Family Channel and New Zealand’s TVNZ have commissioned the 2D-animated series Badjelly, based on the kids book from Irish writer and comedian Spike Milligan.

Scheduled for delivery in 2025, the 13 x 22-minute series is a coproduction between Montreal’s Sphere Animation, Auckland’s Mukpuddy Animation and Dublin-based Cantilever Media.

WildBrain-owned Family Channel and TVNZ are the commissioning broadcasters for the series, which has also been acquired by Australia public broadcaster ABC. WildBrain will handle distribution outside of New Zealand and Australia.

Aimed at kids aged seven to 11, the series depicts modern fairy tales about the titular Badjelly the Witch, voiced by U.K. actor Miriam Margolyes. It is based on the book Badjelly the Witch: A Fairy Story, which the great comic writer and actor Milligan originally wrote for his own children, and is being produced “with the permission of Spike Milligan Productions and the family of Spike Milligan,” according to a news release.

Additional cast members include Rhys Darby (Trolls), Ava Diakhaby (Shortland Street), Malachi Hall (The Flatshare), Roisin Conaty (GameFace), Cohen Holloway (Under the Vines), Mandip Gill (Doctor Who), Joe Wilkinson (Sex Education), Katherine Parkinson (Significant Other), Kiell Smith-Bynoe (Ghosts) and Julian Barratt (The Great).

Financial support from New Zealand comes from the Ara ki Te Puna Kairangi – Premium Development Fund, the Te Puna Kairangi Premium Fund, NZ On Air and the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate. The project has also received support from the British Film Institute’s UK Global Screen Fund and the UK Animation Tax Credit, in addition to federal and Ontario tax credits.

Image courtesy of WildBrain