Bob Hoskins has died

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I never knew Bob helped an entire generation of adults to read.

On the Move: How Bob Hoskins helped adults learn to read

But each episode of the 1976 BBC series On the Move featured a running storyline in which the late Bob Hoskins appeared as Alf Hunt, a furniture removal man who had difficulty reading and writing. A proud but sympathetic character, Alf would open up to his friend Bert, played by Donald Gee, about his fears and frustrations. His progress as he sought help attracted a huge following well beyond the show’s target audience.

Up to 17 million people watched the Sunday tea-time programme, according to George Auckland, who would subsequently take charge of the BBC’s adult education programming. It was Alf’s human drama - and, specifically, Hoskins’s captivating performance - that drew them in. A national campaign to tackle illiteracy was boosted by the series. On the Monday after each episode, says Auckland, “there would be queues around the block” at adult literacy centres.