Exclusive First Look: ‘Badjelly’ Is Ready to Cast Its Spell on MIPCOM with New BTS Peek from WildBrain

A witchy new animated series based on a comedy icon’s classic children’s book is hopping a broomstick for Cannes next month, when WildBrain will present MIPCOM buyers with a first look at Badjelly. WildBrain handles global distribution for the 2D toon, aimed at kids aged 7-11, excluding New Zealand where it will air on TVNZ.

The show offers a fresh, modern take on the zany humor and quirky characters of Spike Milligan’s 1973 story Badjelly the Witch. The tale of follows youngsters Rose and Tim, who go searching for their lost cow, Lucy, only to encounter a cast of strange and magical characters in the great black forest and be captured by Badjelly, the wickedest witch in all the world.

The show’s star-studded voice cast is led by Miriam Margolyes OBE (Harry Potter, Hilda, Doctor Who) as Badjelly herself, and Rhys Darby (Trolls, Jumanji: The Next Level) as the mischievous goblin Binklebonk, Ava Diakhaby (Shortland Street) as the charming and brave Rose, and rising star Malachi Hall (The Flatshare) as the fearless Tim.

“Buyers at MIPCOM are in for such a treat with Badjelly. It showcases all the humor you’d expect from Spike Milligan’s original story with pitch-perfect performances from Miriam, Rhys and the rest of the stand-out cast,” Katie Wilson, VP Global Sales & Acquisitions for WildBrain, shared with Animation Magazine. “Whether they grew up with the story or are experiencing it for the first time, kids and families everywhere are sure to fall in love with this hilarious new series.”

Ahead of the market, Animation Magazine snagged a peek behind the scenes and a first look at this wickedly funny adaptation, which also features the voices of comedians James Acaster, Roisin Conaty, Joe Wilkinson, Katherine Parkinson and Julian Barratt, among others. We also got to hear from Badjelly‘s stars and creators!

“The thing I most enjoy about performing animation is the detail. Because it has to be exactly right. Age, class — because class matters — and degree of evil or good? Or boredom or activity? Or where do they come from? Do they? Do they come from Scotland? Or Ireland? Are they strange characters with kind of gobbledygook voices? Or are they very clear and educated voices? It is in the detail that my pleasure comes and getting it right. When I see, on the look of the animator or my director, a look of pleasure, I have such joy,” said the show’s sorceress star, Miriam Margolyes.

“It’s always an exciting thing to find the voice of a character. And you have to start with what you’re given. You’re given a drawing, and you’re given a text. And you look at the drawing and you read the text over and over and over again. And eventually, you find a voice. You try one thing, and you ask if it’s what they want. And if it isn’t, you try again and again until you get there. But it is huge fun. It’s a kind of treasure trove, because inside me, I have got lots of voices available. And I just have to find the right one. But it’s always the picture and the text together that make it happen.”

Rhys Darby noted, “There’s something so classic about some storytelling that when you hear something like Badjelly, you are with your family. You’re a kid. It’s suitable. It’s silly. It’s optimistic, and all of your worries disappear. And I think creating a world like Spike has with Badjelly — it’s an escapism that we definitely need right now and you can do with your family. And I think that’s important because keeping together and feeling happy outside of whatever situation you’re in for any small amount of time is a really positive thing.”

Distributed globally by WildBrain (excluding New Zealand) and commissioned by WildBrain Television’s Family Channel (Canada) and TVNZ, Badjelly is a co-production from Mukpuddy Animation (N.Z.), Sphere Animation (Canada) and Cantilever Media (U.K.), in association with Te Puna Kairangi Premium Productions for International Audiences Fund, NZ On Air and UK Global Screen Fund. The series represents the first-ever treaty co-production in kids’ animation between New Zealand, Canada and U.K. studios.

Mukpuddy spearheaded the project, picking up rights to the Badjelly the Witch book in 2020.

“Badjelly the Witch is a story dense with ideas,” say Mukpuddy founders Tim Evans, Ryan Cooper and Alex Leighton, who serve as writers & directors on the new series. “In adapting this beloved tale we knew we had to honor the story that, Kiwis especially, loved dearly, while also expanding on those tiny, delightful snippets that make the story so fun. Our aim was to create an epic adventure with strong characters and emotional depth, while also retaining that silly heart that Spike Milligan was so known for. We’re extremely proud of what the team at Mukpuddy has achieved and we can’t wait for the world to experience Badjelly in all her glory.”