Supergran

SUPERGRAN
Made by: Tyne Tees
Shown on: ITV
Years shown: 1985-87

Theme tune: “Stand back Superman, Iceman, Spiderman, Batman and Robin too/Don’t want to cause a ruckus for BA Baracus/But I’ve got a match for you…”

Based on books by Forrest Wilson, Supergran was a comedy adventure series about the most unlikely of superheroes - and you thought Wonder Woman was implausible. Supergran (Gudrun Ure) had accidentally acquired astonishing super-powers, and became a match for any villain lurking the streets of her home town of Chisleton. Despite Supergran having a Scottish accent, the fictional Chisleton was actually located in Tynemouth, a coastal town not too far from Newcastle…and closer still to my own home.

In fact, Supergran’s unusual method of transport, her Flycycle (actually a converted butcher’s boy bike), was long on display in The Land of Green Ginger, a converted church-cum-shopping centre in Tynemouth centre.

Anyway, enough of my exciting local heritage. The man responsible for Supergran’s inhuman abilities was Inventor Black (Bill Shine), and he was helped out by his young assistant, Edison (Holly English, and later Samantha Duffy), who was also pals with the septuagenarian law-enforcer; as was Willard (Ian Towell), an oik in a bobble hat. On the other side of the law, Supergran’s chief nemesis was The Scunner Campbell (Iain Cuthbertson), with his nephew, Tub (Lee Marshall) and his henchmen, The Muscles (Alan Snell and Brian Lewis.)

Supergran was a Sunday teatime favourite, with its blend of unashamed comedy and light drama, and it attracted an unprecedented amount of celebrities, to all appearances clambering over each other for a guest appearance. To name but a few, there was Billy Connolly (who sung the theme tune), Mike Elphick, Spike Milligan, Tim Healy, Lulu, Gary Glitter (oh dear), George Best and Eddie Kidd, all hoping they wouldn’t emerge as the most wooden.

SQUARE EYES RATING: 4/10

(Thanks to www.bbc.co.uk for the borrowed pic.)