Rik Mayall - Jackanory - George's Marvellous Medicine, Part 1/5

Summary

George, a bored eight-year-old on a remote farm, has to stay out of trouble while his parents are away in the village. His grandmother—tiny, vicious, and constantly grouchy—keeps a strict “medicine” schedule and bosses him around with unsettling nastiness. She insists he must behave and claims he’s growing “too fast,” which will make him stupid and lazy.

While making tea, George notices just how cruel her control is: no milk, lots of sugar “to her taste,” and everything must be served precisely right. She escalates further by insisting she isn’t merely a grumpy old woman—she’s basically a witch with dark “secrets” and magic powers. She describes horrifying abilities like making nails drop off, teeth sprout, and even transforming George into something monstrous.

George panics, tries to escape, and locks himself in the kitchen. But instead of running away for good, he decides to get even. He replaces her medicine with a “marvelous medicine” made from absurdly dangerous, disgusting ingredients—bugs, worms/slugs, sea squiggles, bumblebee sting, and other nightmare mixtures—cooked into something so powerful it will either cure her… or explode her (or at least “shake her up”).

The segment ends on a cliffhanger: when Grandma’s next dose is due at 11:00, George can’t wait to see what happens—whether she “goes flying,” “poofs,” or reacts in some other explosive way—promising the outcome in the next episode.

Highlights / Jokes

• Grandma’s tea demands become a running gag: sugar/no milk, then constant nitpicking and orders.
• Her “witch” speech escalates into outrageous fairy-tale horror, played with comedic menace.
• George’s revenge plan is treated like a kid’s “science project,” with an over-the-top gross medicine recipe.
• Cliffhanger ending (“what’s in store for gramma… stay tuned!”), typical of serialized story openings.

Main Personalities Shown

• Rik Mayall — narrator/performer voicing the story
• George — young boy planning the revenge medicine
• George’s Grandmother — witchy, cruel, demanding, medicine-giver