Alfonso Bonzo

Alfonso Bonzo
Created by	Andrew Davies
Starring	Brian Hall Mike Walling
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. of series	2
No. of episodes	27
Production
Running time	30mins (Special: 60mins)
Original release
Network	CBBC
Release	20 January 1990 – 31 May 1991

Alfonso Bonzo is a 1986 children's book by Andrew Davies and a 1990 children's television mini-series adapted from the book by the author. The series starred Alex Jennings as Alfonso Bonzo and Scott Riley as Billy Webb.

Billy Webb is a young boy who likes to swap things with his school mates. He meets Alfonso Bonzo, an "Italian exchange student" who also has a talent for swapping things (thus his self-description: he is an Italian student who exchanges things). Alfonso offers Billy a variety of temporary swaps to demonstrate his abilities: Billy's boring old dog for a greyhound that does ballet, the wonky Webb family television for a new model with a button that lets the viewer become part of the action, Billy's battered schoolbag full of unfinished homework for a brand new schoolbag containing a file folder that magically produces finished homework... but each swap has disadvantages as well as advantages, and Alfonso Bonzo cuts an increasingly sinister figure as he leads up to one last swap, this one for keeps.

The TV series later had a spinoff called Billy Webb's Amazing Stories, featuring Billy's further (non-Alfonso-related) adventures.

Cast

• Scott Riley as Billy Webb
• Alex Jennings as Alfonso Bonzo
• Mike Walling as Trevor Trotman
• Susan Porrett as Mrs. Webb
• Fleur Taylor as Linda Webb
• Gil Brailey as Mrs. Peasgood
• Brian Hall as Mr. Webb

External links

• Alfonzo Bonzo at IMDb
• BFI Film & TV Database entry