The Demon Headmaster Revival to Star Nicholas Gleaves

Nicholas Gleaves (Bodyguard, Coronation Street) has been tapped to play the iconic role of the Demon Headmaster in the reboot that is headed to CBBC later this year.

The Demon Headmaster, which was originally broadcast between 1996 and 1998, will once again center on a group of mismatched kids who discover that their headmaster is using hypnotism to gain total control of their school. The show is based on a book series from Gillian Cross, who has recently released a new novel in which the Demon Headmaster has become a “Super Head” of an academy.

Produced for CBBC by Children’s In House Productions, the new 10×30-minute The Demon Headmaster series will be available to watch on CBBC and BBC iPlayer.

Gleaves said: “It is an absolute stroke of genius to bring back this iconic series and I feel incredibly lucky to play the role. The Demon Headmaster is a dark magician and I’ve loved bringing the character to life. It’s always an actor’s dream to play extremes and he is the ultimate villain.”

Cheryl Taylor, head of content at BBC Children’s, said: “We all know how compelling and memorable the original Demon Headmaster series was and when we heard that Gillian Cross had created an updated version we thought it was too wonderful a creative opportunity to miss. We’re sure that the fierce battle between the plucky pupils and our manipulative new Demon Head—Nicholas Gleaves—will prove just as hypnotic for all CBBC drama fans.”

Writer Emma Reeves said: “I’m a huge fan of Gillian’s books and of the original ’90s BBC show. Terrence Hardiman’s chilling charisma made the role of the Headmaster an unforgettable character. I’m thrilled that Nicholas Gleaves is playing the Headmaster in the new series, he’s a wonderful actor and he’s already terrifying everyone who’s been on set.”