Great Lives

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Factual: Life Stories

Biographical series in which guests choose someone who has inspired their lives.

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Great Lives: Just William / Richmal Crompton proposed by Peter Oborne with Martin Jarvis

Just William / Richmal Crompton proposed by Peter Oborne with Martin Jarvis

BBC Radio 4 - Great Lives, Just William / Richmal Crompton proposed by Peter Oborne with Martin Jarvis

William Brown, star of the Just William books, proposed by Peter Oborne.

4 Extra Debut. Journalist Peter Oborne chooses William, star of the Just William books. With Martin Jarvis and Matthew Parris. From 2019.

"It's absolutely joyous, one of the highlights of my career!" Peter Oborne on being joined by Martin Jarvis, the man who brings Just William to life.

Journalist Oborne is nominating both William Brown and his creator, Richmal Crompton. She wrote 39 multi-million selling books, and her delight in William is clear to hear in the archive. Other contributors include her biographer, Mary Cadogan, and her niece, Richmal Ashbee. But it's the brilliance of Martin Jarvis's impersonations of William, Ginger and the gang that brings this programme to life. Plus the interplay between Peter Oborne and Matthew Parris.

"Do you think William would have been Brexit?"
"I don't think there's any evidence." 

Producer: Miles Warde

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2019.

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Great Lives

Just William / Richmal Crompton proposed by Peter Oborne with Martin Jarvis

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