Mike

1 9 6 4 (UK)
13 x 30 minute episodes

The light-hearted adventures of freckle-faced 13-year-old tyke Mike Willis (Denis Gilmore) who lives on Stilton Street and fancies himself as a young inventor and uses his dad’s garage as a laboratory.

His first wacky idea is to invent black whitewash, seeing it as a much-needed commodity for the building trade.

Helping Mike in his schemes are his long-suffering tomboy sister, Kate (Deborah Cranston), and his three friends Pete (Laurie Heath), Alfie (Leslie Hart) and Joey (Billy Hamon).

Ginger-haired lead Denis Gilmore was something of a child star before coming to Rediffusion’s Mike. He was known all over the country as the impish boy who reminded his mother “Don’t forget the Fruit Gums, Mum” in a series of television advertisements and he replaced Dennis Waterman as the lead in the second of the BBC’s William series in 1963.

Mike Willis
Denis Gilmore
Kate
Deborah Cranston
Pete
Laurie Heath
Alfie
Leslie Hart
Joey
Billy Hamon
Mum (Edna Willis)
Sheila Shand Gibbs
Dad (Jim Willis)
Geoffrey Matthews
Ron Coggins
John Barrard
Aunt Jemima
Damaris Hayman

Episodes

A Black Wash-Out | A Night to Remember | The Wandering Overcoat | The Spirit of Flung Tu Lo | Oil… Black Gold! | One Swallow Does Not a Summer Make | The Return of Stockpot Johnson | The Quiet Little Restaurant | What a Motley Lot | It’s a Good Job Dummies Can’t Speak | From Berlin with Love | How to Get in a Pickle Without Even Trying | The Big Beat Contest