FANCY SOMETHING MAGICAL?
FUN FOR EVERYONE
Mr Stink iPLAYER
David Walliams adaptations have been a festive tradition on the BBC (and Sky of late), and this tale of the homeless Mr Stink (Hugh Bonneville) and his dog (BGT’s Pudsey) is one of them. The Boy In The Dress, Grandpa’s Great Escape and Billionaire Boy are on iPlayer too. Walliams stars in them all.
The Demon Headmaster iPLAYER
Bodyguard’s Nicholas Gleaves stars as the hypnotic headmaster in an unsettling ten-part take on Gillian Cross’s books, one that’s not for the easily frightened. His ice-cold educator is now the ‘Super Head’ of an academy. Anyone who remembers the original series will spot a familiar face as the story goes on. One series
Hetty Feather iPLAYER
Set in 1887, this drama follows the adventures of young Hetty and her foster brother Gideon, who are forced to live in a foundling hospital after being abandoned by their mother. There the children and their friends dream of escape from the iron fist of Matron Bottomly (Eva Pope). Can they scale the walls in search of freedom? Five series
The Worst Witch iPLAYER/ NETFLIX
CBBC’s brilliant adaptation of Jill Murphy’s pre-Harry Potter tale of a school for magic crams in laughs, drama, special effects and even a sliver of poignancy. Among the highlights are Raquel Cassidy as the stern Miss Hardbroom and Game Of Thrones’s Bella Ramsey as hapless pupil Mildred Hubble. Four series
Classic Doctor Who BRITBOX
BritBox have a collection of ‘classic’ Doctor Whos — from William Hartnell to Paul McGann — much of which is going to be a shock to a generation reared on the big special effects of the Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant and Jodie Whittaker era. You can find those slicker but not always superior later tales on iPlayer and Netflix. Make sure little ones watch from behind the sofa.
Goodnight Mr Tom BRITBOX
This heart-wrenching drama follows a young boy evacuated from the Blitz to the country during World War II. Things aren’t looking good when he’s left in the care of a cantankerous old widower (played by John Thaw in full beard), but this unlikely pair slowly begin to develop a close bond. That is until the past comes knocking.
Ratburger NOWTV/SKY
Sky’s other festive tale from David Walliams, who co-stars alongside Sheridan Smith. It’s the dark-tinged story of a downtrodden young girl whose life is made a misery by her evil stepmother. But hope comes when she befriends a dancing rat who shows up in her bedroom.
Cinderella: After Ever After NOWTV/SKY
‘What comes after happy ever after?’ pondered David Walliams about Cinderella, and Sky’s fun comedy is the result. Walliams plays vain Prince Charming, with Car Share’s Sian Gibson as his rueful bride.
Fungus The Bogeyman NOWTV/SKY
A strong cast (Timothy Spall, Joanna Scanlan, Victoria Wood, Keeley Hawes) bring both the spirit and the details of Raymond Briggs’s amusingly disgusting book to life for Sky’s family special, which was first shown over Christmas 2015. Some painstaking special effects do a lot to help those performances.
Glee NETFLIX/AMAZON PRIME
The high-school musical was a phenomenon in its early years, brimming with inventive musical mash-ups and the snide put-downs of sneering cheerleading coach Sue Sylvester, played to a tee by Jane Lynch. Look out for The Greatest Dancer’s Matthew Morrison as her nemesis, the nurturing Mr Schuester. Six series
A Series Of Unfortunate Events NETFLIX
This series, based on Lemony Snicket’s dark children’s tale, has the quirky and sumptuously Gothic air of a Tim Burton movie. Neil Patrick Harris is very funny as the sinister actor who takes in the three Baudelaire orphans, while Joan Cusack co-stars as his sweet neighbour — a far better choice of guardian for the children, surely. Three series
Gortimer Gibbons’ Life On Normal Street AMAZON PRIME
Amazon’s best original children’s show has a similar feel to the 1990s classic Eerie, Indiana. Gortimer doesn’t always have an easy family life, but he and his friends find magic — and mysteries — on Normal Street. Three series
The Mandalorian DISNEY+
The first live-action Star Wars show is essentially a western, following a mysterious stranger