Dani's House

Last updated

Dani's House
Dani's House Series 2.jpg
Created by Paul Rose
Gary Parker
Emma Ko
Starring Dani Harmer
Harry Culverhouse
James Gandhi
Darragh Mortell
Steff White
Millie Innes
Sebastian Applewhite
Klariza Clayton
Lewis Rainer
Daniel Roche
James Mackenzie
Luke Walles
Opening theme"Free" by Dani Harmer
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series5
No. of episodes65 (list of episodes)
Production
ProducersPaul McKenzie
Jemma Rodgers
Lucy Robinson
Jo Willett
Running time30 minutes
Production companyThe Foundation
Original release
Network CBBC
Release26 September 2008 (2008-09-26) 
19 July 2012 (2012-07-19)
Related

Dani's House is a British children's comedy series broadcast on CBBC and starring Dani Harmer. The first series premiered on 26 September 2008, and its fifth series concluded on 19 July 2012. It has received several awards and nominations from BAFTA Kids. [1] A spin-off called Dani's Castle aired from 2013 to 2015.

Contents

Plot

Dani is a teenage actress and singer who is regularly left in charge of her younger brother Max, his friend Ben, and their youngest baby sibling, "the baby from hell" who is only shown in a cot. She and her friends Toby and Sam spend most of their time at her house in a den hangout. As they go about their lives, they encounter some bizarre situations. Meanwhile, two aliens known as Coordinators (Coordinator Zang and Coordinator Zark) observe their actions. In series 2, Dani's family has moved to a new house. Toby has gone to medical school, and Dani becomes friends with Jack. The "baby from hell" is no longer referenced but is replaced by a "cat from hell", who also disappears in series 3 and who is also Jack's nemesis.

In series 4, Dani gets a part in the medical drama/soap opera McHurties Hospital. Her friend Sam has been training to become an astronaut, and eventually leaves the cast to become a scientist and space-explorer for NASA. Ruby, Dani's enthusiastic personal trainer, joins the cast, as well as Maisy, her prank-pulling younger sister, the latter of whom becomes a foil for Max.

In series 5, Dani continues her career as an actress, while Jack works as a DJ, and Ruby continues as a personal trainer. Max pursues a career as a grime artist, and goes on a world tour. Their cousin Megaboyd teams up with Maisy and plays pranks on Dani and her friends. Ben tries to find some new hobbies. The show ended after 5 series, making it one of the most successful CBBC shows of all time.

Episodes

SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 1326 September 2008 (2008-09-26)19 December 2008 (2008-12-19)
2 1330 November 2009 (2009-11-30)19 March 2010 (2010-03-19)
3 1310 September 2010 (2010-09-10)3 December 2010 (2010-12-03)
4 1316 September 2011 (2011-09-16)9 December 2011 (2011-12-09)
5 1329 April 2012 (2012-04-29)19 July 2012 (2012-07-19)

Characters

Overview

Legend
  = Main cast
  = Recurring cast
  = Guest cast
List of Dani's House characters and cast
CharacterPortrayed bySeries
12345
Dani Dani Harmer Main
Co-ordinator ZarkMain
TobyHarry CulverhouseMainGuestDoes not appearGuest
Co-ordinator ZangMain
Sam Klariza Clayton MainGuest
MaxSebastian ApplewhiteMainGuest [lower-alpha 1]
Ben James Gandhi Main
Jack Darragh Mortell Does not appearMain
RubySteff WhiteDoes not appearMain [note 1]
Maisy Millie Innes Does not appearMain [note 1]
Zarina Wix Gaynor Faye Does not appearRecurring
Megaboyd Daniel Roche Does not appearRecurring
AlexLewis RainerDoes not appearRecurring
  1. Sebastian Applewhite is credited as a main character in the fifth series despite only appearing in the final episode of the series.

Main

Supporting

Production

In early 2008, the BBC announced a new 13-episode children's sitcom that stars Dani Harmer from The Story of Tracy Beaker series. [4] [5] The first series was filmed in June and July 2008 entirely in Kent at a secret location near Maidstone. [6] The series began airing on 26 September on CBBC. The popularity of the show resulted in the ordering of a second series, which was filmed in Edinburgh during the early summer of 2009, and was broadcast that autumn. A third series was filmed in the summer of 2010 and aired from September to December of that year. Series 4 followed in 2011 with a similar broadcast schedule as the third series. The fifth and final series was filmed from November 2011 to February 2012 and aired from 26 April to 19 July.[ citation needed ]

Awards and nominations

Dani's House has received multiple nominations from Children's BAFTA Awards .

CeremonyAwardNomineeResultPlace
2008 Children's BAFTA Awards BAFTA Kids' Vote TelevisionDani's HouseWon
1
2009 Children's BAFTA AwardsChildren's ComedyDani's HouseWon
1
2010 Children's BAFTA AwardsChildren's ComedyDani's HouseNominated
3
2011 Children's BAFTA AwardsChildren's ComedyDani's HouseNominated
5
2011 Children's BAFTA AwardsChildren's Performer Dani Harmer Nominated
N/A
2012 Children's BAFTA AwardsBAFTA Kids' Vote TelevisionDani's HouseNominated
2
2012 Children's BAFTA AwardsChildren's TV ProgrammeDani's HouseNominated
4
2012 Children's BAFTA AwardsBest Children's ComedyDani's HouseWon
1

Spin-off

In July 2012, the CBBC commissioned Zodiak Kids to produce a new TV comedy series starring Harmer. In the spin-off, Dani inherits an old castle in Northern Ireland from her deceased Aunt Marjorie. The first series aired from 17 January 2013 to 18 April 2013, and the second series aired from 14 November 2013 to 3 January 2014. [7] The third and final series aired from 7 July 2015 to 15 December 2015.

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Ruby and Maisy first appear in "The Big Grapple" and become star characters starting with "Pen Pal", after Sam leaves the show.
  2. At the start of the series, Dani is 17 years old, and her brother Max is 12. At the end of series 5 she is 21 years old.
  3. In series 1, Dani's baby brother is never directly shown. Dani's parents also do not visibly appear in the show.

Related Research Articles

<i>The Story of Tracy Beaker</i> 1991 novel by Jacqueline Wilson

The Story of Tracy Beaker is a British children's book first published in 1991, written by Jacqueline Wilson and illustrated by Nick Sharratt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tracy Beaker</span> Fictional character from the Tracy Beaker franchise

Tracy Beaker is a fictional character and the lead role of the Tracy Beaker franchise. After first appearing as the main character in Jacqueline Wilson's 1991 book The Story of Tracy Beaker, she appeared in the children's television drama of the same name, portrayed by Dani Harmer, and its sequel series Tracy Beaker Returns, as well as numerous spin-offs, Jacqueline Wilson books, a play and a video game. Harmer reprised her role as Tracy in the 2021 television series My Mum Tracy Beaker followed by The Beaker Girls.

Danielle Jane Harmer is an English actress, television personality, and former singer. She is best known for her lead role as Tracy Beaker in the CBBC series The Story of Tracy Beaker (2002–2006), Tracy Beaker Returns (2010–2012), for which she was nominated for a BAFTA in 2010, The Tracy Beaker Survival Files (2011–2012), My Mum Tracy Beaker (2021), and The Beaker Girls (2021–2023).

<i>The Story of Tracy Beaker</i> (TV series) British television series

The Story of Tracy Beaker is a British television programme series adapted from the book of the same name by Jacqueline Wilson. It ran on CBBC for five series, from January 2002 to December 2005 and also contained a feature-length episode, Tracy Beaker: The Movie of Me, broadcast in February 2004, as well as a week of interactive episodes for Children in Need. The theme song was written and produced by Brian Harris and Nigel Lowis and performed by Keisha White.

Montanna Shakira Thompson is an English actress. She is known for her role as Justine Littlewood in the CBBC children's series The Story of Tracy Beaker (2002–2006). Thompson has reprised her role as Justine in Tracy Beaker Returns (2012), My Mum Tracy Beaker (2021) and The Beaker Girls (2021–2023).

<i>Tracy Beaker Returns</i> British television series

Tracy Beaker Returns was a British television programme. Based upon the novels by Jacqueline Wilson, it is the sequel series to The Story of Tracy Beaker. The series stars Dani Harmer reprising her role as protagonist Tracy Beaker. The third and final series ended on 23 March 2012. A sequel spin-off entitled The Dumping Ground started airing on 4 January 2013.

<i>Danis Castle</i> British childrens comedy-drama television series

Dani's Castle is a British children's comedy series broadcast on the CBBC Channel. It is the spin-off series to Dani's House. Dani inherits a castle in Northern Ireland from her deceased aunt and gets more than she expected. She meets three residents, an unknown cousin, and two people who died 250 years ago. Series 1 began airing on 17 January 2013 on the CBBC Channel, and 1 April 2013 on ABC3. Series 2 of Dani's Castle aired from 14 November 2013 to 3 January 2014. Series 3 aired from 7 July 2015 to 22 September 2015, and then returned for a finale Christmas episode on 15 December 2015. It was filmed in County Down in Northern Ireland.

<i>The Story of Tracy Beaker</i> series 1 Season of television series

The first series of the British children's television series The Story of Tracy Beaker began broadcasting on 8 January 2002 on CBBC on BBC One and ended on 4 April 2002. The series follows the lives of the children living in the fictional children's care home of Stowey House, nicknamed by them "The Dumping Ground". It consists of twenty-six, fifteen-minute episodes. It is the first series in The Story of Tracy Beaker franchise.

<i>The Story of Tracy Beaker</i> series 2 Season of television series

The second series of the British children's television series The Story of Tracy Beaker began broadcasting on 7 January 2003 on CBBC and ended on 3 April 2003. The series follows the lives of the children living in the fictional children's care home of Stowey House, nicknamed by them "The Dumping Ground". It consists of twenty-six, fifteen-minute episodes. It is the second series in The Story of Tracy Beaker franchise.

<i>The Story of Tracy Beaker</i> series 3 Season of television series

The third series of the British children's television series The Story of Tracy Beaker began broadcasting on 25 September 2003 on CBBC and ended on 1 April 2004. The series follows the lives of the children living in the fictional children's care home of Stowey House, nicknamed by them "The Dumping Ground". It consists of twenty-six, fifteen-minute episodes. It is the third series in The Story of Tracy Beaker franchise.

Millie Innes is a Scottish actress, known for her roles as Maisy in Dani's House and Millie McDonald in Millie Inbetween.

<i>The Story of Tracy Beaker</i> series 4 Season of television series

The fourth series of the British children's television series The Story of Tracy Beaker began broadcasting on 7 October 2004 on CBBC and ended on 5 April 2005. The series follows the lives of the children living in the fictional children's care home of Cliffside, nicknamed by them "The Dumping Ground". It consists of twenty-two, fifteen-minute episodes. It is the fourth series in The Story of Tracy Beaker franchise.

<i>The Story of Tracy Beaker</i> series 5 Season of television series

The fifth and final series of the British children's television series The Story of Tracy Beaker began broadcasting on 28 November 2005 on CBBC and ended on 9 December 2005. The series follows the lives of the children living in the fictional children's care home of Elmtree House, nicknamed by them "The Dumping Ground". It consists of twenty, fifteen-minute episodes. It is the fifth series in The Story of Tracy Beaker franchise.

<i>Tracy Beaker Returns</i> series 1 Season of television series

The first series of the British children's television series Tracy Beaker Returns began broadcasting on 8 January 2010 on CBBC and ended on 26 March 2010. Based on the novels by Jacqueline Wilson, the series focuses on older Tracy Beaker, who returns to the Dumping Ground as a care worker. And also focuses the lives of the children living in the fictional children's care home of Elmtree House, nicknamed by them "The Dumping Ground". It consists of thirteen, thirty-minute episodes. It is the sixth series in The Story of Tracy Beaker franchise.

<i>My Mum Tracy Beaker</i> British television series

My Mum Tracy Beaker is a British children's television miniseries that premiered on CBBC and BBC iPlayer on 12 February 2021. The show was aired the week after The Dumping Ground's eighth series concluded. The series follows on from the events of its predecessors, The Story of Tracy Beaker, Tracy Beaker Returns and The Dumping Ground. My Mum Tracy Beaker saw Dani Harmer reprise her role as Tracy Beaker and included original cast members Lisa Coleman, Ruth Gemmell and Montanna Thompson, as well as new cast members Emma Maggie Davies and Jordan Duvigneau.

<i>The Beaker Girls</i> British television series

The Beaker Girls is a British children's television series that premiered on CBBC and BBC iPlayer on 13 December 2021. The series follows on from the events of its predecessors, The Story of Tracy Beaker, Tracy Beaker Returns, The Dumping Ground and My Mum Tracy Beaker. It sees Dani Harmer reprise her role as Tracy Beaker and Emma Maggie Davies return as her daughter Jess. Lisa Coleman and Montanna Thompson also returned, as well as several cast members from My Mum Tracy Beaker. In August 2022, Dani Harmer posted on her Instagram that filming for the second series had finished. The BBC confirmed that Series 2 would be the final series of the My Mum Tracy Beaker/Beaker Girls trilogy, at least for now. It began airing on 13 January 2023 and concluded on 31 March.

Nisha K Nayar is a British actress. After coming to prominence in the 1993 film Bhaji on the Beach, she had starring roles as Debra Kumar in the film Out of Hours in 1998 and as Elaine "the Pain" Boyak in the CBBC series The Story of Tracy Beaker from 2002 to 2005. She also appeared as Joyce Hammond in the ITV crime drama Rose and Maloney between 2004 and 2005 and starred as Fran Keeley in the Channel 4 drama Before We Die in 2021.

References

  1. "The BAFTA Kids' Vote". Archived from the original on 17 April 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  2. "Zodiak Rights Dani's House – Series 1". Zodiakrights.com. 2 January 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  3. "ABC3 – TV Program – Dani's House (series 5)". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  4. Rogers, Jessica (27 March 2008). "Tracy Beaker's Dani to star in CBBC sitcom | News | Broadcast". Broadcastnow.co.uk. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  5. "Tracy Beaker star Dani Harmer pulls on Dorothy's slippers in The Wizard of Oz at Plymouth Pavilions". Plymouth Herald. 29 March 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  6. Kent Film Office. "Kent Film Office Dani's House Article".
  7. "Press Release – The Foundation and CBBC Create New Dani Harmer Project – Dani's Castle" (Press release). Zodiak Media. 5 July 2012. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 5 March 2014.