The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole (TV series) Reginald Gudgeon, the well-meaning but inept manager of the local benefits office and Patrick Barlow as Mitchell Malone, the excitable local radio disc jockey. The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole (TV series) The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole is a British television series based on the book of the same name written by Sue Townsend. It aired from 5 January to 9 February 1987 and starred Gian Sammarco, as the title character Adrian Mole, Stephen Moore as Adrian's father George Mole and Lulu as Adrian's mother Pauline Mole. There were one-off appearances from several other actors, including Tony Haygarth as
Adrian Mole: The Prostrate Years Piggeries", usually drunk. Bernard is a strange, eccentric and frequently drunk man who Adrian calls in to look after the bookshop due to both Mr Carlton-Hayes and his own frequent absences due to illness. Adrian notes that Bernard is an expert on antique books but isn't very pleasant to customers, to the point where he has been blacklisted from working at any Waterstones or Borders. He invites himself to Christmas dinner at Adrian's home and refuses to leave until Adrian has recovered from his prostate cancer, taking up permanent residence. Adrian and Bernard become close friends during Bernard's stay at