Author, David Nicholls is set to adapt Sue Townsend’s YA novel, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ (1982) for BBC. The author and screenwriter, Nicholls, who is known for penning hits including the novels One Day, Us and Starter for Ten is also no stranger to adapting literary works for the screen including Tess of the D’Urbervilles (2008), Patrick Melrose (2016), and even the film adaptation of his own novel Starter for 10 (2006). The next novel on David Nicholls’ agenda is The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾; a diary-style story set in 1981 that centres Adrian, who believes himself to be a great intellect but like all teens is plagued by worries and regrets.
David Nicholls says: “I happen to be just a little older than Adrian and have adored this book since reading it on publication. It’s a classic piece of comic writing and an incredible piece of ventriloquism on Sue Townsend’s part – how did she know? Adapting Adrian for the screen is an absolute pleasure.”
Nicholls will lead the writing team on a new adaptation of Adrian Mole which also includes other great names including Caitlin and Caroline Moran (Raised by Wolves), Jack Rooke (Big Boys), and Dillon Mapletoft and Oliver Taylor, the team behind Everyone Else Burns. The writers will bring Townsend’s work to the small screen in a ten-part BBC One series, revisiting the comedic classic tale of teenage life in British suburbia.
In a press release, the BBC say: “The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ marks the return of an iconic British character to our screens. It’s New Year’s Day 1981 and Adrian starts his uniquely funny diary about family life and being a teenager before the advent of mobile phones and social media. With only a multi-coloured ballpoint pen as his guide, Adrian worries about his spots, his parents’ divorce, the torment of first love and the fact he’s never seen a female nipple.
“As Adrian’s mother Pauline wrestles with her feminist awakening, his father George struggles with being made redundant in an unforgiving economy. Adrian’s wider world is made up of a host of memorable characters like his ‘treacle-haired beloved’ Pandora, his take-no-prisoners Grandma and his unlikely friend, the foul-mouthed pensioner Bert Baxter. This vivid portrait of suburban life in Britain shows how much we have changed while staying the same. The result is a timeless family drama that is as warm and funny as it is sad and poignant.”
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, added: “The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole is one of those rare, seminal stories that has captivated generation after generation. David Nicholls has brilliantly distilled the wit, warmth and quiet poignancy of Sue Townsend’s iconic novel, reminding us why Adrian’s voice remains as sharply relevant today as it was in the 1980s. Times may have changed, but the anxieties, ambitions and wonderfully awkward truths at the heart of Adrian’s world are utterly timeless. Kenton and the team at Big Talk have brought together an exceptional group of writers who, alongside David, have crafted a series that honours the spirit of the original, while opening the door for a whole new audience to fall in love with Adrian Mole.”
The much-loved novel has, in fact been adapted countless times over the years including for a BBC Radio 4 series, a stage adaptation by Townsend (1984), and a TV series in 1985. It also received a 2015 musical adaptation by Jake Brunger and Pippa Cleary which opened at Leicester’s Curve. Townsend herself had been working on the project at the time of her death in 2014.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ is a Big Talk Studios production for BBC iPlayer and BBC One. Casting for the new production is yet to be announced, however, the nationwide search for an actor to portray the title role of Adrian is underway, led by multi-award winning casting director Robert Sterne (The Crown, Game Of Thrones).
Kenton Allen, Executive Producer and CEO Big Talk Studios, says: “As a proud state educated Midlands boy myself, I recognised so much of my own upbringing in Sue Townsend’s classic novels and David Nicholls’ beautifully observed adaptation of them – the humour, the heartbreak, the quiet heroism of ordinary lives. David has once again captured something deeply authentic and universally human, and we’re thrilled to be bringing this iconic book and David’s brilliant writing to the screen for generations of Adrian fans new and old.”
Luke Alkin, Executive Producer, Big Talk Studios, adds: “Working with David and this wonderful team of writers to adapt this beloved book is a dream come true. Adrian Mole is an iconic British character and it feels like the world needs him now more than ever. The BBC is the perfect home for this new adaptation and we are absolutely delighted to be partnering with them.”
