Tiddler Dominates Christmas Ratings—The BBC’s Most-Watched Animated Special Since The Gruffalo!
Magic Light Pictures’ latest animated special, Tiddler, has reeled in an impressive 7.3 million viewers on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, making it the most-watched Magic Light Pictures film since The Gruffalo (2009)!
A Christmas Day Success
Premiering on Christmas Day, Tiddler became one of the top five most-watched programs across all channels and streamers—a huge feat for an animated special.
Critics loved it too!
- The Telegraph (5 stars): “A small but perfectly formed piscine adventure proved a prize catch.”
- Radio Times: “The perfect watch for all the family.”
What Is Tiddler About?
Based on the beloved picture book by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler, Tiddler follows a small grey fish with a big imagination who gets lost in the deep ocean—only to be saved by his own storytelling.
The film joins Magic Light Pictures’ long list of acclaimed adaptations, including The Gruffalo, Stick Man, Zog, Tabby McTat, and The Smeds and The Smoos.
A Strong Line-Up of Animated Favorites
BBC One also aired all of Magic Light’s Donaldson/Scheffler specials over the holidays, and they performed 20% better year-over-year, with each film attracting over 1 million viewers.
Top Performers:
- The Gruffalo’s Child
- The Smeds and The Smoos
- Tabby McTat
(All securing around 2 million viewers each!)
Star-Studded Voice Cast 🎙️
The half-hour special features:
- Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso, Game of Thrones) – Narrator
- Lolly Adefope (Ghosts, Saltburn) – Miss Skate
- Jayde Adams (Ruby Speaking) – Plaice & other characters
- Rob Brydon (Gavin and Stacey) – Fisherman, Whale, Starfish & Anchovy (his 12th Donaldson/Scheffler film!)
Magic Light’s Reaction
Co-Founder Martin Pope shared:
“We’re delighted that so many families and children enjoyed Tiddler. It’s always an honor to have our films shown on Christmas Day and become part of holiday traditions.”
Where to Watch?
Tiddler and all Magic Light Pictures’ animated specials are still available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
