I Was a Rat

or The Scarlet Slippers by Philip Pullman, in turn based on the folk tale Cinderella, or The Little Glass Slipper by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm, to which it serves as a stand-alone sequel.

[1] 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.

[2] 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.

[3] 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.