PREMIERE
“Ted Lasso” star Hannah Waddingham attended the premiere of upcoming BBC animation “Tiddler” at the Sea Life London Aquarium on Sunday. Waddingham, who voices the narrator in the half-hour film, posed with some of Tiddler’s fishy friends ahead of the screening.
The animation, from production company Magic Light, also features the voices of Lolly Adefope, Jayde Adams and Rob Brydon with child actors Reuben Kirby and Theo Fraser in the lead roles. Based on the children’s book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, it is directed by Andy Martin and Alex Bain. It is set to premiere in the U.K. on the BBC and iPlayer on Christmas Day.
EUROVISION
The 2025 Eurovision Song Contest is set to go ahead in Basel, Switzerland after the city’s residents voted to use $40 million of taxpayer money for producing the all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza. After Swiss entry Nemo won this year’s contest, the country confirmed back in August that Basel, its third most populated city, would serve as the location for next’s year competition. According to reports, however, one of Switzerland’s right-wing parties won enough support to hold a referendum on whether or not taxpayer funds should be used to pay for the event, which requires an enormous amount of security as well as logistics. According to France24, residents have now overwhelmingly voted in favor of funding the contest with taxpayer money, with 66.6% in favor. Voter turnout was 57%.
POWERFUL PROGRAMMING
Australian pubcaster ABC has inked a deal with Banijay Rights for a slate of scripted and factual content, led by the upcoming “Bergerac” reimagining starring Damien Molony (“The Split,” “Brassic”). The package includes Welsh crime drama “The One That Got Away,” period piece “The Hardacres,” “Grantchester” season 10 and documentary series “Picasso.”
“Bergerac,” based on the 1980s BBC series that starred John Nettles, features Molony in the titular role alongside Zoë Wanamaker as his mother-in-law Charlie Hungerford and Philip Glenister as Arthur Wakefield. BlackLight TV produces the six-parter. “The One That Got Away,” also from BlackLight TV, centers on a murder investigation in Pembroke Dock that reopens old cases and reunites former lovers. Series stars Elen Rhys and Richard Harrington, with Catherine Tregenna penning the script. Period drama “The Hardacres” follows a working-class Yorkshire family’s social climb in the 1890s. Claire Cooper and Liam McMahon lead the cast as Mary and Sam Hardacre. Playground produces in association with Screen Ireland, Red Berry Productions and Newgrange Pictures for Channel 5.
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