Jackanory

Jackanory was a long running BBC children's television show that was designed to stimulate an interest in reading. It began in January 1965 and continued until 1996.

The show's format, which hardly varied over the decades, involved an actor reading from famous children's novels or folk tales while seated in an armchair, although later episodes took the radical step of allowing the presenters to stand up. From time to time the scene being read would be illustrated by a specially-commissioned still drawing, often by Quentin Blake. Usually a single book would occupy five daily fifteen-minute episodes, from Monday to Friday.

Readers on Jackanory have included Tom Baker, Floella Benjamin[?], Alan Bennett, James Bolam[?], Helena Bonham Carter, Brian Cant[?], Bernard Cribbins, Peter Davison, Judi Dench, Denholm Elliott, Jeremy Irons, Martin Jarvis[?], Arthur Lowe, Joanna Lumley, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, Ian McKellen, George Melly[?], Paul Merton, Spike Milligan, Lee Montague[?], Jon Pertwee, Willie Rushton, Peter Sellers, Maggie Smith, Patrick Stewart, Patrick Troughton, Kenneth Williams, and even Prince Charles.

The show's title comes from an old English nursery rhyme:

 I'll tell you a story
 about Jack-a-nory;
 and now my story's begun.
 I'll tell you another
 'bout Jack and his brother;
 and now my story is done.

This is a stub article. Information on exact dates, presenters and stories read needs to be added.