Oliver Savell, the young actor twice nominated at the BAFTAs for playing a young Alan Carr in ITV's *Changing Ends*, has been cast as the lead in the BBC's new adaptation of Sue Townsend's *The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾*. The announcement, reported by Deadline, marks the culmination of a nationwide casting search to find the right actor for one of British literature's most enduringly awkward teenagers.
The nine-part series, each episode running 30 minutes, is set in 1981 as Adrian begins chronicling his life — spots, parental divorce, unrequited love, and the conspicuous absence of mobile phones and social media. It's a world navigated with nothing but a ballpoint pen and an outsized sense of self-importance.
Savell is joined by a formidable ensemble. Lisa McGrillis (*Rivals*, *Mum*) plays his mother Pauline, Colin Hoult (*After Life*, *Slow Horses*) is his father George, and Pam Ferris — beloved for *Matilda* and *Darling Buds of May* — takes the role of Grandma. Galaxie Clear plays Adrian's great love Pandora, while Alun Armstrong rounds out the cast as Bert.
Behind the camera, the creative firepower is equally impressive. *One Day* author David Nicholls is overseeing the adaptation, with a writers room that includes Caitlin Moran, Caroline Moran, Dillon Mapletoft, Oliver Taylor, and Jack Rooke. Alex Winckler (*Somewhere Boy*, *Mary and George*) is directing, and the series is being produced by Big Talk Studios for BBC iPlayer and BBC One.
Filming is already underway in and around Hartlepool, with the series slated to air next year. The adaptation arrives nearly 30 years after the previous Townsend drama graced British screens, suggesting a whole new generation is about to discover Adrian's painfully earnest inner world.