BERNARD'S WATCH

'''Bernard's Watch''' was a television programme for children broadcast on CITV. It told the story of a boy who had a magical watch which allowed him to pause and resume time. This made for all kinds of strange, time-related adventures - often with Bernard solving a sticky situation using his watch.
Andrew Norriss wrote the first six series, which ran from 1996 to 2001, and later wrote a book based on the television episodes. In 2003 to 2004 the programme was re-invented (as "Bernard"), with a new actor playing the lead role. These adventures were generally set at Bernard's school and centered around Bernard getting the better of both a group of girls from his class and his very strict teacher. This series, while entirely detached from the original, also added extra power to the watch that was not though possible first time round - if you stop time with it whilst physically holding a second person, time stops for them as well and lasts until the watch is restarted.

Contents

Cast & crew

Philosophical application

Cultural Influences

External links

Cast & crew

Bernard Beasley - David Peachey (1996-2001)

Bernard Beasley - Ryan Watson (2003-2004)

Karen Hewitt - Phoebe Allen

Sam Vernon - Samantha Birch

Nathan - Ezrah Roberts Gray

Asif Ahmed - Sunil Glen

Nicolette - Rosie Day

Mr Steel - Martin Ball

Ms Savage - Kay Purcell

Hayley - Katie Pearson

Postman - Jack McKenzie

Vicar - Constance Lamb

Bernard (adult) - Jay Simon

David Peachey, the original Bernard, is now studying a Medicine Course at Sheffield University.
Ezrah Gray is a budding young actor from the West Midlands. He has appeared on BBC's soap Doctors a number of times as well as theatre productions. Ez has started to attend school after being home schooled for many years.

Philosophical application

Bernard's Watch is also a theoretical concept used to investigate the logical constraints on the idea of an omniscient prototype. The theme central to this implies that a man in possession of 'Bernard's Watch' is capable of anything (provided that he demonstrates a sufficient level of tenacity in the pursuit of his goals) and would thus investigate the ideas incurred by such an entity's interaction with reality.
A practical application of 'Bernard's Watch' would place an onus on the investigation of the nature of self-gratification by utilising various meta-ethical disciplines. What would a human being choose to do, and why? A popular theory is that behaviour would be subject to a number of discriminant phases.
Conjecture abounds as to whether or not the watch that Bernard has in his possession is merely symbolic. This theory expounds that Bernard possesses no watch, and that time is not being stopped at all. What Bernard actually possesses is the mind of a genius, and what appears to be the cessation of time is actually a device used by the show's makers that allows the viewer to follow Bernard's extraordinarily fast train of thought.
However, this would not make sense as he is seen to stop time and then get to places far away, without time moving.

Cultural Influences

★ The Nickelodeon film ''Clockstoppers'', also follows the same premise of a watch with the ability to stop time.

★ In ''The Simpsons'' Treehouse of Horror XIV short "Stop the World, I Wanna Goof Off" Bart and Milhouse get a magic watch with the power to stop time but use it to pull pranks on people.

External links

★ Website of 'Bernard's Watch' author, Andrew Norriss

★ Bernard's Watch at TV.com

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