Just William

William Brown, the pint-sized 11-year-old protagonist of nearly 40 books Richmal Crompton wrote between 1922 and 1970, is an English Dennis the Menace who causes all sorts of trouble without really meaning any harm. The stories of William and his pals—called the “Outlaws”—have been adapted for movies, radio programs, and four television series, including this one broadcast by the BBC in 2010. Set in the mid-1950s, Just William stars Daniel Roche, a curly-haired kid who embodies William's big, boisterous personality with complete naturalness. Written by Simon Nye in a dry, deadpan style, this four-episode set should both children and adults with its depictions of the slapstick shenanigans of William and his crew. Sometimes the boy's rambunctious antics fluster his long-suffering parents and self-absorbed older siblings, but more often his targets are his harried schoolmasters or his well-to-do neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Bott, played with comic gusto by Warren Clarke and Caroline Quentin. A persistent thread running throughout is William's abhorrence of girls, which is confirmed by his encounters with the Botts' daughter but tested when he meets a pretty tomboy he can actually play with as an equal. Just William has an old-fashioned feel, eschewing the raucous quality that characterizes much of today's American children's programming in favor of a quieter, quirkier approach. Recommended. (F. Swietek)