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Johnny and the Bomb

  • TV Mini Series
  • 20062006
  • 2h
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
350
YOUR RATING
Episode guide
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Frank Finlay, Zoë Wanamaker, and George MacKay in Johnny and the Bomb (2006)
  • Adventure
  • Comedy
  • Drama
Based on the book by Terry Pratchett, the adventure begins for thirteen-year-old Johnny Maxwell and his four friends when they come to the aid of eccentric homeless woman, Mrs Tachyon, and a... Read allBased on the book by Terry Pratchett, the adventure begins for thirteen-year-old Johnny Maxwell and his four friends when they come to the aid of eccentric homeless woman, Mrs Tachyon, and are left minding her trolley full of black bags while she is hospitalised. When the childre... Read allBased on the book by Terry Pratchett, the adventure begins for thirteen-year-old Johnny Maxwell and his four friends when they come to the aid of eccentric homeless woman, Mrs Tachyon, and are left minding her trolley full of black bags while she is hospitalised. When the children later visit her in hospital, Mrs Tachyon lets them into the secret that her black bags--... Read all
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
350
YOUR RATING
  • Stars
    • George MacKay
    • Lucien Laviscount
    • Jazmine Franks
Top credits
  • Stars
    • George MacKay
    • Lucien Laviscount
    • Jazmine Franks
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 4User reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 BAFTA Award
      • 1 win & 2 nominations total

    Episodes3

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated
    1 Season
    2006

    Photos9

    George MacKay in Johnny and the Bomb (2006)
    George MacKay in Johnny and the Bomb (2006)
    George MacKay in Johnny and the Bomb (2006)
    George MacKay in Johnny and the Bomb (2006)
    George MacKay in Johnny and the Bomb (2006)
    George MacKay in Johnny and the Bomb (2006)
    George MacKay in Johnny and the Bomb (2006)
    Matthew Beard in Johnny and the Bomb (2006)

    Top cast

    Edit
    George MacKay
    George MacKay
    • Johnny Maxwellas Johnny Maxwell
    3 episodes3 eps • 2006
    Lucien Laviscount
    Lucien Laviscount
    • Yo-Lessas Yo-Less
    3 episodes3 eps • 2006
    Jazmine Franks
    Jazmine Franks
    • Kirstyas Kirsty
    3 episodes3 eps • 2006
    Kyle Herbert
    • Wobbleras Wobbler
    3 episodes3 eps • 2006
    Scott Kay
    • Bigmacas Bigmac
    3 episodes3 eps • 2006
    Anthony Bowers
    • PC Gallagheras PC Gallagher
    3 episodes3 eps • 2006
    Samantha Seager
    Samantha Seager
    • Carol Maxwellas Carol Maxwell
    3 episodes3 eps • 2006
    Holliday Grainger
    Holliday Grainger
    • Rose Bushellas Rose Bushell
    3 episodes3 eps • 2006
    Roy Brandon
    • Home Guardas Home Guard
    3 episodes3 eps • 2006
    Frank Finlay
    Frank Finlay
    • Tom Maxwellas Tom Maxwell
    3 episodes3 eps • 2006
    William Beck
    William Beck
    • Dr. Harrisas Dr. Harris
    3 episodes3 eps • 2006
    Paul Copley
    Paul Copley
    • Sgt Bourkeas Sgt Bourke
    3 episodes3 eps • 2006
    John Axon
    • Stage Manageras Stage Manager
    2 episodes2 eps • 2006
    Howard Gay
    • Hicksonas Hickson
    2 episodes2 eps • 2006
    Keith Barron
    Keith Barron
    • Sir Walteras Sir Walter
    2 episodes2 eps • 2006
    Zoë Wanamaker
    Zoë Wanamaker
    • Mrs. Tachyonas Mrs. Tachyon
    2 episodes2 eps • 2006
    Beatrice Kelley
    • Mrs. Wilkinsonas Mrs. Wilkinson
    2 episodes2 eps • 2006
    Felicity Montagu
    Felicity Montagu
    • Mildred Seeleyas Mildred Seeley
    2 episodes2 eps • 2006
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Based on the book by Terry Pratchett, the adventure begins for thirteen-year-old Johnny Maxwell and his four friends when they come to the aid of eccentric homeless woman, Mrs Tachyon, and are left minding her trolley full of black bags while she is hospitalised. When the children later visit her in hospital, Mrs Tachyon lets them into the secret that her black bags-- or 'Bags of Time-- are special and can be used to create a gateway to the past. The five youngsters end up during the Blitz where fun and games turn serious when they quickly realise the prejudices of the era. But when they return to their own time, the gang discover they have somehow changed history as a result Johnny's grandmother died in a bombing as a teenage girl meaning Johnny's mother and, in turn, himself were never born. The children are now in a race to fix the path in order to save the future but can they succeed before the bombs start falling...? —Melissa J
    • friend
    • trolley
    • bomb
    • tv mini series
    • spy
    • 13 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • If you could go back in time, could you change history?
    • Genres
      • Adventure
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Family
      • Sci-Fi
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Matthew Beard, who portrays Young Tom Maxwell also portrayed the main character Tom in 'An Angel for May (2002)', a movie very similar to this one. Tom was a modern boy who found himself going back in time to England during World War II.
    • Connections
      Follows Johnny and the Dead (1995)

    User reviews4

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Solid adaptation
    'Johnny and the Bomb' is the perfect example of the BBC actually using our licence fee money to produce excellent entertainment instead of squandering it on dreary soaps and repetitive music competitions.

    This television teen drama, based on Terry Pratchett's novel, centres the whirl-wind adventure thirteen-year-old Johnny and his friends are drawn into when they help a seemingly homeless old woman Mrs Tachyon. They discover her trolley of bin bags contain not rubbish but a means of travelling back in time and they soon find themselves reliving the Blitz, circa 1941. However, by messing with the timeline, the children are forced to face the repercussions when they return to their own time and find out they changed history, resulting in Johnny's grandmother being killed as a teenage girl in a German bombing. The gang have to put things right otherwise they will have created a future where Johnny had never been born.

    The characters are all solid and engaging (and unlike the recent 'Harry Potter' adaptations, there is no dumbing down or sexing up of the young characters just to appeal to kiddies), remaining true to how they are in the book, with the child actors throwing themselves into their characters. The kids all deliver great performances despite the fact they are all relatively new to the acting scene. And Zoe Wannamaker is excellent as the scatter-brained, eccentric Mrs Tachyon.

    'Johnny and the Bomb' is a nice mix of science fiction, light fantasy, drama with a smidgen of romance. It doesn't just show the kids prancing about having a good time in the Forties but deals with how they cope with this unfamiliar time, touching on racial and sexual stereotypes the kids have never really come across before. As such, while it is aimed at teenagers primarily, adults who are fans of Pratchett novels or just like sci-fi/lite-fantasy will no doubt thoroughly enjoy this. As an adaptation, I think it is certainly a success. Obviously there are some changes from the novel but, for the most part, it has remained faithful and definitely maintains the essence of what made the book a great read.

    I only hope the BBC make more dramas of this vein as it is definitely more entertaining than the usual drivel you tend to find it airing. Dramas, be it those aimed at kids or adults, are the BBC's strong point and it is a shame they don't produce more as 'Johnny and the Bomb' is probably one of the best British shows I've seen this year. It would be nice to have this available on DVD at some point soon.
    helpful•26
    2
    • cosmic_quest
    • May 7, 2006

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 15, 2006 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Official site
      • Childsplay Television Ltd. (United Kingdom)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Terry Pratchett's Johnny and the Bomb
    • Filming locations
      • South Wales, Wales, UK
    • Production companies
      • Childsplay Productions
      • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

    Related news

    Revisiting Terry Pratchett's Johnny Maxwell books
    Sep 15Den of Geek

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