News

The Secret Life Of Boys is a brand new interactive comedy drama which launches on the Cbbc website and Cbbc channel this November.

In the series 11 year old Ginger flies from Australia to the UK to spend the summer with four cousins she's never met before - how will she manage in a foreign country, with a new family?

Melbourne-based Erica Brown (represented by Gilchrist Managment in Australia) flew to Ireland to film the lead role of Ginger Boxwell, marking her TV drama debut.

Her cousins are played by 19 year old Neil Reynolds, who has previously appeared in comedy series The T-Boy Show.

15 year old Reece Buttery (represented by A&J Management), who starred in BBC Christmas drama Gangsta Granny, and plays Mo in Cbbc's The Dumping Ground, plays Robbie.

12 year old Gene Gurie (represented by The Young Actors Theatre) plays Ethan in his first TV role.

And Joel Guy...

Nine year old identical twins, Nelly and Gwen Currant, from Hertfordshire have been chosen to play the roles of twin characters Toni and Billie in the new series of the popular children’s drama The Dumping Ground, which starts filming this week.

Nelly and Gwen applied via an open casting process which ran earlier this year. The twins applied via the Cbbc website and sent in an audition film before coming to BBC MediaCity for a live audition. They impressed the casting team with their natural acting style, energy and the clear bond that they had with each other.

Lis Steele, Executive Producer on The Dumping Ground, says: "Casting nine year old identical twins was set to be an incredible challenge but we were bowled over by the range and quality of auditions. Despite being newcomers to acting, Nelly and Gwen showed naturalness, a sense of fun and a terrific understanding of the show's storytelling.

Review Patrick Sproull 26 Dec 2013 - 19:00

Patrick checks out heart-warming, rollicking family drama, Gangsta Granny...

This review contains spoilers.

In some curious and forgettable circumstances I found myself reading Gangsta Granny to one of my younger relatives a couple of years ago. Hailing from the David Walliams stable it was expected to be ripe with gags and puns about the modern world but behind the humour there was a moral tale about people’s neglect of the elderly. At Christmas time it seems ideal fare for families grazing round the TV for feel-good laughs and a life lesson, so unsurprisingly the BBC nabbed the rights and set about adapting it. Written by Kevin Cecil and Andy Riley (two of the penmen behind Gnomeo and Juliet. The one with Jason Statham as a garden ornament. Yeah, that one) with more than a little help from Walliams himself Gangsta Granny has been...

New pictures of Miranda Hart, Robbie Williams and David Walliams in the Christmas TV comedy Gangsta Granny have been released by the BBC.

An adaptation of Walliams's best-selling book of the same name, the show will air on BBC One over the festive period.

Julia McKenzie, Joanna Lumley and Rob Brydon will also star.

Gangsta Granny follows the story of Ben (Reece Buttery), who is bored staying with his granny (McKenzie) until it is revealed that she used to be an international jewel thief.

"Gangsta Granny has proved to be the most popular of all my books," said Walliams. "It is an adventure story about two unlikely thieves, Granny and her grandson Ben. It should make for exciting family viewing at Christmas."

BBC Comedy boss Shane Allen added: "The story delivers on David's penchant for being outrageously funny, yet poignant and tender as well. This will be a wonderful family...

Two new faces join Cbbc's The Dumping Ground, the sequel to the multi-award-winning Cbbc dramas The Story Of Tracy Beaker and Tracy Beaker Returns, as it returns for a second series this January.

16 year old Kasey McKellar (represented by D&B Management) plays newcomer Bailey. Kasey recently appeared in Top Boy 2 playing R'Marni. And Stacy Liu joins the cast as new carer May Li.

The new series will consist of 13 new 30-minute episodes plus 10 exclusive three-minute webisodes which will run parallel to the stories broadcast on the channel.

The webisodes will feature an exclusive storyline which will run online for 10 weeks, culminating in a cliff-hanger which will be resolved in the last episode of the TV broadcast as both the online and TV stories merge for the series finale.

The new series follows more of the dilemmas, dramas, friendships and challenges faced by young people in care, and stars Connor Byrne...

11 year old Reece Buttery (represented by A&J Management) is set to star as Ben in the new 60-minute adaptation of David Walliams best-selling children's novel Gangsta Granny. He plays schoolboy Ben opposite Julia McKenzie as his titular grandma, alongwith Joanna Lumley, Rob Brydon, Miranda Hart and David Walliams himself.

Reece from London, who is about to turn 12, plays the series regular role of Mo in Cbbc's The Dumping Ground and attends Young and Talented theatre school.

12 year old India Ria Amarteifio (represented by Sylvia Young Agency) from Twickenham, fresh from playing Violet Beauregard in the West End theatre production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, plays Ben's dancing partner Florence with whom Ben has to dance in a local ballroom competition. India was one of this year's winners of The Stage scholarship to Sylvia Young Theatre School .

David Walliams and Miranda Hart appear as Ben’s Strictly Come Dancing obsessed parents,...