I Was a Rat
I Was a Rat is a British-Canadian children's drama television series broadcast on BBC One from 9 to 23 December 2001, based on the popular 1999 children's novel "I Was a Rat! or The Scarlet Slippers" by Philip Pullman. It was aired in the Sunday tea-time slot which traditionally accommodates a children's drama series in the run-up to Christmas. The series was produced by Andy Rowley and starred Calum Worthy in the leading role, alongside Tom Conti and Brenda Fricker. It was adapted by Richard Carpenter, who won a BAFTA  award for the work. Synopsis. The series is set in the early 1920s, telling the tale of a young boy with a mysterious past who claims to be a rat. He is taken in off the streets by elderly couple Bob (Conti) and Joan (Fricker) who name him Roger and it soon becomes obvious that he is no ordinary child.