Rocket's Island

Last updated

Rocket's Island
Genre Fantasy
Adventure
Mystery
Created by Nick Leather
StarringJordan Benjamin
Samuel Bottomley
Tom Coliandris
Helen Daniels
Joe Galluci
Sydney Wade
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series3
No. of episodes29 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersSue Nott
Rebecca Hodgson
Steve Christian
Tony Wood
ProducersTim Compton
Lucy Martin
Running time30 minutes
Production companies Lime Pictures
All3Media [1]
Original release
Network CBBC (2012–2015)
Release4 December 2012 (2012-12-04) 
7 December 2015 (2015-12-07)

Rocket's Island is a British television series, created by Nick Leather about a family taking care of foster children. It stars Jordan Benjamin, Samuel Bottomley, Jack Hartley, Tom Coliandris, Helen Daniels and Joe Gallucci. It was produced by Lime Pictures and All3Media for CBBC. [2]

Contents

It was nominated for a BAFTA children's award in the drama category in 2016, but lost out to the winner Refugee. [3] Rocket's Island has never been released on DVD. The first series consisted of three episode, whilst series two and three consisted of thirteen and twelve episodes.

Plot

Rocket's Island is about the Boulsworth family, who live at and run Knot Farm, who take care of a number of foster children who come and stay with them. Rocket and his friends have many adventures in their day-to-day lives with plenty of drama involved.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Production

The series was filmed in North Wales, [4] and in the Isle of Man. [5]

Episodes

SeriesEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 34 December 2012 (2012-12-04)6 December 2012 (2012-12-06)
2 1314 April 2014 (2014-04-14)7 July 2014 (2014-07-07)
3 1221 September 2015 (2015-09-21)7 December 2015 (2015-12-07)

Series 1

Number in seriesTitleDirected byWritten byOriginal broadcast dateViewers
1"Episode 1"Dirk CampbellNick Leather4 December 2012 (2012-12-04)N/A
2"Episode 2"Dirk CampbellNick Leather5 December 2012 (2012-12-05)N/A
3"Episode 3"Dirk CampbellNick Leather6 December 2012 (2012-12-06)N/A

Series 2

Number in seriesTitleDirected byWritten byOriginal broadcast dateViewers
1"Rocket Boulsworth and an Answer for Everything"Dirk CampbellNick Leather14 April 2014 (2014-04-14)N/A
Rocket finds an oracle that knows the answer to everything in the telephone box.
2"Brandon and the Beast"Dirk CampbellNick Leather21 April 2014 (2014-04-21)N/A
Brandon is chased by a mysterious beast in the woods, which Rocket thinks might be the legendary tancath.
3"The Fairy Queen"Dirk CampbellNick Leather28 April 2014 (2014-04-28)N/A
Jade meets a woman who says she is the queen of the fairies.
4"The Golden Egg"Dirk CampbellNeil Jones & Nick Leather5 May 2014 (2014-05-05)N/A
Alli breaks a valuable egg from the school collection and tries to find a replacement.
5"Alli and the Wish Friend"Tessa HoffeNick Leather12 May 2014 (2014-05-12)N/A
Alli makes a wish for a friend, and is astounded when it comes true.
6"Fallout"Tessa HoffeNeil Jones & Nick Leather19 May 2014 (2014-05-19)N/A
Alli and Shada investigate an underground shelter, which is supposedly haunted.
7"The Mermaid's Song"Tessa HoffeNick Leather & Michelle Lipton26 May 2014 (2014-05-26)N/A
Rocket, Jade and Brandon explore a cave in which a mermaid is said to reside.
8"The Wolf Tree"Tessa HoffeNick Leather2 June 2014 (2014-06-02)N/A
Rocket comes across a tree said to bring the dead to life.
9"The Lost Boy"Tessa HoffeNeil Jones & Nick Leather9 June 2014 (2014-06-09)N/A
Rocket and Dibber think the new foster boy, Archie, may be a child who went missing on the island many years ago.
10"Rocket's Return"UnknownNick Leather16 June 2014 (2014-06-16)N/A
Rocket and friends are suspicious that Billy, a visitor to the Knot, may be a time-traveller.
11"The Goblin Curse"UnknownNick Leather & Michelle Lipton23 June 2014 (2014-06-23)N/A
Brandon mocks the goblin king and is in turn cursed.
12"The Ballabungie Detective Agency"UnknownNeil Jones & Nick Leather30 June 2014 (2014-06-30)N/A
Rocket and friends form a detective agency to clear Brandon's name of a terrible crime.
13"The Tearpot"UnknownNick Leather7 July 2014 (2014-07-07)N/A
Rocket and friends fill a magical teapot with tears which they believe will save the Knot foster home from closing.

Series 3

Number in seriesTitleDirected byWritten byOriginal broadcast dateViewers
1"Here Be Dragons"Dirk CampbellNeil Jones & Nick Leather21 September 2015 (2015-09-21)N/A
After Rocket discovers a giant fossil, new foster child Benjamin thinks he sees a real dragon. However, Rocket's reputation is put on the line when they go on a sunset hunt for the creature. Meanwhile, Brandon is torn over whether to reply to his mother when she decides to make contact with him.
2"The Tell Stones"Dirk CampbellNeil Jones28 September 2015 (2015-09-28)N/A
When Dibber cheats on a school presentation, he appears to become the target of ancient powers. As runic stones tell of disaster for the one he loves the most, he finds out that his mother is lying to him. When Charlie the horse falls ill, Alli realises that she does not have enough time for Lucas.
3"The Broken Soldier"Dirk CampbellNick Leather5 October 2015 (2015-10-05)N/A
When Archie uncovers an old toy soldier under his bed, Jade worries that he might have brought the toy to life. While Dibber copes with spending more time with Bethany Summer, his suspicions grow that Benjamin is going to hurt Rocket.
4"Madison The Vampire"Dirk CampbellNick Leather & Michelle Lipton12 October 2015 (2015-10-12)N/A
Madison's sudden strange behaviour leads the Knot children to believe that she may be a vampire. When a chick goes missing on the farm, the gang acts quickly before she can hurt anyone else. Meanwhile, Rocket realises he might actually fancy Bethany Summer.
5"Jade the Magnificent"Paul CotterNick Leather & Scott Payne19 October 2015 (2015-10-19)N/A
There's a storm at the Knot, lightning strikes and sends Jade flying. As strange things happen around Jade, she appears to have developed potentially dangerous magical powers. Meanwhile, Brandon decides to contact his mother, only for it to have an unexpected result.
6"The Mirror of Morglaw"Paul CotterBede Blake & Nick Leather26 October 2015 (2015-10-26)N/A
A skeleton washes up on the Dirgelmor shore, uncovering the journal of Lord Loomis and his quest to find a mirror that reflects a person's true self. As Rocket goes on the hunt for this mirror, the whole group is put in danger when Benjamin's secret is revealed.
7"Telling Porkies"Paul CotterElly Brewer & Nick Leather2 November 2015 (2015-11-02)N/A
A new energetic foster child, Izzy Wizzy, makes a noisy arrival at The Knot. However, it is not long before everyone wonders how much trouble she might cause. Meanwhile, Archie discovers the new pig on the farm can talk, but will only speak to him.
8"The Selkie Boy"Paul CotterNeil Jones & Nick Leather9 November 2015 (2015-11-09)N/A
Alli sits on the rocks, looking at her life plan - she is upset that so far she has not achieved her goals. However, a mythical and handsome Selkie might just have arrived to save her from her loneliness. Meanwhile, Izzy finds herself in more trouble when she loses one of Sarah's treasured rings.
9"Mountain Post"Paul CotterNick Leather16 November 2015 (2015-11-16)N/A
A lone postbox on top of Dirgelmor's only mountain is rumoured to be able to send letters to historical figures. But when Brandon uses it to send a letter to his mother, it leads to a big surprise for him.
10"The Knights of Dirgelmor"Dirk CampbellNick Leather & Michelle Lipton23 November 2015 (2015-11-23)N/A
Upset over Brandon's departure, Jade loses herself in a fantasy book about three knights who discover a castle. Jade seeks out her own castle and, to her amazement, three knights appear soon after. However, her joy turns to despair when she and Dibber are trapped by the mystical knights.
11"Izzy Wizzy And The Weeping Oak"Dirk CampbellElly Brewer & Nick Leather30 November 2015 (2015-11-30)N/A
Alli comes to a big decision, while Rocket believes Izzy Wizzy has been possessed by tree sprites and while he is trying to help he uncovers a huge secret she has been keeping from everyone - she is going deaf.
12"The Dirgeldoor/Goodbye Island"Dirk CampbellNick Leather7 December 2015 (2015-12-07)N/A
Peter announces there will be no new foster children at the Knot. When Jade, Archie and Izzy Wizzy overhear that someone will be leaving the farm they search for the legendary Dirgeldoor to take them to their true home, a journey that will trap all of the Knot children deep within an abandoned mine and lead them to discover who really is leaving the island.

Related Research Articles

Shaun Duggan is a BAFTA nominated English writer based in the UK. He has repeatedly collaborated with Jimmy McGovern. He has written several plays and has worked extensively for television including Brookside and EastEnders (BBC1).

<i>The Sarah Jane Adventures</i> British science-fiction television series

The Sarah Jane Adventures is a British science fiction television programme that was produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies, and starring Elisabeth Sladen. The programme is a spin-off of the long-running BBC science fiction programme Doctor Who and is aimed at a younger audience than Doctor Who. It focuses on the adventures of Sarah Jane Smith, an investigative journalist who, as a young woman, had numerous adventures across time and space with the Doctor. Following Sladen's death in 2011, the BBC confirmed that the show would not return for a sixth series.

<i>Danis House</i> British childrens television series

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. A spin-off called Dani's Castle aired from 2013 to 2015. Currently, all 5 series are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

<i>The Demon Headmaster</i> (1996 TV series) British television series (1996–1998)

The Demon Headmaster is a British television series based on the children's books by Gillian Cross of the same name. Made for CBBC, the drama was first broadcast between 1996 and 1998. The first series contained six episodes, and aired twice weekly from 2 to 18 January 1996, the second series contained seven episodes and aired weekly from 25 September to 6 November 1996, and the third series contained six episodes and aired twice weekly from 6 to 22 January 1998.

<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.

Kindle Entertainment is an independent television production company based in London, England. Kindle Entertainment was formed after ITV Kids was closed, and current personnel includes Anne Brogan, the former controller of ITV Kids, and former head of development at ITV Kids, Melanie Stokes. The company is currently owned by Banijay, via its Banijay UK Productions subsidiary.

<i>Wolfblood</i> British television series

Wolfblood is a fantasy teen drama television series. Created by Debbie Moon, it is a co-production between CBBC and ZDF/ZDFE. The television series revolves around the life of the species known as wolfbloods. They are creatures that have enhanced senses and look like humans but can turn into wolves at will — reminiscent of werewolves — but can also control their transformation during the day as well. They are distinct from werewolves but just like werewolves, their transformation is uncontrolled during a full moon, and they are at their weakest during "the dark of the moon", at a new moon. The television series focuses on their daily life and the challenges that they face to hide their secret. Each series has new characters and concepts.

<i>The Dumping Ground</i> British childrens television drama series

The Dumping Ground is a British children's television drama series that focuses on the lives and experiences of young people who live in a children's home with their care workers in care. The series has broadcast ten series, the show has continuously aired on CBBC since its inception in 2013. The series is a continuation of Tracy Beaker Returns, which aired from 2010 to 2012, and is the third television series in the Tracy Beaker franchise.

<i>All at Sea</i> (TV series) Childrens British television sitcom

All at Sea is a British children's television sitcom set in a bed and breakfast. The series began airing on CBBC in 2013. It stars Nicola Stephenson, Steve Edge, Ryan Wilkinson, Olivia Cosgrove and Sam Hattersley amongst others. It is filmed on location in Scarborough and various locations around South Manchester and at studios in Manchester. The house filmed is located in Bowdon, Altricham. A second series began airing in September 2014. The series was nominated for the 2014 Kids' BAFTA awards for Best Comedy. It was nominated again in 2015 for the same award. "Santa" was the final episode. Repeats of the show began airing on 1 May 2019 at 17:00 on the CBBC Channel.

<i>Katie Morag</i> (TV series) Television adaptation of the series of books by Mairi Hedderwick

Katie Morag is the television adaptation of the series of books by Mairi Hedderwick. The programmes follow the adventures of Katie Morag whose life on the fictional Scottish island of Struay is full of stories of jealousy, bravery and rivalry and peopled by an annoying little brother, busy shopkeeper parents, a perfectly perfect best friend and a couple of grandmothers who between them know everything about everything. The series was produced by Move On Up with support from BBC Scotland and commissioned by the BBC's CBeebies and CBBC channels. It also airs on the BBC's Gaelic channel BBC Alba and BBC One Scotland. Don Coutts directed the series which Margaret Matheson produced and Lindy Cameron executive produced and edited. Katie Morag is also available on BBC iPlayer for over a year.

<i>The Dumping Ground</i> series 4 Season of television series

The fourth series of the British children's television series The Dumping Ground began broadcasting on 29 January 2016 on CBBC and ended on 2 December 2016. The series follows the lives of the children living in the fictional children's care home of Ashdene Ridge, nicknamed by them "The Dumping Ground". It consists of twenty, thirty-minute episodes, airing in two halves in January and October 2016. It is the twelfth series in The Story of Tracy Beaker franchise.

<i>Horrible Histories</i> (2015 TV series) British sketch comedy childrens television series

Horrible Histories is a British sketch comedy children's television series, the second live-action iteration of the book series Horrible Histories written by Terry Deary.

<i>The Dumping Ground</i> series 5 Season of television series

The fifth series of the British children's television series The Dumping Ground began broadcasting on 20 January 2017 on CBBC and ended on 15 December 2017. The series follows the lives of the children living in the fictional children's care home of Ashdene Ridge, nicknamed by them "The Dumping Ground". It consists of twenty-two, thirty-minute episodes, airing in two halves in January–March and October–December 2017. It is the thirteenth series in The Story of Tracy Beaker franchise.

<i>The Worst Witch</i> (2017 TV series) Fantasy drama childrens television series

The Worst Witch is a fantasy drama children's television series. Based on novel series of the same name published in 1974 by Jill Murphy, the series follows Mildred Hubble and her friends Maud Spellbody and Enid Nightshade and rivals Ethel Hallow, Drusilla Paddock and Felicity Foxglove's adventures and education at Cackle's Academy under caring headmistress Miss Cackle and strict deputy headmistress Miss Hardbroom. It is the fifth adaptation of The Worst Witch series after the 1986 television film, the 1998 television series, the 2001 television spin-off and the 2005 television spin-off.

<i>Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch</i> British TV series or programme

Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch is a British CBBC cooking entertainment programme which follows Gordon Ramsay and family on their summer holidays. In December 2014 CBBC announced that they had commissioned a new cooking show aimed at children with the first episode airing on 14 April 2015. Series one of the show follows the Ramsay family through their summer holiday in Los Angeles while Gordon's daughter, main star Matilda "Tilly" Ramsay, cooks up a meal to take out or have at home. Five seasons were produced, the last airing in 2019.

<i>Creeped Out</i> 2018 British childrens horror anthology series

Creeped Out is an anthology horror television series created by Bede Blake and Robert Butler as a co-production between CBBC Productions and DHX Media. It premiered in the United Kingdom on CBBC on 31 October 2017 (Halloween), and in Canada on the Family Channel on 5 October 2018. In the United States, the show was released as a Netflix original series.

Samuel Bottomley is an English actor. He began acting at the age of nine, when he made his professional debut in the 2011 film Tyrannosaur. After portraying Brandon Kelleher on the CBBC series Rocket's Island, Bottomley went on to appear as Jordan Wilson on the Channel 4 school drama Ackley Bridge, followed by roles on Kiss Me First and Ladhood. He then played Dean Paxton in the 2021 film adaptation of Everybody's Talking About Jamie, after which he was cast in television series including The Teacher and Somewhere Boy. Appeared in The Last Rifleman as Rory alongside Pierce Brosnan a film about a WW2 Veteran.

Dodger is a British family comedy drama series, inspired by the Artful Dodger from the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens. The series serves as a prequel to the events of Oliver Twist. The first 10 episodes launched on 9 February 2022, on BBC iPlayer and were repeated on BBC One. Series One was followed by three specials, ‘Train’ in November 2022, ‘Christmas’ in December 2022 and ‘Bad Egg’ on Easter Saturday 2023 on BBC One. The series cast was led by Christopher Eccleston as Fagin and Billy Jenkins as Dodger.

Nick Leather is a British screenwriter and playwright, best known as the creator of the drama series The Control Room for BBC One, as well as the CBBC children's series Rocket's Island.

References

  1. "Rocket's Island".
  2. "Rocket's Island". www.all3mediainternational.com. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  3. "2016 Children's Drama | BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
  4. "Flintshire transformed into fictional island for CBBC series". 25 October 2013.
  5. "Rocket's Island".
  1. In series 1, she is credited as Helen Smith
  2. Wade is not credited in the opening titles in series 2 episode 2, only in the end credits. She is returned to the opening for episode 3 onwards. She is absent and was not credited in episode 1.