Spywatch

Spywatch
Genre	Children's television series
Written by	Derek Farmer
Directed by	Nicholas Whines
Composer	Peter Howell
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of episodes	10
Production
Executive producer	Frank Flynn
Producer	Nicholas Whines
Production locations	Shropshire, United Kingdom
Running time	20 minutes
Original release
Network	BBC2
Release	15 January (1996-01-15) – 25 March 1996 (1996-03-25)
Related
Look and Read

Spywatch is a children's television series that is part of the BBC Schools educational television show Look and Read. This series aired on BBC2 from 15 January to 25 March 1996.

Story

In the modern day, adult Norman Starkey goes to the fictional village of Westbourne in Shropshire where he was evacuated during the Second World War. With the help of the local librarian, he writes the story of his adventure. The modern day parts include the educational aspects, which form the middle of each episode. The main adventure is set in 1942, in the middle of World War II. Three children, young Norman, Dennis and Mary are evacuated to Westbourne, away from the bombs. The boys stay at a farm, owned by Amy Hobbs (Aunty Amy) and her granddaughter Polly, and Mary stays at Westbourne Hall with the wealthy Miss Millington and Mr Grainger. The children come across what they think is a trail of spies, but the number of suspects is very high and the children have to solve the mystery.

Cast

Story

Actor	Character
Raymond Pickard	Norman Starkey
Russell Tovey	Dennis Sealey
Sophie Ward	Polly Hobbs
Josie McCabe	Mary Parker
Rosemary Leach	Amy Hobbs
Lesley Joseph	Miss Millington
Guy Henry	Philip Grainger
Norman Bird	Cyril Jenkins
Joseph Alessi	Luigi Balzoni
Abigail Thaw	Vivienne Belling
Terence Maynard	Mike Johnson
Rab Christie	Private Wilson
Pauline Delaney	Mrs Calver
Victoria Hasted	Ethel Higson
Carol Harvey	Mrs Starkey
Reinhard Michaels	The German Pilot
Colin Starkey	Dr. Simpson
Vincent Pickering	Harrison

Educational Inserts

Actor	Character
Keith Barron	Norman Starkey (adult)
Josie d'Arby	Miss Lee
Roger Kitter	Cedric David Rom (CD-ROM)
Andrew Tansey	Bald-Headed Man/Spiv
Jeannie Crowther	Polly Peters (Hobbs)

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original release date
1	"Sent Away"	Nicholas Whines	Derek Farmer	15 January 1996 (1996-01-15)[1]
Middle-aged Norman Starkey, a former wartime evacuee, finds his old scrapbook, and decides to write a book about his experience, so he heads back to Westbourne. He recounts being sent off to Westbourne where he meets Cyril Jenkins and another evacuee, Mary Parker. Cyril drives them to Westbourne Hall, home to Phillip Grainger, and his housekeeper, Miss Millington. They refuse to take Norman, but take Mary instead. Norman is driven to nearby Wells Farm where he is taken in by kindly Amy Hobbs, who has recently taken in another evacuee named Dennis Sealey.
2	"Grainger Danger"	Nicholas Whines	Derek Farmer	22 January 1996 (1996-01-22)[2]
Norman and Dennis, both strangers to country life, are put to work on Amy's farm by Amy's granddaughter, Polly, and are both terrified when they find themselves surrounded by cows. Meanwhile, Mary is being forced to do the housework by Grainger and Millington. Grainger also pays Wells Farm a visit and tries to get Amy to move out of the farm, to which he was the landlord, but she refuses.
3	"Spies All Around"	Nicholas Whines	Derek Farmer	29 January 1996 (1996-01-29)[3]
Amy's cows have escaped and it looks as if the fence has been cut. Norman, Dennis, and Polly suspect Grainger is to blame. Later, the whole village attends a lecture where Cyril Jenkins shows them a series of posters of people who may be spies in disguise, but one poster in particular startles Norman, Dennis and Polly; an image of a woman in half a Nazi uniform and half normal clothing stays in their minds. Meanwhile, in the present, Norman decides to track down Polly.
4	"Trouble For Mary"	Nicholas Whines	Derek Farmer	5 February 1996 (1996-02-05)[4]
Luigi Balzoni, an Italian POW, arrives to help on the farm. Amy initially is untrustful of Luigi, but he soon wins her trust. Also, Miss Millington steals Mary's money and accuses Mary of stealing from her. Later, Mary writes a letter to her parents and gives it to Millington to post. However, Millington reads the letter in which Mary describes to her parents how horrible Grainger and Miss Millington are, how badly they're treating her, and begs them to come and get her. Millington throws the letter in the fire.
5	"The Poster Comes To Life"	Nicholas Whines	Derek Farmer	12 February 1996 (1996-02-12)[5]
Norman becomes homesick after receiving a letter from his mother. He goes for a walk by the river and meets Mike Johnson, a lieutenant from the nearby U.S. Army base who shows him how to fish. Meanwhile, Mary agrees to help Polly and Dennis find out if Grainger is a spy. On the way back to the Farm, Polly and Dennis encounter a strange woman who bears a striking resemblance to the woman in the poster Cyril Jenkins showed them. When the woman asks for directions to the village, Polly, convinced she's an enemy spy, intentionally sends her the wrong way and thinks they've seen the last of her – until she turns up at the front door!
6	"Bombs In The Country"	Nicholas Whines	Derek Farmer	26 February 1996 (1996-02-26)[6]
The mystery woman introduces herself as Vivienne Belling, and she claims to be a government photographer. However, the kids are suspicious of her. Meanwhile, Mary overhears an interesting conversation between Grainger and Miss Millington. Mike gives the children chocolate which is rationed. Also, Polly and Dennis spot a German plane.
7	"Surprise"	Nicholas Whines	Derek Farmer	4 March 1996 (1996-03-04)[7]
Polly and Dennis narrowly avoid being killed by the German plane's bombs. Norman later spies Grainger giving a package to Vivienne Belling. Mary tries to uncover evidence to prove Grainger's a spy. Also, Norman's mother comes to visit him on his birthday. The next day, however, an even bigger surprise awaits the kids in their secret meeting place (the greenhouse at Westbourne Hall).
8	"The Pilot"	Nicholas Whines	Derek Farmer	11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)[8]
The kids find an injured German pilot in the greenhouse. The pilot is later arrested, and the kids suspicions of Vivienne Belling deepen when they hear her speaking German to the pilot. Also, in another attempt to get Amy to leave the farm, Grainger pulls some strings to have Luigi moved to Westbourne Hall. That night, Mary follows Grainger and Millington to try to find out what they're up to.
9	"The Secret Quarry"	Nicholas Whines	Derek Farmer	18 March 1996 (1996-03-18)[9]
The kids find a tunnel leading from an abandoned quarry to Westbourne Hall. Norman and Dennis are caught by Grainger, but are saved by Luigi, who Grainger has arrested shortly afterwards for stealing from the Hall.
10	"Captured"	Nicholas Whines	Derek Farmer	25 March 1996 (1996-03-25)[10]
The children learn that Grainger and Miss Millington are simply black marketeers rather than spies. Norman and Mary try to call the police from Westbourne Hall, but are caught by Grainger and Millington and locked in a shed. Seeing them captured, Polly goes off to find a phone, only to bump into Vivienne Belling. Polly attacks her, but is stopped by Mike. Polly leads them to the quarry where Dennis has managed to free Norman and Mary, who trap Grainger and Millington in the shed. The blackmarketeers are arrested, and Vivienne Belling reveals she was investigating Grainger the whole time. Mary is moved to Wells Farm and the charges against Luigi are dropped and he returns to work on the Farm. Norman's mother arrives at the Farm to take Norman home. In the present, Norman is finally reunited with Polly.

References

1. "LOOK AND READ - SPYWATCH:SENT AWAY". Getty Images. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
2. "LOOK AND READ - SPYWATCH:GRAINGER DANGER". Getty Images. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
3. "LOOK AND READ - SPYWATCH:SPIES ALL ROUND". Getty Images. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
4. "LOOK AND READ - SPYWATCH:TROUBLE FOR MARY". Getty Images. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
5. "LOOK AND READ - SPYWATCH:THE POSTER COMES TO LIFE". Getty Images. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
6. "LOOK AND READ - SPYWATCH:BOMBS IN THE COUNTRY". Getty Images. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
7. "LOOK AND READ - SPYWATCH:SURPRISE". Getty Images. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
8. "LOOK AND READ - SPYWATCH:THE PILOT". Getty Images. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
9. "LOOK AND READ - SPYWATCH:THE SECRET QUARRY". Getty Images. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
10. "LOOK AND READ - SPYWATCH:CAPTURED". Getty Images. Retrieved 7 August 2025.

External links

• Spywatch at Broadcast for Schools