Dani's House
A children's comedy about a teen actress and her chaotic household.
Dani Harmer starred in this CBBC children's comedy. It ran for five series, starting in September 2008 and ending in July 2012. The show earned multiple BAFTA Kids nominations and awards. A spin-off, Dani's Castle, followed from 2013 to 2015.
Quick Facts
- Creator
- Paul Rose
- Gary Parker
- Emma Ko
- Opening theme
- "Free" by Dani Harmer
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Series
- 5
- Episodes
- 65
- Producer
- Paul McKenzie
- Jemma Rodgers
- Lucy Robinson
- Jo Willett
- Runtime
- 30 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Plot
Dani, a teenage actress and singer, often looks after her younger brother Max, his friend Ben, and a baby sibling known only as "the baby from hell," who is always seen in a cot. She hangs out with her friends Toby and Sam in a den at her house, where they run into odd situations. Two alien Coordinators, Zang and Zark, watch what they do. In the second series, Dani’s family moves to a new home, Toby goes off to medical school, and Dani becomes friends with Jack. The baby is never mentioned again, but a "cat from hell" appears, only to vanish by series three; this cat is Jack’s enemy. During series four, Dani lands a role on the medical soap McHurties Hospital. Sam trains to be an astronaut and eventually leaves to work for NASA as a scientist and space explorer. Ruby, Dani’s energetic personal trainer, and Maisy, her younger sister who loves pranks, join the show. Maisy becomes a rival for Max. In the fifth series, Dani keeps acting, Jack works as a DJ, Ruby stays a personal trainer, Max becomes a grime artist and goes on a world tour, and their cousin Megaboyd teams up with Maisy to prank Dani and her friends. Ben looks for new hobbies. The show ran for five series and became one of CBBC’s most successful.
Characters
Dani Harmer plays Dani, a teenage actress and singer who spends most of her time at home caring for her younger brother Max and their baby brother. She spends time with her friends in the house and often clashes with Max, who delights in annoying and embarrassing her. In the fourth series, she lands a role as Nurse Emily Woodmagnet on the TV drama McHurties Hospital. Harry Culverhouse plays Toby, Dani’s friend who is fixated on his hair and regularly spikes it with gel. During the first series, he works a variety of jobs, from waiter to pet-sitter. He leaves for medical school in series two but returns for the Christmas special “Scrooge Tube.” He has a secret handshake with Jack and appears at Dani’s party in the series five finale. Klariza Clayton plays Sam, Dani’s best friend who loves science and spends a lot of time at the village library. Her hero is Professor Brian Cox, and she dislikes anyone who criticizes him. She insists on neatness and order. In series four, she decides to train as an astronaut for NASA, leaves partway through the season, and comes back for the series five finale. Sebastian Applewhite plays Max, Dani’s younger brother who wants to rule the world and torment his sister. His big dream is to become a millionaire alongside his friend Ben. In series five, he becomes a grime star and goes on a world tour, not reappearing until the final episode at Dani’s party. James Gandhi plays Ben, Max’s not-very-bright best friend who often hangs out at Dani’s house. He comes up with many of their sneaky plans, though Max takes the credit. Max frequently treats Ben poorly, but when Ben’s pet axolotl dies, Max arranges a funeral for it. In some series four episodes where Max is absent, Ben starts his own schemes. He is missing from one episode in series three. Darragh Mortell plays Jack, who becomes a close friend of Dani’s at the start of series two. He loves junk food, especially doughnuts, and works as a DJ, playing at gigs, kids’ parties, and competitions. He ends up in the same TV drama as Dani, which irritates her. He has a rivalry with a cat called ‘The Cat From Hell,’ which appears in a few series two episodes and is mentioned in the series five episode ‘Doggy Day Afternoon.’
Production
The BBC announced a 13-episode children's sitcom starring Dani Harmer, known from The Story of Tracy Beaker, in early 2008. Its first series was shot in Kent near Maidstone during June and July 2008 at an undisclosed location. CBBC began airing it on 26 September. Due to its success, a second series was ordered, filmed in Edinburgh in early summer 2009 and broadcast that autumn. A third series was shot in summer 2010, airing from September to December. Series 4 followed in 2011 with a similar schedule. The fifth and final series was filmed from November 2011 to February 2012, airing from 26 April to 19 July.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created Dani's House?
Dani's House was created by Paul Rose, Gary Parker and Emma Ko.
How many episodes of Dani's House are there?
Dani's House has 65 episodes across 5 seasons.
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