuesdays – Autumn/Winter 1986/7
2.01 – 1986/11/10 16:40 - Strange things are happening in the Briggs household. Not only is Humph glued to the mirror and Rita suddenly interested in hats, but Jonny and Razzle suspect that something ghostly is hidden in the house ... something that makes scuffling, rustling noises....
2.02 – 1986/11/11 16:15 - Razzle becomes a ghost detector, and Albert attempts to solve the morning rush-hour in the bathroom. Neither succeeds quite as planned.
2.03 – 1986/11/17 16:45 - Jonny and Albert have tried to discover the mystery of the locked door.... with fairly disastrous results.
2.04 – 1986/11/18 16:15 - The rustling noises continue ... and Albert is in disgrace.
2.05 – 1986/11/24 16:45 - Albert has come up with another bright idea, and the twins have made off with Rita's hat.
2.06 – 1986/11/25 16:20 - Rita and Mavis are looking after something for their film-director boyfriends, Alexander and Bruneveldt ... but how long will Mam put up with it?
2.07 – 1986/12/01 16:45 - There is another baby on the way in the Briggs family - 
Jonny is convinced it is Mam and Dad's.
2.08 – 1986/12/02 16:15 - The clay models are safely in the kiln, but Jonny has more serious matters on his mind - Mr Badger has asked to see him.
2.09 – 1986/12/08 16:40 - Mam and Dad have now revealed that Marilyn is expecting a baby, and Jonny is thrilled to learn he'll be an uncle. But what is Mr Badger going to say to him?
2.10 – 1986/12/09 16:15 - Albert has been busy trying to re-wire the cellar, and Jonny needs some new ideas for his miniature garden.
2.11 – 1986/12/15 16:45 - Mam has thrown away Jonny's 'garden' by mistake - and it looks as though Razzle has been busy in the school garden.
2.12 – 1986/12/16 16:20 - Rita and Mavis still haven t moved the bike, and no-one s quite sure whether Dad has heard about the plans for the anniversary party.
2.13 – 1986/12/29 16:45 - At last Jonny and Albert are about to discover the solution to the rustling ghost mystery.
2.14 – 1986/12/30 16:25 - Has Dad found out about the plans for the secret anniversary party? 
2.15 – 1987/01/05 16:40 - Yet another of Jonny's miniature gardens has come to grief.
2.16 – 1987/01/06 16:20 - Can Albert stop Dad discovering the key to the cellar?
2.17 – 1987/01/12 16:40 - Rita and Mavis have gone down to the cellar to ice the anniversary cake - and find themselves trapped ...
2.18 – 1987/01/13 16:20 - Will Rita discover who has sabotaged the cake?
2.19 – 1987/01/19 16:40 - Where is the key to the cellar?
2.20 – 1987/01/20 16:20 - In this, the last episode, the preparations for the party are almost complete, but Mam and Dad have made their own plans for their anniversary.

Series 2 – First Repeat Run (ALL) – All BBC1 – Tuesdays and Thursdays – Spring/Summer 1987
2.01 – 1987/04/07 16:15, 2.02 – 1987/04/09 16:15, 2.03 – 1987/04/14 16:15, 2.04 – 1987/04/16 16:15, 2.05 – 1987/04/21 16:15, 2.06 – 1987/04/23 16:15, 2.07 – 1987/04/28 16:15, 2.08 – 1987/04/30 16:15, 2.09 – 1987/05/05 16:15, 2.10 – 1987/05/07 16:15, 2.11 – 1987/05/12 16:15, 2.12 – 1987/05/14 16:15, 2.13 – 1987/05/19 16:15, 2.14 – 1987/05/21 16:15, 2.15 – 1987/05/26 16:15, 2.16 – 1987/05/28 16:15, 2.17 – 1987/06/02 16:10, 2.18 – 1987/06/04, 2.19 – 1987/06/09 16:15, 2.20 – 1987/06/11 16:15.

Series 1 – Second Repeat Run (ALL) – All BBC1 – Tuesdays and Thursdays – Spring 1988
1.01 – 1988/04/05 16:15, 1.02 – 1988/04/07 16:15, 1.03 – 1988/04/12 16:15, 1.04 – 1988/04/14 16:15, 1.05 – 1988/04/19 16:15, 1.06 – 1988/04/21 16:15, 1.07 – 1988/04/26 16:15, 1.08 – 1988/04/28 16:15, 1.09 – 1988/05/03 16:15, 1.10 – 1988/05/05 16:20, 1.11 – 1988/05/10 16:15, 1.12 – 1988/05/12 16:15, 1.13 – 1988/05/17 16:15.

Series 2 – Second Repeat Run (ALL) – All BBC1 – Tuesdays and Thursdays – Spring/Summer 1989
2.01 – 1989/04/04 16:20, 2.02 – 1989/04/06 16:20, 2.03 – 1989/04/11 16:20, 2.04 – 1989/04/13 16:20, 2.05 – 1989/04/18 16:20, 2.06 – 1989/04/20 16:20, 2.07 – 1989/04/25 16:20, 2.08 – 1989/04/27 16:20, 2.09 – 1989/05/02 16:20, 2.10 – 1989/05/04 16:20, 2.11 – 1989/05/09 16:20, 2.12 – 1989/05/11 16:20, 2.13 – 1989/05/16 16:20, 2.14 – 1989/05/18 16:15, 2.15 – 1989/05/23 16:10, 2.16 – 1989/05/25 16:20, 2.17 – 1989/05/30 16:15, 2.18 – 1989/06/01 16:20, 2.19 – 1989/06/06 16:20, 2.20 – 1989/06/08 16:20.

Series 1 and 2 – Third Repeat Runs (ALL) – All BBC2 – Sundays – Spring/Summer/Autumn 1993
1.01 – 1993/04/04 09:35, 1.02 – 1993/04/11 09:30, 1.03 – 1993/04/18 09:30, 1.04 – 1993/04/25 09:30, 1.05 – 1993/05/02 09:30, 1.06 – 1993/05/09 09:30, 1.07 – 1993/05/16 09:30, 1.08 – 1993/05/23 09:30, 1.09 – 1993/05/30 09:30, 1.10 – 1993/06/06 09:30, 1.11 – 1993/06/13 09:30, 1.12 – 1993/06/20 09:30, 1.13 – 1993/06/27 09:30, 2.01 – 1993/07/04 09:30, 2.02 – 1993/07/11 09:30, 2.03 – 1993/07/18 09:30, 2.04 – 1993/07/25 09:30, 2.05 – 1993/08/01 09:30, 2.06 – 1993/08/08 09:55, 2.07 – 1993/08/15 09:55, 2.08 – 1993/08/22 09:55, 2.09 – 1993/08/29 09:55, 2.10 – 1993/09/05 09:55, 2.11 – 1993/09/12 09:55, 2.12 – 1993/09/19 10:00, 2.13 – 1993/09/26 10:00, 2.14 – 1993/10/03 10:00, 2.15 – 1993/10/10 09:55, 2.16 – 1993/10/17 09:50, 2.17 – 1993/10/24 09:20, 2.18 – 1993/10/31 09:25, 2.19 – 1993/11/07 09:25, 2.20 – 1993/11/14 09:15.

Series 1 – Fourth Repeat Run (ALL) – BBC1/BBC2* - Wednesdays – Spring/Summer 1996
1.01 – 1996/04/03 16:20, 1.02 – 1996/04/10 16:20, 1.03 – 1996/04/17 16:20, 1.04 – 1996/04/24 16:20, 1.05 – 1996/05/01 16:20, 1.06 – 1996/05/08 16:20, 1.07 – 1996/05/15 16:20, 1.08 – 1996/05/22 16:20, 1.09 – 1996/05/29 16:20, 1.10 – 1996/06/05 16:20, 1.11 – 1996/06/12 16:15*, 1.12 – 1996/06/19 16:15*, 1.13 – 1996/07/03 16:15*.
*A very full sporting schedule on BBC1 during Summer 1996 saw CBBC being broadcast on BBC2 for the last three episodes of this repeat run, with a one week pause before the final episode, enforced by sport taking up both BBC1 and BBC2 on Weds 26th June 1996.