Mr Majeika

Mr Majeika remains one of the most endearing and eccentric children’s television series of the 1980s—a charming mix of schoolroom mischief and low-key magic that captured the imagination of a generation. Adapted from Humphrey Carpenter’s popular books and written for television by Jenny McDade (who also adapted Super Gran for television), the series followed the misadventures of a bumbling but well-meaning wizard exiled from his home planet, Walpurgis, to a sleepy corner of England—here renamed “Britland”—after failing his O-Level in sorcery for the seventeenth time.

The eponymous hero, played with twinkling warmth and comic precision by Stanley Baxter, arrives in the village of Much Barty and takes up the post of form teacher to Class Three at St Barty’s Primary School. Only two pupils—Melanie Brace-Girdle (Claire Sawyer), the daughter of a busybody local councillor, and Thomas Grey (Andrew Read)—are privy to his secret magical powers. Together they form an unlikely trio, navigating everyday classroom chaos and the occasional spell gone awry.

Standing in stark contrast to their good-natured camaraderie is Hamish Bigmore (Simeon Pearl), the appallingly spoiled class menace whose had driven away his last teacher and whose mere presence had further driven away 79 applicants for the post before Mr Majeika’s arrival. It is largely thanks to Hamish’s antics that the reluctant wizard finds himself breaking his promise to behave; despite the stern warnings of the Worshipful Wizard of Walpurgis (Richard Murdoch), Majeika’s tufted grey hair begins to waggle with increasing regularity as spells become the only solution to earthly troubles.

For Baxter, Mr Majeika marked both a welcome return to television and his first foray into children’s programming. Initially hesitant, he was persuaded by his wife to accept the role—a decision that paid off splendidly. His creation of Majeika’s look, from the ridiculously loud tweed suit to the quivering lock of enchanted hair, gave the character an instantly recognisable visual identity and an air of gentle absurdity that perfectly matched the show’s tone.

The supporting cast added further richness. Miriam Margolyes, Christopher Ellison and Pat Coombs all brought a touch of character-actor excellence to proceedings, while the young cast—Sawyer, Read, and Pearl—delivered confident and engaging performances in what were their first television roles. The final series introduced a new pupil, Prince (played by Sanjiv Madan), following Andrew Read’s departure, though the show’s whimsical energy remained intact.

Humphrey Carpenter (who made a brief cameo in one episode) originally wrote three books; Mr Majeika, Mr Majeika and the Music Teacher, and Mr Majeika and the Haunted Hotel. After the third and final series aired, he wrote The Television Adventures of Mr Majeika, based on McDade's scripts.

Regrettably, Mr Majeika has never received a commercial DVD release in the UK, likely owing to the complicated rights situation following the dissolution of TVS in 1992. It’s an unfortunate oversight, as the series stands as a delightful relic of a gentler era in children’s television—playful, kind-hearted, and quietly magical.