Magic Light Pictures’ next Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler Christmas special adaptation is to be Zog And The Flying Doctors, the companion title to children’s favourite, Zog.
The animated half hour is set to premiere on BBC One for Christmas 2020 and will be produced by Michael Rose and Martin Pope of Magic Light, and directed by Sean Mullen.
Animation services will be provided by Giant Animation in Dublin. The special has been acquired by Charlotte Moore, BBC Director of Content and Tommy Bulfin, Commissioning Editor, BBC Drama.
The first Zog film TXd Christmas 2018 and has recently been nominated for an International Kids Emmy and won a number of other awards.
In the new film Zog, Pearl and Gadabout are now a flying doctor trio, caring for creatures including a mermaid, a unicorn and a sneezy lion. However when bad weather forces them to land at the palace, Pearl is locked up by her uncle, the king. Zog and Gadabout try to set her free. However when their attempts fail, Pearl has to come up with the best way of all to regain her freedom.
Charlotte Moore, Director of Content, BBC, says: "BBC One will be home to another favourite Donaldson and Scheffler adaptation for Christmas 2020, once again continuing our collaboration with the award winning Magic Light Pictures on the fabulously original sequel to the best-selling Zog – Zog and The Flying Doctors."
The book of Zog and the Flying Doctors is written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, the UK’s most successful picture book creators. Zog and the Flying Doctors was first published by Scholastic in 2016 and is the eighth adaptation by Magic Light Pictures of a Donaldson/Scheffler title.
The Snail And The Whale will premiere on BBC One this Christmas. Previously, Magic Light produced The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child, with the former winning over 15 awards as well as nominations for an Oscar, a Bafta and the Cartoon d’Or and delivered audiences of 10 million to BBC One for their respective Christmas Day transmissions.
Other titles include Oscar nominated and Bafta-winning Room On The Broom, Stick Man, and an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes, which also won a Bafta, an International Kids Emmy and was nominated for an Oscar.
Staff Reporter
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