This Christmas, the BBC is sprinkling some extra magic over its channels by bringing some of the nation's most cherished children's book characters to life in a series of brand new idents. Families across the UK will be delighted to see familiar faces from the worlds of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, including The Gruffalo and Zog, appearing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer throughout the festive period.
Meet the Characters in the New BBC Idents
The broadcaster has commissioned three distinct idents, all produced by the acclaimed Magic Light Pictures with animation handled by Triggerfish Animation Studios. The first ident will create a wonderful crossover moment, uniting characters from The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo's Child, and Stick Man. A second ident gathers Zog, Pearl, and Gadabout from Zog And The Flying Doctors, and even includes the friendly Witch from Room On The Broom. The third festive scene sees the loved-up scarecrows, Harry O'Hay and Betty O'Barley from The Scarecrow's Wedding, receive a special seasonal visit from Santa Claus himself.
These enchanting idents are set to make their television debut on Sunday, November 30, immediately following the popular show Strictly Come Dancing. They will then be broadcast repeatedly across BBC One and BBC iPlayer during the entire Christmas season.
The Festive Centrepiece: The Scarecrows' Wedding
The highlight of the festive offerings will be this year's animated Christmas special, a half-hour adaptation of The Scarecrows' Wedding. The story follows two devoted scarecrows, Betty O'Barley and Harry O'Hay, whose carefully laid wedding plans are thrown into chaos by the arrival of a mischievous scarecrow named Reginald Rakes.
The special boasts an impressive voice cast, with Rob Brydon taking on the role of the troublesome Reginald Rake. They are joined by Irish actress Jessie Buckley as Betty O'Barley and Domhnall Gleeson as Harry O'Hay, with narration provided by Sophie Okonedo. The production was directed by Samantha Cutler and Jeroen Jaspaert, adapted by Steven Bloomer, and produced by Barney Goodland and Michael Rose of Magic Light Pictures.
A Full Festive Feast of Animation
Beyond the new idents and special, the BBC is ensuring families have a bumper Christmas by airing all 13 animated film adaptations based on Donaldson and Scheffler's beloved books. This means viewers can enjoy classics like The Gruffalo, Room On The Broom, and Zog in the run-up to the premiere of The Scarecrows' Wedding.
Kate Phillips, the BBC’s chief content officer, expressed her excitement, stating that Magic Light has created three unforgettable idents that perfectly capture the festive spirit. She added that she hopes they will spread extra joy and togetherness into homes across the country. Martin Pope, joint chief executive at Magic Light Pictures, also shared his joy at seeing their characters return to the BBC, noting that the idents capture the imagination, warmth, and wonder of the original stories and celebrate BBC iPlayer as the home for all the specials.
