Tiddler is an underwater adventure about the power of imagination and confidence and how to be happy as a little fish in a big ocean.
The brand new production with BBC and Magic Light Pictures is the latest addition by Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler who are the UK’s number one book creators.
Tiddler is the story of a small grey fish with a big imagination who gets lost in the deep ocean until he’s saved by his storytelling.
The special will run for 30 minutes and will be voiced by the star-studded cast with Hannah Waddingham as the narrator, Lolly Adefope as Miss Skate, Jayne Adams and Plaice, and Rob Brydon who is returning for his twelfth Donaldson and Scheffler adaption in multiple roles of Fisherman, Whale, Starfish, and Anchovy. Tiddler will also feature the voices of child actors Reuben Kirby and Theo Fraser as Johnny Dory.
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.
The film is an underwater adventure about the power of imagination and finding confidence in yourself – and how to be content as a little fish in a big ocean.
Author Julia Donaldson says: “Tiddler is all about storytelling and big imaginations – things that are really important to me as a writer. 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.”
Narrator Hannah Waddingham says: “Voicing the narrator for this Christmas special from Magic Light Pictures has been a real joy to record. 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.”
Producer Barney Goodland says: “Tiddler is a beautifully illustrated and imaginative underwater adventure that we are thrilled to be bringing to screen. 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.”
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: “Magic Light’s adaptations of Julia and Axel’s work have well and truly established themselves as part of our national fabric, thanks to their winning ability to take us to wonderful worlds packed with lovable characters. We can’t wait to introduce viewers to Tiddler, the little fish who’s sure to make a big splash when he arrives on the BBC this Christmas.”
Last year saw Tabby McTab, a heart-warming story of a busker and his cat which had an audience of 8.6 million. Other adaptions over the festive period to air include The Smeds and The Smoos, Zog and The Flying Doctors, and The Snail and the Whale.
