Cradle To Grave
- TV comedy drama
- BBC Two
- 2015
- 8 episodes (1 series)
Comedy drama based on the memoirs of Danny Baker. Peter Kay stars as Danny's dad Spud, with Lucy Speed as his mum Bet. Also features Laurie Kynaston, Frankie Wilson, Alice Sykes, Alexa Davies, Laura Checkley and more.
Press clippings Page 3
Cradle To Grave preview: Peter Kay is fabulous
In this charming sitcom, it's the 1970s and 15-year-old Danny guides us through the ups and down of life growing up in a council flat in Bermondsey.
Sara Wallis, The Mirror, 3rd September 2015Danny Baker reveals why he cast Peter Kay as his dad
"Peter, yes, Bolton to his boots - but he's also an actor... He always wanted to be like his hero Ronnie Barker and he has that quality - I think he's the natural heir to that sort of actor".
Ben Dowell and Terry Payne, Radio Times, 3rd September 2015Video: How to play a young Danny Baker
Laurie Kynaston - who plays the teenage Danny Baker - and Danny Baker himself told BBC Breakfast about the challenges of transferring the book to screen.
BBC Breakfast, 3rd September 2015Cradle to Grave, BBC Two, review: 'savvy comedy'
This comedy based on the childhood of writer and broadcaster Danny Baker was niftily scripted, says Jasper Rees.
Jasper Rees, The Telegraph, 3rd September 2015Cradle to Grave: the cockney accents are a load of pony
So far as south London capers go, this was about as funny as getting on the wrong side of the Richardsons (sarf London's answer to the Krays; less famous but just as vicious). We owe a heavy debt to the late John Sullivan and the uneven masterwork that was Only Fools and Horses: Baker and Kay failed to pay it off.
Sean O'Grady, The Independent, 3rd September 2015Cradle to Grave: Peter Kay stars in uneven adaptation
The main problem I had was that Baker couldn't really decide which story from his childhood to tell, so he decided to pick half a dozen.
Matt D., Unreality TV, 3rd September 2015Danny Baker defends Peter Kay's cockney accent
Surprised by Peter Kay's 'Gor blimey!' Cockney accent in BBC Two's Cradle To Grave? Series creator Danny Baker says you'll get used to it.
Morgan Jeffery, Digital Spy, 3rd September 2015Cradle To Grave review
The cast make the characters shine, particularly the empathetic Laurie Kynaston as 15-year-old Danny, and Lucy Speed, underused in episode one as long-suffering mum Bet, reduced to histrionics after stumbling across her son making out.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 3rd September 2015Review: Cradle to Grave
Danny Baker's autobiography is witty and charming, but could prove too sweet for some.
Barney Harsent, The Arts Desk, 3rd September 2015Preview: Cradle To Grave, BBC2
This will probably get a lot of attention because of the casting of Kay as a Londoner. Bolton's most famous son does pretty well with the accent. So well at times, in fact, I did wonder briefly at first if Baker's actual voice had been dubbed over Kay's northern twang. It's not exactly a role Kay was born to play, but after a while you forget that he normally sounds for Corrie than EastEnder. Huge fun and good soundtrack too.
Bruce Dessau, Beyond The Joke, 2nd September 2015