Kids

The BBC and Magic Light Pictures have announced The Baddies, a new animated special based on the bestselling book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, set to premiere on BBC iPlayer and BBC One this Christmas. The half-hour film is the latest adaptation of the authors’ work from Magic Light Pictures and features a voice cast including Rob Brydon, Alison Steadman, Hammed Animashaun, Robyn Cara, Francesca Mills and Sheridan Smith.
The story follows a troll, a ghost and a witch who take pride in being the worst troublemakers around. Their plans are disrupted when a young girl moves into a nearby cottage and a challenge to steal her blue spotted handkerchief leads to an unexpected showdown. Combining comedy, adventure and warmth, the special explores themes of courage, kindness and standing up to bullies.

Author Julia Donaldson says: “The Baddies was enormous fun to write because I loved inventing these gloriously wicked characters and then thinking about what might happen when they finally meet someone brave enough to outwit them. Magic Light has done a brilliant job bringing the story to life and the cast have captured all the humour, silliness and spookiness perfectly.”
Sheridan Smith says: “I’ve always loved Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s stories, so it was such a joy to be part of bringing The Baddies to life. The film is funny, spooky and full of heart, and the animation is absolutely beautiful. I think families are going to have enormous fun watching these wonderful characters causing chaos this Christmas.”

Producer Barney Goodland adds: “The Baddies is a hilarious and brilliantly anarchic story. It's always a treat telling a story with a good villain and in The Baddies we have three! We're loving spending time with these characters and our brilliant cast and creative team are really enjoying the comedy. The film is going to be a lot of fun for families to enjoy together this Christmas.”
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: “It’s with a mix of excitement and trepidation that we welcome The Baddies to BBC iPlayer and BBC One this Christmas. I’d like to assure everyone at home that we’ll be working very closely with Julia, Axel and the team at Magic Light to keep viewers safe from Ghost, Witch and Troll’s dastardly deeds.”
The Baddies is directed by Andy Martin and Sarah-Jane Knox and produced by Barney Goodland and Martin Pope for Magic Light Pictures. The production continues the long-running collaboration between the BBC and Magic Light on adaptations of Donaldson and Scheffler’s books, which have included The Gruffalo, Zog and The Scarecrows’ Wedding.