The BBC and Magic Light Pictures will present a new animated special this Christmas called Tiddler. Based on the popular book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, the project centers on a small grey fish with a big imagination who gets lost in the ocean until he’s saved by his storytelling talents.
The half-hour animated special will be voiced by a top-notch cast led by Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso, Game of Thrones) as the narrator, Lolly Adefope (Ghosts, Saltburn) as Miss Skate, Jayde Adams (Ruby Speaking, Alma’s Not Normal) as Plaice and other characters, plus Rob Brydon (Gavin and Stacey, The Trip) – returning for his twelfth Donaldson and Scheffler adaptation – in the multiple voice roles of Fisherman, Whale, Starfish and Anchovy. Tiddler will also feature the voices of child actors Reuben Kirby in the title role, and Theo Fraser as Johnny Dory.
The full synopsis reads: “Every day Tiddler tells a different story to his teacher and his friend Johnny Dory about why he’s late for school. His stories stretch from riding on seahorses or swimming around a shipwreck to being captured by a squid! His stories are so great that word of mouth helps them travel through the ocean and so, when Tiddler gets lost, he realizes they may help him find a way home. “
“Tiddler is all about storytelling and big imaginations – things that are really important to me as a writer,” says Julia Donaldson. “The film captures the heart of the story and brings it to life with a fantastic cast, I’m particularly impressed by the young child actors who take the lead in this adaptation.”
“Voicing the narrator for this Christmas special from Magic Light Pictures has been a real joy to record,” says Hannah Waddingham. “Tiddler is the tale of the storyteller in all of us, and helps children understand what it’s like to be a small fish in a very big pond (and we’ve all felt THAT in life!) I have loved reading the books by Julia and Axel to my daughter over the years and it’s so lovely to get to bring one of them to screen in this beautiful animation.”
“Tiddler is a beautifully illustrated and imaginative underwater adventure that we are thrilled to be bringing to screen,” notes producer Barney Goodland. “Its celebration of the power of storytelling speaks to everything that Magic Light does and diving deep into that theme has been a real joy. We’re excited to share our adaptation of this absolute classic Julia and Axel story with families this Christmas.”
Tiddler is adapted from the hugely successful picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. The film is the 12th animated special of their work to be produced by Magic Light Pictures for the BBC. Last year’s special, Tabby McTat, was watched by an impressive audience of 8.6 million. Among the many award-winning adaptation of the duo’s works are The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, Room on the Broom, The Highway Rat, Zog, The Snail and the Whale, Superworm, The Smeds and the Smoos, and Zog and the Flying Doctors (available to stream on Apple TV+, Prime Video, YouTube and the BBC iPlayer).
Tiddler is directed by Andy Martin and Alex Bain, written by Michael Bohnensting, and produced by Barney Goodland and Martin Pope of Magic Light Pictures. The film was acquired by Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer and Nawfal Faizullah, BBC Drama Commissioning Editor.
